Pat Corrales
Patrick Corrales
(Ike)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
- High School Fresno High School
- Debut August 2, 1964
- Final Game September 21, 1973
- Born March 20, 1941 in Los Angeles, CA USA
- Died August 27, 2023 in Big Canoe, GA USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Pat Corrales was a "good field, no hit" catcher who played nine seasons in the major leagues. In an even 300 games, he hit only .216/.291/.276 with four homers. He was never a regular, earning most playing time as a rookie with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1965 by playing 63 games with 174 at-bats. Despite his limited playing time, he was named to the 1965 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. He was a backup to Hall of Famer Johnny Bench on the Cincinnati Reds from 1968 to 1972 and played briefly in the 1970 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. In 1965, he twice reached base two times in a game because of catcher's interference. This is particularly remarkable because those are two of the only seven times this has happened in major league history.
After his playing career, Corrales became a Texas Rangers coach in 1976 and took over as the club's manager in the final game of the 1978 season. He guided the team for two more years. He was skipper of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1982 and 1983 and the Cleveland Indians from 1983 to 1987. The Phillies were in first place in a tight NL East race when they fired Corrales and replaced him with front office executive Paul Owens on July 18; Owens led them to the World Series. For his part, Corrales finished the season in last place, managing the Indians. He therefore has the unique distinction of managing first place and last place teams in the same season. With the Indians, he managed to lead the team to a rare winning season in 1986 (although the team was still only 5th in the tough AL East). This ratcheted expectations for 1987 sky high: in spring training, Sports Illustrated published a cover with a picture of the team and the headline "Best Team in the Majors?" When the Indians regressed to mediocrity, he was fired at the All-Star break.
After managing the Detroit Tigers' AAA affiliate in 1988, he was a New York Yankees coach in 1989, and from 1990 to 2006 he was a member of the Atlanta Braves staff, all under manager Bobby Cox. He was rumored to be Cox's heir apparent in Atlanta, but Cox outlasted him. In 2007, he joined the Washington Nationals as bench coach for two seasons. He came back in 2009, when his successor, Jim Riggleman was promoted to skipper mid-year, and a third time in 2011, after Davey Johnson succeeded Riggleman as manager, also in midseason.
Notable Achievements[edit]
| Preceded by Billy Hunter |
Texas Rangers Manager 1978-1980 |
Succeeded by Don Zimmer |
| Preceded by Dallas Green |
Philadelphia Phillies Manager 1982-1983 |
Succeeded by Paul Owens |
| Preceded by Mike Ferraro |
Cleveland Indians Manager 1983-1987 |
Succeeded by Doc Edwards |
Year-By-Year Managerial Record[edit]
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Alexandria Aces | Texas League | 58-72 | 7th | San Diego Padres | ||
| 1978 | Texas Rangers | American League | 1-0 | 2nd | Texas Rangers | replaced Billy Hunter (86-75) on October 1 | |
| 1979 | Texas Rangers | American League | 83-79 | 3rd | Texas Rangers | ||
| 1980 | Texas Rangers | American League | 76-85 | 4th | Texas Rangers | ||
| 1982 | Philadelphia Phillies | National League | 89-73 | 2nd | Philadelphia Phillies | ||
| 1983 | Philadelphia Phillies | National League | 43-42 | -- | Philadelphia Phillies | replaced by Paul Owens on July 18 | |
| Cleveland Indians | American League | 30-32 | 7th | Cleveland Indians | replaced Mike Ferraro (40-60) on July 31 | ||
| 1984 | Cleveland Indians | American League | 75-87 | 6th | Cleveland Indians | ||
| 1985 | Cleveland Indians | American League | 60-102 | 7th | Cleveland Indians | ||
| 1986 | Cleveland Indians | American League | 84-78 | 5th | Cleveland Indians | ||
| 1987 | Cleveland Indians | American League | 31-56 | -- | Cleveland Indians | replaced by Doc Edwards on July 13 | |
| 1988 | Toledo Mud Hens | International League | 58-84 | 8th | Detroit Tigers |
Further Reading[edit]
- Paul Newberry (The Associated Press): "Former big league manager, coach, catcher Pat Corrales dies at 82", Yahoo! Sports, August 28, 2023. [1]
- James Ray: "Pat Corrales", in Mel Marmer and Bill Nowlin, eds.: The Year of Blue Snow: The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2013, pp. 75-78. ISBN 978-1-933599-51-9
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