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Yankees History: The five worst Yankee managers of all time

By Sheldon Kamieniecki

Yankee Stadium, standing alone (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Yankee Stadium, standing alone (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – 1904. The 1904 New York Highlanders Baseball Team appears in portraits in a collage in the 1905 Spalding Guide. Clark Griffith is in the top row, far left, Willie Keeler in the top row, second from left, and Jack Chesbro is the third row from the top, second from the right. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)
NEW YORK – 1904. The 1904 New York Highlanders Baseball Team appears in portraits in a collage in the 1905 Spalding Guide. Clark Griffith is in the top row, far left, Willie Keeler in the top row, second from left, and Jack Chesbro is the third row from the top, second from the right. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /

2. Harry Wolverton

Harry Sterling Wolverton played in MLB between 1898 and 1905 for multiple teams, and in 1912 as a player-manager for the New York Highlanders, the precursor to the New York Yankees. During the early years of MLB, it was not unusual for individuals to be a player and a manager at the same time.

“Fighting Harry” replaced Hal Chase as player-manager and led the Highlanders to a last-place finish and a dismal 50-102 record (a .329 winning percentage). (He sometimes inserted himself in games as a pinch hitter, and he batted .300 during the season.)

He often fought with club owners over the low salaries his players received, which created a lot of tension on the team. He was let go by owner Frank Farrell after the conclusion of the 1912 season because of his behavior and poor performance as the Highlander’s skipper. Subsequent managerial stints led to similar outcomes.

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