| Mike Redmond | |
|---|---|
 Redmond with the Minnesota Twins in 2007 | |
| Colorado Rockies – No. 8 | |
| Catcher /Manager /Bench coach | |
| Born: (1971-05-05)May 5, 1971 (age 53) Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 31, 1998, for the Florida Marlins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 2, 2010, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .287 |
| Home runs | 13 |
| Runs batted in | 243 |
| Managerial record | 155–207 |
| Winning % | .428 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| As player As manager As coach
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Michael Patrick Redmond (born May 5, 1971) is an American former professionalbaseballcatcher andmanager. He is currently the bench coach for theColorado Rockies. He played for 13 seasons inMajor League Baseball with theFlorida Marlins,Minnesota Twins, andCleveland Indians. In 864 career games, Redmond recorded abatting average of .287 and accumulated 13home runs, and 243runs batted in (RBI).
Redmond batted and threw right-handed. He made his major league debut on May 31, 1998, and played his final game on July 2, 2010. He was also part of theFlorida Marlins team that won the2003 World Series. Redmond was named the manager of the Marlins on November 1, 2012. After two and a half years, he was fired on May 17, 2015. In 2017, he was then hired by the Colorado Rockies as a coach.
Redmond was born on May 5, 1971, inSeattle, five minutes after hisfraternal twin brother, Patrick Michael.[1][2] His father, Pat Sr., was agrocery store buyer.[2]
Redmond grew up inKirkland, Washington, where he playedLittle League baseball. His family moved toSpokane, Washington, where Mike and his brother attendedGonzaga Preparatory School,[3] graduating in 1989. Mike, a catcher, and Patrick, ashortstop, both played baseball for the Gonzaga Prep baseball team. In his senior season at Gonzaga Prep, Mike had a .300 batting average with three home runs and 21 runs batted in. He set a single-game record forputouts by a catcher with 15, the single-season record forassists with 114.[1]
Both Redmond brothers committed to attendGonzaga University, where they playedcollege baseball for theGonzaga Bulldogs baseball team, when it competed in thePacific-10 Conference (Pac-10), from 1990 through 1993.[1][4] Redmond was named a first team Pac-10 all-conference selection in 1991 and 1992.[5] Redmond was invited toHomestead, Florida, where he participated in theUnited States national baseball team trials for the1992 Summer Olympics.[6]
Undrafted in the1992 Major League Baseball draft, Redmond signed with the Florida Marlins as an undraftedfree agent on August 18, 1992.[7] He made his professional debut inminor league baseball with theKane County Cougars of theClass AMidwest League in 1993, and also played for the Cougars in 1994.[8] He was promoted to theBrevard County Manatees of theClass A-AdvancedFlorida State League in 1994, and thePortland Sea Dogs of theClass AAEastern League in 1995. After playing with Portland in 1996, he was promoted to theCharlotte Knights of theClass AAAInternational League in 1997. Redmond had shoulder surgery in 1997, and was presented the option of playing for Portland or remaining with the organization as acoach. Redmond opted to continue playing, returning to Portland in 1998.[2]
Redmond made his Major League debut with Florida on May 31, 1998, against theMilwaukee Brewers, receiving the opportunity after the Marlins tradedCharles Johnson andMike Piazza.[2] In his first career game, Redmond went 3-for-3, and hit his first major league home run in the sixth inning off Brewers pitcherScott Karl. Despite his efforts, the Marlins lost 7–6.[9] Redmond hit .331 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 37 games that year for the Marlins.[10] He played with the Marlins as a backup catcher, often sharing time with Johnson,Jorge Fábregas, andPaul Bako. In 2002, Redmond posted career-highs in both batting average (.305) and games played (89).[10] In the following season, he served as the backup toIván Rodríguez,[3] as the Marlins won the 2003 World Series. When the Marlins fell into aslump in 2003, he would takebatting practice wearing onlybatting gloves, socks, and shoes.[11][12][13]
In 2004, with Rodríguez signing with theDetroit Tigers, Redmond split catching duties withRamón Castro.[14] However, he got injured early into the season when, while running the bases, his left pinky finger was spiked byMarcus Giles, resulting in a chipped fracture.[15] Redmond finished the 2004 season batting .256 with two home runs and 25 RBI in 81 games.[10]
On November 24, 2004, Redmond signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract with theMinnesota Twins to backup starting catcherJoe Mauer.[16] His 2005 season ended prematurely due to a tornplantar fascia in his right foot.[17] During the 2006 season, Redmond signed a two-year contract extension with a club option for the 2009 season.[18] He played in 82 games during the 2007 season due to an injury to Mauer,[19] though he continued to play through his own injuries, including a broken finger, bruised shoulder, and stitches in his head.[20] During the 2008 season, Redmond frequently joined Dan Gladden on the Twins Radio Network live broadcasts prior to the game to give his insight from the dugout. After the 2008 season, the Twins exercised an option on Redmond's contract, paying him $950,000 for the 2009 season.[19] He suffered injury in the beginning of the 2009 season in a game against theSeattle Mariners; after escaping unscathed from a hit to the shoulder by a broken bat, Redmond aggravated a groin muscle while attempting to run out a ground ball.[21]
On May 28, 2009, Redmond was ejected from a game for the first time in his career after a furious reaction to a safe call at home plate. The call occurred in a game against theBoston Red Sox that saw both teams have their managers and catchers ejected in the same inning. Redmond successfully relayed anoutfield assist fromJason Kubel and taggedJeff Bailey out just before he reached home plate—which subsequent replays confirmed—but home plate umpireTodd Tichenor ruled that Bailey was safe. Redmond then got into a face-to-face argument with Tichenor, which led to his ejection.[22] Tichenor also ejected Twins managerRon Gardenhire for defending Redmond, before subsequently throwing bothTerry Francona andJason Varitek out for an unrelated matter.[23]
The Twins let Redmond leave after the 2009 season, opting to useDrew Butera andJosé Morales as their backup catchers.[24] On January 15, 2010, Redmond signed a one-year contract with a guaranteed salary of $850,000 to play for theCleveland Indians.[25] The Indians credited Redmond with helpingFausto Carmona have a strong start to the 2010 season.[26] He committed anerror on May 23, 2010, which was his first error since July 22, 2004. The 253-game streak without an error set a new MLB record, bestingMike Matheny's 252 consecutive errorless games from 2002 to 2004.[27] However, Redmond batted .206 with 5 RBI in 22 games,[10] and wasdesignated for assignment on July 10, 2010, to make room on the 40-man roster forcatcher/outfielderChris Gimenez.[28] Redmond had only played in three games since June 8, and the Indians wanted to develop their younger players.[29] On July 16, 2010, Redmond was released by the Indians.[30]
Redmond retired on October 4, 2010.[31] In 2011, Redmond managed theLansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League, the Class A affiliate of theToronto Blue Jays. The Lugnuts had their best record in team history under Redmond, and reached the league finals.[32] He was namedMidwest League Manager of the Year.[5] In 2012, he managed theDunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League, the Blue Jays' Class A-Advanced affiliate.[33]
On November 1, 2012, Redmond was named manager of the Miami Marlins,[34] and given a three-year deal.[35] After the conclusion of the 2014 season, Redmond got a contract extension until 2017.[36]
After struggling to start the 2015 season, rumors indicated that Marlins' ownerJeffrey Loria, was considering firing Redmond.[37][38] The Marlins fired Redmond on May 17, just under an hour after the Marlins lost to the Braves, leaving the team at 16–22 on the season.[39][40]
On November 16, 2016, Redmond was hired as the bench coach for theColorado Rockies.[41]
| Team | From | To | Regular season record | Post–season record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | Win % | W | L | Win % | |||
| Miami Marlins | 2013 | 2015 | 155 | 207 | .428 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Total | 155 | 207 | .428 | 0 | 0 | – | ||
As a catcher, Redmond was known for his skill in calling the right pitches for the pitcher to throw. He was also noted for his veteran leadership and clubhouse presence.[19] He was also known for his defensive ability. He caughtR. A. Dickey andDennis Springer, who all threw aknuckleball, considered a difficult pitch to catch.[42] Redmond is tied for fourth in careerfielding percentage as a catcher, finishing with 99.6%.[43]
In 1999, Redmond won the Charlie Hough Good Guy Award. He was inducted into the Unum Portland Sea Dogs Hall of Fame in 2010, primarily because of the stellar defensive skills he exemplified during his tenure with the team and in the major leagues. However, Redmond could not attend the induction ceremony due to his family commitments.[7]
Mike and his wife Michele (née Rowe) have two sons, Ryan and Michael.[2] They live inSpokane, Washington.[3]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Colorado RockiesBench Coach 2017– | Succeeded by Incumbent |
