Brewers Fire Yost...the Chicago Way
Dan Fox offers a historical perspective on the Brewers' firing of Ned Yost while in the thick of the race for the post-season.
Turns out the 1932 Cubs were the first team to change managers mid-season (Rogers Hornsby out; Charlie Grimm in) and then go on to win the pennant. The 1938 Cubs repeated the maneuver (Grimm out; Gabby Hartnett in) and again, the result was a National League championship.
Cub-related names are all over this phenomenon:
Jim Frey, who steered the Cubs to the 1984 NL East title, was canned by the Royals on their way to the second half AL West title in the strike-shortened 1981 season.
And also in 1981, Yankees manager Gene Michael, who managed the Cubs for part of the 1987 season, was replaced by Bob Lemon, whose team went on to capture the AL pennant.
All in all, the Brewers' situation sounds like a complete mess, orchestrated by an impetuous owner.
I hope Mark Cuban never does anything like this to us.
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