Which Team Had the Most Future Managers?

It's a question you see come up from time to time, but no one ever seems to have the answer. Which single-season team produced the most dugout leaders? I felt it was my duty as a baseball fan, an American and a guy with a blog dedicated to such trivialities to settle it once and for all. I went to Baseball-Reference's manager register, clicked on the link to each manager's playing career and compiled the data. Is there an easier way to do it? Probably, but I don't know what it is. Feel free to fill me in if you know of one.

If the question is simply which team had the most men play in at least one game who also managed a Major League game at some point, the top of the rankings look like this:

Ten:

1908 Boston Red Sox (Bill Carrigan, Gavvy Cravath, Doc Gessler, Harry Lord, Deacon McGuire, Tris Speaker, Jake Stahl, Bob Unglaub, Heinie Wagner, Cy Young)

Nine:

1878 Providence Grays (Doug Allison, Tom Carey, Dick Higham, Tim Murnane, Lip Pike, Charlie Sweasy, John Ward, Harry Wheeler, Tom York)
1879 Providence Grays (Doug Allison, Jack Farrell, Mike McGeary, Dan O'Leary, Jim O'Rourke, Joe Start, John Ward, George Wright, Tom York)
1891 Boston Reds (Tom Brown, Charlie Buffinton, Tommy Dowd, Hugh Duffy, Clark Griffith, Arthur Irwin, Bill Joyce, King Kelly, Cub Stricker)
1892 Baltimore Orioles (Charlie Buffinton, Ned Hanlon, Joe Kelley, John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, Harry Stovey, Cub Stricker, George Van Haltren, George Wood)
1892 St. Louis Browns (Bob Caruthers, Jack Crooks, Frank Dwyer, Pud Galvin, Jack Glasscock, Kid Gleason, George Gore, Cub Stricker, Jimmy Wolf)
1900 St. Louis Cardinals (Lave Cross, Patsy Donovan, John McGraw, Jack O'Connor, Joe Quinn, Wilbert Robinson, Patsy Tebeau, Bobby Wallace, Cy Young)
1902 New York Giants (Frank Bowerman, Roger Bresnahan, Jack Doyle, Jack Hendricks, Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Heinie Smith, George Van Haltren, Heinie Wagner)
1912 Detroit Tigers (Donie Bush, Ty Cobb, Red Corriden, Bill Donovan, Hughie Jennings, Deacon McGuire, George Moriarty, Jack Onslow, Ossie Vitt)
1956 St. Louis Cardinals (Ken Boyer, Alvin Dark, Joe Frazier, Alex Grammas, Grady Hatton, Solly Hemus, Whitey Lockman, Red Schoendienst, Bill Virdon)

Eight:

1873 Boston Red Stockings (Bob Addy, Jack Manning, Jim O'Rourke, Al Spalding, Charlie Sweasy, Deacon White, George Wright, Harry Wright)
1875 Boston Red Stockings (Juice Latham, Jack Manning, Cal McVey, Jim O'Rourke, Al Spalding, Deacon White, George Wright, Harry Wright)
1876 Boston Red Caps (Jack Manning, Dick McBride, John Morrill, Tim Murnane, Jim O'Rourke, Bill Parks, George Wright, Harry Wright)
1876 Hartford Dark Blues (Doug Allison, Tommy Bond, Jack Burdock, Tom Carey, Bob Ferguson, Dick Higham, Everett Mills, Tom York)
1877 Boston Red Caps (Tommy Bond, John Morrill, Tim Murnane, Jim O'Rourke, Deacon White, Will White, George Wright, Harry Wright)
1881 Detroit Wolverines (Mike Dorgan, Joe Gerhardt, Ned Hanlon, Lon Knight, Dan O'Leary, Sam Trott, Will White, George Wood)
1885 New York Giants (Roger Connor, Mike Dorgan, Dude Esterbrook, Buck Ewing, Joe Gerhardt, Jim O'Rourke, Danny Richardson, John Ward)
1886 New York Giants (Roger Connor, Mike Dorgan, Dude Esterbrook, Buck Ewing, Joe Gerhardt, Jim O'Rourke, Danny Richardson, John Ward)
1887 New York Giants (Roger Connor, Mike Dorgan, Buck Ewing, Joe Gerhardt, George Gore, Jim O'Rourke, Danny Richardson, John Ward)
1888 Philadelphia Quakers (Charlie Buffinton, Jack Clements, Jim Fogarty, Kid Gleason, Bill Hallman, Arthur Irwin, Deacon McGuire, George Wood)
1890 New York Giants (PL) (Roger Connor, Fred Dunlap, Buck Ewing, George Gore, Hank O'Day, Jim O'Rourke, Danny Richardson, Dan Shannon)
1891 Boston Beaneaters (Joe Kelley, King Kelly, Fred Lake, Bobby Lowe, Billy Nash, Kid Nichols, Joe Quinn, Harry Stovey)
1892 Boston Beaneaters (Hugh Duffy, King Kelly, Bobby Lowe, Tommy McCarthy, Billy Nash, Kid Nichols, Joe Quinn, Harry Stovey)
1897 Boston Beaneaters (Bob Allen, Jimmy Collins, Hugh Duffy, Fred Lake, Bobby Lowe, Kid Nichols, Chick Stahl, Fred Tenney)
1900 Boston Beaneaters (Jack Clements, Jimmy Collins, Hugh Duffy, Bobby Lowe, Kid Nichols, Chick Stahl, Billy Sullivan, Fred Tenney)
1900 Chicago Orphans (Bill Bradley, Roger Bresnahan, Nixey Callahan, Frank Chance, John Ganzel, Clark Griffith, Johnny Kling, Harry Wolverton)
1909 Washington Senators (Gavvy Cravath, Doc Gessler, Walter Johnson, George McBride, Clyde Milan, Jack Slattery, Gabby Street, Bob Unglaub)
1912 Chicago White Sox (Lena Blackburne, Nixey Callahan, Shano Collins, Kid Gleason, Harry Lord, Ray Schalk, Billy Sullivan, Ed Walsh)
1932 Chicago Cubs (Burleigh Grimes, Charlie Grimm, Stan Hack, Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Rogers Hornsby, Billy Jurges, Zack Taylor)
1946 St. Louis Cardinals (Lou Klein, Marty Marion, Terry Moore, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Dick Sisler, Harry Walker, Del Wilber)
1955 St. Louis Cardinals (Ken Boyer, Joe Frazier, Alex Grammas, Solly Hemus, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Bill Virdon, Harry Walker)
1959 Milwaukee Braves (Joe Adcock, Chuck Cottier, Del Crandall, Eddie Mathews, Joe Morgan, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Mickey Vernon)
1960 Milwaukee Braves (Joe Adcock, Chuck Cottier, Del Crandall, Alvin Dark, Eddie Haas, Eddie Mathews, Red Schoendienst, Joe Torre)

Well, there's an obvious 19th Century/early-20th Century bias. Player-managers were much more common in those days, plus teams didn't employ coaches who could take over on an interim basis if the manager left mid-season. That's part of the reason the 1908 Red Sox come out on top. Manager Chick Stahl committed suicide just before the beginning of the 1907 season, and both Bob Unglaub and Cy Young assumed player-manager duties at various points.

Does this list really answer the titular question the way most people have in mind though? Do they consider a coach with managerial experience who made a few gimmicky playing appearances (back in the early days this wasn't uncommon) an official player on the team? What about interim managers with less than a full season at the helm? Are their playing careers those of "future managers"? Of course, some of these men were also former managers whose playing careers weren't over yet. What about them?

Let's narrow the criteria a bit. This time we'll take away the men who were former managers during these years they played but never managed again. In other words, who was actually a "future manager"?

Nine:

1956 St. Louis Cardinals (Ken Boyer, Alvin Dark, Joe Frazier, Alex Grammas, Grady Hatton, Solly Hemus, Whitey Lockman, Red Schoendienst, Bill Virdon)

Eight:

1873 Boston Red Stockings (Bob Addy, Jack Manning, Jim O'Rourke, Al Spalding, Charlie Sweasy, Deacon White, George Wright, Harry Wright)
1875 Boston Red Stockings (Juice Latham, Jack Manning, Cal McVey, Jim O'Rourke, Al Spalding, Deacon White, George Wright, Harry Wright)
1877 Boston Red Caps (Tommy Bond, John Morrill, Tim Murnane, Jim O'Rourke, Deacon White, Will White, George Wright, Harry Wright)
1888 Philadelphia Quakers (Charlie Buffinton, Jack Clements, Jim Fogarty, Kid Gleason, Bill Hallman, Arthur Irwin, Deacon McGuire, George Wood)
1897 Boston Beaneaters (Bob Allen, Jimmy Collins, Hugh Duffy, Fred Lake, Bobby Lowe, Kid Nichols, Chick Stahl, Fred Tenney)
1900 Chicago Orphans (Bill Bradley, Roger Bresnahan, Nixey Callahan, Frank Chance, John Ganzel, Clark Griffith, Johnny Kling, Harry Wolverton)
1908 Boston Red Sox (Bill Carrigan, Gavvy Cravath, Doc Gessler, Harry Lord, Deacon McGuire, Tris Speaker, Jake Stahl, Heinie Wagner)
1912 Detroit Tigers (Donie Bush, Ty Cobb, Red Corriden, Bill Donovan, Hughie Jennings, George Moriarty, Jack Onslow, Ossie Vitt)
1932 Chicago Cubs (Burleigh Grimes, Charlie Grimm, Stan Hack, Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Rogers Hornsby, Billy Jurges, Zack Taylor)
1946 St. Louis Cardinals (Lou Klein, Marty Marion, Terry Moore, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Dick Sisler, Harry Walker, Del Wilber)
1955 St. Louis Cardinals (Ken Boyer, Joe Frazier, Alex Grammas, Solly Hemus, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Bill Virdon, Harry Walker)
1959 Milwaukee Braves (Joe Adcock, Chuck Cottier, Del Crandall, Eddie Mathews, Joe Morgan, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Mickey Vernon)
1960 Milwaukee Braves (Joe Adcock, Chuck Cottier, Del Crandall, Alvin Dark, Eddie Haas, Eddie Mathews, Red Schoendienst, Joe Torre)

Wow. Already one team stands alone. The 1956 Cardinals literally had the most future managers get into a game for them that season. I guess we've now answered the question in the technical sense, but how ironclad is the '56 Redbirds' case? Just for kicks, let's narrow it down even more by taking out men who only managed on an interim basis. How do I define "interim"? Let's say any man who never began the season as manager. After all, there's plenty of time to replace a guy during the offseason if he's not the one the front office wants. Of course, if I find evidence to suggest that the guy was considered more than just a place-holder in a season he didn't begin, I'll let it pass.

Nine:

1956 St. Louis Cardinals (Ken Boyer, Alvin Dark, Joe Frazier, Alex Grammas, Grady Hatton, Solly Hemus, Whitey Lockman, Red Schoendienst, Bill Virdon)

Eight:

1900 Chicago Orphans (Bill Bradley, Roger Bresnahan, Nixey Callahan, Frank Chance, John Ganzel, Clark Griffith, Johnny Kling, Harry Wolverton)
1908 Boston Red Sox (Bill Carrigan, Gavvy Cravath, Doc Gessler, Harry Lord, Deacon McGuire, Tris Speaker, Jake Stahl, Heinie Wagner)
1932 Chicago Cubs (Burleigh Grimes, Charlie Grimm, Stan Hack, Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Rogers Hornsby, Billy Jurges, Zack Taylor)
1955 St. Louis Cardinals (Ken Boyer, Joe Frazier, Alex Grammas, Solly Hemus, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Bill Virdon, Harry Walker)
1959 Milwaukee Braves (Joe Adcock, Chuck Cottier, Del Crandall, Eddie Mathews, Joe Morgan, Del Rice, Red Schoendienst, Mickey Vernon)
1960 Milwaukee Braves (Joe Adcock, Chuck Cottier, Del Crandall, Alvin Dark, Eddie Haas, Eddie Mathews, Red Schoendienst, Joe Torre)

Wow again. This list got a lot smaller, yet the reductions weren't enough to knock the Cardinals from their perch. It looks like we have a winner. Next time someone asks you which Major League Baseball team had the most future managers pass through its clubhouse, you can confidently answer with the 1956 St. Louis Cardinals.

As was often the case with teams that had Frank "Trader" Lane as GM, there was a lot of wheeling and dealing going on during this season. In fact, of those nine future managers, Ken Boyer was the only one who spent the entire season in the organization. Dark and Lockman came over from the Giants in June, Frazier, Grammas, Hemus, Schoendienst and Virdon were all traded away by June, and Hatton was purchased in May and sold in August. All that baseball brainpower didn't add up to a winning season, as the Cardinals finished in 4th place with a 76-78 record.

I find it interesting that the 1959 Milwaukee Braves show up among the teams with eight future managers. Bill James once nominated them, under the leadership of Fred Haney, for the title of most poorly mismanaged team ever. Of those eight who later had a turn at the helm, only Red Schoendienst, who missed most of the season due to tuberculosis, had a long and successful managerial career.

Will we ever see the '56 Cardinals dethroned? I doubt it, since 1956 was only five years before expansion began. The gap between a man's playing and managerial primes is usually a decade or two wide. By 1977 there were 26 managerial jobs available, and most prospective skippers were condensed among just 16 organizations during their formative years in pro baseball. We have 30 teams today, but since there are almost no managers who played before expansion, the pool of former players who get a shot at managing will likely be spread out among more franchises.