‘I’m not even not in the top 28. I’m not in the top 29’: MLB managers on rule changes, clutch players and each other
Which slugger would your favorite team’s manager least like to face with the game on the line? Which ace would they most want to have on their side? And which manager do other managers respect the most?
With all 30 MLB skippers on hand at last week’s winter meetings in Orlando, Florida, we took the opportunity to find out the answers to those questions, plus get their thoughts on the state of the game, next year’s biggest rule change and more.
Here are our favorite responses.
If you were commissioner for a day, what is the one change you would make to MLB?
Craig Albernaz, Baltimore Orioles: That’s a great question. I wouldn’t make any change. I love the game the way it is.
Warren Schaeffer, Colorado Rockies: Every Monday off. Just like the minor leagues — every Monday off. In Coors, you can go six-man rotation. You have a whole day of prep for the next opponent. Every week, you get that rest, and maybe filter in off-days in between them.
Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers: Shadows? Eliminate shadows. Can’t have shadows — dangerous for players. Or devices to communicate for outfielders, so they don’t run into each other.
How do you feel about MLB’s new ball/strike challenge system coming next season?
Albernaz: Just like anything where a new rule change comes in, you just have to see and adapt to it. Strategy coming in, yeah, we’ve talked about it. We have some strategies how it’s going to work in real time. Luckily last year in Cleveland, our stadium was one of those challenge system hubs, so we kind of got a firsthand look at it.
Craig Stammen, San Diego Padres: I think it’ll be exciting. It will be exciting for the fans. It will be another piece of strategy that you involve into baseball that we’ll have to dive into and think about how we’re going to use those two challenges, and when, where and who, so I think it’ll be exciting.
Clayton McCullough, Miami Marlins: In spring training, they rolled it out a little bit … I think it brought a different level of engagement at different points of the game. Giving the players an opportunity to have some say, impactful moments in the game, I’m excited to see how it plays out.
And I’ll also say that the umpires who are back there, it’s a very difficult thing, 300 pitches a night with the type of stuff they’re seeing. They do an exceptional job. Now Major League Baseball has done a good job recently enacting some things that have enhanced our fan experience. And this is another one that has a chance to go over well.
Blake Butera, Washington Nationals: I’m really excited about it. I’ve obviously seen it in Triple-A for a while. One thing it does is you always hear the chatter from the dugout getting on the umpires. It’s like, “Hey, challenge it. Let’s see what you got.”
I think one thing that’s really good about it is like the umpires in the big leagues are really good. They’re really, really good. It’s a hard job, man. You have to lock in for that many pitches. And then you miss one, one’s borderline, you’re hearing it from the dugout. It’s not an easy job. I think now the challenge system, what it’s done is like, all right, you don’t like it, challenge it.
Terry Francona, Cincinnati Reds: Last spring I didn’t want to do it because we weren’t going to use it. And then the guys from the league asked me — they were actually great about it — they go, can you just please do it? OK. Actually didn’t mind it. I thought it was OK, and I thought the fans loved it. Didn’t stop the game much. Everybody waited for the scoreboard. I think it will be OK.
What was your biggest takeaway from this year’s thrilling MLB postseason?
Rob Thomson, Philadelphia Phillies: How competitive it was. Even our series where we got beat was really tight. Obviously, the World Series was fascinating the way it played out. The competition was really good.
Oliver Marmol, St. Louis Cardinals: It was one of the most exciting playoffs I’ve seen in a while. It was a vibrant, fun environment. You wanted to watch the games. There was an electricity to it.
Murphy: It’s not like the regular season. It’s that every pitch counts, all hands on deck. You know, the most important inning is this inning. It’s awesome. Couldn’t get enough. You’d better have the stamina. You better have the stamina. Wow.
Albernaz: It was awesome. Just straight baseball.
Which opposing hitter would you least like to see up with the game on the line?
Schaeffer: Shohei [Ohtani]. He seems pretty clutch.
Skip Schumaker, Texas Rangers: I’m going to say Freddie Freeman. Hits righties, hits lefties, stays inside the baseball, he’s a hitter, he uses the whole field, he swings at the right pitches, he’ll take his walk, so you’re not going to get him out swinging outside the zone. He knows where the zone is, doesn’t try to do too much, and he’s going to put it in play. Obviously Ohtani is the best hitter, but I don’t want to see Freddie.
Murphy: Freeman has dominated us for years with the game on the line. He’s done it many times, broken our hearts.
Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks: Freddie’s going to be able to understand the pitcher, he’s going to adjust his approach, he’s going to put the ball in play. You need a double, he’s going to hit a double. You need a single, he’s going to find a way to get on base.
McCullough: Kyle Schwarber. He hammers velocity. He’s gotten so much better versus lefties. Every time he’s in the box, I feel like the field has just gotten too small. And he’s in our division. There’s [Aaron] Judge, but we just don’t see Judge a lot.
Stammen: One player, when I was a pitcher, that I always respected, that always put up a good at-bat and was a tough person to face was Mookie Betts. He’s a good hitter.
Which pitcher — not on your team — would you most like to hand the ball to with the season on the line?
Stammen: I think right now, it’s probably Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal. Those guys are probably the two best pitchers in baseball. I’d be fine handing those guys the ball. Fun to be their managers right now.
Lovullo: Skenes is an up-and-coming young player and he’s had a lot of success, and there’s a reason for it. You talk about process, understanding the big picture and being able to go out and execute, never sitting still and wanting to get better — he’s the poster child for it.
Schumacher: I’d say Skubal. I think it’d be tough to not say Skubal.
Murphy: I like that dude from the Giants, Logan Webb. But I like a lot of pitchers, man.
Schaeffer: I think [Webb] is an absolute bulldog. I love the way he goes about his business.
McCullough: Cristopher Sanchez was so tough. You forget how hard he throws. But the ease with which he does it, the length. The fastball-changeup combination. We tried different plans against him and there was just always a really — can’t get him off the ground. Tough guy to slug, and he doesn’t walk people.
Who is the best manager in MLB right now, other than yourself?
Murphy: I mean, other than myself? I’m not even in the top 28. I’m not in the top 29. But I just know Craig Counsell better than anybody, and I know how great he is.
Lovullo: Just watching [Counsell] from the other side, he does it in a very thoughtful way. There’s a reason for everything, very process-oriented, has a knack for understanding what’s about to happen. I think projection in this game is a massive factor.
Schaeffer: AJ Hinch. Love what he gets out of his players in terms of the roles that they accept on the team.
Schumacher: Before the World Series happened, I would say Hinch. I would probably stick with AJ. But what Doc [Dave Roberts] did this postseason was super impressive. So I would give it a 1A and 1B, because everybody talks about the rosters that Doc has had, and yes, he has unbelievable talent. But what he did this postseason — and honestly the previous one, too, with how he navigated that Padres series — I give him a whole ton of respect.
Stammen: You’ve got to go with the World Series champions. Dave Roberts has proved that he can take a star-studded team and win two World Series in a row. That’s pretty impressive. You can do that, you’ve got my vote. But another guy I’m thinking about is Tito Francona. I had him for one spring training, 2016, but a ton of respect for him and how he goes about his business.
McCullough: I think Dave, his ability to relate with any type of people. He manages such a high-profile group year in and year out, and the expectations that come and how steady Dave is through any point in the season. Dave never wavers. There’s always a sense of urgency from those that are working for him. We all know what’s at stake and did — I say we; I’m not there anymore. But I think Dave just has like a real steady hand and understands how to get through a season and then postseason, certainly, he’s masterful with the bullpen moves.
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Adam Rittenberg
Michigan’s investigation into its football program and wider athletic department could lead to findings of additional misconduct that might trigger more employment terminations, interim university president Domenico Grasso said Wednesday.
In a video statement, Grasso described the week since football coach Sherrone Moore’s firing as “no doubt a challenging time for our university community.”
Michigan fired Moore on Dec. 10 for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, discovered through a university investigation. Moore faces three criminal charges, including felony third-degree home invasion, for allegedly confronting the staff member at her residence after being fired.
Michigan’s investigation into Moore’s conduct and the football program continues, and the university commissioned Chicago-based law firm Jenner & Block to conduct a larger review of the athletic department culture, conduct and procedures following a series of scandals.
“We will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that conduct like this does not happen again,” said Grasso, who took over as interim president in May and will step down when a permanent president is installed. “Make no mistake. We will leave no stone unturned, and any further action we take will be based on credible evidence and findings, developed through a rigorous investigation.
“If the university learns of information through this investigation or otherwise that warrants a termination of any employee, we will act swiftly, just as we did in the case of Coach Moore.”
Grasso encouraged those who have information regarding misconduct within the football program or athletic department to contact Jenner & Block.
“Our focus is strictly on uncovering the facts,” Grasso said. “It is my job, my duty, to ensure the integrity of this investigation.”
Grasso also briefly addressed Michigan’s search for its next football coach. Athletic director Warde Manuel, who has led the department since 2016, has not publicly addressed the search, which he is expected to lead.
Biff Poggi, a Michigan staff member under both Moore and predecessor Jim Harbaugh, is serving as interim head coach for Michigan’s upcoming Cheez-It Citrus Bowl matchup against Texas on Dec. 31.
“We will hire an individual who is of the highest moral character and who will serve as a role model and a respected leader for the entire football program,” Grasso said. “And who will, with dignity and integrity, be a fierce competitor.”
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Greg Wyshynski
Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie can finish a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute.
“I mean, right now I’d be pretty rusty,” he said. “I’m not insane, like those kids that you see on TV, but I’m pretty good at them.”
When Geekie was around 10 years old, a cousin taught him how to speed solve the puzzle. While some have never found a way to line up that mosaic of colors despite years of trying, Geekie said it’s doable once one cracks the code. One summer at their lake cottage, his cousin wrote down its patterns. Geekie spent two weeks memorizing them and working out solutions while fiddling with the cube.
“It’s basically just all algorithms. You just do the same moves all the time once you get the pieces in the right spot. Once you do that, I mean, it’s pretty cut and dry. Everything goes in order,” he said. “I haven’t really forgot. It’s just one of those things that once you know it, you know it.”
Perhaps Geekie just knows how to score goals now, too.
That’s the simplest rationalization for the 27-year-old’s unexpected transformation into one of the NHL’s premier goal scorers. Through 34 games, Geekie is second in the NHL with 24 goals, trailing only the dominant Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (28). Going back to the start of last season, Geekie is tied for 11th in goals scored (57).
Geekie scored 33 goals in 2024-25, which is 16 more than his previous career high set two years ago with the Bruins. He shot 22%, which obliterated his previous career best of 13.1% set in 2023-24.
There’s always an offensive player whose unexpected scoring surge in one season makes him the consensus choice for regression the following season. Entering this season, that player was Geekie.
He was the first player listed on ESPN’s rundown of regression candidates, with the expectation that he would top out at 26 goals. Sports Illustrated did the same thing, writing that his “offensive numbers are set to dip next season.” Daily Faceoff wrote that Geekie’s shooting percentage was “a strong indication that his performance isn’t sustainable, at least at this level” for the Bruins.
Geekie gets it. He called the predictions “a fair statement” given that he was scoring less than 10 goals in a season with the Seattle Kraken just a few seasons ago.
“I see it all. It’s an easy cherry to pick to be like, ‘Obviously he’s shooting 22%, it’s going to go down.’ It didn’t bother me at all,” Geekie said.
Rather than regress, Geekie has progressed this season. Through 34 games, he is shooting 28.2%.
“I mean, it’s got to go down at some point,” he said, with a laugh. “Like I said, I don’t really pay attention to that and I’m not somebody that has 10 shots a game, so I just try to make the most of my opportunities when I get the puck.”
GEEKIE IS AMUSED by the focus on his shooting percentage, because he feels there are easy explanations for it. The first is that he doesn’t believe he shoots the puck all that much. Over the past two seasons, David Pastrnak averaged 3.79 shots per game in 110 games. Geekie averaged 2.11 in that same span. Only Sidney Crosby (2.45 shots per game) has a lower average than Geekie (2.48) among the top 10 goal-scorers this season.
“I feel like I’m a big quality over quantity person,” he said.
His first season in Boston, coach Jim Montgomery stressed the need for Geekie to get chances from deep inside the attacking zone.
“I think a high-danger chance is better than just shooting it from the wall. That’s kind of the mentality that I’ve had always. I’m not trying to waste shots that aren’t good for anybody,” Geekie said. “Unless I’m trying to create something off it, I’m honestly not trying to put it on net. Maybe that’s why I end up where I end up.”
Pastrnak recently said the Bruins were reminding Geekie to shoot the puck more often. In fairness, Geekie is shooting more this season. Pastrnak said Geekie is “definitely trying to be a little more selfish to take them” when he fights into high-danger areas of the ice. But Geekie acknowledged there are sometimes philosophical differences between his striving for quality over his team’s desire for quantity.
“I think it’s a push and pull,” he said. “It’s like, I don’t think I need to be shooting this, but other people think that it still gives us an opportunity to create a chance. So I just try to keep that in mind when I have the puck”
This is Geekie’s seventh season in the NHL. He was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes with the 67th pick in the 2017 draft as a goal-scoring forward with the WHL Tri-City Americans. His first two seasons as a pro were mostly spent in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, before playing 36 games with the Hurricanes in 2020-21.
That summer, the Seattle Kraken held their expansion draft as the NHL’s newest team. Geekie was left off Carolina’s protected list. At the time, it wasn’t expected that former Hurricanes GM Ron Francis would select him for the Kraken, with options like defenseman Jake Bean and forward Nino Niederreiter available from Carolina. But Geekie was the choice, a player whom Francis had drafted while with the Canes.
Geekie had 22 points in 73 games in his first season in Seattle, skating 12:36 per game with just seven goals. His second campaign saw him jump to 28 points in 69 games, but with even less ice time (10:27).
He was a restricted free agent after the 2022-23 season. Francis attempted to re-sign him before the deadline for submitting qualifying offers, but Geekie and his representatives declined it. The two sides couldn’t find common ground. Rather than go to arbitration, where the Kraken weren’t keen on Geekie potentially setting the terms of his next deal, they chose not to qualify him, making him an unrestricted free agent.
“With Morgan, we did make what I felt was a pretty fair offer,” Francis said at the time, via Sound of Hockey. “It didn’t work out, and he has the right once we don’t qualify him to go elsewhere.”
And so he went to Boston, signing a two-year deal worth $4 million in total.
While he wasn’t seeing much time with the Kraken, Geekie felt he was improving as a player. He said a “integral part” of that development was thanks to Jonathan Sigalet, a skills coach who improved all facets of his game.
“When I first started working with him, he was adamant that he wasn’t going to try and make me play like I’m on the first line,” Geekie recalled. “He said, ‘We both know that trying to do things that you do on the first line on the fourth line is going to get you in the press box.'”
He said working with Siglet slowed the game down for him. He started to see the game differently. He began to see “little tendencies” that all of the NHL’s good players share. Geekie also appreciated having a “third party” assessment for his play, apart from that of his coaches and his own.
Geekie was immediately given an opportunity to thrive in Boston in 2023-24, playing 15:21 in his first game with the Bruins. He ended up averaging 15:25 per game, with 17 goals and 22 assists in 76 games. He earned time with Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on the Bruins’ top line.
His follow-up season didn’t start well. Geekie scored one goal in his first 17 games and was a healthy scratch early in the season. Some trade whispers started about him as a pending restricted free agent. He had eight goals by the end of the 2024 calendar year.
How did he end up with 33 of them? With one of the greatest goal-scoring heaters this side of Alex Ovechkin: Geekie scored 14 goals in his last 20 games of the season. His chemistry with Pastrnak was undeniable — the Bruins scoring ace assisted on 21 of Geekie’s 33 goals last season.
Geekie expressed a desire to stay with the Bruins. The feeling was mutual, as GM Don Sweeney in June handed him a six-year, $33 million contract for a team-friendly $5.5 million annual cap hit.
WHEN GEEKIE SIGNED his new contract, he decided he wanted to join in the tradition of NHL players celebrating a windfall with their teammates. It’s usually a dinner or something of that nature.
But Geekie wanted to do something different.
“Everybody’s eating at the same restaurants in every city. And I’m sure they’d remember it for a little while, but I think it would be just one of those things like, ‘Hey, thanks for dinner.’ So I wanted to do something a little more nostalgic,” he said.
Geekie is a huge baseball fan who played competitively until his late teens. He was in the process of designing a personalized baseball glove for himself through a company called 44 Pro Custom Gloves when his wife, Emma, suggested that he design ones for all of his teammates as a gift.
Geekie started the process in July, sketching out what he wanted on the gloves for 30 teammates — including players that were on the bubble for the Bruins’ roster this season. He had the biographical information for them, from their birth cities and countries to their schools to where they played junior hockey.
“Honestly, for probably three weeks, I just sat in front of my TV watching baseball and I would just draft gloves up. I thought it was so fun,” Geekie said. “My wife got sick of me for a little while.”
He would FaceTime his brother Noah, a coach at Okotoks Dawgs Academy in Alberta, to bounce the designs off him and get input. He was cognizant of having the designs as unique as possible, despite some of the school colors being similar for his teammates.
Before a practice in October, Geekie delivered the gloves to the locker room stalls of his teammates. It went over well.
“Baseball is not that big in Sweden, but it’s obviously cool to have,” center Elias Lindholm told the Bruins website, having received a glove with a Swedish flag on it. “Hopefully, when my kids get a little bit older, we can play a little game or something. For now, it is just going to be at home, resting.”
0:17
Morgan Geekie nets goal for Bruins
Morgan Geekie nets goal for Bruins
While the gloves were a chance to celebrate with his teammates, there weren’t many celebrations anticipated for Boston this season. The Bruins were trading players away at last season’s trade deadline, sending mainstays like captain Brad Marchand (Florida), center Charlie Coyle (Colorado) and defenseman Brandon Carlo (Toronto) elsewhere. They had an incoming first-year coach in Marco Sturm. At best, it was supposed to be a transition year for the Bruins.
But through 34 games, Boston is second in the Atlantic Division with a 20-14-0 record, within a point of division-leading Detroit in the crowded Eastern Conference.
Many around the NHL were surprised. Geekie wasn’t.
“We underperformed. Last season was like the perfect storm of bad events with our kind of discombobulated training camp and then having a coaching change and just kind of everything that could have went wrong went wrong,” Geekie said. “The core group we have is just too good to be written off. But I understand why people had doubts about us.”
But defying doubts is what Morgan Geekie’s all about, whether it’s his team’s predicted finish in the standings or his own predicted regression as a scorer.
“He has everything to score 50 in this league,” Pastrnak said. “He has a heck of a shot. He has the goal-scoring instincts. He is going to get it one day.”
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