"The kid's dirty coming out of the shower," said Darrell Johnson, the former organizational scout who is now Green's dugout coach.

"Sammy has a good chance to do it," said Billy Williams, the Cubs' dugout coach and a Hall of Fame player.

"I came here to be a dugout coach for Pete," Helms said from his new office before tonight's night's game with Pittsburgh.

His dugout coach, John Oates, took the helm.

"Davey Lopes has done a great job with him," Valentine said of his dugout coach.

"Billy Williams did a great job with his swing," Pentland said, referring to the team's dugout coach.

"He's more aggressive right-handed," Pat Corrales, the Braves' dugout coach, said.

But the primary reason the fun had gone out of baseball for Zimmer could have been his role as dugout coach.

Bob Schaefer, a dugout coach, was named interim manager.

"It's not that I'm not ready to manage," Harrelson, the Mets' 44-year-old dugout coach, said.