Robert LeRoy "Buck" Rodgers (born August 16, 1938) is a former
catcherCatcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
,
managerIn baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and
coachIn baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
in
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. As a manager, he helmed three major league teams: the
Milwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1980, 1980–82),
Montreal ExposThe Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(1985–91) and
California AngelsThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1991–92, 1992–1994), compiling a career won-lost mark of 784–773 (.504).
Playing career
Rodgers attended
Ohio Wesleyan UniversityOhio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
and
Ohio Northern UniversityOhio Northern University is a private, United Methodist Church-affiliated university located in the United States in Ada, Ohio, founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871. ONU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. ONU is a sister...
. As a player, he signed his first professional contract with the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and was selected by the Angels in the
1960 MLB Expansion DraftThe 1960 MLB Expansion Draft was held by Major League Baseball on December 14, 1960 to fill the rosters of the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators...
. He was a top defensive catcher and a switch-hitter who played nine major league seasons (1961–69), all with the Angels, compiling a .232
batting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 31
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 932 games. As a player, Rodgers caught
Bo BelinskyRobert "Bo" Belinsky was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, who became an instant southern California celebrity as a rookie with the original Los Angeles Angels, especially when the fourth of his season-opening four straight wins was a no-hit, no-run game against his former...
's
no-hitterA no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on May 5, 1962.
Managerial career
In between his playing and managing careers, Rodgers served as a coach for the
Minnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1970–74),
San Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1976), and the Brewers (1978–80). He managed in the Angels' farm system in 1975 and 1977. His managerial career was book-ended by unusual circumstances.
Milwaukee Brewers
He first became manager of the Brewers (then contenders in the American League East Division) on an acting basis at the outset of the
1980The 1980 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers' finishing third in the American League East with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.- Offseason :* October 11, 1979: Juan Castillo was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brewers....
season. He was serving as the club's third-base coach when pilot
George BambergerGeorge Irvin Bamberger was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the 1951–1952 New York Giants and the 1959 Baltimore Orioles. He later served as manager of the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets ....
suffered a heart attack. Rodgers posted a record of 27–21 as acting field boss until Bamberger was able to return. However, with the Brewers treading water under Bamberger with a record of 47–45, the manager stepped down in September and Rodgers resumed the helm, the team winning 13 of its last 23 games to ultimately finish third. The
1981 campaignThe Milwaukee Brewers' 1981 season involved the Brewers' finishing 1st in American League East during the second half of the split schedule with an overall record of 62 wins and 47 losses. They proceeded to lose to the New York Yankees in the ALDS...
was disrupted for six weeks by an in-season players' strike, which caused the major leagues to adopt a split-season format. Rodgers led the Brewers to the best overall record in the AL East at 62–47 and the second half title, but Milwaukee lost the divisional playoff to the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees' 1981 season was the 79th season for the Yankees. In the ALCS, the Yankees swept the Oakland Athletics for their only pennant of the 1980s. However, they lost in the World Series in 6 games to the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York was managed by Gene Michael and Bob Lemon...
, three games to two. It would be Rodgers' only postseason appearance as a manager. In 1982, the
BrewersThe 1982 Milwaukee Brewers season resulted in the team winning its first and only American League Championship.- Offseason :*October 23, 1981: Rickey Keeton was traded by the Brewers to the Houston Astros for Pete Ladd....
started slowly under Rodgers and he was fired in May with the team's record a poor 23–24. The Brewers then caught fire under his successor, batting coach
Harvey KuennHarvey Edward Kuenn was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies . He batted and threw right-handed...
, to finish with 95 wins and went on to win its only AL pennant as "Harvey's Wallbangers."
Montreal Expos
After guiding the
Indianapolis IndiansThe Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
of the AAA
American AssociationThe American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
to the 1984 regular season championship, Rodgers was promoted to manager of the parent Expos, replacing
Jim FanningWilliam James Fanning is a former catcher, manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball...
. His first six years (
1985-Offseason:* November 7, 1984: Chris Welsh was traded by the Expos to the Texas Rangers for Dave Hostetler.* November 14, 1984: Larry Walker was signed by the Expos as an amateur free agent....
–
90-Offseason:*October 26, 1989: Yamil Benitez was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent. *December 7, 1989: Oil Can Boyd signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos....
) in Montreal were largely successful, with the Expos averaging almost 84 wins per season, but when the team faltered in 1991, winning only 20 of its first 49 games, Rodgers was replaced as manager by
Tom RunnellsThomas William Runnells is the Bench Coach of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball, and a former infielder, coach and manager in American Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
.
California Angels
He was not out of work long. In August 1991, the Angels fired
Doug RaderDouglas Lee Rader , nicknamed "The Red Rooster", is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who was known primarily for his defensive ability, winning five straight Gold Glove Awards from 1970 to 1974....
and hired Rodgers as their new pilot. Buck – still well liked from his playing days in Anaheim – led the Halos to a 20–18 record for the remainder of the campaign, and was 39 games into his first full season as Angel manager in 1992 when a bus carrying the California club was involved in an expressway accident; Rodgers was seriously injured and missed almost 90 games. He returned, but still felt the after-effects of his injuries. Perhaps more damaging, the Angels did not respond to his leadership. They posted a losing mark in the final weeks of 1992, finished 20 games below .500 in 1993, and were only 16–23 in May 1994 before Rodgers was replaced by
Marcel LachemannMarcel Ernest Lachemann is a baseball pitching coach and a former relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics...
.
Managerial statistics
| Team | |Regular Season | MIL The 1980 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers' finishing third in the American League East with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses.- Offseason :* October 11, 1979: Juan Castillo was signed as an amateur free agent by the Brewers....
|
1980 |
39 |
31 |
.557 |
3rd in AL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| MIL The Milwaukee Brewers' 1981 season involved the Brewers' finishing 1st in American League East during the second half of the split schedule with an overall record of 62 wins and 47 losses. They proceeded to lose to the New York Yankees in the ALDS...
|
1981 |
62 |
47 |
.569 |
1st in AL East |
2 |
3 |
.400 |
Lost to New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
|
| MIL The 1982 Milwaukee Brewers season resulted in the team winning its first and only American League Championship.- Offseason :*October 23, 1981: Rickey Keeton was traded by the Brewers to the Houston Astros for Pete Ladd....
|
1982 |
23 |
24 |
.489 |
5th in AL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
MON-Offseason:* November 7, 1984: Chris Welsh was traded by the Expos to the Texas Rangers for Dave Hostetler.* November 14, 1984: Larry Walker was signed by the Expos as an amateur free agent....
|
1985 |
84 |
77 |
.522 |
3rd in NL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
MON-Offseason:* October 24, 1985: Bill Laskey was traded by the Expos to the San Francisco Giants for George Riley and Alonzo Powell.* November 7, 1985: Mel Rojas was signed by the Expos as an amateur free agent....
|
1986 |
78 |
83 |
.484 |
4th in NL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
MON-Offseason:* October 7, 1986: Bert Roberge was released by the Expos.* January 19, 1987: Dave Engle was signed as a free agent by the Expos.* February 3, 1987: Jeff Reardon and Tom Nieto were traded by the Expos to the Minnesota Twins for Neal Heaton, Yorkis Pérez, Jeff Reed, and Al Cardwood .*...
|
1987 |
91 |
71 |
.562 |
3rd in NL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
MON-Offseason:* December 7, 1987: Dave Engle was signed as a free agent by the Expos.* December 16, 1987: Bryn Smith was signed as a free agent by the Expos.* December 18, 1987: Rex Hudler was signed as a free agent by the Expos....
|
1988 |
81 |
81 |
.500 |
3rd in NL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
MON-Offseason:* December 8, 1988: Tracy Jones was traded by the Expos to the San Francisco Giants for Mike Aldrete.* December 8, 1988: John Dopson and Luis Rivera were traded by the Expos to the Boston Red Sox for Spike Owen and Dan Gakeler.-Regular season:...
|
1989 |
81 |
81 |
.500 |
4th in NL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
MON-Offseason:*October 26, 1989: Yamil Benitez was signed by the Montreal Expos as an amateur free agent. *December 7, 1989: Oil Can Boyd signed as a Free Agent with the Montreal Expos....
|
1990 |
85 |
77 |
.525 |
3rd in NL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| MON After several winning seasons, the Expos faltered in 1991, winning only 20 of its first 49 games. Manager Buck Rodgers was replaced as manager by Tom Runnells.-Offseason:* November 15, 1990: Scott Service was signed as a free agent by the Expos....
|
1991 |
20 |
29 |
.408 |
6th in NL East |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| CAL The California Angels 1991 season involved the Angels finishing 7th in the American League west with a record of 81 wins and 81 losses.-Offseason:...
|
1991 |
20 |
18 |
.526 |
7th in AL West |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| CAL The California Angels 1992 season involved the Angels finishing 5th in the American League West with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses.-Offseason:*December 8, 1991: Ruben Amaro Jr...
|
1992 |
33 |
40 |
.452 |
5th in AL West |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| CAL The California Angels 1993 season involved the Angels finishing 5th in the American League west with a record of 71 wins and 91 losses.-Offseason:*November 19, 1992: Torey Lovullo was signed as a Free Agent with the California Angels....
|
1993 |
71 |
91 |
.438 |
5th in AL West |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| CAL The California Angels 1994 season involved the Angels finishing 4th in the American League west with a record of 47 wins and 68 losses. The season was cut short by the infamous 1994 player's strike.-Offseason:...
|
1994 |
16 |
24 |
.400 |
4th in AL West |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Total |
784 |
774 |
.503 |
|
2 |
3 |
.400 |
– |
External links