Best all-time general managers: No. 10, Buzzie Bavasi

Taking over for one of the legends of the game, #10 in our best all-time general managers countdown spent almost 50 years in the game.

Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers, 1951-67; San Diego Padres, 1969-1972; California Angels, 1978-84

Given talent to work with or time to develop it, E.J. “Buzzie” Bavasi was a front office genius. His 126.4 total long-term impact — 15^th highest of all time — establishes that. He was not, however, a quick-fixer, a fact underscored by his -1.23 average and -34.30 total short-term rankings, both outside the top 50 of the best all-time general managers.

Hired in 1938 by Dodgers GM Larry McPhail as business manager of a minor league affiliate, he received a Bronze Star during World War II, then was hired by Branch Rickey to run the team’s farm club in Nashua, NH. He was named general manager of Montreal, the system’s top farm club, and in 1951 named GM in Brooklyn, following the footsteps of two of the best all-time general managers in the game’s history.

Bavasi is best-known for his work with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1950s and 1960s. Between 1952 and 1966, his teams won half the National League pennants, four World Series, and were rarely out of contention.

He had the good fortune to walk into a wonderful situation, Rickey having left the Dodger cupboard stacked. Bavasi inherited 21 players – a strong number in those days – who contributed value to the 1951 Dodgers, nine of whom were still around for the 1955 world’s champions. And we’re not just talking about hangers-on here; the nine included Roy Campanella, Carl Erskine, Carl Furillo, Gil Hodges, Don Newcombe, Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider. In fact, the residue of Rickey’s decision-making in the 1940s contributed 18.4 games to the Dodgers’ 1955 world championship, 2.5 times the combined impact of Bavasi’s short-term and long-term moves on that same team.

Buzzie always knew when to do nothing. Yet when pressed, he was capable of pulling the trigger on critical deals. In 1966, his acquisition of Phil Regan was the decisive moment in a 1.5 game National League pennant victory over San Francisco. In five different seasons across his tenures, Bavasi’s personnel decisions proved critical.

They didn’t always work out. With the Dodgers in 1962 and again with the California Angels in 1984, Bavasi dealt his teams out of contention. But only a related handful of GMs played a more central role in their clubs’ fortunes.

Bavasi won the Sporting News Executive Of The Year award in 1959 when his Dodgers – by then in Los Angeles – rose from seventh place the previous season to the World Series title. His short-term impact on the 1959 Dodgers, +3.4 games, was positive, although Frank Lane, GM in Cleveland that season, actually deserved the award.

But Bavasi had one coming. On three other occasions, in 1956, 1961 and 1966, the voters snubbed his genuinely deserving candidacy.

In 1956 Bavasi improved the Dodgers’ fortunes by 7.4 games, noteworthy considering that they won the NL pennant by just one game. He provided 5.6 games of difference in 1966, a race the Dodgers won by 1.5 games. Voters that season chose Harry Dalton, whose Orioles, defeated the Dodgers in the World Series.

Following his removal from the Dodger position, Bavasi was named the first general manager of the expansion San Diego Padres, an experiment that did not end well. He left following the 1972 season, having never lifted the Padres above last place or 63 victories.

His seven years with the Angels resulted in two AL West division titles, but no trips to the World Series. Bavasi lived long enough to have the unusual experience of seeing his son succeed to an office he once held. Bill Bavasi was GM of the Angels from 1994 through 1999. Buzzie died in 2008.

Buzzie Bavasi

In the first six categories, values reflect the standard deviation of the GM’s performance above or below the historical mean for that category among the best all-time general managers. Category 7 awards or deducts points for seasons in which the GM’s short-term impact exceeded the margin by which his team either reached post-season or failed to do so. Category 8 represents post-season appearances; in categories 7 and 8 indicated points are based on numbers of teams and post-season berths.

1 Short-term average: +0.04

2 Short-term total: -0.33

3 Long-term average: +0.36

4 Long-term total: +1.25

5 Residual average: -1.19

6 Residual total: -1.14

7 GM’s post-season shares:

• 1956 award +1.0. Bavasi aided the Dodgers by +3.6 games; they qualified for post-season by 1 game. Key moves: Acquired Sal Maglie +1.6; promoted rookie Don Drysdale +1.4; traded Russ Meyer -1.5; traded Don Hoak -3.7.
• 1959 award +1.0. Bavasi aided the Dodgers by +3.4 games; they qualified for post-season in a playoff. Key moves: Acquired Wally Moon, +3.1; promoted Larry Sherry, +2.5.
• 1962 penalty -1.25. Bavasi hurt the Dodgers by -4.5 games; they failed to qualify for post-season in a playoff. Key moves: Promoted rookie Joe Moeller -1.6; lost Dick Farrell +2.7.
• 1966 award +1.25. Bavasi aided the Dodgers by +5.6 games; they qualified for post-season by 1.5 games. Key moves: Acquired Phil Regan +4.1, promoted rookie Don Sutton +1.2.
• 1979 award +0.88. Bavasi aided the Angels by +3.6 games; they qualified for post-season by 3 games. Key moves: Acquired Dan Ford +1.2; traded David Chalk -1.6.
• 1984 penalty -0.88. Bavasi hurt the Angels by -8.9 games; they failed to qualify for post-season by 3 games. Key moves: Acquired Jim Slaton -1.5; re-signed Reggie Jackson -1.3; signed Frank LaCorte -1.0.

Category 7 total: +2.00

8 Post-season appearances: (1952, +1.0; 1953, +1.0; 1955, +1.0; 1956, +1.0; 1959, +1.0; 1963, +1.25; 1965, +1.25; 1966, +1.25; 1979, +0.88; 1982, +0.88). Total +10.51.

Grand total: +11.50.

That is the argument for Buzzie Bavasi as our #10 among the best all-time general managers. What do you think? Is he too high? Too low? Comment below!