Gene Clines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gene Clines |
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Clines in 1972
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: October 6, 1946 San Pablo, California |
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| Died: January 27, 2022 (aged 75) Bradenton, Florida |
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| debut | |||
| June 28, 1970, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 8, 1979, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .277 | ||
| Home runs | 5 | ||
| Runs batted in | 187 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Eugene Anthony Clines (born October 6, 1946 – died January 27, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for ten seasons, from 1970 to 1979. Clines was best known for his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He helped the Pirates win four National League Eastern Division titles. He also won the World Series with them in 1971.
After playing, Clines became a baseball coach. He coached for several teams, including the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, and San Francisco Giants. Later in his career, he worked as an advisor for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Playing Career Highlights
Gene Clines went to Harry Ells High School in Richmond, California. The Pittsburgh Pirates chose him in the 1966 MLB draft. He was picked in the sixth round.
Clines was a very fast runner. He also had excellent skills in defense. He started playing for the Pirates in 1970 as a reserve outfielder. In his first year, he hit very well, with a .405 batting average. On September 1, 1971, Clines was part of a special moment. He played in MLB's first-ever all-minority batting lineup.
Clines played in the postseason with Pittsburgh in 1971, 1972, and 1974. He won a World Series ring with the Pirates in 1971. His best season was in 1972. That year, he had his highest batting average of .334. He also hit 15 doubles and 6 triples in 107 games.
After the 1974 season, the Pirates traded Clines to the New York Mets. He later played for the Texas Rangers and the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs released him in May 1979. Over his 10 seasons in MLB, he had a career batting average of .277.
Coaching and Advising
After his playing days, Clines stayed with the Cubs as a coach until 1981. He then joined the Houston Astros team. He worked as a hitting instructor for their minor league teams. He held this job until 1987. In 1988, he became the hitting coach for the main Houston Astros team.
The Seattle Mariners hired Clines as their hitting coach in 1988. He coached for the Mariners for six seasons. After the 1992 season, he left the team. He then coached hitting for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1993 and 1994. After that, he joined the San Francisco Giants. He started as a minor league hitting coordinator. In 1996, he became the major league hitting coach for the Giants.
In 2002, the Giants' manager, Dusty Baker, moved to the Cubs. Baker brought Clines with him to Chicago. Clines became the first base coach for the Cubs. In 2005, he was named the hitting coach. When Baker was fired after the 2006 season, Clines and the other coaches also left.
In October 2006, the Los Angeles Dodgers hired Clines. He worked as an instructor for outfielders and base-running. He even helped convince player Juan Pierre to join the Dodgers. After the 2011 season, he got a promotion. He became a senior advisor for player development with the Dodgers.
Personal Life
Gene Clines had three children with his ex-wife, Fay. He passed away at his home in Bradenton, Florida, on January 27, 2022. He was 75 years old.
