Fredi González
Fredi Jesus Gonzalez
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 11", Weight 200 lb.
- High School Miami Southridge High School
- Born January 28, 1964 in Havana, Cuba
Biographical Information[edit]
Catcher Fredi Gonzalez was selected by the New York Yankees in the 16th round of the 1982 amateur draft and spent six seasons in their organization.
In 1988 he joined the University of Tennessee as an assistant coach.
He gained his first managerial experience with the independent Miami Miracle in 1990 after beginning the year as the Miracle's pitching coach, and later went on to a long career as a manager in the Florida Marlins organization. He was a Marlins third base coach from 1999 to May 29, 2001 when he became the Marlin's bench coach for the remainder of the season. Gonzalez managed the Richmond Braves in 2002, and was third base coach of the Atlanta Braves from 2003 to 2006. Gonzalez returned to the Marlins as the team's manager for the 2007 season, replacing Joe Girardi. He led the Marlins to winning records in 2008 and 2009 and oversaw the development of young players such as SS Hanley Ramírez, OF Chris Coghlan and P Josh Johnson.
In May 2010, González got into a feud with star shortstop Ramírez after Ramírez failed to hustle on a defensive play. Ramírez said that he had no respect for González, as the skipper had never played in the majors; Hanley was removed from the lineup for one game due to the dispute. A month later, on June 23, Gonzalez was fired with the team in 4th place with a record of 34-36.
As soon as Gonzalez was fired by the Marlins, rumors started circulating that he was the top candidate to succeed Bobby Cox after the season, given the Atlanta Braves skipper had announced before the season that it would be his last year at the helm. He had quite a bit of success in the regular season in his first three years with the Braves: after just missing the postseason in 2011, they were one of two NL wild card teams in 2012 and won a division title in 2013, winning 94 and 96 games those last two years. They were less successful in the postseason, however, losing the 2012 Wild Card Game to the St. Louis Cardinals and the 2013 NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the team's performance was good enough that team management granted him a contract extension prior to the 2014 season.
On March 31, 2014, Gonzalez became the first manager to successfully challenge an umpire's call under the newly expanded video review rule. He asked for a review of umpire Greg Gibson's safe call at first base on baserunner Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers and was proved correct by the replay. The Braves finished second in the NL East that year, but well out of first place, and were actually caught by the New York Mets in the season's last days. The team was completely re-hauled for the 2015 season, and no one was sure how they would perform. They did well in the first half, playing .500 through their first 81 games, which led to Gonzalez being extended until the end of the 2016 season. However, they completely collapsed in the second half, and then started the 2016 season playing very poorly, putting Gonzalez's future with the team in doubt. Indeed, on May 17th, he paid the price for his team's horrendous start, being fired with a 9-28 record. He was replaced on an interim basis by Brian Snitker, manager of the AAA Gwinnett Braves.
In 2017, he returned to the now Miami Marlins to become the third base coach under manager Don Mattingly, staying until the end of the 2019 season. In 2020, he moved to the Baltimore Orioles to become the de facto bench coach under manager Brandon Hyde, although he simply had the title of "coach". He did receive the bench coach title before the 2022 season and kept it through 2024.
Gonzalez also has experience working in fall and winter leagues. In 1995/1996 he was the hitting coach for Leones de Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League. In 1998 he managed the Sun Cities Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League.
Gonzalez was born in Cuba, but moved to the United States as a two-year-old.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- Division Titles: 1 (2013)
- Other Postseason Appearances: 1 (2012 - Wild Card)
| Preceded by Joe Girardi |
Florida Marlins Manager 2007-2010 |
Succeeded by Edwin Rodriguez |
| Preceded by Bobby Cox |
Atlanta Braves Manager 2011-2016 |
Succeeded by Brian Snitker |
Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]
Further Reading[edit]
- Bob Nightengale: "Braves discussing whether to fire Fredi Gonzalez, eye Bud Black", USA Today Sports, May 4, 2016. [1]
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