Tom Emanski

Last updated

Tom Emanski
Born
Thomas Jerome Emanski

February 1948 (1948-02) (age 75)
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Baseball coach
  • baseball scout
Years active1982–2003

Thomas Jerome Emanski (born February 1948) [1] is an American baseball coach and former Major League scout. He is best known for his coaching instructional videos, whose advertisements were ubiquitous on ESPN in the late 1990s.

Contents

Early life

Emanski grew up in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region of northeastern Pennsylvania. After high school, he moved to Florida, where he worked assembling mainframe computers for IBM while coaching youth baseball and football. [1]

Coaching and scouting career

By the early 1980s, Emanski was well-known in Florida baseball circles, running coaching seminars and studying the mechanics of baseball using techniques he had learned at IBM. [1] In 1986, he opened Baseball World, a youth baseball school in Maitland, Florida, where he tested his methods on his students. [2] His teams found success, winning back-to-back-to-back Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national youth championships in three divisions: 12 and under (1990), 13 and under/under '90 (1991), and 11 and under (1992). [3] Emanski also coached the 1996 Junior Pan American team to two wins against Cuba and the gold medal. [4]

From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, Emanski worked as a scout for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. [1] He gave his last interview in 2003 and has avoided press attention in retirement. [1]

Instructional videos

In 1986, Emanski produced his first instructional video, Mechanics of the Major League Swing. More titles followed, which were advertised on television in select regional markets, such as Houston and Florida, and sold well. [1] The commercials featured youth players running Emanski's drills, the use of which produced "back-to-back-to-back AAU national championship teams." The advertisements also featured endorsements from Fred McGriff, recorded in a single day in 1991, whose swing Emanski had analyzed when the slugger was in the minor leagues. [1] [5] [6] In 2021, McGriff admitted on Kenny Mayne's final ESPN show that he had never seen Emanski's defensive drills video. [7] In 1997, Emanski struck a deal with ESPN to advertise his videos, with the network receiving as much as a third of each sale. [1] The commercials ran on ESPN from June 14, 1997 to January 2, 2007; a 2014 profile of Emanski estimated the commercials had run at least 50,000 times during that span. [1]

The frequent commercial airings made the Emanski videos fodder for sports analysts lampooning a lack of fundamental play in professional baseball players. For example, Jayson Stark said the St. Louis Cardinals' poor defensive display in the 2002 National League Championship Series "[wouldn't] be recommended by Tom Emanski." [8] A 2005 New York Times article suggested that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez spend $29.95 and "buy the eminent baseball instructor Tom Emanski's DVD, Teaching the Mechanics of the Major League Swing II." [9]

List of Emanski videos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Maddux</span> American baseball player (born 1966)

Gregory Alan Maddux, also known as "Mad Dog" and "the Professor," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. With the Braves, he won the 1995 World Series over the Cleveland Indians. The first to achieve a number of feats and records, he was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award four consecutive years (1992–1995), matched by only one other pitcher, Randy Johnson. During those four seasons, Maddux had a 75–29 record with a 1.98 earned run average (ERA), while allowing less than one baserunner per inning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred McGriff</span> American baseball player (born 1963)

Frederick Stanley McGriff is an American former first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 through 2004. He was one of the most consistently productive powers hitters of the 1990s, posting over 80 runs batted in (RBI) every year from 1988 through 2002, and became the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both leagues in home runs — the American League (AL) in 1989 and the National League (NL) in 1992. A five-time All-Star, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1994 contest after his pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the score at 7–7, with the NL winning in 10 innings. McGriff finished in the top ten in voting for his league's Most Valuable Player Award every year from 1989 through 1994, during which time he led the major leagues in home runs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Prior</span> American baseball player and coach

Mark William Prior is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current coach. A onetime top prospect of the Chicago Cubs, he pitched for the team from 2002 to 2006 in a career that was marred by injuries. In his prime, his repertoire of pitches included a mid-90s mph fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. He is currently the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocco Baldelli</span> American baseball player and manager

Rocco Daniel Baldelli is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach who is the manager of the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, Baldelli quickly progressed through the minor leagues and made his big league debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, on opening day 2003. Baldelli quickly established himself as an excellent hitter and outfielder, and placed third in voting for American League (AL) Rookie of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitcher</span> Player who pitches the ball in baseball

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum. There are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and the closer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulsa Drillers</span> Minor league baseball team

The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers major-league club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Raines</span> American baseball player

Timothy Raines Sr., nicknamed "Rock", is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball for six teams from 1979 to 2002 and was best known for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos. A seven-time All-Star, four-time stolen base champion, and National League batting champion, Raines is regarded as one of the best leadoff hitters and baserunners in baseball history. In 2013, Raines began working in the Toronto Blue Jays organization as a roving outfield and baserunning instructor. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tino Martinez</span> American baseball player

Constantino "Tino" Martinez is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1990 through 2005. He also served as a hitting coach for the Miami Marlins in 2013. He is known as "Tino", a shortened version of his first name, but was also nicknamed "The Bam-tino" after his home run in game 1 of the 1998 World Series. Formerly a third baseman, Martinez was the first round draft pick for the Seattle Mariners in 1988 out of the University of Tampa, where he starred during his time on campus. During his 16-year MLB career, he scored 1,009 runs, drove in 1,271 runs, and hit 339 home runs. He had 100 or more RBI in six different seasons and was twice named to the All-Star team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deion Sanders</span> American football player and coach (born 1967)

Deion Luwynn Sanders is an American football coach and former professional football and baseball player. Sanders serves as the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Nicknamed "Prime Time" during his playing career and "Coach Prime" during his coaching career, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins, and the Baltimore Ravens as a cornerback and return specialist. Sanders also played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants. He won two Super Bowl titles and made a World Series appearance in 1992, making him the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. He is considered by many to be the greatest NFL cornerback of all time.

Robert Thomas Ducey is a Canadian former professional baseball outfielder who played for six teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). Ducey is currently a hitting coach for the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Johnson (catcher)</span> American baseball player (born 1971)

Charles Edward Johnson Jr. is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the Florida Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998), the Baltimore Orioles (1999–2000), the Chicago White Sox (2000), the Colorado Rockies (2003–2004), and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Floyd</span> American baseball player (born 1972)

Cornelius Clifford Floyd Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for 17 seasons, most notably for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and New York Mets. He is currently a baseball analyst who co-hosts on Sirius XM Radio and appears on MLB Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Conine</span> American baseball player

Jeffrey Guy Conine is an American former professional baseball left fielder / first baseman and current assistant baseball coach at Florida International University, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons, with six teams. An inaugural member of the Florida Marlins who was with the franchise for both of its World Series titles, he was nicknamed Mr. Marlin for his significant history with the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Glanville</span> American baseball player and analyst (born 1970)

Douglas Metunwa Glanville is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Texas Rangers. He is also a broadcast color analyst for baseball, currently working with Marquee Sports Network and ESPN, and a contributor to The Athletic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Butterfield</span> American baseball coach (born 1958)

Brian James Butterfield is an American professional baseball coach, and a former minor league player, manager and infield instructor. He has coached for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB).

David S. Collins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1975 to 1990.

Michael Robert Coolbaugh was an American baseball player and coach. Born in Binghamton, New York, he was the brother of major leaguer Scott Coolbaugh. Coolbaugh died after being hit by a line drive while working as a first-base coach in a minor league game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coach (baseball)</span> Assistant to a manager in baseball

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 decisions. Beyond the manager, more than a half dozen coaches may assist the manager in running the team. Essentially, baseball coaches are analogous to assistant coaches in other sports, as the baseball manager is to the head coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Corso</span> American college football broadcaster and former coach

Lee Richard Corso is an American sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN and a former coach. He has been a featured analyst on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception in 1987. Corso served as the head football coach at the University of Louisville from 1969 to 1972, at Indiana University Bloomington from 1973 to 1982, and at Northern Illinois University in 1984, compiling a career college football coaching record of 73–85–6. He was the head coach for the Orlando Renegades of the United States Football League in 1985, tallying a mark of 5–13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Gutierrez (baseball)</span>

Chris Gutierrez (Gutie) is an American professional baseball player of Cuban descent who mainly played in Minor League Baseball, having tallied 872 games with four different organizations: the Dodgers, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Angels affiliates. At the NCAA Division One level, he was a three-time All-Big 12 shortstop at Oklahoma State from 2002 to 2005. He is from Orlando, Florida and led Conway Little League with Zack Greinke to its first Senior League World Series in 1999.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Malinowski, Erik (July 17, 2014). "Pitchman: How Tom Emanski changed the sport of baseball—and then disappeared". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on July 19, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  2. ↑ Cush, Herky (June 16, 1985). "Emanski's Baseball World Soon to Become Reality in Maitland". The Orlando Sentinel . p. S-28.
  3. ↑ "Past AAU Baseball Champions". AAU Baseball. Archived from the original on April 5, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2007.
  4. ↑ "USA Beats Cuba". Tom Emanski Baseball Videos. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  5. ↑ Caple, Jim; Rovell, Darren. "Ironman of Commercials". ESPN.com . Retrieved August 24, 2007.
  6. ↑ Brown, Larry (July 22, 2019). "Fred McGriff shared how he ended up in Tom Emanski commercial". Yardbarker. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  7. ↑ Cwik, Chris (May 25, 2021). "Former MLB star admits he's never seen iconic video in which he starred". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  8. ↑ Stark, Jayson (October 12, 2002). "Cards win, but Tom Emanski covers his eyes". ESPN.com . Retrieved March 5, 2009.
  9. ↑ Sandomir, Richard (October 12, 2005). "TV SPORTS; Thanks to Fox Analysts, A-Rod Takes His Lumps". The New York Times . Retrieved March 29, 2008.
  10. ↑ "Baseball Videos". Tom Emanski Baseball Videos. Archived from the original on October 8, 2007. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.