Earl Weaver
From BR Bullpen
Earl Sidney Weaver
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 7", Weight 175 lb.
- Born August 14, 1930 in St. Louis, MO USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1996
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[edit] Biographical Information
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." - Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver served an exceptionally long apprenticeship in the Baltimore Orioles organization. A minor league second baseman, he began his managerial career in 1956. He was a player-manager for five seasons in the minors, then began his ascent through the Orioles minor league system. During this time he had an 841-697 record and he won three pennants in the minors.
Weaver joined the Orioles' major league coaching staff as first base coach in 1968 and on July 10 he replaced Hank Bauer as manager, a job he held until 1982 and again in 1985 and 1986. He was ejected from 98 games in his managerial career and was once ejected in both halves of a doubleheader. He was known for his long-running feuds with certain umpires, most notably Ron Luciano. He once stated over the public address system, after being ejected from a game by Luciano one more time, that he was "protesting the game because of the umpire's integrity"; that stunt earned him a fine from the American League. He was 1480-1060 (.583) as a major league manager.
Earl Weaver believed that good pitching, fundamentals, and three-run homers were the key to winning baseball games. Weaver and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer were known for having their differences over the years, as Weaver put it by saying: "Jim won 20 percent of my games. I sent him out there 300 times and he'll tell you he'd won them all if I did my job right."
Weaver is also famous for saying "Bad ballplayers make good managers, not the other way around. All I can do is help them be as good as they are."
In 1989, Weaver became manager of the Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2-time ML Manager of the Year Award (1977 & 1979)
- Division Titles: 6 (1969-1971, 1973, 1974 & 1979)
- AL Pennants: 4 (1969-1971 & 1979)
- Managed one World Series Champion with the Baltimore Orioles in 1970
- 100 Wins Seasons as Manager: 5 (1969-1971, 1979 & 1980)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1996
[edit] Quotes
"We've got deep depth."
| Preceded by Hank Bauer | Baltimore Orioles Manager 1968-1982 | Succeeded by Joe Altobelli |
| Preceded by Cal Ripken | Baltimore Orioles Manager 1985-1986 | Succeeded by Cal Ripken |
[edit] Year-by-Year Minor League Managerial Record
[edit] Further Reading
- Thomas Boswell: "Why Baltimore Wins More Games Than Anybody Else", in How Life Imitates the World Series, Penguin Books, New York, 1982, pp. 60-68.
- Thomas Boswell: "The Big Bang Theory and Other Secrets of the Game", in How Life Imitates the World Series, Penguin Books, New York, 1982, pp. 69-78.
- Thomas Boswell: "The Best Manager There Is", in How Life Imitates the World Series, Penguin Books, New York, 1982, pp. 150-157.
- Ted Patterson: "The Baltimore Orioles: Four Decades of Magic from 33rd Street to Camden Yards, Taylor Publishing, Dallas, 2000, pp.84
- Orioles Information And Record Book 2001
[edit] Related Sites
The Southpaw Earl Weaver's profanity-laced tirade on "Manager's Corner"
The Southpaw 1982 Earl Weaver-ump argument with clear audio (3-minute video)
