Jim Essian
Encyclopedia
James Sarkis Essian, Jr. (born January 2, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan
) is an American former catcher
and occasional infielder
for the Philadelphia Phillies
, Chicago White Sox
, Oakland Athletics
, Seattle Mariners
, and Cleveland Indians
. He was signed by the Phillies at age 18, but he only amassed 24 at-bats over three seasons. In , he was traded to the Braves for Dick Allen
and Johnny Oates
, but in May, he was sent to the White Sox to complete a trade the Braves made for Allen. In , he was traded to the Athletics, where his playing time diminished. After brief stints in Cleveland and Seattle, he retired in after being cut in spring training by the A's.
Essian later became a coach for the Chicago Cubs
, and in he became manager
for the Cubs after Don Zimmer
was fired. He finished that year 59-63. Essian was the first ever manager in baseball of Armenian heritage.
A Cubs blog, "Hire Jim Essian," was named in honor of the former Cubs' manager and has an author patterned after him named "Skip" due to Essian's insistence that his former players refer to him as "Skip Johnson."
He is the current head coach of Greek National Baseball Team.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is an American former catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
and occasional 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...
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, 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...
, 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....
, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. He was signed by the Phillies at age 18, but he only amassed 24 at-bats over three seasons. In , he was traded to the Braves for Dick Allen
Dick Allen
Richard Anthony Allen is a former Major League Baseball player and R&B singer. He played first and third base and outfield in Major League Baseball and ranked among his sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s...
and Johnny Oates
Johnny Oates
Johnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981...
, but in May, he was sent to the White Sox to complete a trade the Braves made for Allen. In , he was traded to the Athletics, where his playing time diminished. After brief stints in Cleveland and Seattle, he retired in after being cut in spring training by the A's.
Essian later became a coach for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, and in he became manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
for the Cubs after Don Zimmer
Don Zimmer
Donald William "Popeye" Zimmer is a former infielder, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball, currently serving as a senior advisor to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball organization...
was fired. He finished that year 59-63. Essian was the first ever manager in baseball of Armenian heritage.
A Cubs blog, "Hire Jim Essian," was named in honor of the former Cubs' manager and has an author patterned after him named "Skip" due to Essian's insistence that his former players refer to him as "Skip Johnson."
He is the current head coach of Greek National Baseball Team.