In
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
, who determines the
starting lineup
In sports, a starting lineup is an official list of the set of players who will participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as ''starters'', whereas the others are ''substitutes'' o ...
and
batting order, decides how to
substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisions. Beyond the manager, more than a half dozen coaches may assist the manager in running the team. Essentially, baseball coaches are analogous to assistant coaches in other sports, as the baseball manager is to the head coach.
Roles of professional baseball coaches
Baseball is unique in that the manager and coaches typically all wear numbered uniforms similar to those of the players, due to the early practice of managers frequently being
selected from the player roster. The wearing of uniforms continued even after the practice of playing managers and coaches waned; notable exceptions to this were
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
manager
Connie Mack
Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...
, who always wore a black suit during his 50 years at the helm of the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
, and
Burt Shotton
Burton Edwin Shotton (October 18, 1884 – July 29, 1962) was an American player, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball. As manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947; 1948–50), he won two National League pennants and served as Jackie Rob ...
, manager of the
Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
in the late 1940s, who wore a Dodger 200 cap and a team jacket over street clothes in the dugout. After the widespread adoption of numbered uniforms in the early 1930s,
Joe McCarthy
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most vis ...
, another Hall of Fame manager, wore a full uniform but no number on his back for the remainder of his career (with the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, then the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
). Coincidentally, all three men retired during or after the same season—.
Full-time coaches in
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
date to , when
John McGraw
John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. He was also the third baseman of the pennant-winning 1890 ...
of the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
engaged
Arlie Latham
Walter Arlington Latham (March 15, 1860 – November 29, 1952) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from through for the Buffalo Bisons, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Senators and ...
and
Wilbert Robinson
Wilbert Robinson (June 29, 1864 – August 8, 1934), nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinal ...
as coaches.
[Thorne, John, and Palmer, Pete, eds., ''Total Baseball''. New York: Warner Books, 1989, page 2,153] By the 1920s, most
major league teams had two full-time coaches stationed in foul territory near first base and third base when their team was batting, although the manager often doubled as third-base coach, and specialists such as pitching coaches were rare. After World War II, most major league teams listed between three and five coaches on their roster, as managers increasingly ran their teams from the dugout full-time, and appointed pitching and bullpen coaches to assist them and the baseline coaches. Batting and bench coaches came into vogue during the 1960s and later.
Because of the proliferation of uniformed coaches in the modern game, by the late 2000s Major League Baseball had restricted the number of uniformed staff to six coaches and one manager during the course of a game. Beginning with the 2013 season, clubs have been permitted to employ a seventh uniformed coach, designated the assistant hitting coach, at their own discretion.
Bench coach
The first bench coach in baseball was
George Huff, who took that helm for the
Illinois Fighting Illini baseball
The Illinois Fighting Illini baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The team competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Div ...
in 1905; at the time, it meant a coach present throughout the season.
More recently, the bench coach is a team's second-in-command. The bench coach serves as an in-game advisor to the manager, offering situational advice, and exchanging ideas in order to assist the manager in making strategy decisions along with relaying scouting information from the front office to the players. If the manager is
ejected
Ejection or Eject may refer to:
* Ejection (sports), the act of officially removing someone from a game
* Eject (''Transformers''), a fictional character from ''The Transformers'' television series
* "Eject" (song), 1993 rap rock single by Sense ...
, suspended, or unable to attend a game for any reason, the bench coach assumes the position of acting manager. If the manager is fired or resigns during the season, it is usually the bench coach who gets promoted to
interim manager
Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change with ...
. The bench coach's responsibilities also include helping to set up the day's practice and stretching routines before a game, as well as coordinating
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
routines and practices.
Pitching and bullpen coaches
A pitching coach mentors and trains teams'
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
s. Pitching coaches can alter a pitchers arm angle, placement on the pitching rubber or pitch selection in order to improve the players performance. He advises the manager on the condition of pitchers and their arms, and serves as an in-game coach for the pitcher currently on the mound. When a manager makes a visit to the
mound
A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher el ...
, he typically is doing so to make a pitching change or to discuss situational defense. A pitching coach also helps a pitcher with their mechanics and pitch selection against a specific batter that may be coming up. However, to talk about
mechanics
Mechanics (from Ancient Greek: μηχανική, ''mēkhanikḗ'', "of machines") is the area of mathematics and physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among physical objects. Forces applied to objects r ...
or how to pitch to a particular batter, the pitching coach is the one who will typically visit the mound. The pitching coach is generally a former pitcher. One exception is
Dave Duncan, the former pitching coach of the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, who was a
catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...
. Prior to the early 1950s, pitching coaches were usually former catchers.
The bullpen coach is similar to a pitching coach, but works primarily with
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
s in the
bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
. He does not make mound visits; rather, he stays in the bullpen the entire game, working with relievers who are warming up to enter the game, while also offering advice on pitching mechanics and pitch selection. Generally, the bullpen coach is either a former pitcher or catcher.
Offensive coaches
Hitting coach
A hitting coach, as the name suggests, works with a team's players to improve their
batting Batting may refer to:
* Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs
* Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...
techniques and form. He monitors players' swings during the game and over the course of the season, advising them when necessary between
at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s on adjustments to make. He also oversees their performance during practices,
cage
A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayin ...
sessions, and pre-game
batting practice
B backdoor breaking ball
:A breaking pitch, usually a slider, curveball, or cut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of the strike zone on the outside edge of the plate after seeming as if it would miss the pla ...
. With the advent of technology, hitting coaches are increasingly utilizing video to analyze their hitters along with scouting the opposing pitchers. Video has allowed hitting coaches to clearly illustrate problem areas in the swing, making the adjustment period quicker for the player being analyzed. This process is typically called video analysis.
Base coaches
Two on-field coaches are present when the team is batting. Stationed in designated
coaches' boxes in foul territory near first and third base, they are appropriately named base coaches—individually, first-base coach and third-base coach. They assist in the direction of
baserunners, help prevent
pickoffs, and relay signals sent from the manager in the dugout to runners and batters. While the first-base coach is primarily responsible for the batter as to whether he stops at first base or not, or for a runner already on first, the third-base coach carries more responsibility. His duties include holding or sending runners rounding second and third bases as well as having to make critical, split-second decisions about whether to try to score a runner on a
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
,
sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d):
"Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
or
error
An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'.
In statistics ...
; additionally, they account for the arm strength of the opposing team's fielder and the speed and position of the baserunner.
Additional coaching responsibilities
The bench coach, third-base coach, and first-base coach often are assigned additional responsibility for assisting players in specific areas, particularly defense. Common designations include outfield instructor, infield instructor, catching instructor, and baserunning instructor. When a coaching staff is assembled, the selection of the first-base coach is frequently made with the purpose of filling a gap in these coaching responsibilities, as the actual in-game duties of a first-base coach are relatively light.
Other coaches
Teams may also employ individuals to work with players in other areas or activities. These positions sometimes include the word "coach" in their titles. Individuals holding these positions usually do not dress in uniform during games, as the number of uniformed coaches is restricted by Major League Baseball rules. The most prominent of these positions are the
athletic trainer
Athletic training is an allied health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA)"What is an Athletic Trainer?". The Board of Certification Website. 2003.
Athletic training is also recognized by the Health Resources Serv ...
and the
strength and conditioning coach. All Major League Baseball teams employ an athletic trainer; most employ a strength and conditioning coach. Other positions include
bullpen catcher
The bullpen catcher is a member of a baseball team's staff, often a former professional player, who catches the ball for relief pitchers warming up before entering a game and starting pitchers before games. A bullpen catcher differentiates from a ...
and
batting practice
B backdoor breaking ball
:A breaking pitch, usually a slider, curveball, or cut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of the strike zone on the outside edge of the plate after seeming as if it would miss the pla ...
pitcher. Some teams also employ additional coaches without specific responsibilities.
Minor and amateur leagues
In general, major league teams will have one person specifically assigned to each coaching position described above. However, minor league and amateur teams typically have coaches fulfill multiple responsibilities. A typical minor league/amateur team coaching structure will have a manager, a pitching coach, and a hitting coach, each of whom also assumes the responsibilities of the first- and third-base coaches, bullpen coach, etc. In
U.S. college baseball, the title "manager" is not used; the person who fills the role of a professional manager is instead called the "head coach".
Youth baseball
Responsibilities of a youth baseball coach include providing a safe environment for everyone. A coach is responsible for inspecting fields and equipment that is used for practice and competition to ensure it is safe. Communication is key when dealing with youth baseball as being positive to other coaching staff, umpires, administrators and others shows that they have a players best interest at heart. Coaches are there not to just work with the stars to get them better but everyone so it is a fair learning experience. Teaching the fundamental skills of baseball is important as a youth coach because in the end baseball is a game, therefore coaches want players to have fun. Having a fun but productive practice environment is important. The rules of baseball are necessary in youth baseball. Many rules such as sliding, the strike zone, and defensive rules are needed.
See also
*
Coach (sports)
A sports coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction and training of a sports team or athlete.
History
The original sense of the word ''coach'' is that of a horse-drawn carriage, deriving ultimately from the Hung ...
References
{{Baseball positions
Baseball occupations
C
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...