From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Salvatore Altobelli (born May 26, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American former player, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. In 1983, he succeeded Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver as field boss of the Baltimore Orioles and led the team to their sixth American League pennant and their third (and most recent) World Series championship.
As a player, Altobelli was a slugging first baseman and outfielder who enjoyed his greatest success at the AAA level. He batted only .210 in 166 games for the Cleveland Indians (1955, 1957) and Minnesota Twins (1961), with five home runs and 28 runs batted in. However, he was frequently in the double-digits in homers as an AAA player. As a member of the Montreal Royals, he led the 1960 International League (IL) in homers (31) and RBI (105). He batted and threw left-handed.
In 1966, Altobelli began an 11-year apprenticeship as a manager in the Baltimore farm system, culminating in six seasons (1971-1976) managing the Rochester Red Wings of the IL. During his tenure, the Red Wings finished first four times. In 1977, Altobelli got his first big league managing job, leading the San Francisco Giants. Although his 1978 club finished 16 games above .500 and in third place in the National League West Division, Altobelli was dismissed in 1979, his third season, with a mark of only 225-239 (.485) as Giants' manager.
He then joined the New York Yankees as manager of their AAA farm club, the Columbus Clippers. After another first-place IL finish in 1980, Altobelli became a Yankees coach in 1981-1982, working under Gene Michael, Bob Lemon and Clyde King.
Before the 1983 season, he was named the surprise successor to Weaver, finishing a legendary, 14½-season career as Baltimore's manager. Altobelli rose to the occasion, leading the O's to 98 wins, the AL East championship, then a three-games-to-one triumph over the Chicago White Sox in the American League Championship Series. The Orioles then dominated the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1983 World Series, winning in five games.
The Orioles fell to fifth in the AL East in 1984, despite playing eight games over .500. In May 1985, when they continued to tread water at 29-26, Altobelli was let go. Weaver came out of retirement, but of 105 games under his command, Baltimore won only 53.
Altobelli then returned to coaching. He worked with the Yankees again (1986-1987), then served under Don Zimmer with the Chicago Cubs from 1988-1991, and filled in as interim manager when Zimmer was fired in 1991 until eventually replaced by Jim Essian. He then returned to Rochester and took over as general manager of the Red Wings in 1991, a position he held for three years. Now retired from that position, he continues to live in Rochester and serves as color commentator on Red Wings home-game broadcasts.
His career Major League managing record is 437-407 (.518).
Joe married Patsy Ruth Wooten on May 3, 1952, and they had six children: Mike, Mark, Jody, Jackie, Jerry and Joe.
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Baltimore Orioles managers |
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