As Sports Illustrate did last year, they’re polling players on the very best in baseball. In their most recent poll, 291 MLB players were asked which manager they’d most like to play for and Tampa Bay Rays’ skipper Joe Maddon took home first with 14-percent of the votes. Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona was second and Tigers’ chief Jim Leyland took third.
↵I guess the jokes are that Leyland won bronze because he’ll play guys even when they’re struggling or give them plenty of off days, but reality is players genuinely enjoy playing for him. He’s well-known as a player’s manager and there’s a reason why he’s been allowed to manage over 3,000 games.