I long for the day when the manager was as predictable and steadfast in his commitment to a team as the players were.

Sparky Anderson. Tommy Lasorda. Earl Weaver.

Those are the managers I remember winning the World Series.  I remember those names because they were a part of the team, not a part of the turnstile life managers now seem to have.

Take, for instance, the Dodgers.  From 1954 through 1996, the Dodgers had two managers and six World Series titles.  Since 1997: eight managers, zero titles.

Sparky Anderson led the Tigers from 1979 to 1995 and had the 1984 title.  Since ’95, eight  Tigers managers, zero titles.

In Baltimore, Earl Weaver was at the helm from 1968 to 1982, and again from 85-86, the team won two titles.  Since then, a combined 14 managers have managed zero teams to even a World Series appearance.

The Yankees: between 1978 and 1995, they had 16 managers and zero titles.  From 1996 to 2017: two managers, five titles.

We’ve all worked for managers and bosses we’ve liked and didn’t like. Personally, I prefer a little predictability in my work.  If I work for a jerk, at least I know I work for a jerk. I can expect jerk management.

If I work for a nice person, then I know what to expect from them: rainbows and lollipops every day.

But from year to year, if my leadership changes, my work becomes unstable and morale of the work group lowers, impacting success.

I can’t imagine being a professional baseball player, but I do imagine in some respects, it’s a lot like the job each of us has.  The travel gets old.  Traveling from city to city and time zone to time zone gets tiring.  Our co-workers becoming annoying.  Our boss becomes intolerable. Our seasons become longer.

But based on the facts above, it appears baseball players perform better with a little predictability.

Who exactly is the right guy to lead a team? Does the manager really mean that much to a team’s win, or success?  Does the manager’s lineup really impact the outcome of the game?  Is Aaron Boone the right guy for the Yankees?

Honestly, I don’t know the answer to any of those questions.

But, I’ll say this.

Ownership that provides a team with stable, long-term management can directly impact the success of that ball club.

It’s hard to argue against all of those great managers, the ones who made the Hall of Fame,  the ones we still remember.  They were with their teams a long time.

Yes, yes, I know.  There are instances to the absolute contrary. Who managed the Florida Marlins to their title in 2003?

Yeah, exactly.

I didn’t know it was Jack McKeon until I looked it up.

All I’m suggesting is perhaps management could take a look at the facts of titles and management and how they work together before they show another manager the door.

We don’t go the games to see the managers, (O.K., we did when Billy Martin was alive), but we do go to the games to see teams win, and management can directly impact wins.

So good luck, Aaron Boone. Hope you’re allowed to stay awhile, because if you’re not,  you probably won’t be celebrating any more World Series walk-offs.