Batgirl was also very interested in the relationship between the players and the coaches in BALL FOUR (as were a few readers, judging by their e-mails). There's no love lost between Bouton and his pitching coach, Sal Maglie, who is basically portrayed as some kind of half-wit. For Bouton, coaching positions are basically rewards for players who don't make waves when they're on the team. Maglie's primary function as pitching coach of the Pilots seems to be to shout platitudes and cover his own bum.

So, do you think this is fair? Have coaches changed over the years? How so?