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Whose better: Bobby Cox or Tony La Russa?

Posted on 7/18/21 at 2:23 pm
Posted by rebel cat
Member since Mar 2020
1565 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 2:23 pm
Career:

La Russa:

5,1888 coached
W/L % .537
Active: 1979 - current
Ejections: 87
Manager of the Year Voting: 1983, 1988, 1992, 2002
3x World Series, 4x Manager of The Year, 6x Pennant

Cox:

4,500 coached
W/L % .556
Active: 1978 - 2010
Ejections: 161
Manager of the Year Voting: 1985, 1991, 2004, 2005
1x World Series, 4x Manager of the year, 5x Pennant

Clearly La Rusaa. Quite surprised though.
Posted by TheeRealCarolina
Member since Aug 2018
17925 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 2:28 pm to
Big Dick Bobby > Low T Tony
This post was edited on 7/18/21 at 2:29 pm
Posted by Magician2
Member since Oct 2015
14553 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 2:28 pm to
I mean you answered your own question....

Bobby had every opportunity in the 90s to be legendary but the cards didn't fall that way. Still a great manager and a hall of famer.
Posted by RD Dawg
Atlanta
Member since Sep 2012
28073 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 3:00 pm to
La Russa is a prick but a FAR better mgr than "wait for the 3 run homer" Bobby.

Cox was very good at managing people but was clueless as a strategist and making game day decisions
Posted by Bench McElroy
Member since Nov 2009
34684 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 3:05 pm to
Hardball Times Chris Jaffe wrote a book called "Evaluating Baseball Managers" that ranked managers based on a variety of criteria such as strategy and how they handled individual hitters and pitchers, team offense and pitching, etc... Jaffe ranked Tony La Russa #2 all-time and Bobby Cox #11 all-time. Both managers were all-time greats but La Russa was better.

Basically, La Russa was the best ever at getting great performances out of spare parts and castoffs. Dennis Eckersley was a drunk who was about to wash out of the league and La Russa converted him into a reliever and made him a HOFer. Dave Stewart was a struggling reliever who was given up by three different teams and La Russa made him into an ace who had four consecutive 20 win seasons. Chris Carpenter was a flameout in Toronto and La Russa and Duncan was able to mold him into a very good pitcher in St. Louis. Also got the most out of mediocre journeymen pitchers such as Kyle Lohse, Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, etc...
Posted by UltimateHog
Thailand
Member since Dec 2011
68451 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 3:05 pm to
No one really likes TLR these days but he's one of the goats regardless.
Posted by Tangineck
Mandeville
Member since Nov 2017
2695 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 3:15 pm to
Does anyone really believe that LaRussa wouldn't have won multiple World Series with the 90's Braves rosters?
Posted by DawgsCanes
Member since Jul 2021
53 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 3:19 pm to
La russa
Posted by FightinTigersDammit
Louisiana North
Member since Mar 2006
45768 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 3:42 pm to
Maybe Duncan deserves a little more credit
Posted by RD Dawg
Atlanta
Member since Sep 2012
28073 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 3:57 pm to
quote:

Basically, La Russa was the best ever at getting great performances out of spare parts and castoffs. Dennis Eckersley was a drunk who was about to wash out of the league and La Russa converted him into a reliever and made him a HOFer. Dave Stewart was a struggling reliever who was given up by three different teams and La Russa made him into an ace who had four consecutive 20 win seasons. Chris Carpenter was a flameout in Toronto and La Russa and Duncan was able to mold him into a very good pitcher in St. Louis. Also got the most out of mediocre journeymen pitchers such as Kyle Lohse, Joel Pineiro, Jason Marquis, Jeff Suppan, etc...


You could say the same about Cox and Mazzone.Lots of retread pitchers were resurrected.
Posted by lake2280
Public intellectual
Member since Nov 2012
4427 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 4:09 pm to
Bobby got one World Series with the pitching staffs he had. Tony all day everyday as I believe anyone that played little league could have won at least one with the Braves back then.
Posted by supatigah
CEO of the Keith Hernandez Fan Club
Member since Mar 2004
89718 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 4:15 pm to
quote:

Whose better: Bobby Cox or Tony La Russa?


my better
Posted by Bench McElroy
Member since Nov 2009
34684 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 4:15 pm to
quote:

You could say the same about Cox and Mazzone.Lots of retread pitchers were resurrected.


No doubt. You're right. Cox was arguably the best ever at managing a starting rotation. La Russa had less to work with on the starting pitching front though. Never had a starting pitcher as good as Smoltz and Glavine much less Greg Maddux. The 2004 Cardinals won 105 games with a starting rotation of Matt Morris, Jason Marquis, Woody Williams, Jeff Suppan, and Chris Carpenter because the Cardinals bullpen pitched out of their minds that year and that's due to La Russa. He was so masterful at handling a bullpen. Nobody was better at finding pitchers off the scrap heap and turning them into terrific relievers than La Russa was. He just had an uncanny ability of getting the best out of limited pitchers. I just have to give La Russa the edge due to the way he was able to handle both starting pitchers and the bullpen superbly.
Posted by dukke v
PLUTO
Member since Jul 2006
215971 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 4:22 pm to
There it is.. Tony never had 5 straight years like the Braves had roster wise from 1991-1996.
Posted by Grit-Eating Shin
You're an Idiot
Member since May 2013
8537 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 4:32 pm to
Very interesting perspective on Tony, there.

Also, look at how the White Sox are doing this year.
Posted by VADawg
Wherever
Member since Nov 2011
47576 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 5:02 pm to
quote:

Ejections: 161


GOAT

ETA. La Russa was better. He did less with more better than almost any manager ever.
This post was edited on 7/18/21 at 5:04 pm
Posted by molsusports
Member since Jul 2004
36991 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 5:14 pm to
Tony had a fair amount of impact on the way the game was analyzed and managed as far back as the 80s. He needs a designated driver though.
Posted by Athos
Member since Sep 2016
11878 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 5:24 pm to
TLR and it’s not close.

2011 was pretty masterful. He had one SP worth a shite that entire playoff and a converted catcher as his closer.
Posted by ATLTiger
#TreyBiletnikoffs
Member since Sep 2003
45945 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 5:28 pm to
Who’s
Posted by SportsGuyNOLA
New Orleans, LA
Member since May 2014
20733 posts
Posted on 7/18/21 at 6:11 pm to
La Russa is slightly better, but his chokes in the 89 and 90 World Series make it close.

Cox squandered a LOT of postseason opportunities, but a good manager would’ve EASILY won 3 World Series in a row with the talent La Russa had from 88-90.
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