I hate when great players become managers. It almost never works out. Think of Ted Williams and the Washington Senators...It worked out so horribly that the Splinter was named Manager of the Year in the American League for 1969.
Williams only had problems in the last couple of years the Senators were in Washington, when owner Bob Short was pretty much turning the club topsy-turvy with insane deals and moves the better, perhaps, to hype his hankering to get the hell out no matter what he was saying publicly.
I can name you a few other great players who became serviceable managers, at least. Gil Hodges, for one. Bill Terry, for another. Yogi Berra was a good manager whose organisations (the 1964 Yankees especially, and shamefully) undermined him when all was said and done. Lou Piniella was an excellent player and became a World Series-winning manager.
The word out of the Cubs organisation (ok, ok, I know) is that Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame player, is proving an excellent manager in their system who just might get to manage the Cubs or elsewhere in the Show in the future. And it's easy to forget that Joe Torre as a player alone is a borderline Hall of Famer; as a player and manager he just might make it after all on a combine entry. Red Schoendienst proved a Hall of Fame player and went on to become a World Series-winning manager. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson was a fine manager who probably deserved better when he did manage. Bob Lemon was a Hall of Fame pitcher and a good manager (he won a World Series managing the Yankees) who likewise deserved better as a manager. (Come to think of it, how many pitchers, period, never mind Hall of Fame pitchers, make useful, never mind winning or great managers?)
Okay, you can cherry pick items and make excuses. Lets look at bottom line, manager wins and losses:
Ted Williams: 273 W 364 L .429 winning percentage
Frank Robinson: 1065 W 1176 L .475 winning percentage
I agree with you about Lou Pinella and Yogi Berra. Notice I did say it almost never works out. You mention Joe Torre. While I agree that he was a good and above average major leaguer, he was in no way a boderline HOF’er. I think you’re stretching it a little there. However he is an interesting case in managing. Before he became manager of the Yankees he had a below .500 managerial record. Did he all of the sudden become a genious when he managed the Yankees or did being able to spend on anyone he want help out?
Anyways, back to the point. I am not one that believes that a manager has that much of an impact overall. Not as much as a football head coach. I think a lot of guys could manage in the major leagues and be just as successful as the current crop of guys. The reason most of them get their gigs is because of who they know and their reputations, not necessarily because they are so much better than some guy toiling in the minors. The reason I made my statement is not necessarily a reflection on those guys manager skills. It’s that I hate seeing great players being diminished like that. Like watching Willie Mays play centerfield for the Mets.
Hank Bauer was always one of my favorites, too. Good player, good manager. Interesting guy.