Bobby Winkles
Encyclopedia
Bobby Brooks Winkles is a former baseball
coach at Arizona State University
. Bobby Winkles coached from 1959–1971 and was the first varsity baseball coach at Arizona State University. Winkles laid the foundation for the legacy that has become Sun Devil baseball. His overall record while head coach at ASU is 524-173. In his 11 years at work at ASU, Winkles coached ASU to its first three national titles (1965, 1967, and 1969). Winkles coached several great players while he was at the helm of the Sun Devils, including Rick Monday
, Sal Bando
, Reggie Jackson
, Sterling Slaughter
, and Larry Gura
. He was named the 1965 and 1969 NCAA Coach of the Year and The Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1965, 1967, and 1969. Winkles was inducted into the ABCA Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. After coaching at ASU, Winkles went on to manage four years in Major League Baseball with the California Angels (1973–1974) and the Oakland Athletics (1977–1978). His No. 1 jersey is honored at Packard Stadium
where the field is named in his honor.
Winkles is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University
, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi
Fraternity
. A right-handed-hitting and -throwing infielder
, he played minor league baseball
in the Chicago White Sox
organization during the 1950s before becoming the Sun Devils' head coach in 1958 and served through 1971. He compiled a winning percentage of .751 (524-173) during his 14 seasons in Tempe.
In 1972
, he jumped to Major League Baseball
as a coach
for the American League
California Angels
. In 1973
, Winkles became manager in Anaheim, succeeding Del Rice
. His 1973 club won 79, lost 83 and finished fourth in the AL West. In 1974
, after the Angels lost 44 of their first 75 games, Winkles was fired; his permanent successor was Dick Williams
.
Winkles then became a coach for the Oakland Athletics
; he managed them for parts of the 1977
and 1978
seasons, as he replaced (in 1977) and then was succeeded by (in '78) the same manager: Jack McKeon
. The A's were then a struggling outfit in the final throes of the Charlie Finley era. His final managerial record: 170 wins, 213 defeats (.444). Winkles also spent a season, 1976
, as a coach for the San Francisco Giants
.
A brief coaching stint with the White Sox immediately followed his 1978 firing as A's manager. Then, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Winkles spent several years leading the player development department of the Montreal Expos
, when the Expos had one of the most productive farm systems in the game. In 2006, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
coach at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. Bobby Winkles coached from 1959–1971 and was the first varsity baseball coach at Arizona State University. Winkles laid the foundation for the legacy that has become Sun Devil baseball. His overall record while head coach at ASU is 524-173. In his 11 years at work at ASU, Winkles coached ASU to its first three national titles (1965, 1967, and 1969). Winkles coached several great players while he was at the helm of the Sun Devils, including Rick Monday
Rick Monday
Robert James "Rick" Monday, Jr. is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball and is currently a broadcast announcer. From 1966 through 1984, Monday, a center fielder for most of his career, played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics , Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Sal Bando
Sal Bando
Salvatore Leonard Bando is a former third baseman and executive in professional baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed. During the A's championship years of 1971-75, he captained the team and led the club in runs batted...
, Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, Sterling Slaughter
Sterling Slaughter
Sterling Feore Slaughter, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who pitched for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball in . Slaughter stood tall, weighed and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in education in 1963.The 1964 campaign was Slaughter's second...
, and Larry Gura
Larry Gura
Lawrence Cyril Gura is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from to . He went to Arizona State University and spent 16 years in the Major Leagues. He played for the Chicago Cubs of the National League, and the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals , both of the American League...
. He was named the 1965 and 1969 NCAA Coach of the Year and The Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1965, 1967, and 1969. Winkles was inducted into the ABCA Collegiate Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. After coaching at ASU, Winkles went on to manage four years in Major League Baseball with the California Angels (1973–1974) and the Oakland Athletics (1977–1978). His No. 1 jersey is honored at Packard Stadium
Packard Stadium
Packard Stadium is a college baseball stadium in Tempe, Arizona, the home field of the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific 12 Conference. Opened in 1974, the stadium's seating capacity is 7,875....
where the field is named in his honor.
Winkles is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Illinois Wesleyan University is an independent undergraduate university located in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1850, the central portion of the present campus was acquired in 1854 with the first building erected in 1856...
, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
Fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. A right-handed-hitting and -throwing infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, he played minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
in the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
organization during the 1950s before becoming the Sun Devils' head coach in 1958 and served through 1971. He compiled a winning percentage of .751 (524-173) during his 14 seasons in Tempe.
In 1972
1972 in baseball
-Labor strife and more moving:1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration. The strike erased the first week and a half of the season, and the Leagues decided to just excise the lost portion of the season with no makeups. As a result, an uneven number of games were...
, he jumped to Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. In 1973
1973 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over New York Mets ; Reggie Jackson, MVP*All-Star Game, July 24 at Royals Stadium: National League, 7–1; Bobby Bonds, MVP-Other champions:...
, Winkles became manager in Anaheim, succeeding Del Rice
Del Rice
Delbert Rice Jr. was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. He played for 17 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to , most notably for the St. Louis Cardinals...
. His 1973 club won 79, lost 83 and finished fourth in the AL West. In 1974
1974 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*1974 World Series: Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Rollie Fingers, MVP*All-Star Game, July 23 at Three Rivers Stadium: National League, 7-2; Steve Garvey, MVP-Other champions:...
, after the Angels lost 44 of their first 75 games, Winkles was fired; his permanent successor was Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
.
Winkles then became a coach for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
; he managed them for parts of the 1977
1977 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers ; Reggie Jackson, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: None*National League Championship Series MVP: Dusty Baker...
and 1978
1978 in baseball
-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Indios de Mayagüez *College World Series: USC*Japan Series: Yakult Swallows over Hankyu Braves *Little League World Series: Pin-Kuang, Pin-Tung, Taiwan-Awards and honors:*Most Valuable Player...
seasons, as he replaced (in 1977) and then was succeeded by (in '78) the same manager: Jack McKeon
Jack McKeon
John Aloysius McKeon , nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former Major League Baseball manager. In 2003, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins...
. The A's were then a struggling outfit in the final throes of the Charlie Finley era. His final managerial record: 170 wins, 213 defeats (.444). Winkles also spent a season, 1976
1976 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees ; Johnny Bench, MVP*All-Star Game, July 13 at Veterans Stadium: National League, 7-1; George Foster, MVP-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Naranjeros de Hermosillo...
, as a coach for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
A brief coaching stint with the White Sox immediately followed his 1978 firing as A's manager. Then, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Winkles spent several years leading the player development department of the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, when the Expos had one of the most productive farm systems in the game. In 2006, he was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame
College Baseball Hall of Fame
The National College Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Lubbock, Texas, is a museum operated by the College Baseball Foundation serving as the central point for the study of the history of college baseball in the United States...
.