Lloyd Glenn McClendon (born January 11, 1959) is an American former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
player,
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
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 ...
. He played in
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) as an
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
from 1987 to 1994 for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
,
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 ...
and 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 ...
.
After his playing career McClendon served as the manager of the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
from
2001 to
2005 and 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 ...
from
2014 to
2015. He most recently served as the interim manager for 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 ...
in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
.
Playing career
Amateur career
In 1971, McClendon played in the
Little League World Series
The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children—typically boys—aged 10 to 12 years old, held in the Eastern United States. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for the Wor ...
for his hometown
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the sou ...
, team, and earned the nickname "Legendary Lloyd" by
homering in five consecutive
at bats.
In fact, they were his only official at-bats, as in every other plate appearance the opposing coaches had him intentionally walked. McClendon's 1971 team was the first all-African American team to reach the final stage of the LLWS. He attended
Roosevelt High School in Gary and graduated in 1977.
McClendon played collegiate baseball at
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a Lutheran university with about 3,000 students from over 50 countries on a campus of . Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, Valparaiso Universit ...
, not far from Gary. While at Valparaiso, he compiled a career batting average of .330, and produced 18 home runs and 73 runs batted in. Twice he received all-conference honors (1979 and 1980).
Professional career
New York Mets
McClendon was drafted by the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
in the 8th round of the
1980 Major League Baseball Draft 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 ...
. He began his professional baseball career with the
Kingsport Mets
The Kingsport Mets were a Minor League Baseball team of the Appalachian League from 1921 to 2020. They were located in Kingsport, Tennessee, and were last named for the team's major league affiliate, the New York Mets. The team played its home ga ...
of the
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 ...
. After the 1982 season, he was traded along with two other players to 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 ...
in a deal to bring Mets legend
Tom Seaver
George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cinc ...
back to New York.
Cincinnati Reds
1983 was the first season in which McClendon began to play significantly at positions other than catcher, playing both
third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
and
first base
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
while with the
Waterbury Reds. He continued to be used as a
utility player
In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water polo.
The ...
over the next several seasons before finally breaking into the majors with the Reds in 1987.
McClendon made his major league debut on
Opening Day in 1987 as a
pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...
, He spent most of the season with the Reds, aside from a brief return to the minors with the
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...
in August. He played in 45 games, mostly as a pinch hitter, but also appeared at five different positions in the field (catcher, first base, third base, and
left and
right field).
1988 saw McClendon playing a similar role, although his playing time increased. He again played five positions on defense while batting .219 in 72 games overall. After the season, he was traded to the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
for
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
Rolando Roomes.
Chicago Cubs
McClendon saw the most playing time of his major league career with the Cubs in 1989. Playing mostly left field and first base, he batted .286 with career highs in
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s with 12 and
runs batted in
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
with 40. He also scored a career-best 47 runs and even
stole 6 bases.
McClendon struggled at the plate in 1990, however, playing in 49 games for the Cubs and batting an anemic .159. Late in the season, he was traded to the Pirates for a
player to be named later
In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...
.
Pittsburgh Pirates
McClendon played in 4 games for the Pirates at the end of 1990, going 1-for-3 at the plate. He played for the Pirates through the end of the 1994 season, spending most of his time in the outfield. In the 1992 postseason, he batted .727 while playing in five games of the
1992 National League Championship Series, collecting eight hits in eleven at-bats. It is the highest batting average posted in one postseason. He bounced back to hit .286 in 1991, but slumped to .253 in 1992 and .221 in 1993. He was hitting .239 in 1994 when the season was interrupted by
a players' strike, and after the season became a free agent.
Cleveland Indians
McClendon signed a minor league contract with the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
in 1995. After failing to make the team out of
spring training
Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...
, he was assigned to the
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...
. He played 37 games, including his first games at third base since 1990. However, he never received a promotion to the majors, and retired after the season.
Coaching and managerial career
Pittsburgh Pirates
After retiring from playing, McClendon served as a hitting coach for the Pirates until he was appointed manager after the 2000 season. At the time of his hiring, he became the first
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
manager or head coach of any of Pittsburgh's
three major sports teams, preceding the
Steelers hiring of
Mike Tomlin
Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led the team to ten playoff runs, s ...
by six years. McClendon held the Pirates managerial position until he was fired September 6, 2005. In his five seasons as manager of the Pirates, McClendon compiled a 336–446 record.
Detroit Tigers
When Jim Leyland was hired as manager of the Detroit Tigers, he brought former player McClendon on board as
bullpen 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 decisi ...
. For the 2007 season, he was promoted to
hitting coach, replacing former Pirates teammate
Don Slaught
Donald Martin Slaught (born September 11, 1958), nicknamed "Sluggo", is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1982 through 1997 for the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, ...
. On May 28, 2010, he changed his jersey number from 12 to 19 due to
Gerald Laird
Gerald Lee Laird III (born November 13, 1979) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
C ...
changing his jersey number from 8 to 12.
The Tigers did not have an official
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 decisi ...
until
Gene Lamont
Gene William Lamont (born December 25, 1946) is an American special assistant to the general manager of the Kansas City Royals. He was a catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who managed the Chicago White Sox (1992–1995) and Pittsburgh P ...
was named to that position for the 2013 season, but McClendon served a part of that role as acting manager in the absence of Jim Leyland.
A Detroit player won the
American League batting title in four of McClendon's seven seasons as the team's hitting coach.
Seattle Mariners
On November 5, 2013, the ''Puget Sound Business Journal'' reported that McClendon would be the new
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 ...
manager. On November 7, general manager
Jack Zduriencik
John A. “Jack” Zduriencik (; born January 11, 1951) is an American radio broadcaster and former professional baseball executive, scout, and player. He currently works as a radio host for KDKA-FM, which is affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates ...
officially announced McClendon as the team's manager.
In McClendon's first season as the manager of the Mariners, the team finished with an 87–75 record.
The team's record represented an improvement from 71–91 in 2013.
However, in 2015, the Mariners struggled and finished 76–86; McClendon was fired on October 9, 2015. He finished with a record of 163 wins and 161 losses.
Toledo Mud Hens
On November 23, 2015, McClendon was hired as the manager of the
Triple-A affiliate of 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 ...
, the
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
. In the 2016 season the Mud Hens struggled and finished 6876 McClendon then became the Tigers new hitting coach on October 21, 2016.
Second stint with Detroit Tigers
On October 21, 2016, McClendon was named the Tigers' hitting coach, a position he previously held with the team from 2007 to 2013. On September 30, 2019, McClendon succeeded
Steve Liddle
Steven Michael Liddle (born March 4, 1959 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager.
Coaching career
He was previously the Minnesota Twins' bench coach from 2002–2010 before swapping roles wi ...
as the Tigers' bench coach. On September 19, 2020, McClendon was named interim manager of the Tigers following the retirement of
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 ...
. After the 2020 season, the Tigers named
A. J. Hinch
Andrew Jay Hinch (born May 15, 1974) is an American professional baseball coach and former player who is the manager of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Hinch played catcher for the Oakland Athletics (–), Kansas City Royals ...
as the team's new manager, and McClendon was not retained on the coaching staff.
Second stint with Toledo Mud Hens
On January 27, 2022, McClendon was hired to manage the
Triple-A affiliate of 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 ...
, the
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
for a second time, following the promotion of Mud Hens manager
Gary Jones to first base coach for the major league team.
History of challenging umpires
McClendon has a history of challenging close calls on the diamond, and stated his belief that the Pirates didn't always get fair calls from the umpires. As he put it during the 2002 season, "I'm sure it's nothing intentional on their part. I certainly would never question their integrity. But it's human nature to relax a little and take something for granted. We've lost for so long that I think it's easy for umpires to lose respect for us and take us for granted. I've got to change that. If I get thrown out of 100 games, then I get thrown out of 100 games. I'm going to keep demanding a playing field that's equal for my players. I don't think it's wrong to demand the umpires' best effort every day."
On June 26, 2001, in a game against the
Milwaukee Brewers, McClendon saw two questionable calls made against his Pirates by the first base umpire,
Rick Reed. After
Jason Kendall
Jason Daniel Kendall (born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 through 2010 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Ka ...
was called out at first base, McClendon went onto the field to argue the call. After being ejected from the game, McClendon removed first base and walked off the field with it, later throwing it into the dugout, where a
batboy
In baseball, a batboy or batgirl is an individual who carries baseball bats to the players on a baseball team. Duties of a batboy may also include handling and preparing players’ equipment and bringing baseballs to the umpire during the game. ...
placed a Pirates cap on top of it. Rather than risk McClendon's wrath by retrieving the base, the field crew replaced the base with a new one. The Pirates rallied to win the game in the 12th inning, 7–6. The next day, the players mounted the base in their clubhouse. McClendon's act of anger made the No. 4 place on ESPN.com Page 2's "Coaches Gone Wild" list, which jokingly called it an incident of "stealing" first.
In the 2005 season, McClendon exhibited signs of a desire to end this tendency. During a series against the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
at the end of June, when replays of the first base theft were being shown on the scoreboard, he said, "I don't like that being shown, I don't want people to identify (that) with me. To me, that's ridiculous. That's not who I am. That's something that happened and it should be over with."
However, on June 2, 2015, McClendon once again made national news after challenging the entire umpire crew after a couple of questionable check-swing calls by
Brett Gardner
Brett Michael Gardner (born August 24, 1983) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees.
Gardner was a walk-on for the College of Charleston's base ...
and
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
during the Mariners game against the New York Yankees.
Mariners catcher
Mike Zunino
Michael Accorsi Zunino (born March 25, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays.
Before beginning h ...
expressed displeasure with first base umpire
Will Little
William Max Little III (born March 2, 1984) is an American Major League Baseball umpire. He was promoted to a full-time position in February 2015. He attended Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee, then studied biology at Milligan ...
's safe call on a check swing, leading to Zunino's ejection. McClendon initially argued with home plate umpire
Mike DiMuro before throwing his hat and proceeding to argue with Little, eventually kicking his hat and running around the diamond to argue with each member of the umpiring crew.
Managerial interviews
Following their 2010 season, 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 ...
interviewed McClendon, as well as several others, for their managerial position, with Seattle eventually deciding to hire
Eric Wedge
Eric Michael Wedge (born January 27, 1968) is an American former baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and manager.
As a player, Wedge attended Northrop High School in Fort Wayne and played on the school's state champion baseball team in ...
. On October 30, 2012, McClendon was interviewed by the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
as a candidate to succeed
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...
, who was fired after a single season. However, the Marlins hired
Mike Redmond
Michael Patrick Redmond (born May 5, 1971) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager. He is currently the bench coach for the Colorado Rockies. He played for 13 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins, ...
instead. On October 24, 2013, McClendon interviewed for the Tigers' managerial job, but that job went to
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David Ausmus (; born April 14, 1969) is an American former professional baseball manager and catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). In his 18-year MLB playing career, Ausmus played for the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Ast ...
. On November 3, 2013, McClendon was in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
for a second interview for the managerial job for the Mariners.
He ultimately was hired by the Mariners as their new manager beginning in the 2014 season.
Managerial record
References
External links
Baseball GaugeVenezuelan Winter LeagueMLB.com – McClendon remains a Little League 'Legend':
{{DEFAULTSORT:McClendon, Lloyd
1959 births
Living people
African-American baseball coaches
African-American baseball managers
African-American baseball players
Baseball coaches from Indiana
Baseball players from Gary, Indiana
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Chicago Cubs players
Cincinnati Reds players
Denver Zephyrs players
Detroit Tigers coaches
Iowa Cubs players
Kingsport Mets players
Leones del Caracas players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Little Falls Mets players
Lynchburg Mets players
Major League Baseball bench coaches
Major League Baseball bullpen coaches
Major League Baseball hitting coaches
Major League Baseball left fielders
Major League Baseball right fielders
Nashville Sounds players
Pittsburgh Pirates coaches
Pittsburgh Pirates managers
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Seattle Mariners managers
Sportspeople from Chicago
Sportspeople from Gary, Indiana
Sportspeople from Manhattan
Baseball players from New York City
Tigres de Aragua players
Toledo Mud Hens managers
Valparaiso Beacons baseball players
Valparaiso University alumni
Vermont Reds players
Waterbury Reds players
Wichita Aeros players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople
Baseball players from Chicago