[JamesI]

Now that he's announced he's retiring, and assuming he stays retired since I think it was unlikely the Cubs would keep him for next year had he chosen not to retire, is Sweet Lou a HOF manager?

Right now, we have 3 obvious HOF managers (Cox, LaRussa, Torre). Is Pinella in that class?

[sweaver]

Hmmm. Interesting. Let's go to the numbers.

Managerial record: 1827 wins, 1691 losses, .519 winning percentage. Managed five teams: Yankees (1986-88), Reds (1990-92), Mariners (1993-2002), Rays (2003-2005), Cubs (2007-2010). Won one pennant and one World Series, in 1990 with Cincinnati. Won a total of six division titles.

Lou is 14th on the all-time list for managerial wins. He won't get to 13th: that's Bill McKechnie with 1896, too far away. Of the 13 guys in front of him, all are in the Hall or active (the three James listed) except Gene Mauch, #12. Mauch, of course, had a losing record but also managed a lot of teams no one would have won with. But, Mauch never won a pennant either.

How about games over .500 as a managerial evaluation tool? John McGraw is first, Joe McCarthy second, Bobby Cox third. Piniella ranks 35th on this list, between Patsy Tebeau and Ron Gardenhire. That doesn't help his case. Playoff appearances: Lou does better here, tied for seventh with Sparky Anderson, Walt Alston, and Tommy LaSorda. Of course, that's weighted toward more recent guys.

Personally, Lou kind of feels like a HOF manager. On an objective level, it's a bit harder to define. I'm not sure.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Longevity and fame go a long way for a manager. I'm certain he will get in without a long delay. He may get in the same year as Bobby Cox, who is the greater manager by far.