Gene Clines
Gene Clines | |
---|---|
Outfielder | |
Born: San Pablo, California | October 6, 1946|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
June 28, 1970, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
Last MLB appearance | |
May 8, 1979, for the Chicago Cubs | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .277 |
Home runs | 5 |
Runs batted in | 187 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Eugene Anthony Clines (born October 6, 1946) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1970 to 1979, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won four National League Eastern Division titles in five seasons between 1970 and 1974 and, won the World Series in 1971. He also played for the New York Mets, Texas Rangers, and the Chicago Cubs. Clines was the hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs from 2005 to 2006. From 2003 to 2004, he was the team's first base coach before being promoted to hitting coach. He batted and threw right-handed.
Playing career
Clines is a 1966 graduate of Harry Ells High School in Richmond, California. In a 10-season career, Clines posted a .277 batting average with 187 RBI, 71 stolen bases, and five home runs in 870 games.
A fast runner with excellent defensive skills, Clines debuted in 1970 with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a reserve outfielder, hitting .405 (15-for-37) in 31 games in his rookie year. He went to the postseason with Pittsburgh in the 1971, 1972 and 1974 National League Championship Series, winning a World Series ring with the Pirates in 1971. His most productive season came in 1972, when he posted career-highs in average (.334), doubles (15), and triples (6) in 107 games. Clines also played with the New York Mets, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs, and retired during the 1979 campaign and took over the Cubs' first base coaching duties. He had been traded from the Mets to the Rangers for Joe Lovitto on December 12, 1975.[1]
Coaching career
Clines remained with the Cubs as first base coach under manager Bob Kennedy until 1981, then joined the Houston Astros organization as a roving minor league hitting instructor, a position he held through 1987. Later he worked as a hitting coach for Houston in 1988 and spent six seasons as a hitting coach in the American League for the Seattle Mariners (1989–92) and Milwaukee Brewers (1993–94) before start a six-year stint with the San Francisco Giants as a hitting coach and outfield coach (1995–2002), as he guided National League MVP Award winners Jeff Kent (2000) and Barry Bonds (2001 and 2002). During the 2002 World Series with the Giants he wore a microphone for FOX and when Bonds hit his first career World Series home run he screamed, "OH MY GOD!"
In 2003, Clines returned to the Chicago Cubs as their first base coach. He was named hitting coach prior to the 2005 season. 2006 was his 20th season on a major league coaching staff.
In 2007, he assumed the position of outfield and base running coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers system. In 2010, he was promoted to the position of Senior Advisor, Player Development with the Dodgers.
References
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Baseball Library, or Retrosheet
- Chicago Cubs official site
- Living people
- 1946 births
- African-American baseball coaches
- African-American baseball players
- Águilas Cibaeñas players
- Baseball players from California
- Bradenton Explorers players
- Caribbean Series players
- Chicago Cubs coaches
- Chicago Cubs players
- Florida Instructional League Pirates players
- Houston Astros coaches
- Major League Baseball first base coaches
- Major League Baseball hitting coaches
- Major League Baseball outfielders
- Milwaukee Brewers coaches
- New York Mets players
- People from San Pablo, California
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Raleigh Pirates players
- Salem Rebels players
- San Francisco Giants coaches
- Seattle Mariners coaches
- Sportspeople from Richmond, California
- Texas Rangers players
- Tiburones de La Guaira players
- Waterbury Pirates players
- York Pirates players