Joe Kerrigan

From SoSH

Contents 1 Playing Career 2 Coaching Career (Part 1) 3 Managerial Career 4 Coaching Career (part 2) 5 Kerrigan's Moments in the Sun 6 Managerial Record 7 Trivia 8 Transactions 9 External Links

Playing Career

Joe was drafted out of Temple in the Winter 1974 Draft by the Montreal Expos, and started his playing career later that year in Kinston of the Carolina League. The next season would see him jump first to West Palm Beach of the Florida State League and later make his way to Canada, playing in Quebec City of the Eastern League. He would jump to AAA Denver to start the 1976 season, before being called up to Montreal to begin his Major League Career.

He was a part of the pen in Montreal for the rest of the 1976 and all of the 1977 season, before being traded in December of 1977 to the Baltimore Orioles. His move to the American League was a wake up call, as he posted an ERA of nearly 5, and he spent all of the 1979 season in Rochester of the International League. He spent 1980 in Rochester as well, being called up by Baltimore to play in one game.

He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the 1980 offseason, but it appears he hung up his playing spikes at that point.

Final Stats: 8-12, 15 Saves, 3.89 ERA

Coaching Career (Part 1)

Joe rejoined the Montreal Expos in 1983, becoming the teams Bullpen Coach. He remained there until the 1987 season, when he went down to the minors to be a pitching coach. He was in the minors for 5 years (and 3 different teams), before being called up by Dan Duquette in 1992 to be the Pitching Coach for the Expos. He would stay in that position for 5 seasons, before rejoining Dan Duquette in Boston. With Pedro Martinez joining Joe in 1998, Sox Pitching would dominate the American League stats. Joe, along with Manager Jimy Williams, was considered a master of the pitching change, showing a knack of exactly when to pull a pitcher and bring in a new one.

Managerial Career

In August, 2001, Jimy Williams was fired and Joe Kerrigan was tapped to replace him. The team was on an awful streak (having lost 6 of 7 and 9 of 14), and was awash in injuries. Joe started career off in fine fashion, winning his first game and winning six of his first 9. But, then the situation changed. Nomar Garciaparra reinjured himself and was lost for the season. The team lost a heartbreaking 18 inning game at Texas on a Saturday Night, and then losing the Sunday game. The next 12 scheduled games were against the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees, both of whom would go on to the 2001 playoffs. Despite some really good pitching from a beleagured staff, the offense (missing Nomar, Jason Varitek, Brian Daubach... and with a clearly hobbled Carl Everett) failed to score any runs, and the team would lose the 11 games played before the disaster of 9/11.

With a week off due to the tragedy of 9/11, the team shut the season down, as they shut Pedro Martinez and Everett down, and started playing some of their youngsters. The team would win the final 5 games of the season. Kerrigan ended what would be his only season as Manager with a 17-26 record.

Many have proposed that the changing of the managerial guard doomed this Red Sox team. However, at the time of the change, the team was 5 games back of the Yankees for the AL East, and 2 games back of Oakland for the Wild Card. It would seem to most observers that there best chance at the playoffs was the Wild Card... but Oakland went 34-8 the rest of the way to finish with 102 wins. And with the myriad of Sox injuries, catching the Yankees was going to be near impossible.

2001 Red Sox Review

Joe Kerrigan went to Spring Training of 2002 with a clean slate. It remained clean, as the ownership change finally went through, and immediately replaced Joe Kerrigan with 3rd Base Coach Mike Cubbage on an interim basis. Cubbage would give way a few weeks later to Grady Little.

Coaching Career (part 2)

Kerrigan would sit out 2002 and collect his Red Sox Managerial Paycheck, but rejoined the Coaching track in 2003, becoming Pitching Coach for his hometown Philadelphia Phillies. He would be employed in that capacity for 2 seasons. He started 2005 as a Post Game Analyst/Color Commentator for Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia. However, he would join the Evil Empire midway through the year, becoming a special advisor to the Brian Cashman. He rejoined the coaching staff in 2006, becoming the Yankees Bullpen Coach.

Kerrigan's Moments in the Sun

• On August 16, 2001, Joe was named the 42nd Manager of the Boston Red Sox

Managerial Record

Year    League   Team     Age    G     W    L    WP   Finish
2001 AL East     BostonRS  47    43   17   26   .395      2
     TOTAL                       43   17   26   .395

Trivia

• Won his first two major league games on 9/8/1976, winning both games of a doubleheader against St. Louis Cardinals
• His Son, Joe Jr., was drafted by the Red Sox in the 46th Round of the 1999 Amateur Draft.
• In the first 2 weeks of his Managerial Reign, Shea Hillenbrand walked 7 times. He had walked only 6 times under Jimy Williams.

Transactions

• January 9, 1974: Drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1st round (10th pick) of the 1974 amateur draft.

• December 7, 1977: Traded by the Montreal Expos with Gary Roenicke and Don Stanhouse to the Baltimore Orioles for Rudy May, Randy Miller, and Bryn Smith.

• January 22, 1981: Traded by the Baltimore Orioles with John Buffamoyer (minors) to the Cincinnati Reds for Mike Grace and John Hale.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Managerial Record
• Baseball Cube
• New York Yankees Profile