Bill Plummer
William Francis Plummer
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 200 lb.
- School Shasta College
- High School Anderson Union High School
- Debut April 19, 1968
- Final Game September 7, 1978
- Born March 21, 1947 in Oakland, CA USA
- Died March 12, 2024 in Redding, CA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
"I've always wondered how Bill would do if he played two months straight. He's a physical fitness nut, and if hard work means anything, he would do all right." - Pete Rose, July 1977
Bill Plummer's playing career lasted from 1965 to 1979, including 892 ML at-bats spread out over 10 seasons. He was a player/coach with the Spokane Indians in 1979. He was a back-up catcher during his playing days, serving as Johnny Bench's back-up with the Cincinnati Reds during the heyday of the Big Red Machine.
Plummer managed in the Seattle Mariners' farm system in 1980-1981 and 1984-mid 1988. He was the bullpen coach of the Mariners in 1982 and 1983 and the 3rd base coach from mid-1988 to 1991. He then managed the Mariners in 1992. They had a very disappointing season that year, coming close to losing 100 games, and he was dismissed at the end of the season, to be replaced by Lou Piniella.
After being the Colorado Rockies' bullpen coach in 1993 and 1994, Plummer managed the Jacksonville Suns in the Detroit Tigers' chain in 1995 and part of 1996. Moving to the independent leagues, Plummer managed in the Western Baseball League from 1997 to 2001. He managed in the Arizona Diamondbacks' chain from 2002 to 2008 and in 2009 became the Diamondbacks' Minor League Catching Coordinator, a position he held through 2012 before returning to the dugout as a manager, a final season at the helm of the Visalia Rawhide in 2013. He resumed catching coordinator duties after the year until 2017, and currently works as hitting and catching coach for the summer league Redding Colt 45s.
He managed the Wausau Timbers to a Midwest League Championship in 1981 and the Caracas Leones to a Venezuelan Winter League Championship in 1987. he was the 1999 Western League Manager of the Year and the 2002 California League Manager of the Year.
Plummer's father, William L. Plummer, was a minor league pitcher from 1921 to 1927, and his uncle, Earl "Red" Baldwin, was a minor league catcher from 1915 to 1931. His father and Baldwin were teammates in 1924-1925. Bill's grandson, Conner Menez, made his big league debut with the San Francisco Giants in July 2019.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- Won two World Series with the Cincinnati Reds (1975 & 1976; he played in neither World Series)
| Preceded by Jim Lefebvre |
Seattle Mariners Manager 1992 |
Succeeded by Lou Piniella |
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