Best player-manager?

[Victory Faust]

Sorry, I don't know how to set up a poll. But I was wondering: Who do you fellas think was the best player-manager ever?

I'm not talking about the best player who happened to also manage while he was playing (which, for my money would be Ty Cobb). But, who did the best job at both playing and managing.

Guys that come immediately to mind are: Frank Chance, Tris Speaker, Frankie Frisch, and Lou Boudreau.

Who's your candidate?

[Barnstormer]

One of the most popular as well as best would have been Nap Lajoie.

And Cap Anson - was player/manager for like 20 years, I imagine nobody has come close as far as wearing two hats for so long.

[Brian McKenna]

charles comiskey
clark griffith
speaker won a world series
hughie jennings
john mcgraw
frank chance
jimmy collins
bill terry
george wright (won pennant only year as manager)

successful
boudreau
cronin
cochrane
berra
clarke
durocher
stengel
frisch
al lopez
martin
w. robby
piniella
schoendienst
torre

[Tigerfan1974]

charles comiskey
clark griffith
speaker won a world series
hughie jennings
john mcgraw
frank chance
jimmy collins
bill terry
george wright (won pennant only year as manager)

successful
boudreau
cronin
cochrane
berra
clarke
durocher
stengel
frisch
al lopez
martin
w. robby
piniella
schoendienst
torre

Some of these guys were palyers, THEN managers, but not at the same time as the questions asks.
I don't recall Yogi, Torre, Piniella, Martin and others playing when they were managing.
(Funny how I mentioned all Yankee Managers and I HATE the Yanks.)

[KCGHOST]

A poll with 21 choices seems a bit much.

[Imapotato]

and set up the premise

Who did best at the same time?

Nap Lajoie although great, sacrificed his stats to manage, scout and sign players as Manager

As did Chance, Clarke et al.

McGraw was shady in his player manager days...he screwed Baltimore took 3/4ths of their roster to the Reds and Giants, then stopped playing because he couldn't do it all succesfully (and he was right)


Boudreau had the best stats but didn't have 75% of the responsibilty the deadball guys did


I guess I will go with Fred Clarke, very good managerial, scouting and signings + wins and a very good career on the field

[Redondos]

Some of these guys were palyers, THEN managers, but not at the same time as the questions asks.
I don't recall Yogi, Torre, Piniella, Martin and others playing when they were managing.
(Funny how I mentioned all Yankee Managers and I HATE the Yanks.)

Joe Torre was a player/manager for the Mets in 1977, but very briefly. He was appointed the team's manager on May 31 that year and inserted himself into a couple of games as a pinch-hitter. Shortly afterwards, he was deactivated from the 25 man roster.

Yogi Berra was never active as a player during his managerial stints. However, he was briefly a player-coach for the Mets during the 1965 season, appearing in 4 games.

[Brian McKenna]

Some of these guys were palyers, THEN managers, but not at the same time as the questions asks.
I don't recall Yogi, Torre, Piniella, Martin and others playing when they were managing.
(Funny how I mentioned all Yankee Managers and I HATE the Yanks.)

reread the question

[Redondos]

Surprised that no one has at least mentioned Dusty Baker in this discussion.