San Diego Must Commit to New Manager Barajas If It Expects to Stop Losing Streak
After Playing For The Padres, Bruce Bochy Went On To Hold The Longest Managerial Tenure In San Diego History
Only Two Managers Have Lasted More Than Three Years In Team's Fifty Year History
Even though Andy Green held the manager job in San Diego for only four years, his reign still ranks among the longest in the fifty year history of the Padres. Exactly eighteen skippers had been employed by the team since it joined Major League Baseball as one of four expansion cities in 1969, making the average reign at just three seasons each.
When you figure in that Bruce Bochy enjoyed a twelve year tenure and Bud Black served nine seasons at the helm, the average stay of a San Diego manager dwindles to around just two years. This constant turnover has been the most likely reason that San Diego has never captured a World Series championship, in addition to a current streak during which they have suffered eight straight losing records.
Among the near score of other men who have served that role are several of proven winners with other clubs, including two that went on to win the Fall Classic. Perhaps had the likes of Jack McKeon and Dick Williams been given more than three years, both could have brought a Series trophy to San Diego.
Williams did in fact lead the Padres to their first National League pennant in 1984, only to be fired one year later. It is McKeon who had the highest winning percentage (.541) of any other manager, but he was gone after just three seasons.
Six managers, and fourteen years later, San Diego captured its only other pennant in history. It came during the third season under Bruce Bochy, who would eventually win three World Series Championships with the San Francisco Giants.
After the decade plus with Bochy at the helm, the Padres continued to maintain stability in the dugout. Bud Black made out the lineups until 2015, including the 2010 season in which he earned Manager of the Year honors.
Since then, however, it has been the proverbial revolving door, a metaphor which is warranted when you consider the pitiful winning percentages of the club. Dave Roberts held the position for just one season before leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to back to back pennants, and Pat Murphy stayed just one year as well.
And now Andy Green has been relieved from duty after three seasons, replaced by Rod Barajas. It is the first managerial job for the retired catcher at the Big League level, and he is inheriting a roster of talent.
Not only does he have the youthful Tatis, Jr., but he also gets to put in the everyday lineup veteran All-Stars such as Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer. It would be considered an ideal situation for a rookie manager like Barajas, except for the historically short tenures of most of his predecessors.
San Diego's front office, which has recently made strides to add talent to the roster, needs to allow its new skipper a fair chance to develop the talent into a contending team.
