Former Yankees infielder and coach Mike Ferraro passes away at 79. The New York Yankees announced his death, stating that Ferraro died on Saturday, with no cause of death provided.
Ferraro played for the Yankees in 1966 and 1968, the Seattle Pilots in 1969, and the Milwaukee Brewers in 1972. He is best remembered for his coaching career in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After retiring in 1972, Ferraro managed in the Yankees farm system, winning pennants at the Class-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels.
Gabe Paul, Yankees president in the 1970s, praised Ferraro’s organizational skills, saying, “Mike had those kids using better fundamentals than some big league clubs. Nobody missed a cutoff man. And as a Yankee coach, he planned their spring training workouts. He’s organized.”
In a 2020 interview with the Utica Observer-Dispatch, Ferraro admitted he initially doubted his coaching abilities: “I didn’t think that I could do it. When I was playing, I wasn’t thinking about what I would be doing afterwards.”
Ferraro coached the Yankees from 1979-1982 and 1987-1991. He is notably remembered for waving Willie Randolph home in Game 2 of the 1980 ALCS, a decision that led to Randolph being thrown out and the Yankees losing the game. This incident drew criticism from team owner George Steinbrenner, leading to manager Dick Howser’s eventual replacement despite winning 100 games that season. Ferraro returned as first base coach the following season.
Ferraro managed the Cleveland Indians in 1983 but was fired after 100 games. He later reunited with Howser in Kansas City, winning the 1985 World Series and taking over as manager in 1986. After managing the Royals for a season, Ferraro coached the Yankees again for five years and concluded his career as a third-base coach for the Baltimore Orioles in 1993.
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