Greg Biagini

Gregory Peter Biagini (March 12, 1952 — October 3, 2003) was an American player, coach and manager in minor league baseball and a batting coach for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Biagini stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall, weighed 220 pounds (100 kg), batted left-handed and threw right-handed during his playing career.

Biagini was chosen in the 12th round in the June 1973 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos. He attended Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois, and played varsity baseball, football and ice hockey at Iowa State University. During his ten-season (1973–1982) pro career, he was a first baseman in the Montreal and Seattle Mariners' farm systems and in the Mexican League before turning his hand to managing in 1983 with the Bluefield Orioles of the Rookie-level Appalachian League.

Biagini would manage in the minor leagues for 14 seasons (1983–1991; 1995–1999) for Baltimore and the Texas Rangers, compiling a record of 937 wins and 933 defeats (.501) with two Triple-A-level championships, with the 1990 Rochester Red Wings of the International League and the 1996 Oklahoma City 89ers of the American Association. He spent three seasons (1992–1994) in the American League as the Major-League hitting coach for the Orioles during the managerial term of Johnny Oates, and was the minor league hitting coordinator of the Boston Red Sox in 2000–2001.

Greg Biagini died at 51 from kidney cancer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
• BR Bullpen
• Greg Biagini at Find-A-Grave
• Coach's page in Retrosheet

References

• Obituary, from historicbaseball.com
• Boston Red Sox 2001 Media Guide

Preceded by Johnny Oates	Rochester Red Wings manager 1989–1991	Succeeded by Jerry Narron
Preceded by Tommy McCraw	Baltimore Orioles hitting coach 1992–1994	Succeeded by Lee May
Preceded by Bobby Jones	Oklahoma City 89ers/Oklahoma RedHawks manager 1995–1999	Succeeded by DeMarlo Hale