Andy Etchebarren
From BR Bullpen
Andrew Auguste Etchebarren
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 197 lb.
- Debut September 26, 1962
- Final Game April 20, 1978
- Born June 20, 1943 in Whittier, CA USA
Contents |
[edit] Playing Career
Andy Etchebarren had a long career in the majors, playing no position other than catcher in his 15 seasons. All of his career was in the American League, and most of it was with the Baltimore Orioles, who won the 1966 World Series and 1970 World Series as well as being in the 1969 World Series and 1971 World Series.
The Basque-American broke in at age 19, one of the youngest players in the league, and was named to the All-Star team in 1966 and 1967, when he was 23 and 24 years old. Etchebarren suffered broken right metacarpals in both 1966 and 1968. When Clay Dalrymple joined the Orioles in 1969, he got Andy to switch mitts and avoid reaching in with his right hand while receiving.
Etchebarren and his platoon partner Elrod Hendricks both excelled when it came to working with the great Baltimore pitching staffs. His lifetime batting average of .235 seems low until one realizes that it was compiled during the heart of the second dead-ball era. For example in 1968, when he hit .233, the team average was .225, the league average was .230, and the Orioles won 91 games.
The California Angels purchased the contract of Etchebarren from the Orioles in early 1975. He was a player/coach with the 1977 California Angels before playing 4 games with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1978.
He also knew how to draw a walk, with a lifetime on-base percentage that was 71 points higher than his batting average.
There is a story that he once saved Frank Robinson's life in 1966, during Frank's Triple Crown year. Robinson was attending a lively party and fell into the pool but didn't know how to swim, so Etchebarren pulled him out.
[edit] Coaching Career
Etchebarren returned to coaching in 1982, as he became the Brewers minor league catching instructor, a position he held until 1984. He was promoted to the Brewers big league club, as he was named the first base coach in 1985, a position he held until 1986. Etchebarren later became the bench coach under manager Tom Trebelhorn from 1987 to 1988, where he worked with then Brewers catcher B.J. Surhoff.
Etchebarren became manager of the Bluefield Orioles in 1993, leading them to a first place tie. He led the Bluefield Orioles to a second place finish in 1994. The success continuted in 1995 as Etchebarren led the Orioles back to first place.
Etchebarren was promoted to the Baltimore Orioles to become the bench coach of the Baltimore Orioles, a position he held from 1996 to 1997.
Etchebarren returned to the Bluefield Orioles to become their manager once again in 1998 going 33-34. He was promoted to the A Frederick Keys, where he was their manager for the 1999 season going 67-71. The Orioles promoted Etchebarren once again, naming him the manager of the AA Bowie Baysox where he spent the 2000 season as manager. Once again, Etchebarren was promoted to the AAA Rochester Red Wings, serving as their manager from 2001 to 2002.
The Orioles named Etchebarren their roving minor league catching instructor in 2003, a position he held until 2006.
He once again again returned to managing, as the Orioles named him the 2005 manager of the A Aberdeen Ironbirds. The Orioles fired Etchebarren after the 2007 season.
- First Baseball Card appearance 1966 Topps
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2-time AL All-Star (1966 & 1967)
- Won two World Series with the Baltimore Orioles (1966 & 1970)
[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record
[edit] Sources
- 2007 Orioles Information And Record Book
