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Leo Mazzone Fired as Orioles Pitching Coach
Leo Mazzone was fired as pitching coach of the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, less than a month after completing his second season with a struggling staff.
Mazzone worked wonders with the Atlanta Braves pitching staff from June 1990 through the end of the 2005 season but could not duplicate that success with the Orioles. Baltimore ranked 29th among 30 teams with a 5.17 ERA and yielded more walks (696) than any major league club.
Mazzone, who turns 59 on Tuesday, had one year left on the three-year contract he signed before the 2006 season. He was lured from Atlanta by then-Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo, a longtime friend who was fired on June 18.
"This is just the business of baseball," Mazzone said. "I had a strong inclination that 2007 was going to be my last year in Baltimore when Sam Perlozzo was released and Dave Trembley was hired.
"While disappointed at not having the opportunity to play a role in the reconstruction of the Oriole pitcher development program, I understand and wish the team great success. I want to thank the Orioles organization for the opportunity to coach some great young talent. And I especially want to thank the fans in Baltimore who always made me feel at home."
Mazzone was proud of the work he did with starters Erik Bedard, Adam Loewen and Jeremy Guthrie, who have developed into solid major league pitchers. But he never could get through to Daniel Cabrera and some of the other pitchers on the youthful staff.
He hoped to finish what he started next year.
"I want to go until I'm 62, and I hope the rest of the way it's in a Baltimore uniform," he said during the final week of the regular season. "I mean this place, it's my home state and this is one of the greatest sports towns in the United States. All we have to do is start winning, and you'll never be able to get a ticket. These fans deserve that. They treat everybody very graciously.
Under Mazzone, the Braves led the NL in ERA in 12 of his final 14 seasons. He helped develop six Cy Young award winners and had 10 different pitchers named to the All-Star team, including Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.
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