Jerry Austin Narron (born January 15, 1956) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

, and former player. He most recently served as a major league instructor for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

. He most recently served as the

bench coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) during the 2020 season. Narron played in MLB, primarily as a

catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

, for three teams during 1979–1987. He has served as manager for the Texas Rangers (2001–02) and the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

(2005–07). He was the third base coach for

Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic Team Israel has competed in the World Baseball Classic since the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifier round. In 2017 Israel competed at a World Baseball Classic qualifier for the second time, and for the first time qualified for the main tourname ...

. Narron will be a coach for Team Israel, under manager

Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for ...

, when it competes in the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), an international professional baseball tournament, is set to be the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It was originally set for 2021 (as per tradition to hold the event every four years), but wa ...

in Miami, Florida, starting March 11–15.

Early years

Narron was born in

Goldsboro, North Carolina Goldsboro, originally Goldsborough, is a city and the county seat of Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 33,657 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropol ...

. He is a Christian Zionist. His father John was employed as a salesman and floor layer for the Isaacs-Kahn Furniture Company in Goldsboro."Brewers Coach Joins Israel’s Staff for World Baseball Classic,"
JPUpdates, August 19, 2015/ He is a nephew of former major league catcher and longtime coach Sam Narron. Through his childhood he played baseball at the Wayne County Boys Club. He attended Goldsboro High School, where he played baseball, basketball, and football, and graduated in 1974. He went to college at

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

Playing career

Narron played in the major leagues for eight seasons with the New York Yankees (1979), Seattle Mariners (1980–81, 1987), and California Angels (1983–86)."Aces hire Jerry Narron as new manager,"
kolotv.com, December 29, 2016. He was drafted out of high school by the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

in the sixth round of the 1974 Major League Baseball Draft. He played alongside brother

Johnny Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females. Varian ...

for the

Johnson City Cardinals The Johnson City Cardinals were a Minor League Baseball team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The team was affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1975 through 2020 and played in the Rookie-level Appalachian League. The team won ...

in the Rookie

Appalachian League The Appalachian League is a collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wood bats, its season runs from ...

during his first professional season in 1974, batting .301. In 1977, playing for the

West Haven Yankees West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

of the AA Eastern League, he batted .299 (eighth in the league) with 28 home runs (second in the league) and 93 RBIs (third in the league) in 438 at bats. He made his major league debut on April 13, 1979. Narron played for the Yankees as the backup catcher to

Thurman Munson Thurman Lee Munson (June 7, 1947 – August 2, 1979) was an American professional baseball catcher who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, from 1969 until his death in 1979. A seven-time All-Star, Mun ...

. He was the Yankees' starting catcher the day after Munson's death in a plane crash in August 1979, and remained in the dugout during the pregame ceremonies, leaving the catcher's position empty, out of respect for Munson. In November 1979 Narron was traded by the Yankees to the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

with Juan Beniquez, Rick Anderson, and Jim Beattie for Jim Lewis and

Ruppert Jones Ruppert Sanderson Jones (born March 12, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. He was the first player selected in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft by the Seattle Mariners. Kansas City Royals Jones was born in Dall ...

. He was released by the Mariners in March 1982, and signed two days later as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

.Jerry_Narron_Baseball_Statistics_[1974-1988]
/ref>_Playing_for_the_Spokane_Indians.html" ;"title="974-1988]">Jerry Narron Baseball Statistics [1974-1988]
/ref> Playing for the Spokane Indians">974-1988]">Jerry Narron Baseball Statistics [1974-1988]
/ref> Playing for the Spokane Indians in the AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 1982, he batted .311 in 408 at bats. In 1983, playing for the Edmonton Trappers of the PCL, he batted .301 with 27 home runs (fourth in the league) and 102 RBIs (sixth in the league) in 539 at bats, while leading the league with 15

intentional walk In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by ''IBB'', is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the ...

s. He was released by the Angels in April 1987, and signed later that month by the Seattle Mariners, who in turn released him the following November. He retired as a player in 1989.

Managing and coaching history

Minor and major leagues

Narron was a manager in the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

farm system In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

from 1989 through 1992; of the Class A

Frederick Keys The Frederick Keys are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for "Star-Spangled Banner" writer Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. A new team masco ...

(1989), AA

Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They played their home g ...

(1990-91), and AAA

Rochester Red Wings The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Rochester, New York, and play their home games at Innovative Field ...

(1992), with a record of 291-269 (.520). He was then hired as a coach for the Orioles by skipper

Johnny Oates Johnny Lane Oates (January 21, 1946 – December 24, 2004) was an American professional baseball player, Coach (baseball), coach, and Manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, ...

. After two seasons in Baltimore, he moved with Oates to the Texas Rangers. Narron was third-base coach for the Rangers from 1995 until he was named interim manager on May 4, 2001, after the firing of manager Johnny Oates. He had the interim tag removed and managed the team during the 2002 season. He was replaced in Texas by

Buck Showalter William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III (born May 23, 1956) is an American professional baseball manager for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he served as manager of the New York Yankees (1992–1995), Arizona Diamondb ...

in December 2002. Narron then served as bench coach for the

during their 2003 run to the

American League Championship Series The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...

, and performed the same role for Cincinnati in 2004–05. Narron was named the Reds' interim manager on June 20, 2005. On September 29 of that year, his contract was extended to cover the 2006 season with a mutual option for 2007. Narron was fired as manager of the Reds on July 1, 2007. The Reds named advance scout Pete Mackanin as the interim manager. Narron's record with the Reds was 157–179. On February 25, 2008, Narron was named a special assignments scout and front-office consultant with the Rangers. Jerry Narron 2014 Milwaukee Brewers Bench Coach

Jerry Narron 2014 Milwaukee Brewers Bench Coach

Narron served as bench coach for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

from 2011 to 2015. Narron was hired to be the 2017 manager of the

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. ...

on December 30, 2016. After the first seven games of the 2017 season, Narron took over as interim bench coach of the major league

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

, when bench coach

Ron Gardenhire Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets from 1981 through 1985. After another year playing in the minor leagues, he se ...

left the team on a leave of absence to have and recover from

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

surgery. Narron got the job permanently after Gardenhire was hired to be the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

' manager. Narron stepped down from his position as bench coach of the Diamondbacks following the 2019 season. Narron was hired as bench coach for the Boston Red Sox on February 22, 2020. In October 2020, the team declined to renew his contract. On February 10, 2021, Narron was hired as a major league instructor for the

Team Israel; World Baseball Classic

Narron was the third base coach for

qualifier.">"Meet the Baptist baseball lifer who will coach Israel’s team,"
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, August 18, 2015. Narron, whose daughter Callie lives in the

Arnona :''Arnona may also refer to Israeli property tax'' Arnona ( he, ארנונה) is an upscale neighborhood in southern Jerusalem, Israel, situated between the neighborhood of Talpiot and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel. Etymology The most common explan ...

neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel, with her husband and two children, said: "I love the game, I love the Jewish people and I love Israel". Narron will be a coach for Team Israel, under manager

, when it competes in the

in Miami, Florida, starting March 11–15.

Managerial records

Personal life

Narron is married to Donna Narron. He has seven children: Connor, Cara, Clare, Caitlyn, Callie, Chelsy and Hunter. His son Connor was the fourth-ranked prospect for the high school class of 2010 by ESPN's Perfect Game. The Orioles selected Connor in the fifth round of the

2010 MLB draft The 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 7–9, 2010 at the MLB Network Studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. First-round selections The draft order was determined based on the 2009 MLB standings, with the worst team pic ...

; he played in Minor League Baseball during the 2010 to 2014 seasons. Narron's brother

was the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2012 to 2014. Narron is the nephew of former major league catcher and coach Sam W. Narron and cousin of pitcher Sam F. Narron. Narron is known for writing out lineup cards using a distinct form of

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

, and for rendering the names of players from Japan, Korea and Taiwan in their native scripts on the lineup cards.

References

External links

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Narron, Jerry 1956 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona Diamondbacks coaches Baltimore Orioles coaches Baseball coaches from North Carolina Baseball players from North Carolina Boston Red Sox coaches Calgary Cannons players California Angels players Chicago White Sox coaches Cincinnati Reds coaches Cincinnati Reds managers East Carolina Pirates baseball players Edmonton Trappers players Fort Lauderdale Yankees players Johnson City Yankees players Major League Baseball bench coaches Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball third base coaches Milwaukee Brewers coaches Minor league baseball managers New York Yankees players People from Goldsboro, North Carolina Reno Aces players Rochester Red Wings managers Rochester Red Wings players Seattle Mariners players Spokane Indians players Tacoma Yankees players Texas Rangers managers West Haven Yankees players