ShawneeDispatch.com

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Shawnee Mission Northwest basketball coach Ben Meseke suited up in game shorts and a jersey for his team's basketball games?

What if Mill Valley football coach George Radell traded in his khakis and Jags pullover for a helmet and shoulder pads at his team's games?

In both instances, people would surely wonder if the coaches had lost their minds.

So why then is it normal for Cougars' coach Rich Kuzydym and Jags' coach Carl Garrett to suit up in full uniform when their baseball teams take the field?

Tradition, that's why.

Baseball, perhaps more than any other sport in existence, is a game rooted in traditions. And one of the most interesting baseball traditions is the one that inspires managers to suit up as a part of the team.

From the pants and the jersey to the cleats and stirrups, baseball managers have almost always worn the same gear as the players they have coached.

The main reason behind this concept was the fact that in baseball's early days, most managers also played the games. Back in the day, teams didn't have Joe Torres and Tony Larussas, who made the big bucks to sit in the dugouts and make big decisions. In those days, Joe Smith or Tony Thomas decided when it was time to yank the starter or pinch hit for a weak batter. And those guys usually played second base or center field.

The only thing that set the early managers apart from their teammates was their responsibility for scheduling the games and making the lineup cards.

As time went on, these player-managers found it hard to walk away from the game they loved. So they moved into full-time managerial roles. And in doing so they continued to wear the uniforms they felt the most comfortable in.

In some ways, this makes sense. When basketball was invented, Dr. James Naismith wasn't wearing shorts and a tank top when he hung his peach baskets in the YMCA gym. He wore a suit, and thus most who coach the game today continue to dress sharp when on the sidelines.

But when the role of a baseball manager came to light, those managers were wearing baseball uniforms. So to this day -- Tommy Lasorda or not -- baseball managers continue to suit up with their teams.

Major League Baseball actually addressed this tradition in its rulebook. In 1957, league officials added a rule that stated coaches on the field were required to be in uniform, as to respect the integrity of the game. There are no documented cases of coaches being ejected for going against the rule, but with the exception of legendary Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack and Brooklyn Dodgers skipper Burt Chotton, few managers have gone against the rule.

In some cases it has even come in handy. When Cincinnati's Pete Rose was a player-manager with the Reds in the 1980s, being in uniform made it a lot easier for him to put himself into the game in a pinch.

I'm all for preserving baseball's traditions, but this is one I wouldn't mind re-writing.

I think managers could be just as effective wearing pants and team jackets as they are in uniform.