You’re Out: When One Decision Costs a Manager His Job

It’s the top of the 11th inning.

The Minnesota Twins are tied 3-3 with the New York Yankees in the second game of the ALDS. The Twins are threatening to score, with their first two men on.

All five people I’m watching the game with say the same thing: “You have to bunt here.”

Babe Ruth could have been the next batter and it wouldn’t have mattered. Conventional, conservative baseball thinking says that you have to get the runners to second and third.

But why bunt? You want Michael Cuddyer, with 32 home runs this season, to just lay one down when he could put it out of the ballpark? What if he messes up the bunt and pops it up?

On the other hand, if he doesn’t bunt, he runs the risk of hitting into a double play.

All these thoughts and scenarios are running through Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire’s head, until he gives his slugger the sign: swing away.

And he does.

Cuddyer promptly rewards his manager’s faith and singles up the middle, leading to a big inning for the Twins.

Unfortunately, Twins reliever Jose Mijares couldn’t shut the door on the game and the Twins end up losing anyway, on a homer by Mark Teixeira. But it’s worth discussing this bunting situation in baseball and why this automatic response came to me and everybody watching the game with me.

We live in a time period where almost all managers in baseball are guaranteed only two press conferences—one to be welcomed to the team, and the second to discuss why they’ve been let go. The second interview just comes sooner for some than others.

Every move a manger makes, good or bad, will be discussed on all major sports TV programs, newspapers, and covered all over the internet.

Grady Little essentially lost his job as the Boston Red Sox manager for leaving Pedro Martinez in for the eighth inning in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS—allowing the Yankees to tie the game and eventually win the game (and series) in extra innings.

One move can easily mean that much, and a lot of decisions made in baseball are truly based on job security.

Ron Gardenhire isn’t going anywhere, though—he is loved in Minnesota. He has the small market Twins competing every year for a championship, so in turn he is given more flexibility.

That, in turn, allowed him to give Cuddyer the green light because he won’t be second-guessed by the people that make decisions, like Twins GM Bill Smith.

Little, back in 2003, was looked at under a microscope by Red Sox personnel and in turn was fired for his decision with Martinez. Everyone that wanted him out now had an excuse.

Don’t get me wrong; managers with job security will still be conservative with their calls. Just because Angels manager Mike Scioscia is signed through 2018 doesn’t mean that he’ll always be giving Maicer Izturis the green light because a double is better than a sacrifice bunt. He’ll play smart baseball, but his gut feeling decisions will generally be accepted and supported—just like if Gardenhire’s hadn’t worked out with Cuddyer.

One manager to keep your eye this postseason could be Jim Tracy, the manager of the Colorado Rockies. Tracy has the famous “interim” title and nothing can cost you a chance at signing a long-term deal like taking a bad risk to end your season.

Enjoy the playoffs!