A Quick Study of Yankees Managers and World Championships

by Paul Semendinger

July

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NOTE - I wrote this piece for the IBWAA. This was published in their daily newsletter Here's The Pitch on July 13, 2024

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Once the Yankees started winning championships in the 1920s, they developed an insatiable appetite to win more and more (and more).  And, for the most part, they have won, a lot.  No team has won more World Series than the New York Yankees.  

Along with this desire to be the best, the franchise has not been very patient with their managers.  The managers of the Yankees have not always been given a lot of time to win it all.  For much of Yankees' history, it has been "Win (quickly), or Go Home" for the managers.  

What follows is a short history of all the Yankees' managers since 1920, and the total amount of time they managed before winning a World Series or getting fired.

• Miller Huggins - Huggins won the World Series in 1923 after reaching the World Series in 1921 and 1922.  He started as the Yankees manager in 1918.  He would win three World Series as manager of the Yankees.

• Art Fletcher - Following Miller Huggins' death, Fletcher finished out the 1929 season as manager.  He managed a total of 11 games.  

• Bob Shawkey - One season, 1930.  154 games.  No American League pennant.  No World Series.

• Joe McCarthy - The Yankees were World Champions in McCarthy's second season as Yankees manager (1932).  He would win seven World Series as manager of the Yankees.  

• Bill Dickey - The bulk of one season, 1946.  105 games.  No American League pennant.  No World Series.

• Johnny Neun - 14 games.  He finished out the 1946 season.

• Bucky Harris - The Yankees won the World Series in Harris' first season (1947).  He was replaced after the next season nonetheless.

• Casey Stengel - The Yankees were World Champions in Stengel's first season as Yankees manager (1949).  He would win seven World Series in 12 years as manager of the Yankees.  

• Ralph Houk - The Yankees were World Champions in Houk's first season as Yankees manager (1961).  He would win two World Series as manager of the Yankees.  

• Yogi Berra - One season, 1964.  164 games.  He won the American League Pennant, but lost the World Series.

• Johnny Keane - One season, plus -- 1965 and part of 1966.  182 games.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Ralph Houk II - In 1966, Ralph Houk became the first person to manage the Yankees a second time.  He managed 1,271 games in his second stint -- through the 1973 season never winning a pennant or reaching a World Series in that time.  

• Bill Virdon - Just under two seasons - 1974 and 1975.  266 games.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Billy Martin - The Yankees reached the World Series in Martin's first full season (1976) and won the World Series the year after (1977).  The 1977 World Series was the only one Martin would win.  He was fired the next year.

• Bob Lemon - The Yankees won the World Series in Lemon's first year as manager after he took over the team mid-season (1978).  The 1978 World Series was the only one Lemon would win.  He was fired the next year.

• Billy Martin II - Billy Martin's second try as Yankees' manager lasted 95 games.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Dick Howser - One season, 1980.  162 games.  He won the American League East, but lost the ALCS. 

• Gene Michael - A partial season, 1981.  82 games.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Bob Lemon II - Bob Lemon's second stint lasted all of 39 games over two seasons, 1981-82.  The 1981 Yankees reached but lost the World Series.

• Gene Michael II - A partial season, 86 games in 1982.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Clyde King - A partial season, 62 games in 1982.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Billy Martin III - Martin's third tenure lasted one full season, 162 games in 1983.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Yogi Berra II - Berra's second stint as manager, came twenty years after his first time and lasted just over one season from 1984-84.  He managed 178 games.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Billy Martin IV - Martin's forth time at the helm did not last a full season, 145 games in 1985.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Lou Piniella - Two seasons, 324 games in 1986-87.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Billy Martin V - One final time, one final partial season, 1988.  68 games.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Lou Piniella II - 93 games to complete the 1988 season.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Dallas Green - A partial season, 121 games in 1989.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Bucky Dent - Two partial seasons, 89 games between 1989-90.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Stump Merrill - One season plus over 1990-91.  275 games.  No American League pennants.  No World Series.

• Buck Showalter - Four seasons, 582 games from 1992-95.  He had one playoff appearance.  Showalter's 582 games was the most anyone had managed to that point without ever taking the team to the World Series. 

• Joe Torre - The Yankees were World Champions in Torre's first season as Yankees manager (1996).  He would win four World Series as manager of the Yankees.  

• Joe Girardi - The Yankees were World Champions in Girardi's second season as Yankees manager (2009).  That World Series was the only one Girardi would win as the manager of the Yankees.  He would manage another 1,296 games without reaching the World Series.  Girardi was fired after the 2017 season.

• Aaron Boone - Six-plus seasons, from 2018 to the present.  Through June 30, 2024, Aaron Boone has managed the Yankees for 956 games without bringing them to a World Series.  This is now the most games managed in Yankees history without taking the team to the World Series.  

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Dr. Paul Semendinger is a retired principal.  He is the author of The Least Among Them, Scattering the Ashes, and (with Roy White) From Compton to the Bronx in addition to other titles.  Paul's first book on the Battle of Gettysburg will be out this fall.