Good Management

Joe Torre managed the 1982 Atlanta Braves to a Division Championship. He later had some small degree of success with the New York Yankees: four World Series Championships, six American League pennants, ten Division Championships and two Wild Card playoff entries. Plus this year's Dodgers' NL West Championship.
Terry Francona has led the Boston Red Sox into the postseason in four of his five seasons at the helm. He won the 2004 and 2007 World Series.
Lou Piniella has won an American League Wild Card, six Division Championships and the 1990 World Series.
Ozzie Guillen has won two Division Championships and the 2005 World Series.
Mike Scioscia has won an American League Wild Card, four Division Championships and the 2002 World Series.
Joe Maddon is a baseball lifer who served for several years as Mike Scioscia's bench coach.
Charlie Manuel is a baseball lifer who has won four Division Championships.
Dale Sveum has all of twelve major league games managed under his belt. He did, however, serve as Terry Francona's third base coach for several years. (He replaced Ned Yost, who managed the Brewers through the first 150 games of this season. Yost worked for Bobby Cox for the better part of a decade.)
Torre played for Birdie Tebbets, Chuck Dressen and Red Schoendienst. Terry Francona played for Dick Williams, Pete Rose and Bill Virdon. Piniella played for Billy Martin, Bob Lemon, Jack McKeon, Virdon, Dick Howser and Yogi Berra. Scioscia played for Tommy Lasorda. Ozzie Guillen played for Tony LaRussa, Jim Fregosi and Bobby Cox. Charlie Manuel played for Billy Martin, Bill Rigney and Walter Alston. Dale Sveum played for Fregosi, LaRussa, Piniella, Jim Leyland and Joe Torre. In their playing careers, these managers performed under a Who's Who of baseball managers. (Joe Maddon never played in the Major Leagues.)
These are the eight managers left standing for baseball's postseason. These guys are good. Good managers make good teams great.
Success and/or a good pedigree matters.