Leo Mazzone is not going anywhere.
That?s the news from the Orioles front office regarding the renowned pitching coach on the same day the team fired manager Sam Perlozzo. Mazzone came to Baltimore specifically to work with Perlozzo, his childhood friend.
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Questions lingered for weeks whether Mazzone would follow Perlozzo out the door should the Orioles relieve him of his duties.
“Leo plans to stay, and we talked with all the coaches at length,” said Mike Flanagan, Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations. “They expressed their disappointment. Leo believes in this pitching staff, he is excited to see it go forward and he feels like we can turn this around. He was fine with it all; disappointed for his friend, but on the professional side, very excited about the staff.”
Mazzone pulled into the players’ parking lot outside of the ballpark around 2 p.m. Monday, and denied reporters an interview with a short, “Nope.”
Mazzone, 58, spent the previous 15 1/2 seasons in Atlanta, working under manager Bobby Cox, the only other manager he has worked with in the major leagues. While there, Mazzone’s pitching staffs finished in the top-two in the National League in earned run average in 12 of his last 14 seasons. And in 13 of his 15 seasons with the club, Mazzone’s pitchers sported ERAs less than 4.00. Mazzone ? who began with Cox in Atlanta on June 22, 1990 ? oversaw six Cy Young Award winners, nine 20-game winners and 10 separate NL All-Stars.
The Orioles hired him prior to the 2006 season, shortly after they introduced Perlozzo as the club’s manager. Under Mazzone in 2006, Orioles pitchers went 70-92 with a cumulative 5.35 ERA. Erik Bedard led the club with 15 wins and 171 strikeouts over 196.1 innings.
Through 69 games this season, O’s pitchers are 29-40 with a cumulative 4.27 ERA.
THE MAZZONE FILE
» Age: 58
» Birthplace: Keyser, W.Va.
» Residence: Atlanta
» Experience: 18 seasons as MLB coach
» Did you know? Mazzone managed in the minor leagues for four seasons, compiling a 183-148 (.553) record at two different stops between 1976-1979. ? Mazzone compiled a 53-56 record with a 3.77 ERA in 274 minor league games over nine seasons.
