17 replies to this topic

[JHSump]

Interesting article about Davey Johnson:

http://www.nytimes.c...h-movement.html

Makes me wonder: are highly educated managers (at any level) more likely to be reasonable/professional in their dealings with umpires? Or, are they more likely be be devious? What are your thoughts/experiences?

(And I have no idea about Johnson in this regard, so comments on him would be interesting also.)

[Welpe]

Yes, I'd say that has been my experience though I don't know if it holds true everywhere.

[MPLSMatt]

From my experience, a manager that is educated is almost always more reasonable as long as I (the umpire) know my stuff too (which I do).

[Jocko]

Not only does education have a role, but demographic and personality as well. There are educated a$$hole coaches. Some are more prone to assholishness than others. Some are very reserved, water off a duck's back personality types. The introvert, the extrovert, the passive-agressive can all have the same PhD and act completely differently. In my experience, the educated coach tends to have better rules conception and general baseball knowledge. The un/under-educated coach tends to be more emotional. Refining is the real issue. Education acts as a base, while ignorance is more alkaline. The Ph is somewhere in the middle between education, demographic, and experience. That being said, I have had coaches with philosophy degrees act worse than a HS dropout working in a factory coach whose knowledge of the game far superceded his formal education.

[grayhawk]

"Educated manager" Now that's a contradiction in terms.

[C'MON_Blue55]

I have found that statement to be true.

[umpire_scott]

I would think it would be hard to judge. As soon as they start acting like an unreasonable idiot I assume they aren't very educated. I have found that some that are very educated can be very arrogant too. So you have that.

[Crew Chief 17]

For the most part, the educated managers I've dealt with are usually pretty reasonable. However, you ocasionally get that educated manager that talks to you like you know nothing because he thinks he's smarter than you.

[dddunn3d]

Education acts as a base, while ignorance is more alkaline.

What do you mean with this statement? I can't figure this one out.

[renegadewolf]

Education acts as a base, while ignorance is more alkaline.

What do you mean with this statement? I can't figure this one out.

Especially considering a base substance is alkaline (they are the same thing), I think perhaps trout was going for acid and alkaline?

[mstaylor]

Education can make difference but the difference between their baseball knowledge and presumed baseball knowledge is far more important.

[Jocko]

Education acts as a base, while ignorance is more alkaline.

What do you mean with this statement? I can't figure this one out.

Especially considering a base substance is alkaline (they are the same thing), I think perhaps trout was going for acid and alkaline?

college chemistry was a long time ago lol

[Dragon29]

. . . assholishness . . .

Word of the day!

[Jocko]

. . . assholishness . . .

Word of the day!

Good verbage, huh?

[JHSump]

Education can make difference but the difference between their baseball knowledge and presumed baseball knowledge is far more important.

Quite true. I know some coaches that are clearly well educated, but can be way wrong when it comes to baseball or baseball rules.

[JHSump]

Not only does education have a role, but demographic and personality as well. There are educated a$$hole coaches. Some are more prone to assholishness than others. Some are very reserved, water off a duck's back personality types. The introvert, the extrovert, the passive-agressive can all have the same PhD and act completely differently. In my experience, the educated coach tends to have better rules conception and general baseball knowledge. The un/under-educated coach tends to be more emotional. Refining is the real issue. Education acts as a base, while ignorance is more alkaline. The Ph is somewhere in the middle between education, demographic, and experience. That being said, I have had coaches with philosophy degrees act worse than a HS dropout working in a factory coach whose knowledge of the game far superceded his formal education.

Also, very true.

[JHSump]

Lots of good comments in this thread. I guess in the end, formal education my play only a very small role in how they act, or in their baseball knowledge.

The one thing that struck me about the Davey Johnson article was his keying in on statistical analysis apparently long before that became fashionable in more recent times (as in Moneyball). Seems like it resonated with his math education. But I have no idea what his personality is like, and how he interacts with umpires.

[mstaylor]

I believe Davy does pretty well with umpires, his baseball knowledge is quite good. That's why it was so funny with the pine tar in the glove dispute. His argument was quite reasoned, the Fl manger was typical rat ranting.