Bob Quinn (baseball grandson)

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Robert E. Quinn (born 1936) [1] is a retired American professional baseball executive. Quinn spent almost 30 years in senior front office positions in Major League Baseball and worked as the general manager of three clubs: the New York Yankees (from June 8, 1988, [2] through October 12, 1989), Cincinnati Reds [3] (from October 13, 1989, through the end of the 1992 season) and San Francisco Giants [4] (from December 1, 1992, through September 30, 1996). He was the general manager of the 1990 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds.

Americans citizens, or natives, of the United States of America

Americans are nationals and citizens of the United States of America. Although nationals and citizens make up the majority of Americans, some dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents may also claim American nationality. The United States is home to people of many different ethnic origins. As a result, American culture and law does not equate nationality with race or ethnicity, but with citizenship and permanent allegiance.

Professional baseball is played in leagues throughout the world. In these leagues and associated farm teams, baseball players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system.

Major League Baseball Professional baseball league

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization, the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. A total of 30 teams play in the National League (NL) and American League (AL), with 15 teams in each league. The NL and AL were formed as separate legal entities in 1876 and 1901 respectively. After cooperating but remaining legally separate entities beginning in 1903, the leagues merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball in 2000. The organization also oversees Minor League Baseball, which comprises 256 teams affiliated with the Major League clubs. With the World Baseball Softball Confederation, MLB manages the international World Baseball Classic tournament.

Contents

Family

Quinn is a third-generation member of a family involved in baseball management since the turn of the 20th century. His grandfather J.A. Robert Quinn at one time was an owner of the Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves and general manager of the St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Dodgers. His father, John J. Quinn, was GM of the Braves in Boston and Milwaukee and the Philadelphia Phillies between 1945 and 1972. A brother-in-law, Roland Hemond, is also a longtime baseball executive and the former general manager of the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles. And Quinn's son, also named Bob, served from 2003 until early 2018 as the Milwaukee Brewers' executive vice president, finance and administration, [5] the fourth generation of the Quinn family to work in senior management positions in professional baseball.

Boston Red Sox Baseball team and Major League Baseball franchise in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. The Red Sox have won nine World Series championships, tied for the third-most of any MLB team, and they have played in 13. Their most recent appearance and win was in 2018. In addition, they won the 1904 American League pennant, but were not able to defend their 1903 World Series championship when the New York Giants refused to participate in the 1904 World Series. Founded in 1901 as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox' home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The "Red Sox" name was chosen by the team owner, John I. Taylor, circa 1908, following the lead of previous teams that had been known as the "Boston Red Stockings", including the forerunner of the Atlanta Braves.

John Jacob Quinn was an American executive in Major League Baseball. His career spanned over 40 years and included almost 28 full seasons as a general manager in the National League for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. He produced three National League pennants and one World Series championship during his 1945–58 tenure with the Braves.

Philadelphia Phillies Baseball team and Major League Baseball franchise in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home has been Citizens Bank Park, located in South Philadelphia.

Robert E. Quinn grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, and with his family moved to Milwaukee with the Braves in 1953. [6] He graduated from Marquette University in 1958 [7] and began his baseball career in the Braves' and Phillies' minor league organizations. In 1967, he helped establish the Reading Phillies as Philadelphia's Eastern League farm team, winning The Sporting News' Minor League Executive of the Year Award as a first-year general manager there. Reading celebrated its 50th straight year as the Phillies' Double-A affiliate in 2016. Quinn then helped to re-establish a minor league franchise in Omaha in 1969–70 as the first front-office boss of the Omaha Royals of the Triple-A American Association. [8] That franchise celebrated its 50th consecutive season as the Kansas City Royals' top affiliate in 2018.

Newton, Massachusetts City in Massachusetts, United States

Newton is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately 7 miles (11 km) west of downtown Boston and is bordered by Boston's Brighton and West Roxbury neighborhoods to the east and south, respectively, and by the suburb of Brookline to the east, the suburbs of Watertown and Waltham to the north, and Weston, Wellesley and Needham to the west. Rather than having a single city center, Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.

Marquette University private university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US

Marquette University is a private research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Established by the Society of Jesus as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, it was founded by John Martin Henni, the first Bishop of Milwaukee.

Eastern League (baseball) American professional baseball class AA league

The Eastern League is a Minor League Baseball league, which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the Double-A level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923, as the New York–Pennsylvania League. In 1936, the first team outside the two original states was created, when the York White Roses of York, Pennsylvania, moved to Trenton, New Jersey, and was renamed the Trenton Senators. In 1938, when the Scranton Miners of Scranton, Pennsylvania, moved to Hartford, Connecticut, and became the Hartford Bees, the league was renamed the Eastern League.

Quinn joined Milwaukee's current Major League team, the Brewers, as their farm system director in 1971. [1] In 1973, he accepted a similar post with the Cleveland Indians, and spent over a dozen years working as the Indians' scouting and player development boss. He was promoted to vice president in 1981. [1]

Milwaukee Brewers Baseball team and Major League Baseball franchise in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The team is named for the city's association with the brewing industry. Since 2001, the Brewers have played their home games at Miller Park, which has a seating capacity of 41,900.

Cleveland Indians Baseball team and Major League Baseball franchise in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

The Cleveland Indians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since 1994, they have played at Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. Since their establishment as a major league franchise in 1901, the Indians have won two World Series championships: in 1920 and 1948, along with 10 Central Division titles and six American League pennants. The Indians' current World Series championship drought is the longest active drought.

Career as general manager

New York Yankees

In 1987, Quinn joined the Yankees as vice president, baseball administration. In May 1988, the Bombers' incumbent GM, Lou Piniella, turned in his resignation; on June 8, Quinn was named his successor. Not even two weeks into his tenure, Quinn faced a mutiny from the manager he inherited, Billy Martin. [9] Quinn had activated a catcher, Don Slaught, from the disabled list based on input from the Yankees' medical staff. Martin disagreed vehemently with the Slaught decision and announced he would boycott the team's management meetings. [9] Owner George Steinbrenner did not intercede on Martin's behalf, and Martin was replaced by Piniella as manager on June 23 with the Yankees 40–28 and 2½ games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League East Division. They went only 45–48 under Piniella to finish fifth in 1988, then posted a 74–87 mark in 1989, their first losing season since 1973, and Quinn resigned October 12.

Lou Piniella Baseball player and manager

Louis Victor Piniella is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder in the major leagues, he played sixteen seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees. During his playing career, he was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 and captured two World Series championships with the Yankees.

Manager (baseball) someone who manages a baseball team

In baseball, the field manager is the equivalent of a head coach who is responsible for overseeing and making final decisions on all aspects of on-field team strategy, lineup selection, training and instruction. Managers are typically assisted by a staff of assistant coaches whose responsibilities are specialized. Field managers are typically not involved in off-field personnel decisions or long-term club planning, responsibilities that are instead held by a team's general manager.

Billy Martin American baseball player and manager

Alfred Manuel Martin Jr., commonly called Billy, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, as well as leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yankees. Known first as a scrappy infielder who made considerable contributions to the championship Yankee teams of the 1950s, he built a reputation as a manager who would initially make bad teams good, and then be fired amid dysfunction. In each of his stints with the Yankees, he managed them to winning records before being fired or forced to resign by team owner George Steinbrenner, usually amid a well-publicized scandal such as Martin's involvement in an alcohol-fueled fight.

Cincinnati Reds

Quinn immediately succeeded Murray Cook as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, and he proceeded to hire Piniella as his field manager. The 1989 Cincinnati season had been a disaster on and off the field: the Reds finished 75–87 and in fifth place in a year marred by the gambling allegations against and the suspension and disbarment of manager Pete Rose. [10] During that offseason, Quinn acquired fireballing relief pitcher Randy Myers and rookie first baseman Hal Morris. In 1990, Morris posted a .340 batting average and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting. Myers teamed with Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton to form The Nasty Boys, a formidable bullpen trio.

George Earl Murray Cook is a Canadian scout and former front office executive in Major League Baseball. He was the general manager of three MLB teams: the New York Yankees (1983–84); the Montreal Expos (1984–87); and the Cincinnati Reds (1988–89).

Pete Rose American baseball player

Peter Edward Rose Sr., also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989.

Relief pitcher baseball or softball pitcher who relieves a previous pitcher

In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather delays or pinch hitter substitutions. Relief pitchers are further divided informally into various roles, such as closers, setup men, middle relief pitchers, left/right-handed specialists, and long relievers. Whereas starting pitchers usually rest several days before pitching in a game again due to the number of pitches thrown, relief pitchers are expected to be more flexible and typically pitch more games but with fewer innings pitched. A team's staff of relievers is normally referred to metonymically as a team's bullpen, which refers to the area where the relievers sit during games, and where they warm-up prior to entering the game.

The 1990 Reds won 91 games and the National League West Division championship, defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in six games in the NLCS (with Morris hitting .417), and then swept the favored Oakland Athletics in the World Series behind The Nasty Boys' dominant relief work. Quinn was named "Executive of the Year" by The Sporting News in recognition of Cincinnati's 1990 turnaround.

The Reds suffered a down season in 1991, falling to fifth place, but recovered to win 90 games in 1992, although they finished eight games behind the division champion Atlanta Braves. But there was turbulence in the Cincinnati front office. Owner Marge Schott cut Quinn's scouting and farm system budget, then fired him at the end of the 1992 season. [11]

San Francisco Giants

Two months later, Quinn became general manager of the Giants at one of the turning points in their history in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 1992 Giants finished 72–90, 26 games behind the Braves (and 18 games in arrears of Quinn's Reds) and had drawn 1.56 million fans to Candlestick Park—next to last in the National League. For much of the season, it appeared that the Giants were about to move to Tampa–Saint Petersburg after owner Bob Lurie agreed to sell them to Florida businessman Vince Naimoli. But in November, the National League rejected the Tampa deal, and Lurie instead sold the Giants to a Bay Area investment group headed by Peter Magowan. The new owners announced the team was staying in San Francisco, hired Quinn as general manager on December 1, 1992, signed free agent superstar left fielder Barry Bonds on December 9, and promoted Dusty Baker to manager on December 16. The 1993 Giants proceeded to improve by 31 games, going 103–59, Bonds won the NL Most Valuable Player Award, and attendance jumped to 2.6 million. However, the Giants finished a game behind the Braves in the NL West and did not qualify for the postseason in the last pre-wild card full season in Major League Baseball.

Three sub-.500 seasons followed the Giants' 1993 breakout year, and at the close of 1996, Quinn stepped down as general manager. His successor was assistant general manager/director of player personnel Brian Sabean, the former director of scouting of the Yankees who had followed Quinn to the Giants' organization in 1993. Under Sabean, GM from 1997 through 2014, the Giants would win three World Series championships and four National League pennants. Under Magowan they moved into AT&T Park in 2000 and solidified their popularity in the Bay Area.

Quinn remained with the Giants as a vice president and senior adviser through 1997. [1] He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Baseball America Executive Database
  2. ↑ "Quinn to Get Yankee Job". The New York Times . June 8, 1988. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  3. ↑ "Red's General Managers". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  4. ↑ "Giants' General Managers". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-12-31.
  5. ↑ Milwaukee Brewers official web site
  6. ↑ Sexton, Joe (June 10, 1988). "Yanks' GM Fulfills Dream". The New York Times . Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  7. 1 2 Marquette University
  8. ↑ "Cincinnati Reds Name Bob Quinn General Manager". United Press International (archives). 13 October 1989. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Martin Upset Over Status". The New York Times . June 22, 1988. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  10. ↑ Anderson, Dave (October 2, 1990). "SPORTS OF THE TIMES: The Mighty Quinn". The New York Times . Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  11. ↑ Kay, Joe (March 2, 2004). "Marge Schott obituary". The Associated Press . Retrieved 2015-06-12.
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