Jerry Recco says his main takeaway from the Rangers winning the World Series (just as he predicted before the start of the season), when it pertains to the local teams, is that a reliable, proven manager is pivotal in reaching the top of the mountain.
“The Rangers brought in a guy who had done it before and walked into that clubhouse with a winning past, a championship past,” Jerry said of Bruce Bochy, who is a champion again after winning three with the Giants. “He could flash those World Series rings. It makes everything relevant to what they were doing.
“You can’t minimize what Bruce Bochy did. I don’t think a baseball manager is the end-all, be-all, but I do think that can be a specific reason as to why a team gets over the hump.”
Jerry believes the Mets could have used a skipper like Bochy as they were grinding through lackluster baseball in June, and perhaps the Yanks could have benefited from the same when they were fighting, and failing, to stay relevant in the AL East.
“This team went 10-20 late in the summer, and it looked like they were done,” Jerry said. “For whatever reason, they figured it out, and I really do believe having a calming influence in the clubhouse with the manager is a big part of that.”