Manager Coaching Third Base?

[Chin Diesel]

Question for baseball fans.

The Cincinnati Reds' AA team is here in Pensacola and they hired former big leaguer Delino DeShields as their manager this season.

Odd thing is that Delino is the full time third base coach.

Has anyone ever heard of a manager taking on a base coaching roll as a permanent assignment. I realize that the minors are all about developing players, coaches and umps, but I don't ever recall hearing or seeing this situation.

Any ideas why?

 

[Deepster]

I can't imagine why you'd do that. He can't talk with his other coaches or discuss adjustments/strategy with his players while they're actually in the dugout. Then, he's in the dugout when most of them are out on the field.

 

[Waquoit]

They used to do it in the good ol' days, I believe. Maybe he likes being out on the field.

 

[whaler11]

It's pretty standard in AA.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I can't imagine why you'd do that. He can't talk with his other coaches or discuss adjustments/strategy with his players while they're actually in the dugout. Then, he's in the dugout when most of them are out on the field.

Early in the game, one of the Wahoos' runners got picked off first bae by a lefty. It ended the inning. I was curious to see how the staff staff handled hhandled the teaching moment. The kid ran in to the dugout, grabbed his glove and went to the field. DeShields jogged to the dugout from 3rd base and didn't say a word to any of the coaches. He erased something off a dry erase board and popped a mouthful of seeds.


I wasn't impressed.

 

[Deepster]

Maybe he/they think his road to coaching in the bigs is in a 3B coaching role vs a head coach or bench type position? Just grabbing at straws here...