Clyde King

This article is about the MLB pitcher and manager. For the 1920 American Olympic gold medalist, see Clyde King (rower).

Clyde King
Pitcher / Coach / Manager / General Manager
Born: (1924-05-23)May 23, 1924 Goldsboro, North Carolina
Died: November 2, 2010(2010-11-02) (aged 86) Goldsboro, North Carolina
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 21, 1944, for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Last MLB appearance
September 27, 1953, for the Cincinnati Redlegs
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	32–25
Earned run average	4.14
Strikeouts	150
Managerial record	234–229
Winning %	.505
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
As Player Brooklyn Dodgers (1944–1945, 1947–1948, 1951–1952) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953) As Manager San Francisco Giants (1969–1970) Atlanta Braves (1974–1975) New York Yankees (1982) As Coach Cincinnati Reds (1959) Pittsburgh Pirates (1965–1967) New York Yankees (1978, (1981–1982, 1988) As General Manager New York Yankees (1985–1986)

Clyde Edward King (May 23, 1924 – November 2, 2010) was an American pitcher, coach, manager, general manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball. King, whose career in baseball spanned over 60 years, was perhaps best known for his longtime role as a special baseball advisor to George Steinbrenner, late owner of the New York Yankees. During his on-field career he managed the San Francisco Giants (1969–70), Atlanta Braves (1974–75) and Yankees (part of 1982), finishing with a career record of 234 wins and 229 defeats (.505).

Career

Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, King attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 175 lb (79 kg) right-handed pitcher, he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers at age 20 in 1944, his first professional season, during the manpower shortage caused by World War II. Although King would be sent to the minor leagues for seasoning after the war, he proved to be a solid member of the Brooklyn pitching staff (1944–45, 1947–48, 1951–52), winning 14 games for the 1951 Dodgers. When he finished his Major League career with the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1953, King had appeared in an even 200 games, winning 32 and losing 25 with an earned run average of 4.14.

Before becoming a Major League manager, he managed several higher-level minor league clubs, including the Atlanta Crackers, Hollywood Stars, Phoenix Giants, Columbus Jets and Rochester Red Wings, and served as a pitching coach for the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was inducted in the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

King joined the Yankees' front office in 1976 and played a number of key roles for almost 30 years—super scout, pitching coach, general manager and special advisor, in addition to managing them for the final 62 games of 1982. Replacing Gene Michael, he won 29 games and lost 33 as the defending American League champions fell to fifth place in the AL East division.

Personal

King died in his native Goldsboro at the age of 86, survived by his wife Norma, their three daughters and sons-in-law, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Branch Rickey's Last Protege: Clyde King, by Jerry Green, Baseball Digest, June 1969
• Clyde King at Find a Grave
• News article
• Photo