Best all-time general managers: No. 1, John Schuerholz

We conclude our look at the best all time general managers with the greatest of all time – former Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves GM John Schuerholz.

1 John Schuerholz

(Kansas City Royals, 1982-90;

Atlanta Braves, 1991-2007)

John Schuerholz spent more than a quarter century as the chief executive of a major league team. Only five men who didn’t actually own the clubs they ran can say the same thing.

His short-term improvement total, +103.6 games, is first among GMs all-time, and his +251.2 games long-term total is fourth, trailing only Ed Barrow, Barney Dreyfuss and John McGraw. Then there’s the matter of the 11 divisional titles, five league pennants and two World Series championships.

In other words, as attested by his No. 1 rating overall, there were no weaknesses to Schuerholz’s front office game.

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Since Schuerholz never wore a professional uniform, his success is also proof positive that you do not need to have played baseball to understand it. A graduate of Towson State, Schuerholz started as a minor league administrative assistant in Baltimore in 1967. Hired by the expansion Royals in 1969, he worked his way through the Kansas City front office system, taking over from Joe Burke when the latter was named club president.

He was a good learner. Five times — twice in Kansas City and three times in Atlanta — Schuerholz’s moves elevated his team to playoff status. He is best known, of course, for his leadership of the Braves through a remarkable stretch in which they qualified for 14 consecutive post-seasons between 1991 and 2005.

One might attempt to argue that the Braves and Schuerholz benefitted from expanded playoff opportunities, since four teams qualified in each league starting in 1995. The facts, however, suggest otherwise. During that 14-season stretch, the Braves had the National League’s best record nine times, seven of them (1992-99) successively. The previous record was five consecutive, by the Yankees from 1949 through 1953 and again from 1960 through 1964.

The difference between Schuerholz in Kansas City and Atlanta could probably be boiled down to Ted Turner’s money and/or Bobby Cox’s field generalship…but those are only roughly accurately statements. Schuerholz deserves the credit for maximizing the value of those resources.

As noted previously, his was a multi-faceted talent. Through the seasons in Atlanta, he acquired 102 players via trade or purchase, and they generated a combined +23.3 games of short-term value for the Braves.

While trades were his remedy for the Braves’ short-term ills, signings provided the long-term strength, Schuerholz building his reputation on signings of such players as Greg Maddux. He signed, re-signed or extended 150 such players in Atlanta, and their combined short-term value was +142.4 games…that’s +8.9 games per season.

His career total of +155.1 games of long-term free agent value – counting his tenure in Kansas City – is the largest for any GM. about 20 percent greater than No. 2 and 6.67 standard deviations above the average of +10.82 games. Schuerholz also boasts the third highest average long term free agent impact (+6.2 games per season), and the eighth largest total short term free agent impact, +22 games.

As impossible as it sounds, Schuerholz was under-valued by award voters. He won only one Sporting News Executive of the Year Award, that coming in 1985 when his Royals essentially lucked into the World Series championship.

There may have been better choices that year, but there were none better in either 1993 or 1998, years when Schuerholz merited the honor. Schuerholz improved the Braves by 19.6 games in 1993, and by another 13.6 games in 1998. As exceptional as those numbers are, they did not impress voters, who presumably had been conditioned to expect that from him.

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John Schuerholz

In the first six categories, values reflect the standard deviation of the GM’s performance above or below the historical mean for that category. 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: +1.88

2 Short-term total: +2.83

3 Long-term average: +1.62

4 Long-term total: +3.22

5 Residual average: +0.59

6 Residual total: +0.52

7 GM’s post-season shares:

1984 award +0.88. Schuerholz aided the Royals by +7.5 games; they qualified for post-season by 3 games. Key moves: Re-signed George Brett, +1.4; re-signed Frank White, +2.4; traded Willie Aikens, -1.6; traded Amos Otis, -1.2.
1985 award +0.88. Schuerholz aided the Royals by +5.0 games; they qualified for post-season by 1 game. Key moves: Re-signed Dan Quisenberry, +4.4.

1993 award +0.70. Schuerholz aided the Braves by +19.6 games; they qualified for post-season by 3 games. Key moves: Signed Greg Maddux, +5.3, signed Jeff Blauser, +2.3, re-signed Tom Glavine, +2.6.
1997 award +0.44. Schuerholz aided the Braves by +13.5; they qualified for post-season by 13 games. Key moves: Acquired Kenny Lofton, +1.7, re-signed John Smoltz, +3.4, re-signed Tom Glavine, +3.3.
2005 award +0.50. Schuerholz aided the Braves by +8.3 games; they qualified for post-season by 2 games. Key moves: Acquired Tim Hudson, +2.0, acquired Jorge Sosa, +2.4, signed John Smoltz, +2.7.

Category 7 total: +3.40

8 Credit for post-season appearances (1984, +0.88; 1985, +0.88; 1991, +0.70; 1992, +0.70; 1993, +0.70; 1995, +0.44; 1996, +0.44; 1997, +0.44; 1998, +0.50; 1999, +0.50; 2000, +0.50; 2001, +0.50; 2002, +0.50; 2003, +0.50; 2004, +0.50; 2005, +0.50): +9.18

Grand total: +23.25

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