by Leo Mazzone
Leo Mazzone is considered by many to be one of the best pitching coaches in the game. He was the long-time pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves and became pitching coach for the Baltimore Orioles following the 2005 season. A southpaw, Mazzone was a minor league pitcher from 1967 to 1975 before becoming a coach. After retiring as a player, Mazzone was manager of the independent Corpus Christi Seagulls in the Gulf States League in 1976, and Lone Star League in 1977. He then moved to the independent Kinston Eagles of the Class A Carolina League during the 1978 season. Atlanta hired Mazzone in 1979. He was a coach with the Durham Bulls (1983- mid-1984), Sumter Braves (1986), Greenville Braves (1987), and Richmond Braves (1988- mid-1990) before he was named the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves in June 1990. He was also a manager of Greenville for part of 1984 and was co-pitching coach in Atlanta with Johnny Sain in 1985. His pitching staffs anchored 14 division winners in Atlanta. Among his pitchers' accomplishments with the club are four ERA titles, six Cy Young Awards, and nine twenty game winners. Following the 2005 season, Mazzone became the pitching coach for the Baltimore Orioles until 2007.