ESPN surveyed 50 scouts, front-office executives, big league coaches and media analysts, asking them to select the game’s best managers in several categories. Overall, San Francisco’s Bruce Bochy was named the best manager in baseball with 24.2 percent of the vote. Baltimore’s Buck Showalter came in second at 21.5 percent. Francona was third, with 12.8, just ahead of Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon (12.5). Those four led in nearly every category, creating a clear separation from the rest of the pack.
Francona was also named the best in the game at relating to his players, earning 24.2 percent of the vote.