Top 10 Coaches:

[Bill Burgess]

We've done many lists, but so far, none on coaches. Anyone have any ideas of your Top 10 coaches?

[RuthMayBond]

We've done many lists, but so far, none on coaches. Anyone have any ideas of your Top 10 coaches?

You're definitely talking coaches, not managers?

[Bill Burgess]

You're definitely talking coaches, not managers?

We already did managers.

[Dodgerfan1]

Without a doubt, two of the best hitting coaches in recent years were both light-hitting catchers! Charlie Lau and Walt Hriniak. Lau was the hitting guru that George Brett praised so highly as having helped him become the great hitter he was, as well as helping other Royals hitters. Hriniak developed the swing that so many major leaguers use today. Frank Thomas has lavished praise on him for making him a complete hitter. I see it all the time now. A right-handed hitter will keep his head low as he makes contact with the ball and releases his left hand as the bat swings out wide behind his body.

[parlo]

Rube Walker was very instrumental in the development of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Nolan Ryan. At one time or another, I have heard or read all of them credit Walker with his "pitching with your legs" approach. This may have not been revolutionary, but I think it deserves mention.

[Dalkowski110]

What about Paul Richards, who so successfully coached a ton of early 1960's Orioles pitchers?

[yanks0714]

The Cro, Frankie Crosetti, long time Yankee player and later coach of the team. Tutored many of the Yankee stars through the years.

[Brian McKenna]

What about the young player/managers who were put in that knew nothing about pitching? Guys like Bill McKechnie (for Boudreau) had to pull up the slack and were in essense co-managers.

BTW who was Cronin's pitching coaches - he sure needed them?

[Dodgerfan1]

The Cro, Frankie Crosetti, long time Yankee player and later coach of the team. Tutored many of the Yankee stars through the years.

The Cro had a prominent role as a coach in Jim Bouton's 'Ball Four'. Funny stuff!

[Bill Burgess]

I will chime in with my 2 cents at some point, but I first wanted to give others the chance to get some commentary down.

[1905 Giants]

Johnny Sain as a pitching coach.

[stejay]

Don Zimmer, Willie Randolph, Mel Stottlemyre, Bill Dickey, Elston Howard were all good, from a Yankees point of view.

[Dodgerfan1]

Certainly one of the most flamboyant, and thus most famous, was Hughie "Ee-yah" Jennings. He was manager/third base coach for Detroit for years and was known for his eccentric behavior in the coach's box at third base. Extremely animated, he would shout his famous "EE-YAH!!" and do a 'war dance' while coaching third. He would jump, whirl, gyrate and generally become a distraction to the opposing pitchers (he once brought a tin whistle to a game and began blowing it throughout. The opposing team complained about the noise and Jennings was ordered to stop, but he defied the order and continued blowing his whistle. This earned him a 10-day suspension from the league). He would pluck grass - how he plucked at it signaled which play was on. "EE-YAH!" was his war whoop that would get the fans fired up and urge his team to score some runs. Connie Mack humbly called Jennings one of the top three managers in baseball history, along with McGraw and McCarthy.

I'd say Jennings may have been one of the best (at least most colorful) coaches in the game's history.