I’d like to poll the readers (all five or you) about something I’ve thought about for years. It has to do with baseball.
Baseball is the only sport in which the manager and coaches of the team wear the same uniform as the players. With the exception of Connie Mack and Burt Shotton way back when, this hasn’t changed at all, and probably won’t. One reason may be that baseball could be the only sport where the manager and coaches are allowed onto the field of play.
Typically the managers and coaches are much older than the players, and certainly not in the same physical condition. Sometimes they are in the 60-70 age group, overweight and gimping around from an old injury. Sometimes they are in their 50-60 age group, overweight and gimping around from an old injury. You get the picture.
This practice has roots in baseball going back to the 19th century, when a player/coach could insert himself into the lineup whenever he wanted, and didn’t have to change clothes in the middle of the game. He started the game as manager, ready to play whenever he thought he could do a better job than any of the players on the field. The last player/manager I can remember was Pete Rose at the end of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, 1984-86.
I shouldn’t complain too much about this, as I am so used to it that it really doesn’t bother me when I’m watching a game. It’s still a strange practice, and I just laugh and imagine what other sports would look like if coaches wore the same clothing as the players. Imagine a swim coach, way past his/her swimming prime, wearing a racing suit; a football coach in pads and a helmet; or a gangly, 6′7″, overweight basketball coach in shorts and a tanktop.
gilmark
