The hierarchy of coaches

[Mex17]

I don't know the answer to this question, maybe someone else does.

If you are, say, the third base coach for one team, and another team wants to bring you aboard as the bench coach, is that considered a promotion (with more money involved), or just a lateral move with different responsibilities?

The obvious specific reason why I am asking this is because I am wondering if they are thinking about making Acta the bench coach for Long, but I would like to know nonetheless for general purposes.

[Benjamin Grimm]

In recent years, the Bench Coach seems to be the one occupying the "heartbeat seat" but that's not really official, of course.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

My guess is if they hire a 1st-timer to be manager they would also hire an experienced manager to be his benchie, but use the manager's input as to who that guy would be. Coaches typically have other responsibilities than their game duties too (3rd base coach/infielder coach) or whatever so it would depend on the particular makeup of the staff.

OTOH, hiring a manager and the guy or guys he beat out for the job to be his assistants doesn't always work out. Lee Mazzilli had that problem in Baltimore.

[Frayed Knot]

Teams also aren't [u:3kor9xf3]required[/u:3kor9xf3] to make their guys who are under contract available to other orgs looking to hire although it's common practice to do so if there's a promotion involved and I'd say
that in general, yes, a bench coach would be considered at least a half a step up from 3rd base coach.
How this affects their thoughts on Acta specifically (or vice versa) I have no idea.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Mex17 wrote: I am wondering if they are thinking about making Acta the bench coach for Long

I was under the impression that a pro manager or head coach would get to chose
his own right hand man and it's not decided for him going in.

[Edgy MD]

Keith and I agree that the most important coach is the pitching coach, but that doesn't typically mean he's first in the line up succession.

I would say the dugout heirarchy more-or-less goes something like: MANAGER --> BENCH COACH --> THIRD BASE COACH --> PITCHING COACH --> BATTING COACH --> FIRST BASE COACH --> BULLPEN COACH.

There's been a lot of suggestions that teams, after first appointing a new manager and then his new brain trust, look around and realize they haven't chosen any coaches of color, and use the first base coach or bullpen coach as token minority positions.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

The 25th amendment should have included the managerial line of succession. Our government failed us again.