Review of "The Last Manager"

This is one of the books I completed cover to cover on my recent trip to a conference in Washington, DC.  One reason I prefer train travel when I can do so - more reading time!  It was an excellent book on legendary Orioles manager Earl Weaver. 

Title/Author:

“The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented and Reinvented Baseball” by John W. Miller

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Earl Weaver is considered to be one of the feistiest and colorful managers in the history of Major League Baseball.  He was also very successful, leading the Baltimore Orioles to two World Series championships and five American League championships during his tenure from 1968 to 1982 (and a brief but unsuccessful return in 1985).  His life and career are captured in this very good book by John W. Miller.

While Weaver was mostly known for his legendary arguments with umpires, he had respect for the arbiters of the game and there is plenty of praise for them sprinkled in the pages.  What is also known about Weaver was that he was an early adopter of using data to develop game strategy.  While it is heavily in use today by baseball front offices, Weaver did not have people from the office handing him data and suggesting strategy from the data – he did all that himself. It is just one reason that this book is appropriately titled “The Last Manager” since on-field managers had much more autonomy in making game decisions than today’s managers.

While I enjoyed this aspect of the book, the writing by Miller about Weaver’s playing days in the minor league and his experience in 1952 at training camp for the St. Louis Cardinals (Weaver’s favorite team growing up in Missouri) was probably the best writing in the book.  As a reader, I really could feel Weaver’s frustration at performing so well and yet not making the major league roster because the player-manager saved that roster spot for himself.  It is also clear that Weaver was going to have to make it in baseball in some capacity to succeed in life – and managing turned out to be that capacity.

That managing career, as noted above, was a good choice for Weaver.  The bulk of the book is about his time with the Orioles and also makes for good reading.  In addition to his use of data for strategy and his famous rants to umpires, Weaver knew how to spot pitching talent – his 1971 staff of four 20-game winners is a testament to that.  The relationship Weaver also had with his players is on full display here.  He may have rubbed many players the wrong way while playing but in the end they respected Weaver, were appreciative of how he helped them improve and of course, enjoyed the success of the team. 

For a very good read on an era of baseball where team managers had much more control over the team and the strategy of the game than they do in the current structure of baseball, pick up this book.  You won’t be disappointed.

I wish to thank Avid Reader Press for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball: Miller, John W.: 9781668030929: Amazon.com: Books