Leo Mazzone signs with Baltimore

[Styles 0]

YAY

 

Associated Press

 

BALTIMORE -- Pitching coach Leo Mazzone and the Baltimore Orioles reached agreement on a three-year contract Wednesday night, hours after the Atlanta Braves coach ended discussions with the New York Yankees.

 

Leo Mazzone

Mazzone

 

"The deal is finished business," according to a source close to the negotiations, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

 

Mazzone, considered to be one of the finest pitching coaches in the majors, has been in the Atlanta organization since 1979 and was pitching coach of the Braves since 1990. He will replace Ray Miller, who served as pitching coach of the Orioles since June 26, 2004.

 

Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan declined comment, and Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo, a longtime friend of Mazzone, did not return a phone call from The Associated Press.

 

Mazzone, 57, and Perlozzo grew up together in Cumberland, Md. The competed on different teams in American Legion ball, then became best friends. Perlozzo was the best man at Mazzone's wedding.

 

Earlier Wednesday, the Yankees ended talks with Mazzone after their three-day window to negotiate with him expired.

 

"Both sides agreed to end their discussions without resolution," Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said.

 

Mazzone is credited with helping develop Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. From 1992 through this season, the Braves ranked first or second in the NL in ERA in every year but two.

 

Perlozzo was pleased with Miller's performance as pitching coach, but has said he wanted to work with Mazzone. Miller, who had surgery last week to repair an aortic aneurysm, gave Perlozzo permission to talk to another pitching coach before his surgery.

 

And an article from the Baltimore Sun:

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/basebal...ports-headlines

Orioles close to agreement with Mazzone

Longtime Braves pitching coach regarded as one of the best in the game; Club also expected to name Jim Duquette to vice president post

 

 

By Jeff Zrebiec

Sun Reporter

 

October 19, 2005, 10:38 PM EDT

 

An agreement could be finalized Thursday that will enable the Atlanta Braves' Leo Mazzone to become the Orioles' next pitching coach, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

 

Mazzone, lauded as one of the top pitching coaches in baseball, appeared to be the leading candidate for the New York Yankees' and Orioles' vacancies. He withdrew from the Yankees' consideration Wednesday morning because of his preference to come to Baltimore and work alongside longtime friend and Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo.

 

The only holdup to the deal, according to league sources, is for the Orioles and Braves to work out compensation for Mazzone, who has been in the Atlanta organization since 1979 and the Braves' pitching coach since 1990.

 

According to league sources, the compensation issues are likely not deal-breaking and the Orioles are confident Mazzone will be their next pitching coach, replacing Ray Miller.

 

Mazzone's contract is up in three weeks, and even if compensation cannot be worked out, the Orioles would appear to be able to hire Mazzone without needing Atlanta's approval.

 

Asked Wednesday afternoon if the situation will be resolved quickly, Atlanta executive vice president and general manager John Schuerholz, who had given the Orioles permission to interview the coach, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "I'm not real good at guessing, but it may."

 

Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan denied a deal with Mazzone had been reached, but said he couldn't comment further on the situation.

 

Meanwhile, Flanagan is likely to announce Thursday that New York Mets senior vice president of baseball operations Jim Duquette, the Mets' former general manager, has been hired as Orioles vice president, according to team sources.

 

Duquette, 39, had his second interview within a week's span Wednesday and agreed to the job offer, according to sources.

 

"We had some very meaningful talks today, but nothing has been completed," Flanagan said Wednesday night. "Talks went well, but at this point it hasn't been finalized."

 

It is doubtful the hirings of Duquette and Mazzone would be announced simultaneously. Regardless, the Orioles are expected to complete a huge coup in nabbing Mazzone.

 

The speculation was that if Mazzone was to leave Bobby Cox, who has managed the Braves to 14 consecutive division titles, he was ticketed to New York to replace the departed Mel Stottlemyre and become Joe Torre's pitching coach.

 

Given a window to negotiate by the league, the two sides talked, but Mazzone's agent, Jack Reale, said Wednesday night that the "discussions that we had with the Yankees came and went without an agreement."

 

The news was cheered in Atlanta, where at least one television station reported that since the Yankees were out of the picture, Mazzone was returning to the Braves.

 

However, according to several league sources, if Mazzone was to leave Atlanta, he was more intrigued by coming to Baltimore to team with Perlozzo. The two grew up together in Western Maryland, and after being competitors in American Legion Baseball, they became best friends.

 

When they were in the early stages of their coaching careers, Mazzone, 57, who still has family in Maryland, moved about three houses away from Perlozzo in Cumberland. Perlozzo was the best man at Mazzone's wedding.

 

Perlozzo said he was pleased with Miller but had always dreamed of having Mazzone as his pitching coach if the situation ever presented itself. Miller, who had surgery last week to repair an aortic aneurysm, gave Perlozzo permission to talk to another pitching coach before his surgery.

 

Mazzone's credentials led ESPN.com recently to declare him the top assistant coach ever in sports. Known for his intensity and his constant sway in the dugout while he focuses on every pitch, Mazzone has mentored six Cy Young winners and nine 20-game winners.

 

Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine are his most prized pupils, but Mazzone perhaps deserves more credit for his reclamation project pitchers such as Jaret Wright, Mike Hampton and Chris Hammond, who found their form under his tutelage.

 

From 1992 through this year, the Braves ranked either first or second in league ERA every season but two. Current Orioles starter Bruce Chen worked with Mazzone in the Braves organization for seven seasons and said Wednesday that his philosophy is similar to Miller's.

 

"When Ray came in and said all these things, it reminded me of all the things with the Braves - work fast, throw strikes, work down and away," said Chen, who did express that his first choice would be for Miller to return. "I just clicked with Ray. He really helped me, but I know what good things could happen if Leo comes to Baltimore."

 

Great news for O's fans. It's huge that him and Perlozzo are best friends since childhood and it had been rumored for a while that the whole reason Perlozzo was brought back ot manage is because he'd be able to bring in Mazzone because otherwise, Perlozzo didn't have much of an upside. Mazzone might be more important than any free agent signing, as he has the power to turn mediocre pitchers into gold and the O's have plenty of those, and of the top free agent pitchers, Millwood and Byrd had the best years of their careers under Mazzone in Atlanta and would be positive towards a reunion and Mazzone has raved about the other, AJ Burnett (who's wife is a Baltimore native). After an awful season with bad news after bad news it's nice to finally have something to be excited about.

 

To our friends in Atlanta.....uh.....sorry?

[therealworldschampion 0]

Thank fucking God he's finally out of the NL East...

[Guest MikeSC]

Baltimore finally has a real pitching coach.

 

The NL East is still highly fucked, though. Atlanta will win next season.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Nice signing. Wouldn't hurt the Orioles to go out and sign a couple good veteran starters.

[Guest *KNK*]

Let's find out how good Bobby Cox really is.

[therealworldschampion 0]

I wouldn't doubt it. I'm fully expecting Cholly to be back next year so the Phils are likely to lose 5-6 games that they shouldn't which will cost them a playoff berth.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Or let's find out how good Mazzone really is.

[Styles 0]

Baltimore finally has a real pitching coach.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

To be fair, Ray Miller is one of the top pitching coaches in baseball, and came out of retirement 2 seasons ago to help our young staff and lowered their ERA by over a run. He's coming off pretty major surgery though and his family wants him to retire for good already, but yeah Mazzone is in a class of his own.

 

When the rumors at the Orioles boards started rumbling at the end of the season that bringing back Perlozzo would mean Mazzone, many of us were skeptical but I guess friendship really does outdue money.

 

From the Cumberland (Maryland) Times in December of 2004:

 

In attendance that day in Baltimore was Mazzone's best friend, Cumberland's Sam Perlozzo, the Orioles bench coach. Because of the friendship the two share, Mazzone keeps a close eye on the Orioles, who finished third in the American League East last year, marking the first time since 1997 they finished higher than fourth. The Orioles, however, have not had a winning season since 1997.

 

"If they get any kind of pitching at all," Mazzone said, "they are a team to be reckoned with, no question about it."

 

With Camp Leo XV, the pre-spring training camp Mazzone conducts for Braves pitchers set for the first week of February, the former Bruce High School lefthander will follow the Hot Stove league closely in anticipation of what the 2005 season holds for the Braves. Widely recognized as the best pitching coach in baseball, Mazzone, who last year authored a book, "Tales from the Braves Mound," says he's content with his station in life coaching the Braves' pitchers.

 

"Absolutely," he said. "What would I do if I wasn't going to the ballpark every day? I love it as much now as I did when I was nine-years-old. Maybe more."

 

A successful manager in the minor leagues, Mazzone says he has no aspirations to manage in the big leagues.

 

"No way," he said. "My only other aspiration is to be Sam's pitching coach. After that, we'll be done."

 

The time for Perlozzo, who has interviewed for the Seattle Mariners job as well as the Orioles' position twice, to manage in the big leagues is drawing near, according to Mazzone.

 

"It's going to happen," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind or the minds of anybody in the big leagues. Sam is going to be a manager, and a (darn) good one at that. And like I said, I'll be his pitching coach, and after that? We'll be done."

 

http://www.times-news.com/articles/2004/12...ts/sports61.txt

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I didnt feel this necessitated its own thread..whatever.

 

Daniel Cabrerra and Erik Bedard will be awesome next year..but the real thing is I figure it will help lure 2 top starting pitchers. With those 4, they could very well..win the Wild Card.

 

/not further kidding myself by thinking they could do better than that.

[bob_barron 0]

Oh no

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Oh no

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I presume that you are at least happier somewhat that he didn't go with the Yankees?

[bob_barron 0]

Well yes but it still sucks.

 

I hope we got a good minor leaguer.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Well yes but it still sucks.

 

I hope we got a good minor leaguer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The Rumor was OF Nick Markakis, but I sure hope not from an Os fan standpoint. If they give up Markakis instead of waiting until Nov 15th (when Mazzone's contract expires and Atlanta would get nothing), then they are fools.

[Styles 0]

Well yes but it still sucks.

 

I hope we got a good minor leaguer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The Rumor was OF Nick Markakis, but I sure hope not from an Os fan standpoint. If they give up Markakis instead of waiting until Nov 15th (when Mazzone's contract expires and Atlanta would get nothing), then they are fools.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This is not going to happen. It's an Atlanta pipedream. Of all the things to sayabout Peter Angelos, he is a damn good lawyer and a stickler for details. The compensation agreement would have to have been worked out before The Braves gave Baltimore permission to talk with Mazzone. There's no way Angelos would ever allow them to take away his Golden Greek, Markakis. Even if such a situation was fathomable, Perlozzo could have reached a verbal agreement with Mazzone like in the NBA and waited until the moritorium date ends to officially sign him. Being that they've locked him up before then, I can guarentee there was no such snag. Maybe we can give the Braves a taste of their own medicine and send them "top pitching prospect" Luis Rivera! (O's fans will get that one and Braves fans maybe too).

[Guest OSIcon]

There is no way they would even consider giving up Markakis in this deal. I don't think that is so much of a "rumor" as it is wishful thinking on behalf of Braves fans.

 

I'm excited about this. If Mazzone is as good as advertised, then Bedard and Cabrera really should be able to reach that next level and go from inconsistent pitchers with great stuff to just "great pitchers". This also makes the O's more attractive to free agent pitchers (theoretically). Throw in a Millwood, Burnett, or even Paul Byrd and the rotation looks real good.

 

Plus, I can't even remember the last time the Yankees and Orioles both pursued someone and the O's came out ahead.

[Styles 0]

Plus, I can't even remember the last time the Yankees and Orioles both pursued someone and the O's came out ahead.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Albert Belle.

[devo 0]

It's gonna be really strange not seeing Mazzone lounging next to Cox in that dugout anymore. Seems like he's been there forever. I'm honestly shocked that he's leaving the Braves.

 

As a Mets fan, I should be delighted, but then I realize that they've got tons of young terrific players and a slightly less great pitching coach isn't going to prevent them from winning the division title for another ten years.

[Fökai 0]

The Braves seemed too willing to "rid" themselves of Mazzone, which brings me to two conclusions: either there is a potential pitching coach in the system that can hold up the end of the bargain, or Mazzone wasn't as integral as we all thought he was (wrong).

 

Good luck Leo, and good luck facing the Yankees twenty-some times a year instead of the usual four.

[The Czech Republic 0]

It's gonna be really strange not seeing Mazzone lounging next to Cox in that dugout anymore.

You mean incessantly rocking forward? Guy always looked like he had to take a leak.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Man, this sucks balls. I'mma miss that guy.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I wouldn't have missed Larry Rothschild.

[iggymcfly 0]

Thank god. Maybe the Orioles will finally get to the playoffs. Honestly, I've sat through nine seasons of third or fourth now, and I'm sick to death of it. Even if they get swept, I'll be thrilled just to see the O's make the postseason.