Bill Russell (baseball)
Encyclopedia
William Ellis Russell is a former shortstop
, coach
and manager
in Major League Baseball
. Russell played his entire 18-year, 2,181-game career with the Los Angeles Dodgers
as the starting shortstop for four National League
pennant winners and one World Series
champion. He also served as the team's manager from 1996 to 1998.
in , and his first two MLB seasons were spent in the outfield (veteran Maury Wills
was the Dodger shortstop). During the 1970–71 offseason, Russell was converted to a second baseman
, and then – the following year – to shortstop, becoming a regular in . Russell was the club's everyday shortstop for the next 12 years, anchoring an infield that included third baseman
Ron Cey
, second baseman Davey Lopes
and first baseman
Steve Garvey
. This infield crew has the distinction of being the longest intact unit in baseball history with eight and a half seasons together. Russell batted
.263 over his regular season career, and - coincidentally - posted the same average in 23 World Series games in 1974
, 1977
, 1978
, and 1981
. Russell's finest Fall Classic was in 1978, when he garnered 11 hits
and batted .423 in a losing effort against the New York Yankees
. He also hit .337 over five National League Championship Series
. Russell wore number 18.
Russell was hit in the hand with a pitch in 1980, shattering his thumb. He was never really the same player afterward, and retired in 1986. Only Zack Wheat
played more games as a Dodger, and no one in the West Coast portion of Dodgers history has played more games.
Russell became a coach on manager Tommy Lasorda
's staff in 1987. In 1992–93, he piloted the Dodgers' AAA farm club, the Albuquerque Dukes
of the Pacific Coast League
, but posted losing records each season. He then rejoined Lasorda and the Los Angeles coaching staff in 1994 and was considered by many the heir apparent to Lasorda's job. In June , the 68-year-old skipper suffered a mild heart attack and Russell was named acting manager. Although Lasorda's health recovered, the Dodger front office decided to make Russell's appointment permanent on July 29, thus making him only the third person to manage the Dodgers in 43 years. Russell finished the 1996 season, compiling a record of 49-37 and bringing the Dodgers home in second place, earning the NL wild card
spot in the playoffs before being swept in three games by the Atlanta Braves
in the Division Series
. The following year, he directed the Dodgers to an 88-74 mark and another runner-up finish in the NL West. However, when the 1998 club stumbled to a 36–38 start – and with the News Corporation
poised to buy the team - Russell was fired on June 21 along with general manager Fred Claire
in a general housecleaning, ending a 30-year association with the team. His final managing record was 173–149 (.537).
His departure from the Dodgers followed the new ownership's decision to trade Mike Piazza
along with third baseman Todd Zeile
to the Florida Marlins
. Neither Russell nor Claire knew about the trade. Claire, who like Russell had been with the Dodgers in various capacities since 1969, discussed his and Russell's ouster in his book My 30 Years in Dodger Blue.
Russell went on to coach for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
and managed farm teams of both Tampa Bay and the San Francisco Giants
, the Dodgers' archrival. He currently works for Major League Baseball’s umpiring division.
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
and 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...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Russell played his entire 18-year, 2,181-game career with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
as the starting shortstop for four National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant winners and one World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champion. He also served as the team's manager from 1996 to 1998.
Career
A right-handed batter and thrower, Russell came to the Dodgers as a 20-year-old outfielderOutfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in , and his first two MLB seasons were spent in the outfield (veteran Maury Wills
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
was the Dodger shortstop). During the 1970–71 offseason, Russell was converted to a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, and then – the following year – to shortstop, becoming a regular in . Russell was the club's everyday shortstop for the next 12 years, anchoring an infield that included third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Ron Cey
Ron Cey
Ronald Charles Cey |Washington]]) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics . Cey batted and threw right-handed...
, second baseman Davey Lopes
Davey Lopes
David Earle Lopes is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He is of Cape Verdean descent.-Playing:...
and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
. This infield crew has the distinction of being the longest intact unit in baseball history with eight and a half seasons together. Russell batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.263 over his regular season career, and - coincidentally - posted the same average in 23 World Series games in 1974
1974 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 12, 1974 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaReggie Jackson put the A's on the board first with a solo homer in the top of the second off 20-game winner Andy Messersmith...
, 1977
1977 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1977 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe Dodgers drew first blood off Don Gullett in the first when Davey Lopes walked and scored on a Bill Russell triple. Ron Cey made it 2–0 on a sacrifice fly...
, 1978
1978 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWith Yankee ace Ron Guidry unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes. Lopes would add a...
, and 1981
1981 World Series
The 1981 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking their third meeting in the Series in five years as well as a record eleventh Series meeting overall and last Series meeting to date...
. Russell's finest Fall Classic was in 1978, when he garnered 11 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and batted .423 in a losing effort against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He also hit .337 over five National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
. Russell wore number 18.
Russell was hit in the hand with a pitch in 1980, shattering his thumb. He was never really the same player afterward, and retired in 1986. Only Zack Wheat
Zack Wheat
Wheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and...
played more games as a Dodger, and no one in the West Coast portion of Dodgers history has played more games.
Russell became a coach on manager Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
's staff in 1987. In 1992–93, he piloted the Dodgers' AAA farm club, the Albuquerque Dukes
Albuquerque Dukes
The Albuquerque Dukes were a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.-History:The first Dukes team was formed in 1915 as part of the Class-D Rio Grande Association. The team finished in third place with a 32-25 record. Frank Huelman was the league leader in home runs,...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, but posted losing records each season. He then rejoined Lasorda and the Los Angeles coaching staff in 1994 and was considered by many the heir apparent to Lasorda's job. In June , the 68-year-old skipper suffered a mild heart attack and Russell was named acting manager. Although Lasorda's health recovered, the Dodger front office decided to make Russell's appointment permanent on July 29, thus making him only the third person to manage the Dodgers in 43 years. Russell finished the 1996 season, compiling a record of 49-37 and bringing the Dodgers home in second place, earning the NL wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
spot in the playoffs before being swept in three games by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the Division Series
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series determine which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series...
. The following year, he directed the Dodgers to an 88-74 mark and another runner-up finish in the NL West. However, when the 1998 club stumbled to a 36–38 start – and with the News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
poised to buy the team - Russell was fired on June 21 along with general manager Fred Claire
Fred Claire
Fred Claire is a former major league baseball executive who served in numerous roles for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1969–1998 including the role of general manager from 1987–1998.-Early life:...
in a general housecleaning, ending a 30-year association with the team. His final managing record was 173–149 (.537).
His departure from the Dodgers followed the new ownership's decision to trade Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
along with third baseman Todd Zeile
Todd Zeile
Todd Edward Zeile is a former catcher, third baseman, and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1989 to . After graduating from UCLA, where he played as a catcher, Zeile played for 11 Major League teams during his career: the St...
to the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. Neither Russell nor Claire knew about the trade. Claire, who like Russell had been with the Dodgers in various capacities since 1969, discussed his and Russell's ouster in his book My 30 Years in Dodger Blue.
Russell went on to coach for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
and managed farm teams of both Tampa Bay and the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, the Dodgers' archrival. He currently works for Major League Baseball’s umpiring division.
Managerial record
| Team | |Regular Season | Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
1996 | 49 | 37 | .570 | 2nd in NL West | – | – | – | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
1997 | 88 | 74 | .543 | 2nd in NL West | – | – | – | |||
| Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming... |
1998 | 36 | 38 | .486 | 3rd in NL West | – | – | – | |||
| Totals | 173 | 149 | .537 | – | – | – | |||||