Mike Scioscia, long-time manager of the Los Angeles Angels, had a successful and long career as a major league catcher from 1980 through 1992. He played the entire time for the Los Angeles Dodgers, although he was with the San Diego Padres in 1993 and the Texas Rangers in 1994. However, he was sidelined by injuries both of those years and he never played for either team.
Fredi Gonzalez, the Atlanta Braves manager, started his baseball career in 1982 as a catcher with the NY Yankees' minor leagues. He played in the minors for six years before moving on to an assistant coach position at a university. After two years coaching, Gonzalez got his first managerial position in the minor leagues. His first major league position didn't come until 1999, when the Florida Marlins hired him as their third base coach. From there he moved to the Atlanta Braves, working in both their minor leagues and with the Braves. He stayed with the Braves from 2002 through 2005.
Bo Porter, the Houston Astros new manager, at the age of 40, is the youngest manager in the major leagues. Although he managed in the minor leagues in 2006, this is Porter's first year as a major league manager.
Bud Black, manager of the San Diego Padres since 2007, started his baseball career as a pitcher. He first pitched in college and in 1981 began his major league career with the Seattle Mariners. In 15 years in the majors, Black moved around quite a bit, playing for five different teams. His longest time was seven years with the Kansas City Royals from 1982-1988. Black pitched in 398 games for the Mariners, Royals, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and the San Francisco Giants and ended his playing career in 1994 with a 121-116 win-loss record, .511 win percentage, and a 3.84 ERA.
Dale Sveum, manager of the Chicago Cubs for the last year, was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1982. Four years later, he started a 12 year major league career as a player. He played for the Brewers for five years, missing the 1989 season due to injuries. From 1992 through 1999, Sveum played for 6 teams, playing only for the Pittsburgh Pirates for more than one year. After 12 years, Sveum had played in 862 games and had 597 hits, 125 of which were doubles, and he batted .236.
Don Mattingly, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a 14 year stellar career as a first baseman with the New York Yankees from 1982 through 1995. He was already a star player in high school and the Yankees drafted him while he was still a teenager. Mattingly started in the minor leagues for the Yankees, batting .349 in 1979, .358 in 1980 and .316 in 1981. In 1982, he played most of the season in the minors, coming up to the Yankees in September, playing just 7 games for them that season.
Eric Wedge, who started his career with great promise as a catcher, has had a more successful career as a manager than he ever had as a player. Wedge was an outstanding, award-winning baseball player in college but he never fulfilled that promise as a major leaguer, playing most of his post-college career in the minors.
Mike Matheny, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, at age 42 is the third youngest manager in the major leagues today. Prior to managing, Matheny had a successful career as a major league catcher from 1994 through 2006. He began his baseball career in college and was drafted in 1991 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent three years in the minor leagues before becoming the Brewers' starting catcher in 1994.
Ron Roenicke, manager of the Milwaukee Brewers since 2011, was drafted by five teams before he finally agreed to join the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977. The Dodgers kept him in the minors until 1981 and after he played for them for less than three years, they released him. From 1983 through 1988, Roenicke played for five teams, playing in over 100 games in only three of those eight seasons. In 8 years in the majors, Roenicke played in 527 games and had 256 hits and a batting average of .238.
Ron Washington, manager of the Texas Rangers since 2007, was first signed as a player in 1970 by the Kansas City Royals. However, he never played in the majors with them, spending his first 10 years in professional baseball primarily in the minor leagues. In 1977, he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 10 games, but the rest of his time until 1981 was with minor league teams for the Royals, the Dodgers and the New York Mets.