Buck Rodgers

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Buck Rodgers bigraphy, stories - American baseball player and coach

Buck Rodgers : biography

August 16, 1938 –

Robert LeRoy "Buck" Rodgers (born August 16, 1938) is a former catcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he helmed three major league teams: the Milwaukee Brewers (1980–82), Montreal Expos (1985–91) and California Angels (1991–1994), compiling a career won-lost mark of 784–773 (.504).

Managerial statistics

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
MIL 1980 39 31 .557 3rd in AL East
MIL 1981 62 47 .569 1st in AL East 2 3 .400 Lost to New York Yankees
MIL 1982 23 24 .489 5th in AL East
MON 1985 84 77 .522 3rd in NL East
MON 1986 78 83 .484 4th in NL East
MON 1987 91 71 .562 3rd in NL East
MON 1988 81 81 .500 3rd in NL East
MON 1989 81 81 .500 4th in NL East
MON 1990 85 77 .525 3rd in NL East
MON 1991 20 29 .408 6th in NL East
CAL 1991 20 18 .526 7th in AL West
CAL 1992 33 40 .452 5th in AL West
CAL 1993 71 91 .438 5th in AL West
CAL 1994 16 24 .400 4th in AL West
Total 784 774 .503 2 3 .400

Playing career

Rodgers graduated from Prospect High School in 1956 and was a star basketball player as well scoring over 1,700 points in his career and averaging 25 points per game over his Junior and Senior seasons with a high of 55 in 1956. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University and Ohio Northern University. As a player, he signed his first professional contract with the Detroit Tigers and was selected by the Angels in the 1960 MLB Expansion Draft. 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 average with 31 home runs in 932 games. As a player, Rodgers caught Bo Belinsky’s no-hitter on May 5, 1962.http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1962/B05050LAA1962.htm

Managerial career

In between his playing and managing careers, Rodgers served as a coach for the Minnesota Twins (1970–74), San Francisco Giants (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.