"The reason can be as vague as a sense that a team isn't motivated, or as obvious as a superstar's rebellion.

The decision to change a coach or manager during the season might be made early — the Detroit Tigers were 0-6 when they fired Phil Garner and replaced him with Luis Pujols in 2002 — or late, as when the New York Rangers dismissed Michel Bergeron with two games left in the 1988-89 season.

The switch made no difference in either case: The Tigers were 55-100 the rest of the way and the Rangers lost those two games and were swept out of the playoffs, leading to the dismissal of General Manager Phil Esposito."