It is time to go down the list of Dodger managers over the years and see how they stack up against each other. We will start in the 1900’s since none of the managers before then were with the team for extended periods of time. First up is Hall of Famer, Wilbert Robinson.
Wilbert Robinson
Wilbert Robinson started his baseball life in 1886 with the Philadelphia franchise of the American Association. Uncle Robbie played for a total of 17 seasons. He hit .273 over that span. He was a catcher. He spent 9 seasons in the NL, 2 seasons in the AL and 6 in the AA. He had no power and was a contact hitter never striking out more than 37 times in any season.
In 1902 he managed the Baltimore franchise of the Al to a 24-57 record as a player-manager. Uncle Robbie was born on June 29th, 1863 in Bolton, Massachusetts. Robbie was one of seven children born to Henry and Lucy Jane Robinson.
Robinson inherited his fathers butcher shop in 1883 after he passed, but his heart was in baseball, not meat. He signed with Haverhill of the Eastern New England League in 1885. By 1886 he was playing for Philadelphia of the American Association.
He was traded to Baltimore of the AA in 1890, and in 1892 he joined Baltimore’s NL franchise. He later teamed up with John McGraw to own the Baltimore team in the AL. After he retired as a player, he stayed in Baltimore running his business’s , a butcher shop and a bar. Robinson signed on with the New York Giants to coach in 1910. He stayed there through the 1913 season. After the season there was a party at a New York saloon after the last game of the World Series. There were some old-time Orioles in attendance. McGraw got drunk and started criticizing Robbie’s third-base coaching in that days 3-1 loss to the Athletics. Robbie snapped back that McGraw’s managing had been lousy too. This is my party McGraw snarled, get the hell out of here. Robinson threw a beer on him as he was leaving. One month later, he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers to become their manager.
Robinson managed the Dodgers for 18 seasons, winning pennants in 1916 and 1920. But he also finished in 5th place or worse 12 times. He was known as a players manager and had a great personality and always kept things loose in the clubhouse. Because of his pleasant personality and obvious impact on the team, they were for a time called the Robins. Robinson finished his managerial career in Brooklyn in 1931. He had a record of 1375-1341. A .506 pct. He was elected to the Hall in 1945. Robinson died on August 8th, 1934 after a fall in the bathroom.
The Lean Years
Max Carey took over in 1932. He managed the team for 2 years. He had a 3rd place finish in 32 and then finished 6th in 33. He was replaced by former Dodger player, Casey Stengel. Stengel managed for 3 seasons, never getting the club over .500. Next up was another former Brooklyn player, Burleigh Grimes. Grimes fared no better than his predecessors. His teams finished 6th and then 7th, a combined 52 games back over the two seasons. With a new man running the team, Larry McPhail, Brooklyn next brought in a fireball of a player and manager. Leo Durocher.
Leo Durocher
Durocher was born on July 27, 1905 in West Springfield, Massachusetts. He started his major league career in 1925 with the New York Yankees. He had a cup of coffee that season and did not return to the bigs until 1928. He hit .270 his rookie season. He was more known for his glove than his bat. And he was known for being a really loud bench jockey. He was fiery on the field and argued with umpires a lot. His BA went down in 1929 and after the season, the Yankees traded him to the Reds for cash. He played in Cincy for 4 seasons, then was traded to the Cardinals with 2 other players for Paul Derringer, Sparky Adams and Allyn Stout.
He was an integral part of the 1934 World Champion Gas House Gang team. Teaming with Frankie Frisch as their double-play combo. Then in 1938 he went to Brooklyn in a trade for 4 players and became the Dodgers SS for a season before becoming a player-manager in 1939. He guided them to a 3rd place finish in 39, and a 2nd place finish in 1940. In 1941 Brooklyn won its first pennant since 1920. They lost the World Series to the Yankees 4-1. From 1942-1946, Leo led the team to 2 3rd, 2 2nd, and a 7th place finish. His 1946 team tied the Cardinals and then lost 2 games in a playoff. In 1947 he was suspended by Happy Chandler for a season. Burt Shotton took over in that, Jackie Robinson’s rookie season.
Durocher had played a role in squashing a player revolt of sorts. Some players started a petition stating they did not want to play with a negro. Durocher nipped that in the bud fast. And a couple of those players would be traded later. He came back in 1948 and led the team for 72 games before he was allowed to resign and then sign with the Giants to manage them. Over his parts of 9 seasons with the Dodgers, Leo compiled a 738-565 record. A .566 pct.
Chuck Dressen
Charles Walter Dressen was born September 20, 1894 in Decatur, Illinois. He was the oldest of three children born to Phillip and Kate Dressen. His father immigrated from Germany in 1882, and his mother from England in 1880. They spelled their name Dresen, which is how Charlie signed his WWI draft card. He was called Charlie or Chuck most of his life. He loved racing horses and at one time considered becoming a jockey. He was 5’5″ and less than 150 pounds. His quick mind and reflexes made him a standout in football and baseball. While working as a switchman for the Wabash Railroad, he would play for various football and baseball teams for whatever wage they were paying. He typically got 7.50 to pitch. His arm was not good enough to impress scouts, but his hitting and fielding were,
Dressen played pro football in the offseason and was a member of the A.E. Staley Food Starch company team in 1920. The precursor of the Chicago Bears. In 1923 Dressen decided his future was in baseball and not football and quit Racine after one game.
In 1924 his BA for St. Paul of the AA, soared to .346 and he led the Saints in almost every offensive category, including RBI’s with 151. That led to the Reds purchasing his contract and sending the Saints a couple of players to seal the deal. He made his big league debut on April 17, 1925, and got his first big league hit 9 days later. Dressen played 8 years with the Reds, and was a career .272 hitter.
He took over as the Reds manager in 1939. In four years with the Reds, Charlie’s teams posted a 214-282 record. .431 Pct. He worked for the Dodgers as a coach for a while on Durocher’s staff. But when Rickey took over the team he fired Dressen because he would not swear off gambling in 1942. After staying away from the track, Rickey hired him back in 1943 and he stayed with the team until 1946. He signed a contract with the Yankees while still a member of the Brooklyn staff, and was suspended 30 days and fined 1/12th of his salary.
Dressen was a master at stealing signs. One time he signaled DiMaggio that a curve was coming. The pitch ended up being a high and tight fastball, and only DiMaggio’s cat-like reflexes kept him from being hit. He cursed Dressen and ignored his signals from then on.
In After the 48 season, Dressen was let go when the Yanks hired Casey Stengel as manager. He went to Oakland and managed the Oaks of the PCL for two years. Finishing second in 1949 and winning the title in 1950. That winter he got a call from the Brooklyn Dodgers who wanted him to take over from Burt Shotton.
The team Dressen inherited was loaded. The Boys of Summer were reaching their peak. They had won the pennant in 1949 and were beaten out by the NL Champion Phillies, ” The Whiz Kids” on the last day of the season in 1950. He had established stars at every position except LF. His pitching staff was pretty decent too. We all know what happened in 1951. The collapse down the stretch and then Thompson’s HR to give the Giants the win. Dressen’s team then went on to win pennants in 52 and 53, only to lose the series to the Yankees both times.
Dressen went into the winter and demanded a multi-year deal. Something Dodger owner, Walter O’Malley was not inclined to do. Dressen was let go, and on the advice of Buzzie Bavasi, the GM, the Dodgers hired unknown Walter Alston as their manager.
Dressen again went to Oakland to manage the Oaks. When he was fired from that job he went to Washington in 1955 and managed them until he was fired early in the 1957 season. He came back to the Dodgers as a coach on Alston’s staff. After the team won the 59 Series, Charlie was hired to manage the Braves. But the team was aging and the minor leagues offered little help and he was let go in September of 1961. He managed in the Braves farm system in 62. But was not offered a job in 63.
Dressen rejoined the Dodgers as a scout, but in June he got a call to replace Bob Scheffing in Detroit. He managed them until spring training in 1965 when he suffered a heart attack. He returned after a time and finished the season. But a month into 1966 he suffered a second heart attack. Then while recovering from a kidney infection he suffered a third heart attack, this time it was fatal and he died on August 10, 1966 at the age of 71 in Detroit. Charlie had a 298-166 record for Brooklyn, a .642 Pct. Overall he was 1008-973.
Walter Alston
Walter Emmons Alston, born Dec 1, 1911 in Venice, Ohio, a small town northwest of Cincinnati. His father, Emmons, was a farmer, and his mother, Lenora, was a homemaker. His formative years were spent on a farm near Morning Sun, Ohio. He had few neighbors to play with. When his father was not around to play catch with him, he would throw the ball off of the barn. That is how he got his nickname, “Smokey”, he had a live fastball.
The family moved to Darrtown when Walt entered his teens, which allowed him to play baseball regularly on a sandlot. He was captain of the baseball and basketball teams at Darrtown High. And led the baseball team to the 1928 Butler County Championship.
He graduated in 1929 and went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He drove a laundry truck to help finance his education and also worked in the school cafeteria and moonlighted at a local pool hall. In 1930 he married a local girl, Lela Alexander. But he was forced to withdraw from college to form a better plan for supporting a marriage and a education. He took two years off and reapplied in 1932. In the depths of the depression but managed to not only letter in baseball and basketball all three years, completing his degree in Education. He also managed to find the time to play baseball on Sunday’s in the Clark-Butler County League where he pitched and played both corner infield positions.
After graduation, he took a job as a high school science, biology, and industrial arts teacher as well as being a basketball coach. It was 1935 and the Cardinals offered him a chance with the Greenwood Chiefs of the Class C Dixie League. He hit .326 in 319 at-bats. After a winter of teaching and coaching, he was sent to the Huntington Red Birds of the Mid-Atlantic League. He hit .326 with 35 HR’s and after the minor league season was called up as insurance for what turned out to be an unsuccessful pennant run.
On September 27, 1936, Cardinal 1st baseman, Johnny Mize, was ejected in the final game of the season and Frankie Frisch sent Alston in to replace him. He played 3 innings at first base behind Cardinal legend, Dizzy Dean, had two chances, made an error and in his only plate appearance against Cub ace, Lon Warneke, he struck out on three pitches. The next spring with Mize ensconced at first, he was sent back to the minors and never played in the majors again. He quit teaching, but now having a daughter, he spent the next decade in many city’s chasing the dream of playing in the majors again. Every winter they would go back home to Ohio.
In 1940 he began managing in the Cardinals system as a player-manager. In 1944 he started the season with only 3 hits and was at the age of 32 released by the Cardinals. The Dodgers immediately signed him and sent him to Trenton to manage. He worked his way up and in 6 years as a AAA manager he won 3 league titles and a Junior World Series in 1949 compiling a 544-373 record. After the 1953 series, when Dressen demanded a multi-year deal, and O’Malley refused, he was signed to a one-year contract to manage the Brooklyn Dodgers. He would do that every season until 1976, a one-year deal. And every offseason he would go home to Darrtown with his family.
We all know his record as a manager of the Dodgers. 2040-1613. .558 Pct. Seven pennants, Four World Series titles. Walt was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983. He passed away October 1st, 1984 at the age of 72. Smokey was the longest-tenured Dodger manager passing the 18 seasons the team was managed by Wilbert Robinson. 2 days before the 1976 season he was replaced by an entirely different personality in Tommy Lasorda. If Walt was the quiet man, Lasorda was a bullhorn.
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda. Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania on September 22, 1927. Tommy lived, ate and breathed baseball. He loved the Dodger organization, and probably was one of the best ambassadors for the game that the game ever had.
Lasorda signed with the Phillies after he graduated from high school. He started his pro career in 1945 in Class D ball. Tommy missed the 46 and 47 seasons. He was in the Army. He returned to baseball in 1948 with the Schenectady Blue Jays of the Canadian-American League. On May 31, 1948….14 days before I was born, he struck out 25 Amsterdam Rugmakers in a 15 inning game. Setting a pro record. He also drove in the winning run with a single.
In 1949 the Dodgers drafted Lasorda from the Phillies. He would pitch in their system, mostly with the Montreal Royals until 1955. He made his debut in August of 1954, and his only start on May 5th, 1955. He was removed after the first inning after making 3 wild pitches and getting spiked by Wally Moon at home plate. He was sent down after the game and never pitched for the Dodgers again.
He started the 1956 season at Denver in the Yankees organization but was dealt to the Athletics. He went 0-4 in 18 games. His only MLB decisions. In 1957 he was back in the minors, playing for the LA Angels, at the time a Brooklyn farm team. He was with Denver also that year for a short while.
In 1958 he returned to the Dodger organization and pitched 3 years at AAA ball in Montreal before hanging up his spikes after the 1960 season. His minor league record was 136-104. He was hired as a scout for the Dodgers in 1960. He did that until 1966 when he took over as manager of the Pocatello team. In 1966 he took over at Ogden and would manage them for 3 seasons. To inspire confidence in his players, he would have them send a letter to the LA Dodger who played their position and inform him that they would one day be replacing them. He also managed in the AZL during the winter.
In 1969 he took over the Dodgers AAA team in Spokane, and remained the AAA manager when they moved to Albuquerque in 1972. His 72 team won the PCL championship. That winter he managed the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League to the Caribbean World Series title in Venezuela.
He was named to Alston’s staff as the third base coach in 1973. He turned down several job interviews while a coach to stay in the Dodger organization as he was widely considered the heir apparent to take over for Alston. Alston retired on September 27th, 1976 and Lasorda became the Dodger manager. Alston had been the Dodger manager for 23 years. Lasorda would hold that post for the next 20 years until he had a heart attack that forced him to leave the position.
His accomplishments are well documented. 20 years, 1599-1439 record. 2 World Championships, 4 pennants, 8 division titles. He also managed four All-Star games. Tommy managed 9 rookies of the year, Sutcliffe, Howe, Valenzuela and Sax, and then Karros, Piazza, Nomo, Mondesi and Hollandsworth. He retired from managing on July 29, 1996, and was replaced by Bill Russell.
He managed the USA’s Olympic team to a gold medal in 2000, beating the favored Cubans. In his golden years, Tommy could be seen at Dodger Stadium many nights. Sitting in his seat close to the Dodger dugout. Thankfully he lived to see the team finally win another in 2020. His post-game interviews are among some of the most profanity-laced and hilarious in baseball history. He also got a mascot thrown out of a game. That happened in Montreal.
The Carousel
Former SS, Bill Russell lasted one full season and parts of two others and was replaced in 1998 by Glenn Hoffman, who finished out the season. The new Dodger GM, Kevin Malone brought in Davey Johnson to manage in 1999. They finished 3rd with a 77-85 record. In 2000 they went 86-76 and finished 2nd. Johnson was replaced by Jim Tracy who posted the exact same mark in 2001. Tracy led them to the West title in 2004 but they were beaten in the playoffs.
Tracy’s team finished 71-91 in 2005 and he was replaced by Grady Little. Little got them into the wild card in 2006, but after finishing 4th in 2007, the job went to Joe Torre. Torre had 2 playoff appearances during his 3 year stint, and handed the reins to Don Mattingly in 2011. Mattingly’s teams improved their record every season except his last in 2015. They made 3 appearances in the playoffs and got bounced in the NLCS in 2013, and the NLDS in 14 and 15. Friedman took over after the 15 season and hired everyone’s favorite, Dave Roberts. Success has been the watchword for the last 9 seasons. 8 straight division titles and fighting to the wire this season to try and win a 9th.
The Giants are not making the task easy. And that in many ways is a very good thing. Over the last several seasons except for 2018, they had comfortable leads going into the playoffs. In their long storied history, only a few managers have made it 5 years or more. Ned Hanlon, 7, Robinson, 18, Durocher, 8 and part of a 9th. Alston, 23, Lasorda, 20, Tracy and Mattingly 5 each and Roberts, now in his 6th season. So there you have it, a managerial history from Robbie to Dave.
A Word From Mark
Yesterday, I published a blog where I asked some questions and encouraged everyone not to rush to judgment on Trevor Bauer. I was driving back from Yankton, SD all day, so I did not read the comments until now. A wise man does not develop an opinion until all the facts are in. You don’t have to like Trevor Bauer – I don’t! But, I am going to say this as delicately as I possibly can: Some of you that think you are so damn smart and pontificate your baseless opinions could be buried in a matchbox if someone gave you an enema! I am not going to single you out, but there are a few voices of reason here.
Opinions are like… well you know what, and it is best not to act look one.
I did watch the game all the way back until we hit the Indiana line and MLB blacked it out based upon my location, but that was with 2 outs in the 9th. We will get them today. I am going to try and go to Cincy on Sunday to see Clayton pitch. You never know… it could be the last time!
Discussion (29)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Imagine Machado being a leader on a team no matter who was in the wrong.
Tempers flaring in Padre land. Machado going after Tatis
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10012722-video-manny-machado-yells-its-not-f–king-about-you-at-fernando-tatis-jr
Just listened to a podcast at Dodgersnation.com, and find it amusing that Morosi is actually floating the idea that Bellinger might be non-tendered next year. He did caveat the thought by saying he doesn’t think it will happen since the Dodgers have the financial wherewithal to continue with him and work to get him right, but if his play had been with a number of other teams without the financial might of the Dodgers, he could well be a DFA/non-tender candidate.
To actually discuss a non-tender possibility in the same sentence as Cody Bellinger tells you just how much his star has dimmed and, although not likely, the Dodgers might decide to invest heavily on Corey Seager, CK and Sherzer while trimming some $$ by not paying Bellinger. Do I think that scenario is likely?…..No I don’t, but stranger things have happened in Dodgerland before and it’s clear Scherzer needs to be signed along with Corey. Could Bellinger be gone?????
USC crushed WSU 45-14 scoring 45 unanswered points. Jackson Dart threw for 391 yards and 4 touchdowns after Keydon Slovis was injured. Alabama barely edges Florida, 31-29.
Shades of Rob Deer. Suarez, who is a career .250 hitter is hitting .178 this season with 26 HR’s. So gripe all you want about Bellinger in a little over 80 games, this guy has played in 131 games and is not even at the Mendoza line.
Damn Corey, set your feet and throw. Know the runner. Max should have picked it, bad on both ends.
E-6 on the last out of the game. Come on man.
Muncy can’t hit, and now he can’t field.
Votto’s flexibility makes TioA look like an Olympic gymnast.
Way to go kid, That’s right I’m talking about Lux
Way to go Reds defense
Way to go Barnes, you put the ball in play anything can happen
USC football team’s plane tipped backwards on the tarmac after they arrived in Washington to play Washington State. Some of the team members were still on the plane. No one was hurt. Hey, a rally of sorts! Turner double, Taylor to 2nd on an error. Lux triples……2-0 LA.
Ump got sick, Scherzer throws Votto 4 straight balls after an 11 minute delay. Ball is not flying in Cincy so far.
It is the jersey’s that say Los Angeles. They hit better when it says Dodgers on the front.
Muncy looks like he can’t recognize what’s a strike.
Por el recuento de lanzamientos de Gray, podria lanzar 18 entradas.
Some real strong AB’s by the Dodgers offense so far…….not.
Don’t like the way this one is shaping up. If the Dodgers don’t change their approach at the plate, they’re going to fuck themselves
Ya pasaron 3 entradas y veo al equipo muy flojo y sin actitud para aspirar a ganar.
I would like to see:
a 2022 infield of Muncy, Betts, Seager, and Trea.
a 2022 outfield of Pollock, Lux (CF), and Bellinger (RF).
a 2022 DH of Justin Turner
a 2023 infield of Vargas, Betts, Seager, and Trea.
a 2023 outfield of Pages (LF), Lux (CF), Bellinger (RF)
a 2023 DH of Busch
Thanks Bear, great post.
Lux back in and Bellinger is out because of residual soreness from a non-displaced fracture in his left ribs.
There wasn’t much to like about last night’s game. Can you believe that former Dodger Farmer was the one who drove the stake through the heart? While playing shortstop no less…
It was nice to see Beaty get a couple of hits, but I can’t help but think his lazy chase on that two run double might have been the difference in the game. Lux probably doesn’t catch that ball, but he probably keeps the second run from scoring.
Lux will be out a couple more games, forearm contusion. The pitching machine took him out. WTF?
Castillo was on. He was throwing upper 90’s with a “Pull the string” change and an umpire helping him out. That’s the problem with a single wild card game.
Bueller was equally as good until the 5th and 6th innings. It seems like he hit a wall late in the season. I think he’ll rebound.
2 games back again, dammit! Donovan Solano pinch hitting for Yastrzemski with two outs in the ninth and he goes yard on 5 sliders in a row? WTF? Luckiest team ever!
Well that was a short couple of games missed by Lux. He’s back in the lineup for now on a quick turnaround 11 AM game…
Betts
Seager
T Turner
Muncy
J Turner
Taylor
Lux
Barnes
Almost got the lineup right. Can’t we just try Betts and TT back to back?
How many pitches out of the strike zone did we swing at last night ??
Hopefully we got the crap out of the way and show up today
Bear, another outstanding look back of Dodger managerial history. After all the stability with Alston and Lasorda it was kind of unsettling with the carousal of managers until Mattingly was hired. That was reflected in the team’s record during that time. And with Roberts leading the team he seems destine to maybe match Tommy’s 20 year reign as long as AF continues to supply him with the talent he has had in the past.
This appears to be another “you have to be kidding me” season for the Giants similar to 2010,2012,2014. Hopefully, nothing wacky happens in the WC game and the Dodgers move on and put the Giants in their place in the NLDS. I think our pitching, both starting and BP, can take care business in a short series. The Giants’ starting pitching hasn’t been as effective recently. I haven’t given up winning the division, but it’s hard overcoming a team that constantly pulls victories out of their butt. We’ll see what happens.
The Reds pitcher and the ump were big factors in our loss. Castillo was throwing like Dustin May, 99 mph with big movement that would look like a ball and hit the corner. When it missed the corner the Ump would call it a strike anyway.
Max today
Go Dodgers
* Another great post Bear. I love your work. Love the photos.
* We haven’t lost much lately but Friday. we just got beat. Out hit and out pitched. We can’t seem to get Striker any runs. Castillo was dominate. How’s he lost 15 games?
* Dan Iassogna must have been double parked with his strike zone.
* Get em today. You can’t win em all but you can certainly try. I still think we’ll win the Division, however.
* Funny, I’ve become a big Atlanta Braves fan all of a sudden. I thought they had the Giants yesterday. Great game but it wasn’t to be. The Giants really are remarkable. I’ve kept waiting for them to move to Manila and become the Folders but they haven’t.
Awesome write up Bear. Loved the old photo of Lasorda! Mark Twain said it best about the Dodgers and Giants of 2021. “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog”. Huge and gutsy win by the Giants last night while the Dodgers just gave a roll over and play dead performance!
“These two teams battle why can’t we do that?” Nonicname
Because we are all or nothing. The giants are built to do the little things right AND hit home runs.
History. “The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice”. Mark Twain. I think he’s mostly right, but it’s still cool to read Dodger history. Wilbert Robinson. 100 years ago. Damm. “His heart was in baseball, not meat”. Classic line Bear. And that checkerboard uniform. Also classic.
I guess my favorite manager will always be Alston. I was 11 when his team won the World Championship and I went to one of those games. Row 11 right in front of the opening to the Dodger dugout. Looked Alston right in the eye a few times as he kept looking right at me. All the Dodgers kept looking right at me. They were actually looking at Joe DiMaggio who was sitting right behind me but in my memory I made eye contact with all of them, including Alston.Joe looked at me too. And smiled. I got his autograph but have no idea what happened to it.
Hey Mark, they said on the telecast that CK’s start is going to be piggybacked with Gonsolin. Just thought I would let you know. I met Ted for lunch on Thursday. Really a nice guy.