Joel Sherman of the New York Post posted a Top 5 list ranking the best managers and baseball executives and I took a look to see what he came up with. Not only did the Baseball Maverick fail to make his top five, but he wasn’t even listed among the five honorable mentions either. I’m guessing Sherman won’t be getting any holiday card from Sandy next December.
1. Brian Sabean, Giants
2. John Mozeliak, Cardinals
3. Theo Epstein, Cubs
4. Billy Beane, A’s
5. Dave Dombrowski, Tigers
Sherman calls Sabean the guiding force of a front office known for fostering an atmosphere of trust and family attitude while understanding what works in its home park and for this team.
Mozeliak, he credits for continuing to oversee a feeder system that brings high-end players to the majors and for having a strong touch in trades doing well with his big free agents signings.
“Epstein has sired elite farm systems with the Red Sox and Cubs. He helped break The Curse in Boston, and now he is trying to do the same in Chicago.”
“The word that kept coming up with Beane was “fearless.” He is willing to pro-actively overhaul — with a deft touch, by the way — rather than wait for his players to lose value or become too expensive for Oakland.”
“An AL scout lauded Dombrowski, “He knows what he wants, how to get a deal done and is a great communicator. He is one of the few GMs that doesn’t overvalue young players.”
His honorable mentions included Chris Antonetti, Brian Cashman, Ben Cherington, Andrew Friedman, and Mike Rizzo.
