List of Major League Baseball player-managers

In early baseball history, it was not uncommon for players to serve as player-managers; that is, they managed the team while still being signed to play for the club.

[3][needs update] The dual role of player-manager was formerly a common practice, dating back to John Clapp, who performed the task for the Middletown Mansfields in 1872.

[9] Rose was trying to prolong his career to break the all-time hit record set by Ty Cobb, and Reds owner Marge Schott used this as a marketing ploy.

[10] Rose removed himself from the 40-man roster after the 1986 season to make room for Pat Pacillo, unofficially retiring as a player, but remained as the Reds manager until he was banned from baseball following the release of the Dowd Report in 1989.

[15] In the 2011–12 offseason, the White Sox considered hiring incumbent first baseman Paul Konerko to serve as manager.

Pete Rose is the most recent player-manager in Major League Baseball, having last done so from 1984 to 1986
Portrait of a man in a jacket with a dark collar wearing a white shirt and tie.
Cap Anson was a player-manager for 23 seasons.
A man in a grey baseball uniform and blue hat leans out of a dugout.
Lou Boudreau won the Most Valuable Player Award while a player-manager in 1948. [ 17 ]
A man with dark hair in a dark baseball cap and a white baseball jersey with "CLEVELAND" on the chest.
The then- Cleveland Bluebirds were renamed the "Naps" in honor of player-manager Nap Lajoie . [ 18 ]
A black and white head shot of a man in a baseball cap.
Fred Lake retired as a player in 1898, but inserted himself into three games in 1910.
A dark-haired man wearing a black sweater and crownless baseball cap looks into the camera. His hair hangs down over his right side of his forehead, and he has a slight smirk on his face.
Christy Mathewson played one season with the Cincinnati Reds as a player-manager, then remained as their manager.
A gray haired man in a dark three-piece suit.
John McGraw retired as a player in 1906, but managed the New York Giants until 1932.
A head shot of an African-American man with a white baseball cap with a red "C" in the center.
Frank Robinson became the first African-American manager in MLB history when he was named player-manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1975. [ 19 ]
A baseball player in a grey uniform and a red hat.
Pete Rose became the all-time MLB hit leader while serving as the Cincinnati Reds ' player-manager. [ 10 ]
A black and white photograph of a man swinging a baseball bat.
Tris Speaker won the 1920 World Series as player-manager of the Cleveland Indians . [ 20 ]
A baseball card of a man holding a baseball bat. The name "Tappe" is listed in the bottom left corner.
El Tappe , a member of the Chicago Cubs ' College of Coaches , played for the Cubs while managing. [ 21 ]
A man in a white and blue button-down shirt smiles.
Joe Torre began his managing career as a player-manager for the New York Mets .
A baseball card showing a man in a white baseball uniform throwing a ball.
Pie Traynor was an All-Star while a player-manager in 1934.
A man in a dark baseball cap and white shirt with a dark collar holds a baseball bat in both hands.
Honus Wagner served as player-manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in his final season as a player.
A baseball card showing a man holding a baseball bat over his left shoulder.
John Montgomery Ward threw a perfect game on June 12, 1880, then became a player-manager for the last 32 games of the 1880 season. [ 22 ]