Buck Showalter

Buck Showalter began his highly successful baseball managing career in the New York Yankees farm system, where he had tremendous success with the Yankees AAA team, the Columbus Clippers. Owner George Steinbrenner brought Showalter up to the big club, which hadn't had a post-season appearance since losing the 1981 World Series, in 1992. Showalter immediately either cut or traded away most of the Yankees high-priced veterans and brought in players he had managed at Columbus, most notably players like Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, and Andy Pettite. The "new blood" brought immediate success, and Showalter led the Yankees to the American League playoffs in 1995. The Yankees won the first two games against the Seattle Mariners, but then lost the next three, which displeased Steinbrenner. Inexplicably, Showalter was axed, but not before his core group of players won the next three World Series titles under new manager Joe Torre. Showalter wasn't out of work for very long. Once he became available, GM Jerry Colangelo tapped him to become the first manager of the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks, who would begin play in 1998. Reveling in the challenge of developing young players and mixing in a few veterans, including fireballing pitcher Randy Johnson, Showalter became the first manager ever to lead a team from a last-place finish to a 100-win season, a division title, and a playoff spot in 1999. The following season, the Diamondbacks failed to make the playoffs, despite acquiring Curt Schilling, and Showalter was fired once again. But, as fate would have it, the Diamondbacks became world champions in 2001 with Bob Brenly managing the team that Showalter built. After being fired by Arizona, Showalter was a baseball analyst for ESPN before being hired to manage the Texas Rangers in 2003. Once again, the Rangers are 'his team', as he dealt away popular high-priced stars like Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Alex Rodriguez. Even without the superstars, his Rangers are in first place in the American League West (as of July 2004), but one has to wonder, if the Rangers achieve success, will he be around to see it?