Do second basemen make the best managers?
Fifty-six managers have won 1,000 or more games in the major leagues. Of those 56, 50 also played in the majors.
What position has “birthed” the most 1,000-win managers in the majors? Second basemen top the list with 11. Active skipper Tony LaRussa played second base in the “bigs” and tops the list of second basemen turned managers with the most wins, 2,675 (through June 8, 2011).
Following are the number of managers who have won 1,000 or more games at each position these managers played in the majors. Also listed is the manager who has won the most games at each position.
Position Managers Most wins
Second Basemen 11 Tony LaRussa, 2,675*
Catchers 8 Connie Mack, 3,731
Shortstops 6 Leo Durocher, 2,008
Third Basemen 6 John McGraw, 2,763
First Basemen 5 Walter Alston, 2,040
Left Fielders 5 Lou Piniella, 1,835
Right Fielders 5 Casey Stengel, 1,905
Pitchers 2 Tommy Lasorda, 1,599
Center Fielders 2 Ned Hanlon, 1,313
Note: The six managers with 1,000 or more wins that did not play in the majors:
Joe McCarthy, 2,215
Jim Leyland, 1,526*
Earl Weaver, 1,480
Frank Selee, 1,284
John McNamara, 1,160
Jack McKeon, 1,011
* Through games of June 8, 2011
NBA scoring leaders who dished the ball
Dwyane Wade in the 2008-09 NBA regular season became the seventh player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring and compile 500 or more assists that same season. Michael Jordan did it four times during his career.
Following are the NBA season scoring leaders who have dished out the most assists in the same season that they led the league in scoring.
Player, Season Scoring Ave Assists
Tiny Archibald, 1972-73 34.0 910
Michael Jordan, 1988-89 32.5 650
Oscar Robertson, 1967-68 29.2 633
Allen Iverson, 2004-05 30.7 596
Dwyane Wade, 2008-09 30.2 589
Jerry West, 1969-70 31.2 554
LeBron James, 2007-08 30.0 539
Michael Jordan, 1989-90 33.6 519
Michael Jordan, 1991-92 30.1 489
Michael Jordan, 1987-88 35.0 485
A Tiger hunt in the majors
Not that anyone needs to make a case for Tiger Woods’ greatness and his dominance in the four major golf tournaments during the first decade of this century, but consider the following stat:
During the first decade of the 2000’s (the 2000-2009 PGA Tour seasons) Woods won or was within four shots of the winner at the end of the tournament in 23 of the 40 major events (British Open, Masters, PGA Championship, U.S .Open). Phil Mickelson was a distant second with 14.
Following are the nine golfers who either won or finished within four shots of the winner in the most majors during the decade of the 2000’s.
1. Tiger Woods, 23
2. Phil Mickelson, 14
3. Ernie Els, 9
4. Retief Goosen, 8
5. Padraig Harrington, Vijay Singh, 6
7. Stewart Cink, David Duval, Jim Furyk, 4