Oftentimes, managers get lost in the shuffle of the great players that surround them. However, that does not lessen their impact or importance to the game. All over the world, great managers sign up for the grind that is a baseball season. Whether that be for a Major League Baseball team or an international tournament, many managers have left their mark on the game. Here are some of the most iconic managers from around the world.
McCarthy is regarded by many as the greatest manager in MLB history. McCarthy has a career record of 2,125-1,333 with nine pennants won. More impressive is that his teams managed to win the pennant every time they reached the postseason. His seven World Series titles are tied for the most won by a manager. However, he does not have the most wins in MLB history or the best winning percentage. What makes McCarthy so iconic, then?
In 24 seasons, he never once managed a team with a losing record. From 1932 to 1943, he led the Yankees to dominance, winning all seven of his World Series titles with one of the most iconic franchises in sports. Led by Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Bill Dickey, his 1936 team won 102 games. That team also became known as the Bronx Bombers, a nickname that has stuck through generations of Yankees teams.
For years, many great players have made their way from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB. Japan is no different than the United States when it comes to iconic managers. Hideki Kuriyama managed the Hokkaido Nippon- Ham Fighters for 10 seasons in NPB. He managed to a 1,1410-684 record and won a Japan Series title in 2016. He retired from managing in 2023, but not before leaving his mark on baseball history.
Kuriyama managed Samurai Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Japan faced off against an American team full of superstars. However, Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, and more were unable to come out on top of a dominant Japanese team. Japan had been making strides in the baseball landscape for many years. They had won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009. However, after failing to win in two editions of the classic, Kuriyama helped lead Japan back to the top of the baseball world in 2023.
Yadier Molina
Many know Yadier Molina as a phenomenal player and one of the best catchers of this generation. However, he has not stopped making an impact on baseball. After playing, Molina has started managing. He manages Águilas Cibaeñas in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana. He also manages Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
Molina managed the Puerto Rican team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. After winning a silver medal as a player in 2013 and 2017, he is trying to get Puerto Rico its first World Baseball Classic title as a manager. Puerto Rico went 3-1 in Pool D and lost in the quarterfinal to Mexico. However, Molina will once again lead Puerto Rico as manager in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Molina is not the only former player to make an impact as a manager. Mike Piazza managed Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and is set to do so again in 2026. Piazza served as a hitting coach for the Italian National team in 2009 and 2013 for the World Baseball Classic. In 2023, he became the manager of the team and helped lead them to the quarterfinals.
Italy has been making strides in baseball, with more players picking up the game in Italy. Just this season, Samuel Aldegheri became the first pitcher born and developed in Italy to play in MLB. Piazza once represented the Italian team in the World Baseball Classic and now is making his impact felt as a manager for a country that is continuing to grow in the baseball landscape.
