SB Nation Reacts: The other new managers

Plus final World Series thoughts.

By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Nov 7, 2020, 10:30am EST

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League Championship Series - Houston Astros v Boston Red Sox - Game One (G)

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Each week, we send 30 polls to plugged in fans from each team. Red Sox fans, sign up HERE to join Reacts.

The big news in the baseball world this weekend revolves around the Red Sox with them bringing Alex Cora back into the fold as their manager following his year-long suspension in 2020. Boston had just one of the three managerial openings around baseball this year, however. This weeks’ Reacts poll, which went out before the Cora news broke, looks at the other two managers who were hired, A.J. Hinch and Tony La Russa. Additionally, we take a final look at the World Series.

Did A.J. Hinch deserve another shot?

This is obviously relevant to the Cora discussion as well, with both coming off their suspensions and getting jobs right away. My issue with this framing is that it makes it out to be a binary, which I don’t believe it has to be. I do not think either Hinch or Cora should have gotten a managerial job immediately upon getting back in the game. I also don’t think they should be blackballed from the title forever. There’s a middle ground of them having to work their way back up the ladder while also providing opportunities to new candidates. That’s where I land, so I guess in the binary you can put me under yes.

Tony La Russa? That’s it. That’s the question

I’m not quite as down on this move as others seem to be, but that says more about the general consensus I think. This was actually closer than I expected it to be. The thing about managers is that, generally speaking, they can hurt you more than they can help. A great manager can put a team over the top, but really the biggest key is to not let things unravel. Just think about 2012. And I think there is a real possibility of La Russa just not meshing with the White Sox clubhouse and things taking a disastrous nosedive. It’s certainly not a guarantee, though, and if he avoids that fate the roster should be talneted enough to contend even if he’s not exactly a plus.

What was the best job?

I don’t think there’s any question the White Sox are the top choice here, but I don’t really understand the Tigers being so close to the Red Sox. I guess the percentages are so low it doesn’t matter, but it seems like Boston should be a clear number two.