John McNamara (baseball)
Encyclopedia
John Francis McNamara is a former manager
and coach
in Major League Baseball
. He managed six major league teams, directing the 1986 Boston Red Sox
to the American League
pennant, only to experience an excruciating defeat in that season's World Series
at the hands of the New York Mets
.
and Sacramento City College
, where he led the team to the 1951 California state championship (and later was inducted to the SCC Athletic Hall of Fame). A right-handed batter and thrower, he was a peripatetic minor league
catcher
during his playing career, originally signing with the St. Louis Cardinals
organization. He began his managing career with the Lewis-Clark Broncs
in Lewiston, Idaho
, of the Northwest League
in 1959, and when the club became an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics
in 1960, McNamara joined the A's system
. He won Southern League
pennants in 1966 and 1967 and groomed many future members of the Oakland dynasty during his tenure at the Class AA level.
McNamara managed the Oakland Athletics
(1969–70), San Diego Padres
(1974 through the midseason of 1977), Cincinnati Reds
(1979 through the midseason of 1982), California Angels
(1983–84 and part of 1996), Red Sox (1985 through the midseason of 1988), and Cleveland Indians
(1990 through the midseason of 1991).
Over all or parts of 19 seasons, he had a managing record of 1,167 — 1,242 (.484). His 1979 Cincinnati team
, defeated by the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the NLCS
, was his only other postseason entry. Although McNamara's 1981 Reds
compiled the best overall record in the National League West
, the split-season format adopted for that season because of the 1981 Major League Baseball strike denied Cincinnati a place in the playoffs because the Reds finished second in each half-season.
McNamara served as a major league coach for Oakland (1968–69), the San Francisco Giants
(1971–73), and the Angels (1978). He also has worked as a catching instructor with the Angels.
in the eighth inning despite the fact that Clemens was still pitching well. Both parties have different stories regarding Clemens's departure. According to Clemens, he did not want to leave the game, but McNamara insisted that Clemens asked to be taken out because he had a blister
on his pitching hand. McNamara was also criticized for pinch-hitting Clemens with rookie Mike Greenwell
, who struck out on three pitches, when veteran slugger Don Baylor
was also available. McNamara's move was further questioned in light of the relatively poor performances of closer Calvin Schiraldi
and longtime reliever Bob Stanley
.
Yet, perhaps the decision that McNamara will be most remembered for is his leaving first baseman Bill Buckner
in the game in the 10th inning rather than removing him for a defensive substitute. McNamara was ridiculed for years afterward for leaving Buckner on the field instead of replacing him with Dave Stapleton, who had previously been used to replace Buckner in late innings for defensive purposes (including Games 1 and 5 of the World Series). He later said, "I felt Buckner deserved to be on the field when we won." The Red Sox players also knew that their manager let sentiment overpower his judgement. Stapleton claimed that "[McNamara] damn well knows that he messed up. And he very well could have cost us the World Series that year."
With Game 7 delayed a day due to rain in New York, McNamara bumped originally-scheduled starting pitcher Oil Can Boyd
in favor of Bruce Hurst
. Hurst was asked to pitch on three days' rest and, despite pitching well for five innings, he visibly tired in the sixth, allowing the Mets to score three runs to tie the game. McNamara once again sent Calvin Schiraldi to relieve Hurst, despite Schiraldi's poor performance in Game 6, and despite the fact that Boyd was well-rested and ready to pitch (In a recent interview with the NY Times, McNamara confirms a account of then pitching coach Bill Fischer that Oil Can Boyd was in fact too drunk for relief work in Game 7). Schiraldi gave up a tie-breaking home run to Ray Knight
, the first batter he faced, and ended up surrendering three runs while recording only a single out. The Red Sox would lose the game (8-5) and the series (4-3).
Manager (baseball)
In 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 coach
Coach (baseball)
In 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 Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major 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...
. He managed six major league teams, directing the 1986 Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
to the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant, only to experience an excruciating defeat in that season's World Series
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
at the hands of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
.
Playing, coaching and managing career
McNamara attended Christian Brothers High SchoolChristian Brothers High School (Sacramento, California)
Christian Brothers High School High School is a private, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory high school in Sacramento, California. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.-Background:...
and Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College is a two-year community college located in Sacramento, California. SCC is part of the Los Rios Community College District and had an enrollment of 25,307 in 2009. Sacramento City College is officially accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges , offering...
, where he led the team to the 1951 California state championship (and later was inducted to the SCC Athletic Hall of Fame). A right-handed batter and thrower, he was a peripatetic minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher 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...
during his playing career, originally signing with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
organization. He began his managing career with the Lewis-Clark Broncs
Lewiston Broncos
The Lewiston Broncos were an American Single-A minor league baseball team based in Lewiston, Idaho. The parent organization was Lewiston Baseball Club, Inc. formed in 1952 by Lewiston businessmen Sam Canner Sr., Jack Lee, Billy Gray, George Thiessen and others. Gray later sold his shares to Thiessen...
in Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
, of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
in 1959, and when the club became an affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in 1960, McNamara joined the A's system
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
. He won Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
pennants in 1966 and 1967 and groomed many future members of the Oakland dynasty during his tenure at the Class AA level.
McNamara managed the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(1969–70), San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(1974 through the midseason of 1977), Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1979 through the midseason of 1982), California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The 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...
(1983–84 and part of 1996), Red Sox (1985 through the midseason of 1988), and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1990 through the midseason of 1991).
Over all or parts of 19 seasons, he had a managing record of 1,167 — 1,242 (.484). His 1979 Cincinnati team
1979 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1979 Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West under their first-year manager John McNamara, with a record of 90-71, 1½ games better than the Houston Astros. However, the Reds lost the National League Championship Series to the eventual World Series champion...
, defeated by the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the NLCS
1979 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1979 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioBoth sides threw their aces in Game 1 as fourteen-game winner John Candelaria started for the Pirates, and Tom Seaver started for the Reds. After Omar Moreno grounded out to start the game, a 45-minute rain delay stalled the...
, was his only other postseason entry. Although McNamara's 1981 Reds
1981 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 1981 season consisted of the Reds finishing with an overall record of 66-42 the National League West, putting them in first place. However, due to a split-season format, caused by a mid-season players' strike, they failed to make the MLB Playoffs that year...
compiled the best overall record in the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
, the split-season format adopted for that season because of the 1981 Major League Baseball strike denied Cincinnati a place in the playoffs because the Reds finished second in each half-season.
McNamara served as a major league coach for Oakland (1968–69), the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1971–73), and the Angels (1978). He also has worked as a catching instructor with the Angels.
1986 World Series
McNamara's managerial tactics during the 1986 World Series (especially in the last two games) received much criticism and scrutiny. In the pivotal sixth game, McNamara removed Red Sox ace Roger ClemensRoger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
in the eighth inning despite the fact that Clemens was still pitching well. Both parties have different stories regarding Clemens's departure. According to Clemens, he did not want to leave the game, but McNamara insisted that Clemens asked to be taken out because he had a blister
Blister
A blister is a small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin, typically caused by forceful rubbing , burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled with a clear fluid called serum or plasma...
on his pitching hand. McNamara was also criticized for pinch-hitting Clemens with rookie Mike Greenwell
Mike Greenwell
Michael Lewis Greenwell is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox . He briefly played a few games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan , before retiring. Greenwell was nicknamed "The Gator." He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
, who struck out on three pitches, when veteran slugger Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
was also available. McNamara's move was further questioned in light of the relatively poor performances of closer Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Drew Schiraldi is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the losing pitcher of Game 6 and Game 7 of the 1986 World Series.-Amateur career:...
and longtime reliever Bob Stanley
Bob Stanley
Robert William "Bob" Stanley is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox.Over his 13-year career, Stanley played only for the Red Sox from 1977-89...
.
Yet, perhaps the decision that McNamara will be most remembered for is his leaving first baseman Bill Buckner
Bill Buckner
William Joseph Buckner is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Despite winning a batting crown in , representing the Chicago Cubs at the All-Star Game the following season and accumulating over 2,700 hits in his twenty-year career, he is best remembered for a fielding error during Game 6...
in the game in the 10th inning rather than removing him for a defensive substitute. McNamara was ridiculed for years afterward for leaving Buckner on the field instead of replacing him with Dave Stapleton, who had previously been used to replace Buckner in late innings for defensive purposes (including Games 1 and 5 of the World Series). He later said, "I felt Buckner deserved to be on the field when we won." The Red Sox players also knew that their manager let sentiment overpower his judgement. Stapleton claimed that "[McNamara] damn well knows that he messed up. And he very well could have cost us the World Series that year."
With Game 7 delayed a day due to rain in New York, McNamara bumped originally-scheduled starting pitcher Oil Can Boyd
Oil Can Boyd
Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , and Texas Rangers .He batted and threw right-handed....
in favor of Bruce Hurst
Bruce Hurst
Bruce Vee Hurst is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is best remembered for his brilliant performance for the Boston Red Sox in the postseason. He was even named World Series M.V.P...
. Hurst was asked to pitch on three days' rest and, despite pitching well for five innings, he visibly tired in the sixth, allowing the Mets to score three runs to tie the game. McNamara once again sent Calvin Schiraldi to relieve Hurst, despite Schiraldi's poor performance in Game 6, and despite the fact that Boyd was well-rested and ready to pitch (In a recent interview with the NY Times, McNamara confirms a account of then pitching coach Bill Fischer that Oil Can Boyd was in fact too drunk for relief work in Game 7). Schiraldi gave up a tie-breaking home run to Ray Knight
Ray Knight
Charles Ray Knight is a former right-handed Major League Baseball third baseman best remembered for his time with the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets...
, the first batter he faced, and ended up surrendering three runs while recording only a single out. The Red Sox would lose the game (8-5) and the series (4-3).
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career managerial record