List of Major League Baseball player-managers


is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Founded in 1869, it is composed of 30 teams. Each team in the league has a manager, who is responsible for team strategy and leadership on and off the field. Assisted by various coaches, the manager sets the line-up and starting pitcher before each game, and makes substitutions throughout the game. In early baseball history, it was not uncommon for players to serve as player-managers; that is, they managed the team while still being signed to play for the club. In the history of MLB, there have been 221 player–managers, 59 of whom are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The dual role of player–manager was formerly a common practice, dating back to John Clapp, who performed the task for the Middletown Mansfields in 1872. One reason for this is that by hiring a player as a manager, the team could save money by paying only one salary. Also, popular players were named player–managers in an effort to boost game attendance. Babe Ruth left the New York Yankees when they refused to allow him to become player–manager. Five of the eight National League managers in 1934 were also players. Connie Mack, John McGraw, and Joe Torre, among the all-time leaders in managerial wins, made their managerial debuts as player–managers. At least one man served as a player-manager in every major league season from Clapp's debut through 1955.
Today, player–managers have become rare in baseball. Pete Rose is the most recent player–manager, serving from 1984 through 1986 with the Cincinnati Reds. Whereas some player–managers, such as Lou Boudreau, were full-time players as player–managers, by the time Rose became player–manager, he was a part-time player. Rose was trying to prolong his career to break the all-time hit record set by Ty Cobb, and Reds owner Marge Schott used this as a marketing ploy. Rose removed himself from the 40-man roster after the 1986 season to make room for Pat Pacillo, unofficially retiring as a player, but remained as the Reds manager until he was banned from baseball following the release of the Dowd Report in 1989.
One criticism of the practice holds that the manager has enough to be preoccupied with during a game without playing. With specialized bullpens, extensive scouting reports, and increased media scrutiny, the job of a manager has become more complex. A player–manager needs to decide how much playing time to give himself. Don Kessinger, player–manager of the Chicago White Sox in 1979, believes he did not play himself enough. Additionally, Bill Terry felt he became isolated from his team when he became a player–manager.
However, teams continue to consider hiring player–managers. The Toronto Blue Jays considered hiring Paul Molitor as a player–manager in 1997. When approached with the idea in 2000, Barry Larkin reported that he found it "interesting", though general manager Jim Bowden rejected the idea. In the 2011–12 offseason, the White Sox considered hiring incumbent first baseman Paul Konerko to serve as manager. White Sox GM Kenny Williams said that he believes MLB will again have a player–manager.

List

Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
YearSeason as a player–manager
PositionPrimary position while a player–manager

Player–managerTeamYearPosition
Philadelphia White Stockings
Cincinnati Reds
1875
1877
Outfielder
Philadelphia Phillies
Cincinnati Reds
1890
1900
Shortstop
Philadelphia Athletics
Chicago Cubs
1875
1876–1897
First baseman
St. Louis Browns1913, 1918, 1923Third baseman
Boston Braves1924–1927Shortstop
Kansas City Cowboys1888Second baseman
Baltimore Orioles1883, 1886Catcher
Boston Red Sox1917Second baseman
Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies
Pittsburgh Alleghenies
1883–1884
1884
Third baseman
Kansas City Athletics1961Outfielder
Cleveland Naps1912–1914Outfielder
Chicago White Sox1929Pitcher
Buffalo Blues1915Catcher
Worcester Ruby Legs1882Outfielder
St. Louis Browns1937First baseman
Cleveland Indians
Boston Red Sox
1942–1950
1952
Shortstop
Boston Doves1909Catcher
Cleveland Naps
Brooklyn Tip-Tops
1905
1914
Third baseman
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
1909–1912
1915
Catcher
St. Louis Terriers1914Pitcher
Washington Senators1897–1898Outfielder
Philadelphia Athletics1890Pitcher
Boston Beaneaters1883Second baseman
St. Louis Cardinals1905Third baseman
Pittsburgh Pirates1892Third baseman
Washington Senators1923Shortstop
Chicago White Sox1903–1904, 1912–1913Pitcher
St. Louis Browns1890Outfielder
Boston Red Sox1913–1916Catcher
St. Louis Browns1892Outfielder
Chicago Cubs1951–1953First baseman
Chicago Cubs
New York Yankees
1905–1912
1913–1914
First baseman
Philadelphia Phillies1945–1946Outfielder
Louisville Grays1876Outfielder
New York Highlanders1910–1911First baseman
Middletown Mansfields
Indianapolis Blues
Buffalo Bisons
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Blues
New York Gothams
1872
1878
1879
1880
1881
1883
Catcher
Louisville Colonels
Pittsburgh Pirates
1897–1899
1900–1911, 1913–1915
Outfielder
Philadelphia Phillies1890Catcher
Detroit Tigers1921–1926Outfielder
Detroit Tigers1934–1937Catcher
Chicago White Sox1924–1926Second baseman
Boston Americans1901–1906Third baseman
St. Louis Browns
Chicago Pirates
Cincinnati Reds
1883–1889, 1891
1890
1892–1894
First baseman
St. Louis Browns1896First baseman
Buffalo Bisons
Cincinnati Outlaw Reds
1880
1884
Second baseman
Philadelphia Phillies1919–1920Outfielder
Pittsburgh Alleghenys1884Second baseman
Washington Senators
Boston Red Sox
1933–1934
1935–1947
Shortstop
St. Louis Browns1892Second baseman
Cleveland Spiders1899Third baseman
St. Louis Browns1882Outfielder
Brooklyn Superbas1910–1911Shortstop
New York Giants1895, 1900–1901Shortstop
Cleveland Naps1912First baseman
New York Yankees1946Catcher
New York Yankees1915–1916Pitcher
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Washington Senators
Brooklyn Superbas
1897, 1899
1901–1903
1904
1906–1907
Outfielder
Philadelphia Phillies1910–1914Catcher
Syracuse Stars
Providence Grays
Worcester Ruby Legs
1879
1880
1881
Outfielder
St. Louis Browns1896–1897Outfielder
New York Giants
Washington Senators
1895
1898
First baseman
Milwaukee Brewers
Philadelphia Phillies
1901
1904–1906
Outfielder
Cleveland Blues
St. Louis Maroons
Pittsburgh Alleghenys
1882
1884–1885
1889
Second baseman
Brooklyn Dodgers1939–1941, 1943, 1945Shortstop
Chicago White Sox1934–1939Third baseman
New York Highlanders1908Shortstop
Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies1884Shortstop
Louisville Colonels1889Third baseman
Chicago Cubs1913Second baseman
New York Giants
Cincinnati Reds
1890
1895–1897
Catcher
Providence Grays1881Second baseman
Hartford Dark Blues
Chicago White Stockings
Troy Trojans
Philadelphia Quakers
Pittsburgh Alleghenys
New York Metropolitans
1876–1877
1878
1879–1882
1883
1884
1886–1887
Second baseman
Chicago White Stockings1879Catcher
Philadelphia Athletics1890Outfielder
Chicago White Sox1932–1933First baseman
Brooklyn Grooms1893–1896Outfielder
St. Louis Cardinals1933–1937Second baseman
Pittsburgh Alleghenys1885Pitcher
Cincinnati Reds1908First baseman
Louisville Eclipse
St. Louis Browns
1883
1890
Second baseman
Indianapolis Hoosiers
St. Louis Browns
1889
1892
Shortstop
St. Louis Cardinals1892Outfielder
Cincinnati Reds1876First baseman
Brooklyn Bridegrooms1898Outfielder
Washington Statesmen1891Outfielder
Chicago White Stockings
New York Highlanders
Cincinnati Reds
Washington Senators
1901–1902
1903–1907
1909
1912–1914
Pitcher
Chicago Cubs1932–1936First baseman
Cincinnati Reds1918Third baseman
St. Louis Browns1897Second baseman
Pittsburgh Alleghenys
Pittsburgh Burghers
Pittsburgh Pirates
Baltimore Orioles
1889
1890
1891
1892
Outfielder
Washington Senators
Detroit Tigers
1924–1928
1929, 1931
Second baseman
Chicago Cubs1938–1940Catcher
Pittsburgh Alleghenys1890First baseman
St. Louis Cardinals1959Second baseman
Pittsburgh Pirates1947Second baseman
Cincinnati Reds1914–1916Shortstop
Syracuse Stars1879Catcher
Boston Braves1951Outfielder
St. Louis Cardinals
New York Giants
Boston Braves
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis Browns
1925–1926
1927
1928
1930–1932
1933–1937
Second baseman
St. Louis Cardinals1913–1916Second baseman
Detroit Tigers1952–1953Pitcher
Washington Nationals
Boston Reds
Philadelphia Phillies
1889
1891
1894
Shortstop
Detroit Tigers1907, 1909, 1912, 1918First baseman
Chicago White Sox
St. Louis Terriers
1904–1908
1914–1915
Outfielder
Philadelphia Athletics1954Shortstop
New York Giants1896–1898Third baseman
Cincinnati Reds
Boston Doves
1902–1905
1908
Outfielder
Boston Beaneaters
Boston Reds
Cincinnati Kelly's Killers
1887
1890
1891
Outfielder
Louisville Colonels
St. Louis Browns
1888
1890
First baseman
Chicago White Sox1979Shortstop
Chicago Cubs1921Catcher
Washington Senators1904Catcher
Boston Braves1912Catcher
Baltimore Terrapins1914–1915Second baseman
Philadelphia Athletics1883–1884Outfielder
Cleveland Naps1905–1909Second baseman
Boston Doves1910Catcher
Cleveland Infants1890First baseman
St. Louis Browns1896Third baseman
New Haven Elm Citys
Philadelphia Athletics
1875
1882
First baseman
Buffalo Blues1915Third baseman
Detroit Tigers1904Second baseman
Brooklyn Superbas1909Outfielder
Chicago White Sox1946Pitcher
Pittsburgh Pirates1894–1896Catcher
Louisville Eclipse1882Shortstop
Syracuse Stars1879Shortstop
Brooklyn Tip-Tops1915Second Baseman
Philadelphia White Stockings
Chicago White Stockings
Philadelphia Keystones
1873
1874
1884
Outfielder
Cincinnati Reds1877Shortstop
Chicago Cubs1925Shortstop
St. Louis Browns1952–1953Shortstop
Cincinnati Reds1916Pitcher
Cleveland Blues
St. Louis Browns
1901
1901–1902
Outfielder
St. Louis Browns1890Outfielder
Cleveland Blues1879–1880, 1882Pitcher
Philadelphia White Stockings
Providence Grays
Cleveland Blues
1875
1880
1881
Second baseman
Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
New York Giants
1899
1901–1902
1902–1906
Third baseman
Washington Senators
Boston Americans/Red Sox
Cleveland Naps
1898
1907–1908
1910
Catcher
Philadelphia Phillies1927First baseman
Newark Peppers1915Third baseman
St. Louis Maroons1885First baseman
Boston Red Sox1932–1933Third baseman
Cincinnati Reds1878–1879Third baseman
Washington Senators1922Outfielder
Boston Red Caps/Beaneaters
Washington Nationals
1882, 1883–1886, 1887–1888
1889
First baseman
Toledo Blue Stockings
Detroit Wolverines
1884
1885
Outfielder
Boston Reds1884First baseman
Baltimore Orioles1882Shortstop
Philadelphia Phillies1896Third baseman
St. Louis Cardinals1904–1905Pitcher
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
1927
1934
Catcher
Cincinnati Outlaw Reds1884Outfielder
Buffalo Bisons
Washington Senators
1881–1884
1893
Outfielder
Pittsburgh Rebels1914–1915Outfielder
New York Metropolitans1887First baseman
New York Giants1942–1947Outfielder
New York Yankees1914Shortstop
Louisville Colonels1892Second baseman
Hartford Dark Blues
Cincinnati Reds
1874
1877
Outfielder
Kansas City Cowboys1884Outfielder
Philadelphia Quakers1883Outfielder
Cleveland Spiders
St. Louis Browns
1895
1899
Second baseman
Washington Senators1892Shortstop
St. Louis Browns1914Catcher
Cleveland Indians1975–1976Outfielder
Baltimore Orioles1902Catcher
Louisville Colonels1897First baseman
Cincinnati Reds1984–1986First baseman
St. Louis Browns1890Outfielder
Kansas City Cowboys
Kansas City Cowboys
1885
1888
Outfielder
Buffalo Bisons1890Shortstop
Chicago White Sox1927–1928Catcher
Buffalo Buffeds1914Second baseman
St. Louis Browns1942Catcher
Louisville Colonels
Washington Statesmen
1889
1891
Second baseman
St. Louis Browns1924–1926First baseman
Boston Doves1909Catcher
New York Giants1902Second baseman
Cincinnati Reds
Washington Statesmen
1882–1884
1891
Catcher
St. Louis Cardinals1929Outfielder
Chicago White Stockings1876–1877Pitcher
Cleveland Indians1919–1926Outfielder
Boston Americans1906Outfielder
Washington Senators
Boston Red Sox
1905–1906
1912–1913
First baseman
Philadelphia Phillies1897–1898Catcher
St. Louis Cardinals1952–1953Second baseman
Cleveland Naps
St. Louis Browns
Kansas City Packers
1911
1912–1913
1914–1915
First baseman
Worcester Ruby Legs
Philadelphia Athletics
1881
1885
Outfielder
St. Louis Cardinals1931Catcher
St. Louis Browns1892Second baseman
Chicago White Sox1909Catcher
Kansas City Cowboys1884Outfielder
Chicago Cubs1962Catcher
Cleveland Infants
Cleveland Spiders
St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals
1890
1891–1898
1900
First baseman
Boston Doves/Rustlers
Boston Rustlers
1905–1907
1911
First baseman
New York Giants1932–1936First baseman
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
1913
1916
Shortstop
New York Mets1977First baseman
Pittsburgh Pirates1934–1937Third baseman
Boston Red Sox1907First baseman
Baltimore Orioles1892Pitcher
Pittsburgh Pirates1917Shortstop
St. Louis Cardinals1955Outfielder
St. Louis Browns1911–1912Shortstop
Cincinnati Reds1948Pitcher
Providence Grays
New York Gothams/Giants
Brooklyn Ward's Wonders
Brooklyn Grooms
1880
1884, 1893–1894
1890
1891–1892
Pitcher
Indianapolis Hoosiers1884Third baseman
Kansas City Cowboys1884Outfielder
Cincinnati Reds1879Catcher
Cincinnati Red Stockings1884Pitcher
Philadelphia Phillies1921Pitcher
Philadelphia Phillies1934–1938Catcher
Cincinnati Reds1916Catcher
Louisville Colonels1889Outfielder
New York Highlanders1912Third baseman
Philadelphia Athletics1891Outfielder
Providence Grays1879Shortstop
Boston Red Stockings / Red Caps1876–1877Outfielder
Providence Grays1878
1881
Outfielder
Boston Red Sox1907Pitcher
Philadelphia Phillies1903Catcher