“The secret to managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five who are undecided”
“The secret to managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five guys who are undecided” is a quote that is frequently credited to New York Yankees and New York Mets baseball manager Casey Stengel (1890-1975), but this could possibly be incorrect. “Billy Martin, manager of the Texas Rangers: ‘The secret of managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five guys who are undecided’” was cited in print in March 1974. Billy Martin (1928-1989) had played for the New York Yankees under Stengel.
“Casey Stengel once put it this way: ‘Keep the five guys who hate you away from the five who are undecided’” was cited in print in April 1974. Whatever Stengel said was usually printed in columns the next day by several sportswriters, and it’s probably notable that the quotation cannot be found during Stengel’s managerial career.
Wikiquote: Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon “Casey” Stengel (30 July 1890 – 29 September 1975) was an American baseball player and manager from the early 1910s into the 1960s. In the 1950s, sportswriters dubbed him with yet another nickname, “The Old Perfessor”, for his sharp wit and his ability to talk at length on anything baseball-related. He is regarded as one of baseball’s more colourful personalities.
Quotes
The key to good management is keeping the nine guys who hate your guts away from the nine guys who haven’t made up their minds.
. Common Ground News
2 March 1974, Lawrence (KS) Daily Journal-World, Chuck Woodling column, pg. 9, col. 4:
Billy Martin, manager of the Texas Rangers: “The secret of managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five guys who are undecided.”
Google News Archive
3 April 1974, Milwaukee (WI) Sentinel, Lloyd Larson column, pt. 2, pg. 1, col. 1:
Speaking of baseball, what’s the secret of managing successfully? Casey Stengel once put it this way: “Keep the five guys who hate you away from the five who are undecided.”
17 May 1974, Omaha (NE) World-Herald,Wally provost column, pg. 27, col. 1:
Billy Martin’s Secret
SLUMGULLION—Former Linconite Cooper Rollow quotes Billy Martin, manager of the Texas Rangers: “The secret of managing is to keep the four guys who hate you away from the five who are undecided.”
Google Books
Sportswit
By Lee Green
New York, NY: Ballantine Books
1986, ©1984
Pg. 103:
CASEY STENGEL major league manager: “The secret of managing a club is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five who are undecided.”
Sports Illustrated
Originally Posted: June 6, 1988
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST The San Diego Padres’ Larry Bowa is the latest victim of the mania in pro sports for winning at all costs—now
BY STEVE WULF
(...)
Casey Stengel used to say, ‘‘The secret to managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five who are undecided.’’ These days the manager or coach has to keep the five who hate him away from reporters.
The Gospel According to Casey:
Casey Stengel’s Inimitable, Instructional, Historical Baseball Book
By Casey Stengel
Edited by Ira Berkow and Jim Kaplan
New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press
1992
Pg. 33:
The secret of managing is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided.