Newsletter

Trainer (Baseball) – Wikipedia

In baseball, carry multiple Trainer contributes to the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who sets the starting lineup and batting order, decides on player substitutions during the game, and makes strategic decisions. In addition to the manager, more than half a dozen coaches can assist the manager in managing the team. Basically, baseball coaches are like assistant coaches in other sports, like baseball managers are like head coaches.

The manager Connie Mack in his suit instead of a team uniform

The uniqueness of baseball is that managers and coaches typically wear numbered uniforms similar to those of the players, as managers were formerly often chosen from the player roster. The wearing of uniforms was maintained even as the practice of playing managers and coaches waned. Notable exceptions were Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Connie Mack, who consistently wore a black suit during his 50-year tenure as manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, and Burt Shotton, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers in the late 1940s, who dugout one Dodger 200 cap and a team jacket over street clothes.[1] That was a requirement for accepting the Dodgers’ bid, since Shotton was adamantly opposed to a uniform.[2] After the widespread adoption of numbered uniforms in the early 1930s, another Hall of Famer executive, Joe McCarthy, wore a full uniform but no number on his back for the remainder of his career.[3]

Full-time professional baseball coaching has existed since 1909, when John McGraw of the New York Giants hired Arlie Latham and later Wilbert Robinson as his coach.[4][5] In the 1920s, most major league teams had two full-time coaches stationed in foul territory near first and third base when their team was batting, although the manager often doubled as third base coach as well. Specialists such as pitching coaches were rare. After World War II, most major league teams had between three and five coaches on their rosters, as managers increasingly ran their teams full-time from the dugout, appointing pitching and bullpen coaches to support them and the baseline coaches. In the 1960s and onwards, more and more teams appointed their own batting and bench coaches. Due to the proliferation of uniformed coaches in the modern game, by the late 2000s, Major League Baseball had limited the number of uniformed staff to six coaches and one manager.[6] Since the 2013 season, teams have been permitted to employ a seventh uniformed coach, known as an assistant hitting coach, at their discretion.[7]

Bench Coach[Bearbeiten | Quelltext bearbeiten]

Baseball’s first bench coach was George Huff, who joined the Illinois Fighting Illinois in 1905. Back then, this meant that the coach was present throughout the season.[8][9]

More recently, the bench coach is the team’s second-in-command. The Bench Coach serves as an in-game advisor to the manager, providing situational advice and sharing ideas to help the manager make strategic decisions.[10][8] If the manager is thrown out of the game, is suspended, or is unable to attend the game for any reason, the bench coach takes over as assistant manager. If the manager is fired or resigns mid-season, the bench coach is usually appointed interim manager. The tasks of the bench coach also include the preparation of the training and the stretching exercises before a game as well as the coordination of the spring training.[11][9]

Pitching Coach[Bearbeiten | Quelltext bearbeiten]

A pitching coach supervises and trains the pitchers of a team. He advises the manager on the condition of the pitchers and serves as a coach for the pitcher who is currently on the mound. When a manager visits the mound, they typically do so to make a pitching change or to discuss situational defense. However, when it comes to discussing playing technique or how to pitch at a particular batsman, it is usually the pitching coach who seeks out the mound. The pitching coach is usually a former pitcher. One exception is Dave Duncan, the former St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach who used to be a catcher. Prior to the early 1950s, pitching coaches were typically former catchers.[12][13]

Bullpen Coach[Bearbeiten | Quelltext bearbeiten]

The Bullpen Coach is similar to the Pitching Coach but works primarily with the relief pitchers in the bullpen. He makes no visits to the mound, instead remaining in the bullpen throughout the game working with the relievers warming up for the game. Typically, the bullpen coach is either a former pitcher or catcher.[14][15]

Hitting Coach[Bearbeiten | Quelltext bearbeiten]

A hitting coach, as the name suggests, works with the players on a team to improve their hitting technique and form. He monitors players’ swings throughout the game and throughout the season, advising them between shots to make adjustments when necessary. He also monitors players’ performance in practice, in the cage and in pre-game batting practice. With the advent of technology, hitting coaches are increasingly using video to analyze their hitters and scout opposing pitchers. With the help of videos, hitting coaches can clearly identify problem areas in the swing and thus shorten the adjustment phase for the analyzed player. This process is usually referred to as video analysis.[16][17]

Base Coach[Bearbeiten | Quelltext bearbeiten]

Matt Williams (left) serves as third base coach during a 2011 spring training game

Two coaches are present on the field when the team bats. They are stationed in designated coaching boxes in foul territory near first and third base and are appropriately referred to as base coaches – individually as first base coach and third base coach. They help guide the baserunners, prevent pickoffs, and relay the manager’s signals to the runners and batsmen in the dugout. While the first base coach is primarily responsible for the batter whether or not he stops at first base, or for a runner who is already on first base, the third base coach has more responsibility. His responsibilities include holding or sending runners at second and third base and making critical split-second decisions about whether a runner should score on a hit, a sacrifice fly, or an error. He must also consider the opposing fielder’s throwing power and the baserunner’s speed and position.[18][19][20]

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending