The New York Mets tried to woo Craig Counsell, one of the most sought-after and experienced managers, this off-season, but he decided to join the Chicago Cubs instead.
The retooling Mets have turned their attention to Carlos Mendoza, who, compared to Counsell, does not have much to offer in terms of managerial experience.
The biggest break the 43-year-old Venezuelan coach got before landing the Mets post is his eight-year stint with the New York Yankees as roving defensive instructor, infield coach, and bench coach.
There's not much from Mendoza's CV before this designation if he will be compared to the veteran managers who are first on the list of every general managers.
That does not mean, though, that he is not the right man for the job. In fact, five rookie managers won the World Series on their first try.
Who are these rookie managers, and what did their CVs look like before they made their MLB debut?
1. Bucky Harris
Harris won in his first season with the Washington Senators in 1924. He had zero experience as a caretaker of an MLB club, as he was assigned by the Senators as a player-manager at 27. However, he inherited a team filled with future Hall of Famers. The second baseman became the second-youngest world champion coach of MLB and the first ever to do it as a player-manager. He managed teams for 29 years.
2. Eddie Dyer
The Cardinals legend Eddie Dyer won it in 1946. Dyer played for just one team in his entire career and then managed it in his whole managing career. He was the St. Louis Cardinal's manager for their farm system when he retired in 1928. He became a full-time manager of the main team in 1946. He did not need to start from scratch, as the Cardinals won three straight NL pennants from 1942 to 1944. The challenge was managing players who participated in World War 2.
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3. Ralph Houk
Bucky Harris' prodigy Ralph Houk experienced World Glory with the Yankees in 1961. Houk was part of Harris' team as a catcher, and when it was time for him to become manager, he reached the summit, too, in his first year. The cards were already on the deck for him when he sat on the manager's chair. The Yankees reached the World Series in 1960 and fired Casey Stengel but kept the core of Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Elston Howard, and Whitey Ford.
4. Bob Brenly
Bob Brenly is the 21st century's first rookie champion coach with the Diamondbacks in 2001. The Arizona Diamondbacks joined MBL in 1998 and won its first and only World Series during the first time they were under Bob Brenly's command. Brenly worked as an analyst after retiring in 1989 and was hired as an assistant coach by the San Francisco Giants in 1992. Dusty Baker took over the club, and he was retained. In 1998, he worked as a broadcaster for the D-backs and was signed as manager by then-general manager Joe Garagiola Jr for his "baseball knowledge, work ethic, and attitude." D-Backs was loaded with veterans in his first year and was deemed among the contenders that season.
5. Alex Cora
Alex Cora had a front-row seat for the World Series title in 2017, then won it for the Red Sox the following year. Puerto Rican coach Alex Cora was the last to do it after winning the 2018 World Series title with the Boston Red Sox. He witnessed what it was like winning the title the year before as he served as a bench coach under A.J. Hinch when they won the world title the year before.
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