Quiz for the gang *** ~

[Archive]

Posted By: BCD

Why is basball the only sport where the manager wears a uniform???

and what are all the names used for a manager?

[Archive]

Posted By: Hal Lewis

My guess is because the managers were also PLAYERS back in the earlier days...

even though Connie Mack always wore a suit and never a uniform, so I wonder if the managers are actually REQUIRED to wear uniforms nowadays???

[Archive]

Posted By: BCD

That is a great point Hal.... but not the answer I was looking for.

[Archive]

Posted By: john/z28jd

I think in other sports the managers(coaches) would look ridiculous in the uniforms plus they are also more visible to the crowd.If you count nascar as a sport then the crew actually wears something very similar to the drivers

[Archive]

Posted By: steve k

I think strictly because of tradition and a good tradition at that. Possibly a MLB rule requiring this? But a manager wearing anything other than a uniform would be like wearing a suit at a "black tie" affair.

I wouldn't be surprised though if there were other sports around the world whereby a manager/coach wears a uniform.

[Archive]

Posted By: dennis

hal's point is, i believe, correct. i do not think a bb manager must wear a uniform but it is a time honored tradition.

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott

If the manager is not in uniform, he can't come on the field. For instance, Connie Mack could never go on the field to talk with his pitchers.

[Archive]

Posted By: BCD

but is inconclusive

[Archive]

Posted By: Robert A

Because managers can also be players at the same time...or did Pete Rose blow that already?

[Archive]

Posted By: Kevin Cummings

I think several of the posts have pretty much answered the question. It's really just tradition, habit and evolution, isn't it?

In the early days of baseball, the "captain" was quite often a playing member of the team who was responsible for the on field decisions. Most teams may have had someone serving as "manager," but their job was to take care of administrative things like travel arrangements and salaries.

After the turn of the century, those guys who had formerly been top players and perhaps captains of their teams, but were on the down side of their playing careers began to be sought after to simply direct the players on the field. Having just finished reading Ed Delahanty and the Emerald Age of Baseball this was one of the key points of emphasis. While Connie Mack was a clear exception to wearing the uniform to perform this function, people like John McGraw and Hughie Jennings were not.

So the 19th century "captain" evolved into the 20th century "manager" and just continued to wear his 19th century work clothes to do his job, no?

[Archive]

Posted By: Judge Dred

Most of the N172 cards that depict managers show them in street clothes.

[Archive]

Posted By: Kevin Cummings

....show them in uniforms!

[Archive]

Posted By: Judge Dred

Regarding N172s:

The Captain card of Ward shows him in his uniform!!! I wish I had that one.

The only manager card I can recall in uniform is Powell of Sioux City.

[Archive]

Posted By: hankron

I forget who it was, but there was an NFL head coach who taped up before each game.

[Archive]

Posted By: rich klein

I'm pretty sure that at some pt after world war II -- the rule was created about managers not being able to wear street clothes.

Kindly Old Burt Shotton and Connie Mack were grandfathered into not having to wear uniforms but when they both retired after the 1950 season, no manager has ever worn street clothes since.

I can't post to the SABR-L discussion board -- because something in my email gets rejected automatically but pershaps sabrjay can post the query and get the actual answer as to when the rule was created

Cheers

Rich

[Archive]

Posted By: BCD

If the manager is not in uniform, he can't come on the field. For instance, Connie Mack could never go on the field to talk with his pitchers.

scott-

The "skipper" in baseball is the only manager "officially" allowed on the fied during the game. In football,they go on the field but in baseball the manager's time on the field is considered part of the game so he must be inuniform as part of the team.

[Archive]

Posted By: J Levine

The answer is correct and you can thank King Kelly for this little piece of rule making...if I recall the story correctly
(which probably is not totally correct), Kelly was a player/manager. On one of his off days (rare for him) he was in street clothes and the rules at the time stated that any player could come into the game by announcing his name to the umpire and who he was replacing. Kelly standing in the dugout saw his pitcher throw a pitch which the batter popped up toward the dugout. Kelly stands up and loudly announces that he is in for the third baseman and makes the catch...the batter was ruled out. The rule change concerning checking in with the umpire during a timeout came soon after and a rule change concerning uniforms also came around that time. I may have this story wrong but I recall reading it somewhere...it is late and my mind wanders...does someone else have the complete version?

-Joshua