Overrated or Underrated: Mid-Season Manager Firings
Alex Cora has been on the hot seat at various points in 2025. But how long of a leash does he have?
By Terry Cushman
Baseball fans, beat writers, and assorted media personnel are often quick to say: “Firing the manager during the season won’t help a thing.”
Essentially copping out.
Those same people will also try to suggest it could be more detrimental to the short and mid term performance of the team.
But is it always detrimental? Has there ever been… let’s say a team…. Who fired their manager and won the World Series that same year?
The answer is yes.
JEFF TORBORG
The 2003 Florida Marlins fired Jeff Torborg in his second season after a 16-22 start. This was also during the second year of Jeffrey Loria’s ownership, both of whom came from the Montreal Expos following Loria’s purchase of the Marlins.
Torborg spent most of the 1980’s on the coaching staff for the New York Yankees, before becoming the manager of the Chicago White Sox.
In 1990 he led the Southsiders to a 94 win season, which earned him manager of the year honors.
As his ill-fated 2003 season came to an abrupt end. Players on the Marlins roster were reported to be shocked.
Future Red Sox ALCS MVP, Josh Beckett was quoted as saying: “I haven't wanted to cry over anything for a long time, and it made me want to cry.''
The Marlins turned to 72 year old Jack McKeon who was tasked to lead a promising young team of future MLB superstars like Dontrelle Willis, Josh Beckett, Ivan Rodriguez, Derrek Lee, and some rookie named Miguel Cabrera.
All the pieces were in place. A new voice in the dugout. For the remainder of the season, Florida was the best team in baseball. Going 75-49 down the stretch under McKeon, and finishing with 91 wins to take the one and only wild card slot.
They faced the 100 win San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. Followed by the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS, a series in which Florida was trailing by a three games to one deficit. The infamous Steve Bartman incident happened in game six. The fish then cruised to a 9-6 win in game seven, to cap off a very dramatic series.
The 2003 World Series against Joe Torre’s juggernaut New York Yankees was not short of dramatic. The Yankees managed to win the second and third games, but the Marlins sustained the tenacity they showed since the month of June, and won the series in six games for their second title in six years.
The 72 year old was not with the Marlins all winter as they built the team. Not in spring training to prepare for the season. And did not fill out the first 38 lineup cards. Yet still hoisted the trophy in late October.
Jack McKeon’s record as the oldest manager to ever win a World Series stood for 19 years, until Dusty Baker won it age 73.
Even though that particular fall classic may seem like ancient history in the two plus decades that have passed, the ex-Marlins skipper is still telling that fairy tale story to this very day, at 94 years old.
JOE GIRARDI
Unlike the other two managers mentioned up above, Joe Girardi was widely regarded to be one of the most revered managers in MLB. He had a winning pedigree.
Not generally regarded as a “players manager,” the former big league catcher ran a tight ship as a skipper.
When he managed the Marlins in 2006, ironically right after Jack McKeon was not retained, the first thing he did was ban facial hair.
Two years later when he took over the Yankees, he banned ice cream in the clubhouse.
Girardi’s old school style of leadership paid off in 2009, his second season with the Bombers, he led them to a dominant 103 wins.
The Yankees went on to sweep the Minnesota Twins 3-0 in the ALDS. Defeated the Anaheim Angels in the ALCS 4-2. And then cruised to a relatively uneventual World Series win over the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies by the same score.
Girardi kept his club in playoff contention virtually his whole tenure in the Bronx. Though they never made it back to the World Series, the 27 time world champs never posted a losing record under his leadership.
The Yankees narrowly missed the 2017 World Series following a game seven loss against the Houston Astros in a highly dramatic, and eventually scandalous ALCS.
Days later, in an absolute shocker, Yankees GM Brian Cashman decided not to renew Girardi’s contract. Essentially terminating him.
Following the dismissal, speculation emerged that the now ex-Yankees manager had verbal conflicts with both Gary Sanchez and Aroldis Chapman. With both players having histories of being hot headed, all parties seemed like natural enemies.
Two years later, after 2019 season came to a close, the chronically underachieving Phillies came calling. Matt Klentak was a GM on a hot seat, and desperately needed a change in clubhouse leadership. Girardi got the call.
2020 was a more notably competitive season, but bullpen woes kept the Phillies out of the pandemic shortened playoffs by one game.
In 2021, Philadelphia again gave it a valiant run with Dave Dombrowski overseeing baseball operations following Klentak’s firing. However, an ugly September kept the club out of the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season.
In true Dombrowski-like fashion, determined at all costs to get his team on a winning trajectory, he bolstered his lineup with two sluggers, Kyle Schwarber (4/$80M) and Nick Castellanos (5/$100M). Two power hitters who were just beginning their prime.
Stunningly, much like the current 2025 Red Sox, the Phillies scuffled to a 22-29 start, and Girardi was fired on June 3, 2022.
In the immediate aftermath, some speculated that Bryce Harper may have perhaps influenced the decision to move on from the embattled manager.
Dombrowski set the record straight saying: "I'm not directly saying it's the manager's fault, but I also think it's a tempo that you need to set on your club, that you need to play better."
Due to strict MLB hiring protocols when hiring managers, and a dramatically heightened sense of urgency to salvage the season, the future hall of fame executive stayed in-house with Rob Thomson, his current bench coach, to succeed Girardi.
It was universally a popular move on the Phillies roster, and within the entire organization.
Again quoting Dombrowski: "I think Rob provides a different type of communication aspect with the players than what was taking place. I think that was really important for us."
Following the move, the spark was instantaneous. Philadelphia took off on a torrid streak, winning 14 of the next 16 games.
Their pursuit of the playoffs came down to the final week, edging the Milwaukee Brewers by one game to clinch the final wildcard spot.
Despite being a sleepy underdog at the beginning of the postseason, the Fightin’ Phils blew through the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres (in order). Only losing two games in total across the entire national league side of the bracket.
The Phillies roster finally played up to its full potential, seemingly with the right leadership of Rob Thomson.
Their unforeseen journey through 2022 came to an end against the Houston Astros, who were even hotter in their undefeated campaign through the playoffs.
The Phillies have yet to win a championship in the 2020’s. But it’s impossible to argue against the fact a simple change in leadership, altered the course of the entire decade.
Torey Lovullo
Want a Red Sox example? After John Farrell stepped away in early August of 2015 to address his cancer battle, Boston went 24-16 when Lovullo took over. They were the best team in baseball during that stretch.
The relevance of this example is that particular lineup from exactly ten years ago arguably resembles this current lineup.
Lovullo was hired away by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017. He is now in his ninth season with the snakes, and even has an NL pennant to his resume.
Special Bonus: How about the “Morgan Magic” season of 1988?
Conclusion
The evidence is mounting that Alex Cora can’t finish the development stages of young prospects. Particularly lefties. Jarren Duran is the lone exception.
Perhaps in 2018 he fell in love with the Mitch Moreland/Steve Pearce platoon, and overvalues that mentality.
Let’s not forget the fact Alex Cora the baseball player who as a platoon/bench piece for most of his career. Maybe he has a soft spot for those types of players?
2018 & 2021 were essentially veteran laden rosters. Especially the later year once they acquired Kyle Schwarber.
By the time Cora took over in 2018, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Christian Vazquez were both right handed and fully developed.
Red Sox fans can argue these positions until they are blue in the face, but Alex Cora is simply not a game changer.
Firing him might actually be the game changer.