You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and five the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all.
Earl WeaverRead
What else does a manager do but push buttons? He doesn't hit, he doesn't run, he doesn't throw, and he doesn't catch the ball. A manager has twenty-five players, or twenty-five buttons, and he selects which one he'll use, or push, that day. The manager who presses the right buttons most often is the one who wins the most games.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A manager's role is to make strategic decisions regarding which players to use in order to achieve success.
This quote emphasizes the essential function of a manager in a team setting, likening their decision-making process to 'pushing buttons'—selecting players to optimize performance. It highlights that while a manager may not physically engage in the game, their ability to choose the right players at the right time is crucial to winning, paralleling the idea that leadership is about making strategic choices rather than direct action.
Themes
ManagerLeadershipDecision-MakingStrategyTeamwork
In practice
Example use cases
In a management seminar, to illustrate the importance of strategic decision-making.
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