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Andy Etchebarren
Andy Etchebarren.jpg
Catcher
Born: (1943-06-20)June 20, 1943
Whittier, California, U.S.
Died: October 5, 2019(2019-10-05) (aged 76)
Santee, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 26, 1962, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last appearance
April 20, 1978, for the Milwaukee Brewers
MLB statistics
Batting average .235
Home runs 49
Runs batted in 309
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Andrew "Andy" Auguste Etchebarren (born June 20, 1943 – died October 5, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons, from 1962 and then from 1965 through 1978. Andy was best known for playing with the Baltimore Orioles. He was part of the Orioles team that won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1966 and 1971. He was also a two-time All-Star. Etchebarren also played for the California Angels and the Milwaukee Brewers. After his playing career, he became a coach and managed minor league teams for 16 seasons.

Andy Etchebarren's Baseball Journey

Andy Etchebarren was born in Whittier, California. His family had roots in the Basque region. The Baltimore Orioles signed him as a young player in 1961.

In 1966, Andy was expected to be a backup catcher for the Orioles. But things changed during spring training. The main catcher, Dick Brown, needed surgery. Another catcher, Charley Lau, got hurt. Because of this, Andy became the starting catcher for the Orioles.

A cool fact from his playing days: Andy was the last player to bat against the famous pitcher Sandy Koufax. This happened during the 1966 World Series. Andy helped the Orioles win two World Series titles, in 1966 and 1970. He also helped them win the American League pennant in 1969 and 1971.

Andy was chosen to be an All-Star in both 1966 and 1967. In 1966, he played in 121 games. He had 11 home runs and 50 RBI.

In 1975, Andy lost his starting catcher spot due to injuries. The Orioles then sold his contract to the California Angels. He had said he would retire if he couldn't play in his home state of California.

Over his 15 seasons, Andy played in 948 games. He had 49 home runs and 309 RBI. His batting average was .235. He was also a good defensive player, with a .987 fielding percentage.

Managing and Coaching

After his playing career, Andy Etchebarren became a coach. In 1982, he became a catching instructor for the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league teams. He also served as the bench coach for the Baltimore Orioles from 1996 to 1997.

Andy also had a long career as a manager in the minor leagues. He managed teams like the Bowie Baysox (2000), Rochester Red Wings (2001-2002), and Aberdeen IronBirds (2005-2007).

Later, he managed the York Revolution in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He led the team to win two league championships in 2010 and 2011. Andy retired from baseball after the 2012 season. He passed away on October 5, 2019, at the age of 76.

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