Duffy Dyer

Don Robert Dyer

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
• School Arizona State University
• High School Cortez High School
• Debut September 21, 1968
• Final Game April 15, 1981
• Born August 15, 1945 in Dayton, OH USA

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Biographical Information

Don "Duffy" Dyer was one of a large group of solid major leaguers to come out of Arizona State University in the 1960s. He attended Cortez High School in Phoenix, AZ where he was the quarterback of the football team, as well as playing basketball and baseball. Dyer put in several years in the 1970s as a backup catcher to Jerry Grote with the New York Mets from 1968 to 1974 and to Manny Sanguillen and Ed Ott with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1975 to 1978. An excellent fielder, he could also hit with occasional power. Dyer also played with the Montreal Expos, where he backed up Gary Carter in 1979, and the Detroit Tigers, where the starting catcher was Lance Parrish in 1980 and 1981.

He hit his first major league homer as a pinch-hitter in the 9th inning of the first game in the history of the Expos, playing for the Mets on April 8, 1969. He caught John Candelaria's no-hitter on August 9, 1976 and led National League catchers in fielding percentage in 1977.

Dyer was the bullpen coach for the Chicago Cubs in 1983. He then managed in the Minnesota Twins chain in 1984-1985 and for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1986 to 1988. He was the Milwaukee Brewers' third base coach from 1989 to 1995, then a coach for the Oakland A's from 1996 to 1998. He returned to managing with the Bluefield Orioles in 1999-2000 and in independent ball in 2001-2002. Dyer scouted for the New York Mets in 2003-2004 and returned to the field as manager of the Erie SeaWolves in 2005-2006. After the 2007 season, Dyer was named minor league catching coordinator for the San Diego Padres.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the New York Mets in 1969

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs
1984	Kenosha Twins	Midwest League	70-68	6th	Minnesota Twins
1985	Kenosha Twins	Midwest League	76-60	3rd	Minnesota Twins	League Champs
1986	El Paso Diablos	Texas League	85-50	1st	Milwaukee Brewers	League Champs
1987	El Paso Diablos	Texas League	75-59	2nd	Milwaukee Brewers	Lost in 1st round
1988	Denver Zephyrs	American Association	72-69	5th	Milwaukee Brewers
1999	Bluefield Orioles	Appalachian League	25-43	8th	Baltimore Orioles
2000	Bluefield Orioles	Appalachian League	31-32	7th	Baltimore Orioles
2001	Bridgeport Bluefish	Atlantic League	66-60	4th	Independent Leagues
2002	Bridgeport Bluefish	Atlantic League	71-55	3rd	Independent Leagues	Lost League Finals
2005	Erie SeaWolves	Eastern League	63-79	11th (t)	Detroit Tigers
2006	Erie SeaWolves	Eastern League	60-81	12th	Detroit Tigers

Related Sites

• Duffy Dyer at the SABR Bio Project