| Rene Lachemann | |
|---|---|
 Lachemann as a first base coach for theColorado Rockies in 2013 | |
| Catcher /Manager | |
| Born: (1945-05-04)May 4, 1945 (age 80) Los Angeles, California, US | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 4, 1965, for the Kansas City Athletics | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 8, 1968, for the Oakland Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .210 |
| Home runs | 9 |
| Runs batted in | 33 |
| Managerial record | 428–560 |
| Winning % | .433 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| As player As manager As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Rene George Lachemann (born May 4, 1945) is an American former professionalbaseballcoach,catcher andmanager. He spent 53 years inMajor League Baseball (MLB), including service as the manager of theSeattle Mariners (1981–83),Milwaukee Brewers (1984), and theFlorida Marlins (1993–96).
Born in Los Angeles and the son of a hotel chef, Lachemann is the youngest of three brothers to enjoy long careers in professional baseball:Marcel Lachemann is a member of theLos Angeles Angels' front office and a formerpitcher, coach and manager in the Major Leagues, andBill is a longtime manager and instructor in the Angels'farm system. Rene served as abatboy for theLos Angeles Dodgers from 1959 to 1962, graduated fromDorsey High School, and attended theUniversity of Southern California.[1] He signed a bonus contract with theKansas City Athletics in 1964, where he joined other young players such asTony La Russa andDave Duncan, with whom he would have a lasting professional association.
Lachemann, a 6-foot (1.83 m), 198 lb (90 kg) right-handed hitter, played only one full season in the major leagues,batting .227 in1965 with ninehome runs and 29runs batted in and appearing in 92games.[2] He played briefly—in 26 total games—for the A's in1966 and1968, but spent the rest of his playing career inminor league baseball. His major league batting average was .210 in 281at bats.[2]
Lachemann began managing in theOakland Athletics' farm system in1973, and switched to the Seattle organization five years later. On May 6,1981, Lachemann was promoted fromTriple-ASpokane to succeedMaury Wills as the M's manager.[3] But during the equivalent of almost two full seasons, Seattle was 140–180 (.438) and in the midst of an eight-game losing streak when Lachemann was fired on June 25,1983, and replaced byDel Crandall.[4][5] He returned the following year as manager of the contendingMilwaukee Brewers,[6] but the club collapsed to 67–94 (.416), last in theAmerican LeagueEast, and he was fired with three games remaining to be played, though he was allowed to complete the season with the Brewers.[7]
Lachemann was a major league coach for the next eight seasons, underJohn McNamara with theBoston Red Sox (1985–86) and La Russa with theOakland Athletics (1987–92). He was the third-base coach with Boston's1986 American League champions and the Athletics during their three consecutive (1988–90)American League pennants, and their1989 World Series championship.
Due to his success with the Athletics, on October 23, 1992, he became the expansion Marlins’ first manager when they entered theNational League at the outset of the1993 season.[8][9] He was chosen over candidates such as former major league managersBill Virdon andJimy Williams, and also was a finalist for the managerial job with theTexas Rangers, who hiredKevin Kennedy.[9]
The Marlins were 64–98 (.395) in their inaugural season, good for sixth place in the NL East while being five games better than theNew York Mets. In the strike-shortened season of1994, they went 51–64 (.443) for a fifth-place finish. Florida improved to 67–76 (.469) and a fourth-place ranking thefollowing year. For1996, the team was playing slightly below average, being 39–47 (.453) by the time of theAll-Star break. On July 7, Lachemann and hitting coachJose Morales were fired.[10] Lachemann was replaced byJohn Boles, a front-office executive for the Marlins at the time (Cookie Rojas was the interim manager for one game). General managerDave Dombrowski described the move as an "extremely difficult decision to make at this time," citing the team's play as the reason for the change. Lachemann described his biggest regret that he would not be around to see the team win.[11] As the Marlins' manager, Lachemann compiled a 221–285 (.437) record.[12] The next year, the Marlins won theWorld Series.[13]
He returned to the coaching ranks the following season, on La Russa's staff with theSt. Louis Cardinals,[14] then coached for theChicago Cubs and the Mariners, before returning to Oakland in2005 for three years as bench coach and third base coach.[15] His contract was not renewed after2007 and he joined theColorado Rockies' organization in2008. Lachemann served through2012 as hitting coach for theirTriple-A affiliateColorado Springs, then was added to the Rockies' MLB staff in2013 by managerWalt Weiss, a former Oaklandshortstop.[16] He worked under Weiss for four seasons, until the Rockies changed managers at the close of2016.[17]
Including a one-game stint as interim manager of the2002 Cubs, Lachemann's major league managing record was 428–560 (.433).[12]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| SEA | 1981 | 33 | 15 | 18 | .455 | 6th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
| 52 | 23 | 29 | .442 | 5th in AL West | ||||||
| SEA | 1982 | 162 | 76 | 86 | .469 | 4th in AL West | – | – | – | – |
| SEA | 1983 | 73 | 26 | 47 | .356 | (fired) | – | – | – | – |
| SEA total | 320 | 140 | 180 | .438 | – | – | – | – | ||
| MIL | 1984 | 161 | 67 | 94 | .416 | 7th in AL East | – | – | – | – |
| MIL total | 161 | 67 | 94 | .416 | – | – | – | – | ||
| FLA | 1993 | 162 | 64 | 98 | .395 | 6th in NL East | – | – | – | – |
| FLA | 1994 | 115 | 51 | 64 | .443 | 5th in NL East | Postseason canceled | |||
| FLA | 1995 | 143 | 67 | 76 | .469 | 4th in NL East | – | – | – | – |
| FLA | 1996 | 86 | 39 | 47 | .453 | (fired) | – | – | – | – |
| FLA total | 506 | 221 | 285 | .437 | – | – | – | – | ||
| CHC* | 2002 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | (interim) | – | – | – | – |
| CHC total | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total[12] | 988 | 428 | 560 | .433 | – | – | – | – | ||
· Baseball Almanac| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Spokane Indiansmanager 1979–1981 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Seattle Marinersmanager 1981–1983 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Milwaukee Brewersmanager 1984 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Boston Red Soxthird base coach 1985–1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Oakland Athleticsfirst base coach 1987–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Oakland Athleticsthird base coach 1989–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Franchise established | Florida Marlinsmanager 1993–1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | St. Louis Cardinalsthird base coach 1997–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chicago Cubsbench coach 2000–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chicago Cubsmanager 2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Seattle Marinersbench coach 2003–2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Oakland Athleticsbench coach 2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Oakland Athleticsfirst base coach 2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Oakland Athleticsthird base coach 2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Colorado Rockiesfirst base coach 2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Colorado Rockiescatching coach 2014–2016 | Succeeded by None |