Sitting Soler and Baez provided them with the fire they needed to become postseason stars. Same with Schwarber..

Bad managers tell players what to do that fits their way of thinking. They don't explain why, they just demand results. These managers can be successful with veteran players who also bark orders and lead by production only. Example (Sammy Sosa, Zambrano). They become bad managers when they fail to adjust to their players and expect the players to adjust to them without explaning why or how. Example (Dusty Baker)

Good managers explain why, but expects the players to adjust to them instead of adjusting to the players. These type of managers lose the club house after the players lose faith in the managers single way of thinking. Example (Lou Pinella)

Great managers get the players to believe they are all involved in reaching one goal. To win the World Series. They get them to play as a team and not individuals. A great manager adjust to his players and puts them in the best position to succeed. Even if it means a demotion for some of them. Example (Castro, Wood, Richards, Cahill.) The players feel a greater sense of pride for the team when the team is successful because of their "sacrifices." Respect is earned and not expected on these type of teams. The team becomes a brotherhood of players and this all starts at the top from the President (Epstein) all the way down to the pitching coach (Bosio). Great manager Example (Joe Maddon)

Any manger can get lucky and win any given year with players that match his managing style, but only the great ones create something special.

Sitting Soler and Baez provided them with the fire they needed to become postseason stars. Same with Schwarber.

Stick to Clash of Clans. This is just stupid talk. He played the hot hand in Soler and was forced to play Baez because of an injury.

How are they not postseason stars? Schwarber and Soler could go hitless for the rest of the team's duration of the playoffs and they would have both had excellent playoffs with huge game deciding blows.

If the player bunted the ball harder and led to a double-play, was it still a good managerial decision?

Ifs are irrelevant. Maddon coached the if out of it. Cubs spent a lot of time in the last several weeks of the season practicing this play. To quote parenthood.... what if he dropped it... but he didnt... what if he did... honey you hit him a thousand popups in the yard...

Good management had them prepared to execute that play and good management called the play.

I just hope the manager continues to not really matter.

Seriously, I wonder how many guys here know that Bill Veeck actually let the fans manage some games with giant cards. That's how important that particular baseball genius thought it was.