Baseball Catchers Often Become Managers (1 Viewer)

[David Von Pein]

Using my Andy Rooney voice......
Ever notice the high number of former major-league catchers turned managers?
I suppose the argument can be made that catchers make better candidates for managing due to the nature of the position (i.e.: having to take charge or take control of each game, as they call every pitch for the moundsmen).
But I've also noticed that a surprisingly high number of back-up catchers have gone on to take the helm of major-league clubs! It seems that if you're the #2 or #3 receiver, your chances of eventually managing go up 5-fold! (Exaggeration, I know, but take a gander at the second-string backstops that have made their way to managing.)
Who would have thought (upon watching these non-regulars play at the time) that these guys would go on to pilot big-league teams? An interesting trend (well, I think so anyhow. ) .......
John Felske
Bruce Kimm
Buck Martinez
John Wathan
Bob Brenly
Jim Essian
Johnny Oates
Gene Lamont
Bill Plummer
Pat Corrales

 

[Robert Crawford]

Don't forget a certain former catcher by the name of Joe Torre.




Crawdaddy

 

[Patrick Sun]

But I still crack up at the sight of Charlie Hough, a former knuckleball pitcher, as a pitching coach.

 

[David Von Pein]

Don't forget a certain former catcher by the name of Joe Torre.

Indeed, Robert!
I hadn't forgotten him.
He's on that list in the link.
I didn't put him above because he was a #1 catcher. I was stressing above the number of BACK-UP catchers that somehow have managed to become the head of a team.

 

[David Von Pein]

But I still crack up at the sight of Charlie Hough, a former knuckleball pitcher, as a pitching coach.

Another thing that is a bit side-splitting is when a pitcher that had a nice robust 4.99 lifetime ERA is hired as a pitching coach!

 

[David Von Pein]

Speaking of catchers-->skippers: I've always thought the ex-Reds' great Johnny Bench would have made an excellent manager. But he was never the slightest bit interested in managing (or even coaching, for that matter). Too bad. I'd have enjoyed seeing him manage the Reds. :frowning:

 

[John Thomas]

Don't leave out Mike Scioscia who could be up for Manager of the Year.

 

[David Von Pein]

Don't leave out Mike Scioscia who could be up for Manager of the Year.

Indeed!
Yet another example of a former back-up catcher becoming a mgr.

 

[Mark Romero]

Another thing that is a bit side-splitting is when a pitcher that had a nice robust 4.99 lifetime ERA is hired as a pitching coach!

Look at all the current and past coaches and managers who never even made it to the Big Leagues. A great record while a player does not necessarily make a great coach. I would have to pass on Johnny Bench as a coach/manager. While once one of my all time favorites, he lacks the personality to manage.

 

[Matty Bradshaw]

Yet another example of a former back-up catcher becoming a mgr.

Mike Scioscia was a no 1 catcher for 13 seasons

 

[JoshF]

Yeah, Scioscia was no bench warmer. But he makes a great manager.

Perhaps it's because the backups spent more time thinking about the game than playing it?

 

[Mike_Stuewe]

Joel Skinner of the Cleveland Indians is currently the Manager after being with the organization for 10+ years. Skinner was the Indians Catcher in the late 80's early 90's before Sandy Alomar Jr. came in and sat behind the plate.

And let's not forget, one of the best catchers to become a manager. He turned around his ballclub in the second half of the season after the teams regular manager suffered a Heart Attack and could no longer manage. Just a year earlier, this man beat out a bunt single in the bottom of the 9th which scored the runner on second to win the Division. He catched in the Big Leagues to start his career but had to find work in Mexico after his knees became too shot to catch anymore. That was until the Cleveland Indians called him up to try out for spring training.

As we all know, this man is Jake Taylor, who led men like Willie Mayes Hays, Rick Vaughn, Pedro Cerrano, Yoshihiro Tanaka, Roger Dorn, and Rube Baker to win the American League Pennant, beating out Parkman and the rest of the evil Chicago Whitesox. What can you say about the Whitesox, except, at least they arn't from Canada.

 

[Marvin]

Another thing that is a bit side-splitting is when a pitcher that had a nice robust 4.99 lifetime ERA is hired as a pitching coach!

On a somewhat related note, ex-catcher Charley Lau was a highly successful and respected hitting coach though he wasn't a particularly good hitter himself.

How does that saying go? Those that can, do; those that can't, teach.

 

[Tommy Ceez]

People with naturally huge talent cannot relate to the struggles of the average baseball player trying to suceed. A bench warmer knows all the tricks in the book about how to crack the lineup and perform.
As for Socia I believe he was more a "hard worker" than a natural.
Could you imagine a guy like Barry Bonds trying to teach a young ballplayer how to break out of a slump? Bonds natural ability has broken him out of more slumps than any particular mindset or trick of the trade.
Backup catchers are usually chosen by a team for thier defense and skill at handeling pitchers...o you could say that it is reverse, future managers are more likely to hang around longer as backup catchers than, lets say, a backup ss.
Catching is the only playing position that has to have intimate knowledge of Offence, Defence, AND Pitching...a perfect combo to convert into managment skills

 

[Lew Crippen]

Ted Williams had no real success as a manager. According to some of those who played for him, he just could not understand why his players (for example) would not be all over some minor error by a pitcher.

 

[Mitty]

Have you also noticed how seldom (if ever) former pitchers become major league managers? Managers are almost always former position players while former pitchers become (obviously) pitching coaches.
Off the top of my head I can't think of a single former major league pitcher to manage in the big leagues. You'd think that since managing the pitching staff is one of the major duties of the manager (and since pitching and hitting are indeed two sides of the same coin), that several pitchers would have graduated to become good managers.
I guess catchers have the most up-close exposure to the nuts and bolts of both pitching and hitting, thus making them the most knowledgable candidates. Dunno.
It's a head scratcher.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Mitty,
Off the top of my head, the only guys I can think of are Dallas Green and Kid Gleason who were major league pitchers and managers. Damn, almost forgot about Bob Lemon and Roger Craig.



Crawdaddy

 

[Marvin]

Don't forget about Fred Hutchinson.

Wasn't Tommy LaSorda a pitcher? I don't know if he was a major league pitcher.

How about Clyde King?

 

[JoshF]

I think Mel Stottlymyre managed a game or two a couple years ago when Joe Torre was out for colon cancer, but doesn't really count, does it?

I always thought Nolan Ryan would make a great manager.

 

[Marvin]

Don Zimmer was the temporary manager when Joe Torre was out for prostate cancer. (Darryl Strawberry was the one who had colon cancer.) I don't know if Mel Stottlemyre filled in for either of them.