What, exactly, should a coach wear?

In watching playoff hockey it struck me again how odd it looks for a head coach to be behind his team wearing a suit and tie. When I think of suits I think of going to an office, meeting clients, closing business deals...hell, even interviewing for a job. But here is a guy who is surrounded by 20 sweaty men in tons of pads and "sweaters" (a.k.a. jerseys). How often does a hockey coach have to have his entire suit dry cleaned? Do hockey coaches have the highest dry clean bill in the world? It has been years since I wore a suit to work, but when I did, I think I had the jacket cleaned maybe twice a year...the pants obviously more often. But I was going to an office, with other people who did not (for the most part) sweat profusely and stink. Yes, NBA coaches do the same thing. That one looks odd too. A bunch of 6'6" men in tank tops surrounding a shorter man in a suit. Just looks odd. Then there is baseball.

A couple things about baseball coaches and managers in uniforms strikes me as odd. First, is the fact that many of these coaches are older and not in top shape any longer. We have all see the older coach who should no longer be in a baseball uniform. Maybe it makes sense for the base coaches to wear uniforms so that the look like the fit in, but then again, isn't there the chance that they look too much like the player. I can't remember a player tagging out a coach in a highlight, but I bet it has happened. The other part that strikes me as odd is the fact that the coaches have numbers. The reason I see that players have numbers is so that you can readily identify them when they are moving quickly on the field. Coaches are not moving quickly. There is plenty of time to make out their name. Some of the coaches even grab the good numbers - forcing the players to use number 67 or some other very high number. I am not saying that baseball managers should wear suits...that would be a little too warm on the field.

Finally, there is football. The only sport where the league allows the coaches to decide on their wardrobe (within reason). Maybe this league is the reason the rest insist on a dress code. Belichick of the Patriots is known for his ripped up hoodie sweatshirts. No fashion statement here. I bet there are people in NE that emulate his look though - but no one would wear a Belichick jersey (if there was one).

So, what should they wear? Maybe there needs to be a shirt/jacket that they can sport. The teams are always looking for "alternate jerseys", this could be marketed as wear what the coaches wear. I don't know what it is, but these suits and these Uniforms with #10 just seem odd.

Third Base

I was going to make my next post about something other than baseball, but today's news that Glaus is shelved until possibly the all-star break changes things.

So, the Cards head north with a centerfielder holding down second base, and a guy 1 year removed from A-ball manning the hot corner. Just that in itself sounds scary. But digging deeper, it just may work. At second we are sacrificing some glove for a solid .300 bat and leadoff hitter. As long as Skip does not botch the double play pivots he should be servicable at 2nd. Not to mention, as of the 7th inning, Skip will move to the OF and a seasoned second baseman will take over.

Now, at third we have a guy who supposedly brings a strong glove. His bat is the question mark. He has always proven he can hit, but the ML is a different scenario. Pitchers are working hitters differently. More breaking balls, more hitting the corners. If Freese strikes out 100 times in the minors, what happens in the majors? His best spot in the lineup may be just ahead of the pitcher. Pitchers are more likely to let the guy before the pitcher get something to hit so that the pitcher could lead off the next inning. There are flaws to this theory as why face a potential good hitter when you can just go after the pitcher. But that speaks more to strike zone knowlede than anything else.

So what do you think? How is this going to play out?