Back in August, after Don Wakamatsu was fired, John Morgan took a look at the qualifications of a manager and the role one plays in running an MLB team. Many think managers are little more than figureheads that don't play a significant role in the teams success and failure. They're there to trot out a lineup, ensure morale stays up and make the day-to-day decisions for the team. Do they have an effect on the team and outcome or is it the players themselves that do it all?
With today's announcement that the Mariners have hired Eric Wedge, let's look back at what he said.
Baseball managers have little impact on the outcome of the game. Winning is the product of talent. Baseball managers have little impact on chemistry. Chemistry is the byproduct of winning. Managers are seemingly puppets to circumstance. One could then conclude that a manager is just a placeholder, but that's not entirely true. In the wake of Seattle firing Don Wakamatsu, I offer what I think are the six qualifications of an MLB manager.