Orlando Gómez

Juan Alejandro "Orlando" Gómez Tossas (born June 24, 1946, at Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico) is a former Major League Baseball coach and scout and minor league catcher. He is the 2016 manager of the Rookie-level GCL Orioles of the Gulf Coast League;^[1] it is Gómez' 21st year as a minor league manager, his 12th straight season in the Baltimore Orioles' organization, his second tour of duty (and third season overall) as skipper of the GCL Orioles, and his 53rd consecutive year in professional baseball.^[2]

Major League coach for three clubs

Gómez spent seven years as a Major League coach for the Texas Rangers (1991–1992), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998–2000), and Seattle Mariners (2003–2004). He was a member of the first Tampa Bay Major League squad, working under manager Larry Rothschild during the Rays' maiden 1998 season as both bullpen and third-base coach.^[3] He also served on the MLB staffs of Bobby Valentine and Bob Melvin. As a scout for the Rangers, assigned to Latin America, Gómez was credited with signing Ruben Sierra and Juan Guzmán.^[2]

Gómez played 13 seasons (1964–1976) in the minor leagues, mostly as a catcher and mostly in the organizations of the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics. He reached the Triple-A level for 83 games over four different seasons. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg) during his active career.

In a minor league managerial career that began in 1977, Gómez has also managed the Medicine Hat A's, Burlington Rangers, Tulsa Drillers, Waterbury Indians, Buffalo Bisons, Williamsport Bills, Gastonia Rangers, Everett AquaSox, Port City Roosters, Bluefield Orioles, Delmarva Shorebirds and Frederick Keys.

References

1. Maryland Sports Network, January 12, 2016
2. Frederick Keys official website
3. Retrosheet

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Coach's page from Retrosheet