And the Skipper Bats Cleanup
At least as far back as 1842 through about the late 1930s and mid-1940s, before baseball became commercialized and teams were able to hire one man to manage the entire team, it was not uncommon for one person to fill the roles of player and manager simultaneously. Often, the strongest, brightest, or best player--or sometimes the person who owned the playing equipment--directed his teammates.
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At least as far back as 1842 through about the late 1930s and mid-1940s, before baseball became commercialized and teams were able to hire one man to manage the entire team, it was not uncommon for one person to fill the roles of player and manager simultaneously. Often, the strongest, brightest, or best player--or sometimes the person who owned the playing equipment--directed his teammates.
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