Today's Fun Fact

by Jeff Sullivan on May 21, 2010 2:16 PM PDT in Seattle Mariners Stats

Dick Howser, 1978
Eddie Popowski, 1973
Rudy York, 1959
Cal Ripken, 1985
Billy Hitchcock, 1960
Bob Schaefer, 1991
Mel Harder, 1961
Jo-Jo White, 1960
Bibb Falk, 1933
Pat Corrales, 1978
Eddie Stanky, 1977
Del Wilber, 1973
Eddie Yost, 1963
Marty Martinez, 1986
George Myatt, 1968
Eddie Sawyer, 1960
Andy Cohen, 1960
Cookie Rojas, 1996
Ted Turner, 1977
Vern Benson, 1977
Jack Krol, 1980
Gabby Street, 1929
Ray Knight, 2003
Burt Shotton, 1934
Rene Lachemann, 2002
Joe Altobelli, 1991
Roy Johnson, 1944
Bill Burwell, 1947
Harvey Kuenn, 1975
Salty Parker, 1972
Bob Skinner, 1977
Ray Blades, 1948
Chris Von Der Ahe, 1895

Listed above are 33 managers. These are the 33 managers to have managed for one game during a given season, mostly as interims after another manager was fired and before the replacement showed up. The teams these 33 managers took over had a collective, full-season win percentage of 46.3% (2264-2627). These 33 managers, however, won 23 of their games.

The odds of a hypothetical 0.463 team winning 23 of 33 games are 0.56%.

I don't know what this means, if it means anything, but it's been on my head for a few days, and I think it's awesome.

Tweet Comment 27 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

So, managerRoulette, then?

by Matthew on May 21, 2010 2:17 PM PDT reply actions

I wonder what would happened if we fired and re-hired Wak every other day

by Jeff Sullivan on May 21, 2010 2:19 PM PDT up reply actions

The Washington State Unemployment Department would get tired of processing his paperwork

by pdb on May 21, 2010 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Wak might get upset, but what's the difference

by Kermit. on May 21, 2010 2:39 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Ask Billy Martin.

by Sec 108 on May 21, 2010 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Worked for Ottawa

Like the Marlins? Of course you don't, but read this anyway http://bitethehandthatseeds.blogspot.com/

by Alexander Calloway on May 21, 2010 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Whats up with 1977 and 1960?

What are the odds that out of 33 instances, there would be two years that each had 4 such occurances over a 100+ year period?

by Kenneth Arthur on May 21, 2010 2:38 PM PDT reply actions

1 in 76

by barabuski on May 21, 2010 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions

I wish my name was Cookie Rojas

by MT Olson on May 21, 2010 2:53 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

His parents are awesome!

Like the Marlins? Of course you don't, but read this anyway http://bitethehandthatseeds.blogspot.com/

by Alexander Calloway on May 21, 2010 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm a Cookie Lavagetto fan, myself.

by marc w on May 21, 2010 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions

The odds of such a team winning at least 23 are 0.56%

Which is semantically compatible with what you wrote. The other interpretation, that a team wins exactly 23 games, has a probability of 0.37%.

by ForwardMomentum on May 21, 2010 3:04 PM PDT reply actions

Huh, that looks strange.

It’s more likely that this hypothetical team would have exactly 23 wins in the 33 games than between 24 and 33 wins. It makes sense after thinking about the math, but that’s a very striking result.

by Jon S. on May 21, 2010 7:00 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Chris Van Der Ahe.

The skipper for the All-Jane Austin team?

by MFAN on May 21, 2010 3:06 PM PDT reply actions

Its fun because we won yesterday.

by Punkhazard on May 21, 2010 3:18 PM PDT reply actions

This is absolutely awesome.

Best post ever. I believe and hope this post—this one right here—will change the way baseball is managed forever. I just hope that the Mariners are the first movers and it takes the rest of baseball long enough to catch on that we are able to exercise our advantage for at least a few years.

Follow-up question 1: Did any of these one-game wonders ever manage against each other?

Follow-up question 2: If the answer to 1 is yes, did it upset the balance of the space-time continuum?

Follow-up question 2: If the answer to 2 is yes, what makes you think that you are so smart and know anything at all about the space time continuum, loser?

by Attractive Nuisance on May 21, 2010 3:24 PM PDT reply actions