John Russell (russejo02)
John William Russell
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 200 lb.
- School University of Oklahoma
- High School Norman High School
- Debut June 22, 1984
- Final Game October 2, 1993
- Born January 5, 1961 in Oklahoma City, OK USA
Biographical Information[edit]
John Russell won Gold with Team USA in the 1981 World Games. He was the All-Star DH in the 1981 Intercontinental Cup, as the US stunned Cuba, 6-5, in the Gold Medal game. It was the only time that the Cuban national team lost a major world event in the 1980s.
Russell was signed as a 1st round pick in the 1982 amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and scouts Doug Gassaway and Don Williams. He played professionally from 1982 through 1994. He hit 27 home runs for the 1983 Portland Beavers and 19 for the same team in 1984, for his two best years offensively.
As a major league player, Russell's best years were with the Phillies: his main teammates were Mike Schmidt, Von Hayes, Juan Samuel and Glenn Wilson. His busiest season was 1986, when he appeared in 93 games, had 316 at-bats, hit 13 homers and drove in 60 runs while batting .241. He had only one other season with more than 200 at-bats as he was usually a back-up. On June 11, 1990, he caught a no-hitter from Nolan Ryan while playing for the Texas Rangers.
Russell was the third base coach and catching instructor for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2003 through 2005. He was let go after 2005, when Lloyd McClendon was fired as manager. Russell then became a minor league manager once more before returning to Pittsburgh in 2008 as the team's manager. After three unsuccessful seasons, during which the Pirates never escaped last place in the NL Central, he was fired. He became a coach for the Baltimore Orioles in 2011, staying until 2018.
John's son Stone Russell was an 18th round pick in the 2023 amateur draft.
| Preceded by Jim Tracy |
Pittsburgh Pirates Manager 2008-2010 |
Succeeded by Clint Hurdle |
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