Joe Pettini
Encyclopedia
Joseph Paul "Joe" Pettini (born January 26, 1955, in Wheeling, West Virginia
) is a former Major League Baseball
player and a current major league bench coach with the St. Louis Cardinals
. Joe and his family now reside in Bethany, West Virginia
.
and Mercer University
in Macon, Georgia
. He played for the Mercer baseball team, starting 196 consecutive games, but was not selected in the MLB draft. Pettini signed as an undrafted free agent with the Montreal Expos
in 1977 after graduating from Mercer. On March 15, 1980, Pettini was sent to the San Francisco Giants
as the player to be named later in a 1979 trade where the Giants sent Montreal backup catcher John Tamargo. Pettini made his major-league debut for the Giants on July 10, 1980. He would go on to be a part-time player for the Giants for four seasons, 1980-1983, amassing a total of 344 big-league at-bats and hitting for a .203 average. One of the highlights of Pettini's playing career was his participation in a triple play
that the Giants executed against the San Diego Padres on Oct. 3, 1980.
Pettini was an infielder, playing second base, third base
and shortstop
for the Giants. His final game as a big-league player was October 2, 1983. In 1984, Pettini would sign with the minor-league Louisville Redbirds
, then an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, beginning his long association with the organization. Pettini played for Louisville for three seasons.
In 1997 Pettini was promoted to minor league field coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals organization, where he remained until 2002. As coordinator, he was responsible for organizing the spring training schedules for up to 200 Cardinal farmhands every spring, as well as making decisions on what levels Cardinal prospects were sent to, and coaching those prospects during the minor league season.
picked Pettini to be his bench coach, a position that he still holds. As a bench coach, Pettini helps organize pregame warmups and batting practice. He also sets up infield positioning, reviewing with each infielder how he should position himself for each opposition batter. Pettini checks infield positioning during gameplay, and keeps a stopwatch to measure the pitchers' release time to the plate.
Pettini earned his first championship ring when the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2006 World Series
, defeating the Detroit Tigers four games to one.
]]MLB Managers by team]]
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
) is a former 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...
player and a current major league bench coach with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Joe and his family now reside in Bethany, West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia
Bethany is a town in Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 985 at the 2000 census. The Town of Bethany is home to Bethany College.-History:...
.
Playing career
Pettini attended Brooke High School in Wellsburg, West VirginiaWellsburg, West Virginia
Wellsburg is a city in and the county seat of Brooke County, West Virginia, United States. It is part of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2000 Census recorded a population of 2,891, down from a count of 3,385 in the 1990 Census...
and Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
. He played for the Mercer baseball team, starting 196 consecutive games, but was not selected in the MLB draft. Pettini signed as an undrafted free agent with the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
in 1977 after graduating from Mercer. On March 15, 1980, Pettini was sent to 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....
as the player to be named later in a 1979 trade where the Giants sent Montreal backup catcher John Tamargo. Pettini made his major-league debut for the Giants on July 10, 1980. He would go on to be a part-time player for the Giants for four seasons, 1980-1983, amassing a total of 344 big-league at-bats and hitting for a .203 average. One of the highlights of Pettini's playing career was his participation in a triple play
Triple Play
A triple play is a baseball play in which three outs are made as a result of continuous action without any intervening errors between outs.Triple play may also refer to:...
that the Giants executed against the San Diego Padres on Oct. 3, 1980.
Pettini was an infielder, playing second base, third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
and shortstop
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...
for the Giants. His final game as a big-league player was October 2, 1983. In 1984, Pettini would sign with the minor-league Louisville Redbirds
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
, then an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, beginning his long association with the organization. Pettini played for Louisville for three seasons.
Minor league managing and coaching career
Pettini stayed with the Cardinals as a coach after his playing career ended in 1988. He started out as a manager with the rookie-level Hamilton franchise in 1989, then moved up the system, managing the Class A St. Petersburg franchise in 1990, the Class AA Little Rock affiliate from 1991 to 1993, and Class AAA Louisville from 1994 to 1996, where he managed the Redbirds to the 1995 American Association championship. Pettini compiled an overall minor-league won-loss record fo 475-569.In 1997 Pettini was promoted to minor league field coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals organization, where he remained until 2002. As coordinator, he was responsible for organizing the spring training schedules for up to 200 Cardinal farmhands every spring, as well as making decisions on what levels Cardinal prospects were sent to, and coaching those prospects during the minor league season.
Major league coach
In 2002 St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La RussaTony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
picked Pettini to be his bench coach, a position that he still holds. As a bench coach, Pettini helps organize pregame warmups and batting practice. He also sets up infield positioning, reviewing with each infielder how he should position himself for each opposition batter. Pettini checks infield positioning during gameplay, and keeps a stopwatch to measure the pitchers' release time to the plate.
Pettini earned his first championship ring when the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
, defeating the Detroit Tigers four games to one.
Personal life
Joe Pettini and his wife Barbara were married in 1981. They had daughter Amy in 1983 and son Joseph in 1987. He attended Brooke High School.External links
- Bio at MLB.com
- Interview with Joe Pettini
- Mercer University newspaper article about Pettini and other alumni in MLB
]]MLB Managers by team]]