Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, and Joe Torre
~ The guys wore their game faces to the HOF induction announcement. ~
With the Veterans Committee’s approval of great modern managers Tony LaRussa, Bob Cox and Joe Torre for Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2014, Cooperstown, New York is going to get a little crowded next August on Induction Weekend, and just imagine how it will even spike-hype attendance all the more with the probable inclusion of recently retired 300-game winners Greg Maddux and Tommy Glavine, plus the real possibility this time of Houston’s Craig Biggio!
By adding LaRussa, Cox, and Torre, the Hall of Fame has inserted the numbers 3, 4, and 5 men on the “most games won by a manager” list that may start forever with Connie Mack and John McGraw in the numbers one and two spots on wins.
How man other guys beside Connie Mack are ever going to manage for 53 years in a single lifetime? Mack doesn’t even have a .500 percentage on winning, but his 3,731 managerial wins is still a far spot ahead of everyone else.
Here’s the essential win/loss and pennants/World Series achievement list for each of what, by August 2014, will be The Top Wins List Among Five Hall of Fame Managers:
| MANAGER | SEASONS | WON | LOST | WIN % | PENNANTS | WS WINS |
| Connie Mack | 53 | 3,371 | 3,948 | .486 | 9 | 5 |
| John McGraw | 33 | 2,763 | 1,948 | .586 | 10 | 3 |
| Tony LaRussa | 33 | 2,728 | 2,365 | .536 | 6 | 3 |
| Bobby Cox | 29 | 2,504 | 2,001 | .556 | 5 | 1 |
| Joe Torre | 29 | 2,326 | 1,997 | .538 | 6 | 4 |
| TOTALS | 177 | 13,692 | 12,259 | .528 | 36 | 16 |
Tony LaRussa went out like the champion he is after the 2011 season that saw his St. Louis Cardinals rally from two “one strike away from defeat” situations in Game 7 conditions to defeat the Texas Rangers. Although he was only 35 games behind the career win total for John McGraw after 2011, La Russa didn’t keep playing the next season. The record second place on this list was his to take. He could have won it easily, even had he been managing the 2012 Astros, but he passed. That wasn’t what Tony LaRussa was about. LaRussa didn’t stay in the game that long – just to nurse personal achievement numbers. He managed the game with all the passion and deftness of a grand chessmaster because he loved the intrigue and the challenge. He also knew that it was better to quit on the mountaintop – and to leave with fans still wanting for more.
Cox and Torre were both in control of things as managers, wily in their own ways, and insanely successful at Atlanta and New York on a regular season basis. Torre, of course, was the most World Series successful of the three new HOF member managers, and Cox won his division so often that fans almost seemed to overlook the fact that his one World Series win in 29 years was a little scarce as a figure on the career accomplishments side.
No matter how else we slice it, the 2014 Induction ceremony is going to be a hot ticket. If you are going, you had better start planning prior to the January writers vote on eligible players.
Tags: 2014 Hall of Fame Class
The Pecan Park Eagle 
December 11, 2013 at 4:42 pm |
Your question regarding Connie Mack was easy. He owned the team. Thats how he carried a sub .500 record over 53 years. Now they won’t let anyone who owns the team to manage so his record is safe!
December 11, 2013 at 5:00 pm |
I first saw Joe Torre in his last appearance at Buff Stadium on April 16, 1961 ( the day before the Bay of Pigs attack). He was a catcher for the Louisville Colonels, a farm team of the Milwaukee Braves. I “scouted” him closely that day because I assumed he was the younger brother of Frank Torre. He’s one of my favorite people, so much so that I even pulled for the Yankees when he was at the helm. I’ve made two pilgimages to Cooperstown, so I probably won’t be there this summer, but will watch his acceptance speech on TV. A good man.