That's part of the reason there is so much turnover in the managing ranks in Major League Baseball, as sometimes all it takes is a fresh face at the helm and a new philosophy to turn things around.
The Blue Jays, Dodgers and Brewers all entered the season with new faces in charge.
For the Jays, it was familiar face John Farrell moving from one AL East spot in Boston to another in Toronto. The former Red Sox pitching coach has the Blue Jays over .500, but one game over that mark isn't going to get the job done in the AL East. His players spoke highly of him as far back as spring training, but Toronto once again finds itself in fourth place in baseball's best division.
The Milwaukee Brewers seem destined for the playoffs in Ron Roenicke's first season as skipper. The new Brew Crew manager has Milwaukee in the NL Central driver's seat. He'll be managing into October, as the Brewers give it one last go with the roster they have now, as Prince Fielder is thought by many to be unlikely to return after becoming a free agent this offseason.
Finally, out in Los Angeles, Don Mattingly somehow has the Dodgers flirting with the .500 mark. The Dodgers have been through a lot off the field this year with the ongoing mess that is McCourt ownership, but Mattingly is showing that the time on Joe Torre's staff has paid off.
