It all comes down to pushing the right buttons.
Former Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo told me that years ago when we were having a discussion about the importance of a manager.
Sure, a team has to have talent. After that, exactly what is the key role of a manager?
I asked him about the importance Sparky Anderson played guiding the Big Red Machine to World Championships in 1975 and 1976.
“Anyone who knows anything about baseball knows when it’s time to bunt, steal or pinch-hit,” Santo said. “Most know when to take a pitcher out. The difference between the good managers and all the others is the good ones know how to push the buttons and motivate all 25 guys in the clubhouse. You might have to push 25 different buttons to get 25 guys going in the right direction. Certain guys respond differently to different things. That’s exactly what Sparky did and that’s why he was a great manager.”
That story comes to mind today concerning the heat Indians manager Eric Wedge has taken this year.
If you turned on Sports Time Ohio’s talk show after an Indians’ game this year, you would think Wedge was the worst manager in the history of baseball.
He never bunted at the right time.
He never pinch-hit at the right time. If he pinch-hit, he pinch-hit the wrong guy.
And he never knew when to make a pitching change. He took guys out too soon or he left them in well after they were roasting on the spit.
This all according to the talking heads and callers on STO.
Here’s a news flash for them.
The Indians are in the playoffs.
So, to me, Wedge has done plenty right.
So forget about if Wedge didn’t bunt here or there.
In the end, all those moves mean very little over 162 games. My feeling is that most of those moves even themselves out over a long season.
What matters is Wedge was able to motivate and use his intensity to push 25 guys in the right direction.
According to a former third baseman, “He pushed the right buttons.”
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