| Chuck Cottier | |
|---|---|
 Cottier on the Washington Senators | |
| Second baseman / Manager | |
| Born: January 8, 1936 Delta, Colorado, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1959, for the Milwaukee Braves | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 9, 1969, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .220 |
| Home runs | 19 |
| Runs batted in | 127 |
| Managerial record | 98–119 |
| Winning % | .452 |
| Teams | |
| |
Charles Keith Cottier (born January 8, 1936) is an American former second baseman, manager, coach, and scout in American Major League Baseball.[1]
Born in Delta, Colorado, Cottier graduated from Grand Junction High School, where he lettered in four sports – baseball, basketball, football and wrestling.[2] He batted and threw right-handed, standing 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) and weighing 178 pounds (81 kg).[1]
Cottier was a good-fielding, light-hitting infielder during his nine-year big league playing career. He appeared in 580 games and compiled a lifetime batting average of .220 with 348 hits, 63 doubles, 17 triples and 19 home runs with the Milwaukee Braves (1959–60), Detroit Tigers (1961), Washington Senators (1961–65) and California Angels (1968–69). He finished his career with an overall .973 fielding percentage.[1]
His playing career ended in May 1969 when he sustained an Achilles tendon injury as a member of the Angels[2] and began his minor league managing career in 1971.
Cottier was in his third season as the Seattle Mariners' third base coach in 1984 when manager Del Crandall was fired with 27 games left and Cottier was appointed interim manager on September 1.[3][4] He led the team through 1985 and into the first 28 games of 1986. With the M's at 9–19, sixth in the AL West, Cottier was fired on May 8 and succeeded by interim manager Marty Martínez for one game before Dick Williams took over.[5] His career record as a major league manager was 98–119 (.452).[6]
Cottier also was a coach for the New York Mets (1979–81), Chicago Cubs (1988–94), Baltimore Orioles (1995) and Philadelphia Phillies (1997–2000);[7] he was a major league scout for the New York Yankees,[1] and a special assistant to the general manager for the Washington Nationals.[8]
- ^ a b c d Career statistics and history at Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ a b Howe News Bureau, Seattle Mariners 1982 Organization Book
- ^ "Mariners fire another manager". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 2, 1984. p. 6B.
- ^ "Mariner GM Claims talent there for winner". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. September 3, 1984. p. 13.
- ^ Cour, Jim (May 9, 1986). "Williams says he's M's new skipper". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. p. 21.
- ^ Managerial record at Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ Coaching records at Retrosheet.org
- ^ Leventhal, Josh, ed., Baseball America 2011 Directory, Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2011, page 75