29 Facts About Johnny Oates

Johnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager.

Johnny Oates played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981.

Johnny Oates was selected by the Baltimore Orioles as their first round pick in the 1967 Major League Baseball Secondary Draft.

Johnny Oates began his professional baseball career with the Bluefield Orioles, then the Miami Marlins in 1967 at the age of 21.

Johnny Oates continued his climb up the minor league ladder in 1970, playing for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings before making his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles at the age of 24 on September 17,1970.

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Johnny Oates was not on the post-season roster for The Orioles that won the 1970 World Series.

Johnny Oates was brought back up to the Orioles for the 1972 season, where he caught the majority of the Orioles' games.

Johnny Oates spent two seasons with the Braves, platooning alongside Paul Casanova, then Vic Correll, before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in May 1975.

Johnny Oates had been designated to platoon at catcher with Bob Boone for the 1976 season; however, in the season-opening game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he cracked his collar bone in a collision at home plate with Dave Parker and missed almost half the season.

Johnny Oates returned to help the Phillies win the 1976 National League Eastern Division pennant.

Johnny Oates had one plate appearance, as a pinch hitter, in the 1976 National League Championship Series as the Phillies lost to the eventual world champion Cincinnati Reds.

In 1978, Johnny Oates appeared in only 40 games as the Dodgers repeated as Western Division champions and, defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1978 National League Championship Series.

Johnny Oates' playing time decreased further in 1979, as he appeared in only 26 games before being released at the end of the season.

Johnny Oates became a free agent and signed a contract to play for the New York Yankees on April 4,1980.

Johnny Oates served as a backup to Rick Cerone during the 1980 season before playing in his final game on May 24,1981, at the age of 35.

Johnny Oates began managing in baseball in 1982 when he guided the New York Yankees' Double-A Nashville Sounds to win the Southern League title.

Johnny Oates finished his Orioles managerial career with a record of 291 wins and 270 losses.

Johnny Oates proceeded to lead the Rangers to their first playoff appearance in team history during the 1996 season.

Johnny Oates won the 1996 American League Manager of the Year Award that year, sharing honors with the Yankees' Joe Torre.

Johnny Oates continued to lead the Rangers for several more seasons, leading them to American League West titles in 1998 and 1999.

Johnny Oates finished his Rangers managerial career with a record of 506 wins and 476 losses.

Johnny Oates was named American League Manager of the Year in 1996 when he led the Rangers to their first playoff berth in franchise history, winning the American League West Division.

Johnny Oates won the Sporting News American League Manager of the Year Award that year.

Johnny Oates was posthumously inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame on August 7,2010.

That same year, Buck Showalter had honored his friend Johnny Oates by choosing the number '26' as he took over management of the Baltimore Orioles.

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Johnny Oates was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

Johnny Oates was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Johnny Oates was considering returning to managing when he was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme.

Johnny Oates succumbed to the tumor at age 58 at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond on Christmas Eve 2004.