"I run this bench, I run this team! If you have problems, then shut up"

[Solair Wright]

Which managers throughout baseball history sported a snobby attitude and got along poorly with his own players (and possibly other people too)? For me, I will go with a manager that was around my time - the one and only Billy Martin. Let me see who he got into fights with in his five-time stint with the Yanks: Reggie Jackson, George Steinbrenner, peanut salesmen, marshmallow salesmen, umpires, oh, where does this end?

Which manager do you think had a bad rap with other people?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Alvin Dark, 1960s S.F.Giants manager. Apparently he made some racist remarks about his own ballpayers. Also supposed said, "I'm tired of players on this team leading the league in home runs and RBIs and not doing anything to help the team win!"

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I found this online.

In 1964 he became embroiled in controversy when he was quoted in Newsday as complaining about the number of black and Hispanic players on the team and saying, "They are just not able to perform up to the white player when it comes to mental alertness." He responded that he had been severely misquoted; Willie Mays, whom he had named as team captain, came to his defense and calmed the team, and Jackie Robinson further noted, "I have found Dark to be a gentleman and, above all, unbiased. Our relationship has not only been on the ballfield but off it."

[hellborn]

A lot of players and people in general really hated John McGraw...who, bizarrely enough, was a business partner of Arnold Rothstein!!! (pool hall)

Bobby Valentine had all kinds of problems with player and media relations, especially with the Mets.

I think that Dallas Green managed to make a number of enemies on the Phils.

Many players thought Rogers Hornsby was the breath of hell, but others worshipped him. I have the impression that he was quick to form an opinion of a player and loathe to ever change it. For some reason, he hated Ted Kluszewski and kept begging the GM to "trade the big, lazy Polack."

Dick Williams was an authoritarian and didn't take anything from players, but I think that most respected him well enough.

[Iron Jaw]

Which managers throughout baseball history sported a snobby attitude and got along poorly with his own players (and possibly other people too)? For me, I will go with a manager that was around my time - the one and only Billy Martin. Let me see who he got into fights with in his five-time stint with the Yanks: Reggie Jackson, George Steinbrenner, peanut salesmen, marshmallow salesmen, umpires, oh, where does this end?

Which manager do you think had a bad rap with other people?

You're going to find though, that most of the players liked playing for Billy Martin. Reggie Jackson was a pompous arse, pure and simple. He not only fought with Billy, but he also fought with teammates such as Graig Nettles (who knocked him on his rear when he crashed a party of Graig's), and in Oakland, he made a remark to teammate Mike Epstein, allegedly about Mike's Jewish heritige - Mike was known as Superjew - that forced the hulking and very strong Epstein to beat the snot out of Reggie in the lockerroom.

Billy also punched a player in Minnesota - Dave Boswell. However, prior to that punch, Boswell had just suckerpunched teammate Bob Allison while Allison had his hands in his pockets. The story is not always set in stone.

I do remember much of the player support for Martin. I'll never forget when Jack Clark said the Yankees lost the pennant the minute they fired Billy Martin (for the umpteenth time).

Billy didn't get along with owners and upper management types. He wanted to run his club. And he had problems with certain prima-donna players like Jackson who constantly did things his own way. But for the most part, I would think the players loved Billy.

I remember when Billy was managing the Denver Bears in 1968, his first AAA job. Billy was loved by the players and adored by the fans in Denver. And he did a heck of a job turning around a team that started at 7-28 under Johnny Goryl, and rebounded to a 75-73 record in the PCL. And he was promoted to the Twins the following season and won the division title.

[Iron Jaw]

Earl Weaver wasn't very well like by his players. But Earl was a winner, and was loved by the fans and ownership.

Frank Robinson was not always liked by ownership. And players who went their own way received a wrath from the HOF player.

[Steve Jeltz]

Larry Bowa was disliked by plenty of his players in San Diego and Philly. Scott Rolen immediately comes to mind.

I wonder how much 'love' Ty Cobb generated from his players when he was player/manager of Detroit in the 1920's? His run ins with teammates when he was just a player are well documented, but I never heard anything about altercations when Cobb became manager.

Gene Mauch was considered by many of his players as having an elitist attitude that said, "I invented this game".

Former Expos skipper Tom Runnels ran his team like he was a drill sergeant. Young players like Delino DeSheilds, Marquis Grissom, Larry Walker and Moises Alou all regressed while under Runnels watch.

[KCGHOST]

Rogers Hornsby was generally despised as a manager.

[Brian McKenna]

There were a lot of guys that played for Stengel that couldn't stand him.

[Steve Jeltz]

Joe McCarthy wasn't well liked in Chicago, New York and Boston by his players.

In 1940, Cleveland players went to ownership with a petition to fire Ossie Vitt. I believe the players became known as "Ossie's Crybabies".

The Phillies in 1898 revolted against George Stallings, a raving, cussing tyrant one minute and a perfect gentleman the next. The Phils got rid of Stallings.

[hellborn]

There were a lot of guys that played for Stengel that couldn't stand him.

My comment applies to Weaver, too...I think all players hate to be platooned. A righty hitter beats up on some lefties and then feels that he's proved that he deserves to start full time, and he's insulted by sitting against righties in favor of a lefty. It's hard to be a cog in a machine...
The way Stengel used guys was just plain weird, too...moving guys around in the lineup and on defense seemingly at random.

[Iron Jaw]

My comment applies to Weaver, too...I think all players hate to be platooned. A righty hitter beats up on some lefties and then feels that he's proved that he deserves to start full time, and he's insulted by sitting against righties in favor of a lefty. It's hard to be a cog in a machine...
The way Stengel used guys was just plain weird, too...moving guys around in the lineup and on defense seemingly at random.

It sure worked for the both of them though.

Earl became more of a platoon-oriented manager out of what he believed was a necessity. He didn't platoon a lot with his 1969-71 teams as the team was laced with stars - a few MVP types - who played most of the time. Oh, he platooned his catchers then (Hendricks and Etchebarren), and used Merv Rettemund as a very successful 4th outfielder from 1970-71, but that was about it. His teams after that simply needed more platooning, but he always had the everyday players as well. Anyway, how many times did they count Earl's boys out of the pennant race because they lost so many quality players to free agency? Then, Earl would come right back with some rookies or some awkward platoon to replace the players he lost. I remember, after the 1976 season, the Orioles lost Reggie Jackson, Bobby Grich and 20-game winner Wayne Garland to free agency. In 1977, Pat Kelly and Andy Mora provided and adequate platoon in left (they hit 23 dingers - only four less than Reggie in 1976), used Billy Smith and rookie Rich Dauer at second to replace Grich, and threw Mike Flanagan into the starting rotation to replace Garland (who's arm went south in Cleveland) - Mike won 15 as the 4th starter (two years later he won the Cy Young Award). Weaver's boys, expected not to give serious competition to the Yankees or BoSox, won 97 and tied with Boston for second, 2 1/2 games behind the Yankees.

Earl could be counted on to compete for the pennant, pretty much every year. His teams won four pennants and two additional division titles. He finished second in his division six-times and second in the straight AL once (pre-divisional play - 1968). His teams won over 100 five times, and over 90 eleven times (probably more if not for two strike seasons - 1972 and 1981).

But, despite his success, he was often quite mean and nasty to certain players (I read where Bobby Grich almost wanted to kill him one day). I understand though, that during his earlier years as the Oriole manager, he was considerably different with his aging stars like Frank and Brooks Robinson, and Boog Powell. But then, Frank, as a manager in his earlier years, developed a managing disposition not too much different than Weaver's. The difference was, Earl maintained a great relationship with his ownership (winning conquers quite a bit), and Frank was more like Billy Martin when it came to ownership. The Baltimore fans also loved Weaver.

Ron Luciano, in his book, "The Umpire Strikes Back," listed the five toughest managers he had to deal with. The list went:

1- Earl Weaver
2- Earl Weaver
3- Earl Weaver
4 -Earl Weaver
5 - Frank Robinson (a protoge of Weaver's)

One of my favorite quotes from Luciano (about Weaver, of course):

"The problem with Earl is that he holds a grudge. Other managers, if they disagree with a call, may holler and shout, but you can still go out for a beer with them after the game. Not Earl. He never forgets. Heck, he even holds your minor league record against you. Once, a couple of years ago, I made a controversial call at the plate. Earl charged out of the dugout, screaming that that was the same call I'd blown at Elmira in '66. That sort of thing can get to you."

From Phil Pepe and Zander Hollander's The Book of Sports Lists