Frail Pirates pitching coach Ray Miller dies at 76
Would possibly well also 6—Ray Miller, who was the Baltimore Orioles‘ pitching coach after they lost the 1979 World Sequence to the Pittsburgh Pirates and later held the identical job for the Pirates for 10 seasons, has died, his family informed the Baltimore Sun. He was 76.
“One among the end pitching coaches within the history of baseball. I form no longer train there is any demand about that,” acknowledged previous Pirates manager Jim Leyland, who labored aspect-by-aspect with Miller from 1987-96 whereas a hit National League East championships in 1990, ’91 and ’92. “Earlier than his time. He had all of it found out.”
After a 10-Twelve months minor league occupation as a ethical-handed pitcher with a shedding file (60-65), Miller grew to develop into the Orioles’ pitching coach in 1978, his first of three stints with the group. He helped Mike Flanagan and Steve Stone accept the Cy Young Award in 1979 and ’80.
His reputation as a mentor for pitchers grew, and he was named manager of the Minnesota Twins mid-Twelve months 1985. The Twins were 20 games beneath .500 at the time, but they were 50-50 beneath Miller. He was relieved of his duties before the stop of the 1986 season with a file of 59-80.
When the Pirates wanted a pitching coach in 1987 to replace Ron Schueler, overall manager Syd Thrift and Leyland grew to develop into to Miller.
“Syd talked to Ray and was, obviously, very high on him. I was very high on him,” Leyland acknowledged. “And what a job he did. We might perchance presumably well no longer beget hired somebody better at the time.”
Stated Thrift to the Los Angeles Cases in 1988: “In repeat for you to be the finest, and we enact, you beget got got bought to procure the finest other folks, and Ray Miller is the finest pitching coach in baseball.
“He has a radical knowledge of pitching. … He is a good trainer with colossal credibility.
“He has a colossal skill for work. I’ve beneath no conditions viewed him when he wasn’t obsessed with pitching or baseball.”
“Final Twelve months, on the superb day of a 162-sport season, he was willing to head to the Florida Tutorial League the following day and work with our young pitchers.”
Miller was the Pirates’ pitching coach in 1990 when Doug Drabek received the Cy Young Award, the most up-to-date Pirates pitcher to accept the award.
Leyland acknowledged he met Miller early in their careers.
“I knew him when he was with the Baltimore Orioles. I frail to hunt him within the Tutorial League every Twelve months, talked to him,” Leyland acknowledged. “We had a accurate relationship as opponents. Smartly-respected, colossal guy. Vogue of annoying exterior but soft at heart.
“He had a the truth is easy philosophy: work immediate, throw strikes, alternate speeds. That quiet works in at the novel time’s sport, even supposing they are no longer going about it the identical means.”
Leyland acknowledged Miller’s philosophy was to consume the hitter off steadiness.
“However or no longer it is a should always to throw strikes, procure forward within the depend,” Leyland acknowledged. “It sounds admire a easy philosophy, but he had a accurate activity of getting guys to enact it.
“There are some pitching coaches who’re the truth is accurate at placing a gameplan collectively. There are some pitching coaches who’re accurate at handling mechanics, if a guy has a flaw in his mechanics. Ray will also enact both. That’s what separated him from quite a lot of the guys.
“It labored out pretty accurate for us (in Pittsburgh). We had some accurate years with him. He was the truth is a mentor to Doug Drabek.
“I didn’t beget anything else to enact with (Drabek’s Cy Young Award), but Ray did. I bet Drabek had more to enact with it than somebody.”
After leaving the Pirates, Miller returned to the Orioles as pitching coach for the 1997 season before replacing Davey Johnson as manager for the next two seasons, compiling data of 79-83 and 78-84. He served because the Orioles’ pitching coach for a third time in 2004 and ’05. Surgical operation for an aortic aneurysm ended his occupation.
Miller was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Standing in 2010.
“Ray Miller was a loved member of the Pirates group for 10 years whose ardour and dedication played an instrumental fair within the group’s three straight postseason appearances from 1990-92,” the Pirates wrote in a assertion.
“He was respected no longer finest as a pitching coach by avid gamers within the Pirates group but moreover througout the entire sport of baseball.
“We’re saddened to hear of his passing and offer our solutions and prayers to his family within the midst of this annoying time.”
Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Evaluate workers creator. You might perchance presumably be ready to contact Jerry by email at [email protected] or through Twitter .