I love Counsell, don't get me wrong, but I don't know how he'd fare in the Bronx. There's definitely styles of leadership that suit different teams, different markets, and in that regard, NY is unique. Counsell is perfect for the Crew; local guy, knows the vibe and team role in a small town setting. He's been screwed out of Manager of the Year award twice, but hopefully that will change this season because he certainly deserves it.
MLB is a players' league. Managers don't have the power they once wielded. Their wings have been clipped not only by the $$ the players are earning, but also by the front-office-analytics-26 year old PHd geeks, whose role in baseball has eclipsed the cagey veteran with his 45 years of real-life experience. Gone are the days of "you get the players and I'll decide how to use them". They've been replaced by the daily phone call, where Cashy can relay the data from his stats crew to Boone so that Boone is set straight on who to play and how to manage the next game. And from what I've seen of the Yanks this year, many of these guys play like they have no hunger left for the game.
The Brewers are young. Youngsters in Milwaukee know that they must toe the line or they're back to AAA ball. They also know that if they play hard, they'll be pencilled in every day until the player has had a fair chance to prove himself. When the Crew sent Hiura back to the minors, Hiura was the least surprised person on the team. The Brewers are also very selective in the veterans that they sign. Clubhouse presence still matters in Milwaukee.
In the Bronx, youngsters play scared. The message from the Yanks' front office is that the young guns shouldn't be at the MLB level. They're only there to hold a space until some old, washed up veteran returns from his 4th trip to the IL this season.
What the Yanks need is an old-school manager who kicks some ass and calls players out in public when they dog it, but they'll never hire this type of guy, because the Yanks want a manager whose finest quality is Submission. To the players and to the front office.
