The Yankees offered to let him manage their minor league affiliate, and he turned them down, considering the offer insulting by all accounts. That's when he went to the Braves under the assumption that he would manage following the season. He was technically supposed to be an assistant coach that year for the Braves, but I don't know that he did any actual coaching that season.
In retrospect, he should have set his pride aside and taken the Yankees offer to manage in the minors. It would have been a good way to cut his teeth in coaching. Nowadays, it's very common for former players to manage in the minors before getting management positions in the majors. But during Ruth's era, the farm system was still a new thing, so I guess that's why he considered it beneath him.
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