I'm not sure how many managers have taken three different franchises to the World Series, but would hazard a guess that most who have are in the HOF. Williams did, including the '67 Red Sox  "Impossible Dream" and the San Diego Padres (yes, indeed, they have been to the Fall Classic -- twice, the first time under Dickie W.) ... oh, and he managed the last great pre-free-agency-era dynasty in the early-'70s A's. He should definitely be in the HOF!

Anyone answering "Who?," you have some reading to do!

Tempting, and I thought he might be at one time but...

1548-1418 lifetime, or the equal of 85-77 in a season. Pretty solid. Not amazing but darn good. 2 WS titles then fired (weird). 5 playoff appearances (fired 1/2 way to title in 81 for Expos). Hurts that his Expo teams kept coming close but couldn't close the deal in 79/80 plus the bonehead move in the 84 WS (letting Goose convince him to let Goose pitch to Gibson rather than walk him).

The big reason for him not getting in? The list of who else isn't.

Whitey Herzog - 1281-1125, 6 playoffs, 1 WS ring, 2 amazing runs in KC and St Louis

Billy Martin - 1253-1013, 5 playoffs, 1 WS ring, made playoffs with 4 out of 5 teams (missed with a team he took from playing under 400 ball to 2nd place)

Davey Johnson - 1148-888, 4 1/2 playoffs (1st in 94 when strike hit), 1 WS ring, teams in 1st or 2nd in all but one full season and 1 parital season that he managed over 14 seasons. The guy we should've had as manager back in '98.

Gene Mauch - 1902-2037, 2 playoffs, darn close but always stuck with bad teams - marginal HOF'er imo

All but Mauch I'd put in first. Maybe hold off on Johnson as he could still manage.

Seriously? More than HALF of the early responses are "Who?"

Is Williams really that marginalized now? One of the 20 or so greatest managers in MLB history?

Great response, John. I disagree with your conclusion, but you laid out the "against" argument really well.

Also on the Managerial ballot is Billy Southworth.    He's arguably an even better candidate than Herzog, Williams or Martin.  His work with the late 40s Braves was pretty damn impressive. He took over a perennial basement dweller and took them to a pennant, although the arrival of Spahn and Sain after the war didn't hurt. 

I have to agree Mick. Managers are forgotten so quickly unless they do something to lock them in popular memory (Billy Martin is one of the few to reach beyond standard baseball fans for recognition).

In truth I feel the HOF has fallen behind in managers/executives due to the silly 75% of HOF'ers needed to get them in as most HOF players probably feel managers are secondary unless it was a personal favorite of theirs.

Speaking of HOF managers it is clear that Bobby Cox and Joe Torre will get in someday. Tony LaRussa and Jim Leyland will have a lot of support (not personally a fan of either).

Looking at B-R I see the #2 guy in winning percentage isn't in. Jim Mutrie - 1883-1891 - 611 winning percentage (wow) winning his league 3 times in that short stretch. Billy Southworth won his league 4 times with 2 titles and a 597 win% and isn't in either (just 1044 wins). Those two are the only guys in the top 12 for winning percentage not in. In 13th spot is Davey Johnson (who should be managing a ML team right now imo) then Bobby Cox.

Only 3 guys in the top 20 for total wins (not counting active guys LaRussa, Cox, Torre, and Piniella) are not in. Gene Mauch (#12), Ralph Houk (#14) and Dick Williams (#18).

Houk is an interesting case. Took over the Yankees in 61 and won 2 WS to start his career, then lost the WS in 63 and was fired. Came back in '66 to the Yanks for a long stretch then the Tigers and Red Sox but only twice finished above 4th place in a full season plus a 2nd in the 2nd half of 81. Hard to see him ever getting in due to that.

Extra Jay content: Jimy Williams is #61 in wins and 33rd in Win% (above Tony LaRussa). Cito is #80 win wins and 47 in Win% (above Lou Piniella). I still say if you have a team that is likely to make the playoffs but is having trouble there (Yankees and Oakland I'm looking at you) Cito would be a great choice for manager. Jimy, not so much.

One more cool thing about Southworth. The most comparable playing career to his, according to BBRef,  belongs to Casey Stengel.

I remember reading Dick Williams's book once a long time ago. He was supposed to have a reputation as kind of a hardass, but as I recall his book is filled with anecdotes of the form: "The owner told me to do such-and-such, and I didn't like it. I started out to take a strong stand, and then I caved."

Dick Williams had an amazing ability to take a bunch of kids and turn them into a winner. He may be the all-time best manager for a rebuilding club.

For those that answered "who" ... does it help if I say that Dick Williams was the Larry Brown of baseball?