# Is the coach allowed to play? (Baseball) (Hell, any other sport while we're at it.)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 3, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829 "2003-05-03T06:55:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829/21 "2003-05-03T22:48:20Z")

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Lenny Wilkens was a player/head coach, and it could be argued that Michael Jordan was the coach of the Bulls.

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**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829/22 "2003-05-04T03:18:10Z")

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Wasn’t Tree Rollins a player/coach for the Bulls a few years back? I remember him coming in in the final seconds of an important playoff game, misguarding his man, and giving up the game-winning shot.

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**Author:** ![Barks\_dog\_food](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@Barks\_dog\_food](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barks_dog_food)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829/23 "2003-05-04T18:06:27Z")

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Coaches are allowed to play in football(soccer) and it’s not that uncommon. We have currently one in the Norwegian top division. Other players that have retired to become part of the coaching staff can also play(IIRC John Lukic played a Champions League game for Arsenal after he retired and became part of the staff)

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**Author:** ![markdiscordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@markdiscordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdiscordia)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829/24 "2003-05-05T01:02:51Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Keep in mind that, in America at least, the major professional team sports are unionized, and there are restrictions on player contracts within the basic agreement with the union. So if you did want to insert a manager or coach into a particular game, you would not only have to add him to the active roster–assuming that you had or were willing to create a vacant spot–but would have to first sign him to a valid player contract.

Managers are eligible for MLBPA membership although it is not required, and the managers who led replacement teams during 1995 spring training are not blacklisted. While managing the Blue Jays at the end of his career, Sparky Anderson took part in the 1994-1995 strike.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829/25 "2003-05-05T01:11:02Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> it could be argued that Michael Jordan was the coach of the Bulls.

Nah. He was practically co-coaching the Wizards, though.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-coach-allowed-to-play-baseball-hell-any-other-sport-while-were-at-it/172829/26 "2003-05-05T01:44:24Z")

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[Lester Patrick - The Silver Fox](http://www.southcoastal.com/history/silverfox.htm)

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