#389 Bill Rigney Manager

Assumed the role of manager over for 17 consecutive seasons serving three franchises...best mark at the time next to Walt Alston....Twins were his 3^rd club....Was a player in NY Giants organization....and regular for a couple of seasons...eventually lost playing and was offered the skipper spot in the Giant’s AAA team in Minneapolis...won the league championship in second year....earned the dugout executive spot for NY Giants 1956....two losing records despite the return of Willie Mays...Went west with the team....More success came with the emergence of young new talent; McCovey, Cepeda, F. Alou....unfairly, despite winning record, was dismissed midseason...took his talents down US Highway 1 to expansion Los Angeles Angels....the typical rocky first year struggles blossomed to an exceptional sophomore season...based on strong pitching finished third with 86 wins....a high point...continued for most of the 1960’s....his 1970 season was the only one to make postseason although the Twins were easily shot down in flames by the Orioles in the ALCS....Breakdown in pitching and injuries eliminated subsequent the 1971 edition of the Twins...fired mid 1972....took on Bay Area scouting...brought back by Giants for 1976....met with very little success with a 74-88 season...A glib and talkative story teller who also suffered stomach ulcers

#576 Leo Durocher

Known as the Leo the Lip…of French Canadian ancestry…caustic with the press and management and certain players…tumultuous personal life, married multiple times …Took his bumps as the new Cubs manager in 1966….Northsiders made a 28 game improvement next year….guided the team to also ran contender status for next 4 seasons….according to a preview guide it was somewhat surprising he was retained after 1971 season…all before that he was known as a competitive, great fielding, fair hitting infielder…Legendary fixture in New York starting with a brief stint with the Yankees 1927, the Dodgers in 1939….During that year he was a regular player in the field….Skippered the Bums thru the war years…was suspended for the year of Jackie Robinson’s debut but was candid in his support of him….Returned the following year but he had already lost favor….a below .500 record resulted in his dismissal....Quickly hired by NY Giants….Spent  8 years in the Polo grounds capturing 2 pennants and WS Championship in 1954….Let go after 1955, Leo starts a series of high profile, yet odd jobs….returns to baseball in 1961 as Dodger coach….After the Cubs let him go midseason 1972, took a gig with Houston for the remainder of the year and the whole of 1973….Enshrined in the Hall of Fame 3 years after his death in 1991.

 

#682 Mike McCormick

One last shot in his third return to the bay area….Not to be, never played again in big league ball*….A holdover the Giants days in New York…was a 50K bonus baby….went from high school to Polo grounds in a week…a start of a career of  two ascendancies…Gradually gained effectiveness peaking in 1960 by winning 15 games and ERA crown…After another season of 200+ innings arm troubles developed…Eventually a trade to Baltimore was made and Mike’s fortunes continued to wane even further resulting in a demotion to AAA Rochester…Traded to Washington for a low minor leaguer and cash…In two years with the Nats, Mike reestablishes himself as a starter albeit on bad teams…His return to the bay, Mike wins the Cy Young award in the sans Koufax year of 1967….His record of 22-8 outpitches future Hall of Famers Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichall…. In 1968 and 1969 McCormick returns to a more natural order in rotation as 3^rd or 4^th starter winning 23 games and losing 24…In 1970 Mike starts to show signs of age and his ERA balloons…mid season trade to NY did not change matters around…released by NY, he picked up by KC….Makes a few appearances in May then released in June…Signed for 1972 by Giants…*spent the year splitting time at AAA Phoenix (Giants) and Hawaii (Padres)….both franchises are baseball’s “I still want to play” retirement homes…went 14-9 combined…played one more year in PCL going 8-14...Career figures, 134 wins, 128 loses, 3.73 ERA with no post season play. 

#777 Hoyt Whilhem

It's something to pitch nearly over the span of 30 years… incredible longevity, which is a signature of the Knuckleballer, if done right…and probably the greatest Knuckleballer of all tiem...  From 1966 to 1972 he was the oldest player in MLB…Also the premier knuckleball reliever of all time.  Hoyt had brief foray as a starter in 1959 and although highly successful (15 wins and the ERA champion he returned to the bullpen within a year…Hoyt is also 5^th in all time game played as a pitcher. ..even at age 45 he second in AL games… Started in 1942 and his career was derailed by WW2....Was wounded in the battle of the Bulge and received a Purple Heart…Returned to the minors after the war and won 107 games before major league debut....Started as a New York Giant....Had his only major league home run in his first AB....431 AB later never had another HR...After NY he then had short stints with the Cardinals, Indians...Career regain momentum wtih the Orioles, White Sox....Was selected in 1969 expansion by KC who dealt him to Angels prior to the 1969 season....This started three consecutive years with two or more teams, including the Braves twice, Cubs, and Dodgers...final season appeared in 16 games with the Dodgers in 1972...That year he also pitched in 8 games for the Dodger's AAA affiliate, the Spokane Indians, where got his last two professional wins....The time elapsed from minor league debut to minor league finale was 29 years.....Almost played until age 50....Holds the all time record for most relief wins (124) and innings (1871) as a relief pitcher...In today's game these records will most likely not ever be broken....  now departed his life a born in 1922, debuted 1952 at age 30, last game in 1972, and died in 2002....HOF