Which slugger would your favorite team’s manager least like to face with the game on the line? Which ace would they most want to have on their side? And which manager do other managers respect the most?
With all 30 MLB skippers on hand at last week’s winter meetings in Orlando, Florida, we took the opportunity to find out the answers to those questions, plus get their thoughts on the state of the game, next year’s biggest rule change and more.
Here are our favorite responses.
If you were commissioner for a day, what is the one change you would make to MLB?
Craig Albernaz, Baltimore Orioles: That’s a great question. I wouldn’t make any change. I love the game the way it is.
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Warren Schaeffer, Colorado Rockies: Every Monday off. Just like the minor leagues — every Monday off. In Coors, you can go six-man rotation. You have a whole day of prep for the next opponent. Every week, you get that rest, and maybe filter in off-days in between them.
Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers: Shadows? Eliminate shadows. Can’t have shadows — dangerous for players. Or devices to communicate for outfielders, so they don’t run into each other.
How do you feel about MLB’s new ball/strike challenge system coming next season?
Albernaz: Just like anything where a new rule change comes in, you just have to see and adapt to it. Strategy coming in, yeah, we’ve talked about it. We have some strategies how it’s going to work in real time. Luckily last year in Cleveland, our stadium was one of those challenge system hubs, so we kind of got a firsthand look at it.
Craig Stammen, San Diego Padres: I think it’ll be exciting. It will be exciting for the fans. It will be another piece of strategy that you involve into baseball that we’ll have to dive into and think about how we’re going to use those two challenges, and when, where and who, so I think it’ll be exciting.
Clayton McCullough, Miami Marlins: In spring training, they rolled it out a little bit … I think it brought a different level of engagement at different points of the game. Giving the players an opportunity to have some say, impactful moments in the game, I’m excited to see how it plays out.
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And I’ll also say that the umpires who are back there, it’s a very difficult thing, 300 pitches a night with the type of stuff they’re seeing. They do an exceptional job. Now Major League Baseball has done a good job recently enacting some things that have enhanced our fan experience. And this is another one that has a chance to go over well.
Blake Butera, Washington Nationals: I’m really excited about it. I’ve obviously seen it in Triple-A for a while. One thing it does is you always hear the chatter from the dugout getting on the umpires. It’s like, “Hey, challenge it. Let’s see what you got.”
I think one thing that’s really good about it is like the umpires in the big leagues are really good. They’re really, really good. It’s a hard job, man. You have to lock in for that many pitches. And then you miss one, one’s borderline, you’re hearing it from the dugout. It’s not an easy job. I think now the challenge system, what it’s done is like, all right, you don’t like it, challenge it.
Terry Francona, Cincinnati Reds: Last spring I didn’t want to do it because we weren’t going to use it. And then the guys from the league asked me — they were actually great about it — they go, can you just please do it? OK. Actually didn’t mind it. I thought it was OK, and I thought the fans loved it. Didn’t stop the game much. Everybody waited for the scoreboard. I think it will be OK.
What was your biggest takeaway from this year’s thrilling MLB postseason?
Rob Thomson, Philadelphia Phillies: How competitive it was. Even our series where we got beat was really tight. Obviously, the World Series was fascinating the way it played out. The competition was really good.
Oliver Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals: It was one of the most exciting playoffs I’ve seen in a while. It was a vibrant, fun environment. You wanted to watch the games. There was an electricity to it.
Murphy: It’s not like the regular season. It’s that every pitch counts, all hands on deck. You know, the most important inning is this inning. It’s awesome. Couldn’t get enough. You’d better have the stamina. You better have the stamina. Wow.
Albernaz: It was awesome. Just straight baseball.
Which opposing hitter would you least like to see up with the game on the line?
Schaeffer: Shohei [Ohtani]. He seems pretty clutch.
Skip Schumaker, Texas Rangers: I’m going to say Freddie Freeman. Hits righties, hits lefties, stays inside the baseball, he’s a hitter, he uses the whole field, he swings at the right pitches, he’ll take his walk, so you’re not going to get him out swinging outside the zone. He knows where the zone is, doesn’t try to do too much, and he’s going to put it in play. Obviously Ohtani is the best hitter, but I don’t want to see Freddie.
Murphy: Freeman has dominated us for years with the game on the line. He’s done it many times, broken our hearts.
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Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks: Freddie’s going to be able to understand the pitcher, he’s going to adjust his approach, he’s going to put the ball in play. You need a double, he’s going to hit a double. You need a single, he’s going to find a way to get on base.
McCullough: Kyle Schwarber. He hammers velocity. He’s gotten so much better versus lefties. Every time he’s in the box, I feel like the field has just gotten too small. And he’s in our division. There’s [Aaron] Judge, but we just don’t see Judge a lot.
Stammen: One player, when I was a pitcher, that I always respected, that always put up a good at-bat and was a tough person to face was Mookie Betts. He’s a good hitter.
Which pitcher — not on your team — would you most like to hand the ball to with the season on the line?
Stammen: I think right now, it’s probably Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal. Those guys are probably the two best pitchers in baseball. I’d be fine handing those guys the ball. Fun to be their managers right now.
Lovullo: Skenes is an up-and-coming young player and he’s had a lot of success, and there’s a reason for it. You talk about process, understanding the big picture and being able to go out and execute, never sitting still and wanting to get better — he’s the poster child for it.
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Schumacher: I’d say Skubal. I think it’d be tough to not say Skubal.
Murphy: I like that dude from the Giants, Logan Webb. But I like a lot of pitchers, man.
Schaeffer: I think [Webb] is an absolute bulldog. I love the way he goes about his business.
McCullough: Cristopher Sanchez was so tough. You forget how hard he throws. But the ease with which he does it, the length. The fastball-changeup combination. We tried different plans against him and there was just always a really — can’t get him off the ground. Tough guy to slug, and he doesn’t walk people.
Who is the best manager in MLB right now, other than yourself?
Murphy: I mean, other than myself? I’m not even in the top 28. I’m not in the top 29. But I just know Craig Counsell better than anybody, and I know how great he is.
Lovullo: Just watching [Counsell] from the other side, he does it in a very thoughtful way. There’s a reason for everything, very process-oriented, has a knack for understanding what’s about to happen. I think projection in this game is a massive factor.
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Schaeffer: AJ Hinch. Love what he gets out of his players in terms of the roles that they accept on the team.
Schumacher: Before the World Series happened, I would say Hinch. I would probably stick with AJ. But what Doc [Dave Roberts] did this postseason was super impressive. So I would give it a 1A and 1B, because everybody talks about the rosters that Doc has had, and yes, he has unbelievable talent. But what he did this postseason — and honestly the previous one, too, with how he navigated that Padres series — I give him a whole ton of respect.
Stammen: You’ve got to go with the World Series champions. Dave Roberts has proved that he can take a star-studded team and win two World Series in a row. That’s pretty impressive. You can do that, you’ve got my vote. But another guy I’m thinking about is Tito Francona. I had him for one spring training, 2016, but a ton of respect for him and how he goes about his business.
McCullough: I think Dave, his ability to relate with any type of people. He manages such a high-profile group year in and year out, and the expectations that come and how steady Dave is through any point in the season. Dave never wavers. There’s always a sense of urgency from those that are working for him. We all know what’s at stake and did — I say we; I’m not there anymore. But I think Dave just has like a real steady hand and understands how to get through a season and then postseason, certainly, he’s masterful with the bullpen moves.
