Joe Altobelli

On November 12, 1982, Joe Altobelli was named the seventh manager in Baltimore Orioles history. Piloting one of the 26 major-league teams was surely an enviable position to hold. Unfortunately, for Altobelli, he was supplanting a legend. Earl Weaver, Baltimore’s field manager from mid-1968 to 1982, led the Orioles to six division titles, four pennants and one world championship. Under Weaver, the Orioles never finished below .500. A record of 80-74 in 1972 was as close as they came to finishing even-steven for a season.

While Weaver racked up wins in the Charm City, Altobelli ’s managerial success on the big-league level was considerably less. The former big-league first baseman (1955; 1957; 1961) piloted the San Francisco Giants for two-plus seasons (1977-1979); those clubs went .485 for him. As different as night and day in personality and managing styles, Weaver and Altobelli did share one accomplishment: each won exactly one World Series championship in Baltimore. Altobelli’s came in 1983, his first season at the Baltimore helm – but as in San Francisco, he didn’t make it to the end of his third.

Joseph Salvatore Altobelli was born on May 26, 1932, in Detroit, Michigan. He was the second-youngest of Michele and Antoniette Altobelli’s seven children. Michele and Antoniette had emigrated from Italy. Michele worked as a cashier and later as a supervisor for the Detroit Railway system.1

Joe attended Eastern High School in Detroit, where he participated in baseball, football, and basketball. He was an All-City selection in all three sports.

As a junior, Altobelli, a left-handed pitcher, hurled a no-hitter against Cass Tech, striking out 13 and walking two in a lopsided 18-0 win.2 The next year, he struck out 20 batters over nine innings in a game against Denby High School. However, darkness came, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.3 In his next start, he pitched a one-hitter against Wright High School in a 5-2 victory.4

Cleveland Indians scout Nap Ross signed Altobelli to his first professional contract, with their San Diego affiliate on August 1, 1950. However, he began his pro career with Class D Daytona Beach in 1951. Altobelli’s pitching days were behind him: he played first base and some outfield in his professional career.

Altobelli gave a good account of himself in his initial professional season. He was fourth in the Florida State League in batting average (.341) and second in hits (204). The lefty swinger also set a league record with a 36-game hitting streak.5 

Only two players on the Daytona Beach club reached the major leagues. The other prospect was also Italian, hailing from the Bronx, New York: Rocky Colavito. Altobelli and Colavito roomed together during their first season in an owner-occupied house that was rented to ballplayers. “We thought it was a good idea to split our money by living together because we didn’t have much of it in those days,” said Altobelli 6

On May 3, 1952, Altobelli married the former Patsy Wooten. Joe and Patsy had six children: four sons (Michael, Mark, Jerry. and Joseph) and two daughters (Jody and Jackie).

Altobelli’s journey made stops in Class A Reading in 1952 and 1953, followed by Class AAA Indianapolis in 1954. “The Indians haven’t had a good Italian ballplayer in ages,” wrote the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Gordon Cobbledick, “but the drought will end soon if Rocky Colavito and Joe Altobelli of the Indianapolis farm club keep up their current pace. Colavito, a 20-year-old outfielder, is leading the American Association in home runs. Altobelli, a first baseman, is one of the league’s top five hitters.”7   

The Tribe became American League champions in 1954. After a disappointing exit from the World Series, expectations were high in 1955. One trouble spot in the Indians lineup was first base. Manager Al Lopez used Bill Glynn, Al Rosen and finally Vic Wertz to solidify the first sacker position. Although Lopez eventually settled on Wertz, he was an outfielder and never played first base until he got to Cleveland. For this reason, Altobelli made the Indians roster out of spring training.

Before the Indians broke camp, Plain Dealer beat writer Harry Jones wrote the following: “Joe Altobelli isn’t going to open the season at first base, but if he learns to hit at all he will soon have the job. It is a pleasure watching someone who knows how to play the position. Shifty, agile and sure-handed, Altobelli dug two low throws out of the dirt today that others may not have stopped.”8

Cleveland farmed Altobelli back to Indianapolis on May 11, 1955. Playing mostly in a utility role, he had hit .217 in 23 major-league at-bats. He returned to Cleveland twice more during the season, ending the year with the Tribe.

One of Altobelli’s greatest memories occurred at the end of the 1955 season. Cleveland finished the season with a three-game series at Detroit. Altobelli started the second game of a doubleheader on September 24. With family and friends looking on at Briggs Stadium, Altobelli smacked the first home run of his career. For good measure, Altobelli hit number two the next day in the season’s finale.

Altobelli spent the entire 1956 season in Indianapolis. He batted just .254 but led the club in RBIs (81) and was second in home runs (19). In 1957, Altobelli broke camp with the Indians. He appeared in 83 games for Cleveland, mostly as a substitute first baseman or a defensive replacement for Wertz. Altobelli batted .207 with no home runs and nine RBIs.

After another season at Indianapolis in 1958, Cleveland sold Altobelli to Toronto of the Class AAA International League (IL) on January 13, 1959. On April 1, 1960, Altobelli was on the move again, traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Clyde Parris. The Dodgers optioned Altobelli to their IL club, Montreal. In 1960, he had career highs in home runs (31) and RBIs (105) for the last place Royals (62-92). 

The Washington Senators relocated to Minneapolis for the 1961 season, becoming the Minnesota Twins. Los Angeles dealt Altobelli and pitcher Ed Palmquist to the Twins for outfielder Ernie Oravetz on May 10. Altobelli split the season between the Twins and their IL affiliate, Syracuse. Even though he played in just 41 games at the top level, Altobelli produced his most home runs (3) and RBIs (14), as well as his highest average (.221) in the majors.

The Twins released Altobelli at the end of the season and he was picked up by the Dodgers again. After spending the 1962 season at Omaha of the Triple-A American Association, Altobelli was released again and signed with another IL club, the Rochester (New York) Red Wings.

The Red Wings were the top farm team of the Baltimore Orioles, and although Altobelli would not return to the majors, he found a lifelong home in Rochester. A popular characterization for many players is the label “4A”: too good for the minors but not quite good enough to stick in the big leagues.

Altobelli played first base and some outfield for Rochester for four seasons (1963-1966). In 1964, the Red Wings won the Governor’s Cup for winning the league’s playoffs. Altobelli slugged three home runs and drove in 11 runs in 10 playoff games.9   

Rochester fans took a liking to Altobelli because of his power hitting and fine defense at first base. The Orioles selected him to manage their Rookie League team in 1966. Bluefield (West Virginia) of the Appalachian League was the first stop of a long managerial career. In 1967, the Bluefield Orioles (42-25) won the pennant. “That was a rewarding year,” said Altobelli. “I enjoy managing and I wanted to start at the bottom. It’s got to be the best way. Funny thing about players I knew. They had a bad year, they didn’t like the manager. They had a good year, they thought the manager was a heck of a guy.”10  

Like good players, good managers are promoted as well. Altobelli climbed the managerial ladder to Stockton of the Class A California League in 1968, and then to Dallas of the Class AA Texas League in 1969 and 1970.

He returned to his adopted home of Rochester in 1971 to lead the Red Wings. Baltimore’s top minor-league team had a surplus of offensive talent, led by Don Baylor, Bobby Grich, Terry Crowley, and Rich Coggins. Altobelli guided the Wings to an 86-54 record, and they captured the Governor’s Cup. Rochester went on to defeat Denver (champions of the American Association) in seven games in the Little World Series. “I hate to single out individuals,” said Altobelli, who was named the IL Manager of the Year in 1971. “All had a part in making us a winner. Team effort is a tired phrase, but that’s what it was.”11

Rochester was bounced from the playoffs the next two years but reclaimed the league championship in 1974. Altobelli guided the Red Wings to an 88-56 record during the regular season. For his efforts, he was named Manager of the Year by the IL and The Sporting News. “The guys on this team feel that winning for another manager is fine, but winning for Joe is great.” said Rochester catcher Jim Hutto.12

Altobelli had two more winning seasons in 1975 and 1976 at Rochester, improving his overall record as the Red Wings’ skipper to 502-351. Despite his success, he was still a virtual unknown in the big leagues and especially on the West Coast. Thus, it was surprising to many when on October 7, 1976, San Francisco Giants owner Bob Lurie selected Altobelli as his new manager to replace Bill Rigney. “Joe expected that,” said Lurie. “He predicted to me that the attitude immediately would be ‘Who he?’ And it was.”13  

In 1977, the Giants improved by one game (75-87) from 1976. On April 7, 1978, they sent seven players and $300,000 to the Oakland A’s for pitcher Vida Blue. The former Cy Young Award winner in 1971, Blue led the American League with 19 losses in 1977. However, he was revitalized by from the move across the bay, going 18-10 with a 2.79 ERA to lead a fine pitching staff that also featured Bob Knepper (17-11, 2.63), and John Montefusco (11-9, 3.81). On July 31, the Giants (63-43) led Cincinnati (62-43) by a half game and Los Angeles (61-44) by 1½ games in a very competitive NL West race. However, a 26-29 record over the final two months of the season landed San Francisco (89-73) in third place.

Still, Altobelli was chosen as the 1978 National League Manager of the Year by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI). “I’m very honored, but I feel our success was an organizational thing,” said Altobelli. “Spec Richardson (general manager) did such a good making the trades which helped our club. The front office did a great job, starting with (owners) Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth.”14 

Expectations were high for the Giants in 1979. However, Altobelli soon realized that managers on one-year contracts have little control over players with multi-year deals. As often happens, when losses mount, managers tend to lose their players. The Giants, in third place with a 52-55 record at the end of July, went 8-19 in August. Lurie and Richardson determined the team was not getting any better; Altobelli was fired on September 6. Third base coach Dave Bristol replaced him.

“I was like a football coach who has a whole team of quarterbacks,” said Altobelli. “They all wanted to call their own plays. If a manager is going to get the ax, he wants to be sure it was his gameplan that failed and not someone else’s.”15 Ironically, Altobelli passed the credit around when he was Manager of the Year in 1978. One year later, he alone took the blame for the team’s failure.

“Joe’s big mistake was treating players like men,” said Bill Madlock. “You can’t do that. Everyone knows players are asses.”16

“I didn’t want to talk to anyone because I was afraid of what I might say,” said Altobelli. “I’d been in baseball for 29 years, and never been fired. But I had always prided myself on being a teacher. I didn’t want to start bad-mouthing any of the players. It’s the guys with problems who really need the most help. Besides, if I started placing blame elsewhere, I was just putting myself on a path of self-destruction.”17

The New York Yankees hired Altobelli to manage the Columbus Clippers, their IL affiliate, in 1980. After the Clippers won the pennant with a record of 83-57, they topped Richmond and then Toledo to win the Governor’s Cup. Altobelli was once again named the IL Manager of the Year.

Altobelli was promoted to the Yankees, serving as the third base coach on the staffs of Bob Lemon, Gene Michael, and Clyde King from 1981-1982.  

In Baltimore, Earl Weaver retired after the 1982 season. After 15 years at the helm, Weaver went to Miami to pursue other interests and Altobelli was named to succeed him. Although Weaver,  still employed by the Orioles as a consultant, campaigned for longtime organization man Cal Ripken Sr. to replace him, he supported the front office’s choice of Altobelli. “The kids who came up from there (Rochester) executed all the plays the way I wanted,” said Weaver. “You didn’t have to reteach them anything. It was important to me that Alto sent them up right.”18   

Many of the current Oriole players had played for Altobelli at Rochester, including Eddie Murray, Dennis Martinez, Mike Flanagan, Rich Dauer, and Scott McGregor.

In 1983, McGregor (18-7, 3.18 ERA), Flanagan (12-4, 3,30 ERA), Storm Davis (13-7, 3.59 ERA), and rookie Mike Boddicker (16-8, 2.77 ERA) formed a formidable starting rotation for the O’s. Tippy Martinez (9-3, 2.35 ERA, 21 saves) was a reliable back end of the bullpen pitcher.

Cal Ripken Jr. led the league in hits (211), runs (121), and doubles (47) to earn AL MVP honors. He also hit 27 homers, drove in 102 runs and batted .318. Murray (33, 111, .306) and Ken Singleton (18, 84, .276) also had fine offensive seasons, providing power and hitting for average. Gary Roenicke added 19 home runs and drove in 64 runs.

When hired, Altobelli said his only goal was to win one more game than any other team in the AL East. It was a competitive division. Milwaukee was the defending AL pennant winner. New York had gone to the World Series in 1981. Third-place Boston had won 89. Detroit would win it all in 1984. They all also had to deal with up-and-coming Toronto. The Blue Jays were building a formidable club that would claim a division title in 1985.

On June 30, the Orioles were 40-33, tied with Detroit for second place, two games behind Toronto. The O’s soared into first with a 17-4 stretch from July 10-31. An 18-12 August strengthened their hold on the lead. Baltimore coasted to the division title, going 20-11 in September to win by six games.

Boddicker was the surprise of the pitching staff. He posted a 5-1 record with a 2.49 ERA in August. “Joe stuck with me,” said Boddicker. “I pitched a shutout my first time. But I struggled for a while after that. I was 1-2, 4-4 (with a 4.02 ERA after his first 10 starts). I’ve got to credit him.”19     

The Orioles were opposed the ALCS by the Chicago White Sox. Under manager Tony La Russa the Sox were making their first postseason appearance since 1959. There was plenty of excitement on the Southside.

Behind Cy Young Award winner LaMarr Hoyt, Chicago won Game One, 2-1. Boddicker evened the series the next day, pitching a complete-game shutout, striking out 14. “You see a rookie come into a situation like that and pitch a shutout while striking out 14,” said Altobelli,” and you’ve got to rate maybe the best you’ve ever seen. We needed that game so badly.”20   

The Orioles won the next two games to take the pennant. They met the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. As in the ALCS, Baltimore lost the first game, 2-1, to a Cy Young Award winner, this time the NL’s John Denny. Then the Orioles proceeded to sweep the next four games to win the franchise’s third world championship. In the clincher, McGregor pitched a five-hit shutout to lead the way. Murray clubbed two home runs, driving in three runs. Rick Dempsey, voted the series MVP, also homered.

La Russa was covering the World Series for a Chicago television station. “The thing that struck me most was Joe Altobelli standing there in front of the media, crediting everyone – players, coaches, general managers, owner – but himself.”21     

All season Altobelli was compared to Weaver. Now that he’d won a championship, maybe Earl’s shadow would be eclipsed. Altobelli was not expecting it, noting that the Orioles won 94 games in 1982, and he just wanted to keep the O’s train moving. Altobelli was not as dramatic or attention-seeking as Weaver. He went about his business in a different way and got winning results. “It’s like when my wife gets loud in an argument. I tell her. ‘Just because you’re loud, it doesn’t mean you’re right.’”22

Although the aging Orioles were a respectable 85-77 in 1984, Detroit began the season on a torrid pace. Through the first two months, the Tigers were 37-9. Only Toronto had a chance to catch Detroit, but they eventually faded, joining the rest of the division.

The following year, Orioles owner Edward Bennett Williams was itching to have Weaver return to the dugout. Weaver, who was in need of some cash flow, also was wanting to get back into the Orioles fold. On June 13, 1985, Altobelli was fired when the O’s got off to a 29-26 record. Baltimore Sun columnist Bob Maisel wrote, “For one thing, the whole organization is starting to resemble a Maryland division of the Yankees. Sign some free agents (Fred Lynn, Lee Lacy) for a lot of money, and if you don’t win right away, fire the manager and bring back Billy (Martin). Or in this case, Earl. Next year you start over with another manager, and if things don’t go well, bring Billy-Earl back again.”23   

Altobelli spent the next two years in the Yankeed organization, first as a bench coach for Lou Piniella in 1986. In 1987 he took over as the organization’s minor-league director. From 1988-1991, Altobelli served as the hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs, first for Don Zimmer and then Jim Essian. After Zimmer was fired, Altobelli managed one last time on May 21, 1991, before Essian took over. The Cubs lost to the Mets, 8-6, with Altobelli getting ejected in the fifth inning.

After the 1991 season, Altobelli returned to Rochester, like he did every year. His career record as a major-league manager was 437-407 for a .518 winning percentage.

Altobelli served as the Red Wings’ general manager from 1992-1995. Then he moved into an advisory capacity under his replacement, Dan Mason. Altobelli made his own transition to the broadcasting booth, calling games from 1998 to 2008.

Altobelli always came back to Rochester. To him, it was his home. To the Red Wings fan base, Altobelli was “Mr. Baseball.” “He [Bob Lurie] couldn’t understand why I wanted to live in Rochester,” said Altobelli. “But I never felt comfortable in San Francisco. It was a cold place in more ways than one. It never felt like home. It gets cold here in the winter, but I always feel warm. I was in uniform in pro ball 41 years, and Rochester is the one place I always felt that my family and I belonged. I’d never been to a place I’ve enjoyed so much.”24    

The movie “Bull Durham” – the story of an over-the-hill player trying to get to the major leagues while mentoring a younger player – was released in 1988. According to the writer/director, former Orioles farmhand Ron Shelton, the part of Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner, was created in part because of Altobelli. “The idea of a cynical career player (Costner) who is forced to become a mentor of the wild, young up-and-comer (Tim Robbins) was based on some stories Joe Altobelli told me.

“It seems when Joe was 36 and already had his cup of coffee (his chance for the major league career) he was told by his manager to room with a kid named Steve Dalkowski, who was just signed.”25   

Altobelli was honored for his service to the Red Wings. In 2008, he was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame. In 2010, a statue of him was erected outside of Frontier Field, Rochester’s home ballpark.

In November 2017, Altobelli suffered a stroke and went to live in a rehabilitation facility. He passed away on March 3, 2021. He was preceded in death on November 6, 2003, by Patsy, his wife of 52 years. Altobelli was survived by his six children, 20 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

“Joe, with his easygoing leadership style was very helpful to that team (1983 Orioles),” said Cal Ripken Jr. “There wasn’t any angst, any pressure. He was a calm, confident leader, and one who knew the ups and downs of the season and pushed through them without overreacting or underreacting.”26    

Acknowledgments

The biography was reviewed by Malcolm Allen and Rory Costello and fact-checked by Dan Schoenholz.

Photo credit: Joe Altobelli, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted www.baseball-reference.com

Notes

1 1940 United States Census, ancestry.com, accessed November 1, 2024

2 H.H. Barcus, “Southpaw Tosses No-Hit Game,” Detroit News, May 14, 1949: 1f.

3 George Puscas, “Eastern Ace Fans 20, But Barely Gets 2-2 Deadlock,” Detroit Free Press, May 6, 1950: 17. 

4 H. H. Barcus, “Pitching Alone Keeps Eastern High in Metro League Race,” Detroit News, May 17, 1950: 65.

5 Baltimore Orioles news release, Joseph Salvatore Altobelli, November 1982. Retrieved from the players Hall of Fame Clip File, October 20, 2024.   

6 Mark Sommer, Rocky Colavito: Cleveland’s Iconic Slugger, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland (2019), 35.

7 Gordon Cobbledick, “Plain Dealing,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 22, 1954: 25.

8 Harry Jones, “Batting Around,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 2, 1955: 26.

9 Al C. Weber, “Second Division to Int Title In 15 Days – Red Wing Record,” The Sporting News, October 10, 1964: 45.

10 George Beahon, “‘Kid’ Skipper Named Joe,” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, September 14, 1967: D1.

11 Al Weber, “Orioles’ Hands-Off Policy Helped Wings’ Title Drive,” The Sporting News, September 18, 1971: 35. 

12 “Hutto Shares Praise in Red Wing Clincher,” The Sporting News, September 21, 1974: 34.

13 Bob Stevens, “Giant Surprise – Altobelli Manager,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 8, 1976: 51.

14 “Altobelli says ’78 success an organizational matter,” San Francisco Examiner, October 25, 1978: 49.

15 John Curtis, “Joe Altobelli was a teacher when the Giants didn’t need one, “San Francisco Examiner, December 30, 1979: C7.

16 Nick Peters, “Lavelle a Bit Touchy Over Critics’ Barbs,” The Sporting News, November 17, 1979: 60.

17 Alan Goldstein, “Altobelli paid his dues in bushes and in ‘Frisco,” Baltimore Sun, October 18, 1983: C5.

18 Kent Baker, “Altobelli takes over as Orioles manager,” Baltimore Sun, November 13, 1982: 13.

19 Happy Fine, “Mike Boddicker: He Paid His Dues in Rochester,” Baseball Digest, December 1984: 31.

20 Fine, “Mike Boddicker.”

21 Peter Gammons, “Punishment Should Fit the Crime,” The Sporting News, November 7, 1983: 42.

22 Tony Paul, “Joe Altobelli, Detroit prep star who managed Baltimore to 1983 World Series, Title, dies at 88,” Detroit News, March 4, 2021:  Joe Altobelli, Detroit prep star who managed Orioles, dies at 88 (detroitnews.com)  Accessed November 24, 2024.

23 Bob Maisel. “Altobelli firing lacked usual Oriole class,” Baltimore Sun, June 14, 1985: 13C.

24 Sal Malorana, “Joe Altobelli loved Rochester, and we loved him back,” Democrat and Chronicle, March 4, 2021: 9A.

25 Jack Garner, “Red Wings’ Altobelli Inspired ‘Bull Durham’,” Democrat and Chronicle, March 26, 1992: 1A.

26 Justin Murphy and Sean Lahman, “Rochester sports icon ‘Mr. Baseball’ dies at 88,” Democrat and Chronicle, March 4, 2021: 6A.