Editing Gene Tenace (section)

{{short description|American baseball player and manager (born 1946)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Gene Tenace
|image=Gene Tenace - San Diego Padres - 1978.jpg
|caption=Tenace with the San Diego Padres in 1978
|position=[[Catcher]] / [[First baseman]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1946|10|10}}
|birth_place=[[Russellton, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 29
|debutyear=1969
|debutteam=Oakland Athletics
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 30
|finalyear=1983
|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.241
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=201
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=674
|teams=
'''As player'''
* [[Oakland Athletics]] ({{Baseball year|1969}}–{{Baseball year|1976}})
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{Baseball year|1977}}–{{Baseball year|1980}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{Baseball year|1981}}–{{Baseball year|1982}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{Baseball year|1983}})
'''As manager'''
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{Baseball year|1991}})
'''As coach'''
* [[Houston Astros]] ({{Baseball year|1986}}–{{Baseball year|1987}})
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{Baseball year|1990}}–{{Baseball year|1997}}, {{Baseball year|2008}})
|highlights=
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1975 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1975]])
* 6× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1972}}–{{wsy|1974}}, {{wsy|1982}}, {{wsy|1992}}, {{wsy|1993}})
* [[World Series MVP]] (1972)
* [[Athletics Hall of Fame]]
}}
'''Fury Gene Tenace''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɛ|n|ᵻ|s}}; born '''Fiore Gino Tenacci'''; October 10, 1946) is an American former professional [[baseball]] player and [[Coach (baseball)|coach]].<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2">{{cite web|title=Gene Tenace|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tenacge01.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> He played as a [[catcher]] and [[first baseman]] in [[Major League Baseball]] from {{By|1969}} through {{By|1983}}, most notably as a member of the [[Oakland Athletics]] dynasty that won three consecutive [[World Series]] championships between 1972 and 1974.

Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from [[Valley High School (Ohio)|Valley High School]] in [[Lucasville, Ohio]], and played for the [[Oakland Athletics]], [[San Diego Padres]], [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]]. He batted and threw right-handed. Despite his relatively low career batting average of .241, his career on-base percentage of .388 is the fourth-highest all-time among qualifying catchers, and his .429 slugging percentage was considerably above the average in the era he played. His 46.8 [[Baseball Reference]] [[Wins Above Replacement]] (WAR) ranks 13th all-time among catchers, and his 7-year peak WAR is tied with [[Roy Campanella]] for 12th all-time among catchers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Baseball Reference catcher WAR ranking|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_C.shtml|website=Baseball Reference.com}}</ref> Also of note is that his career rWAR is fifth highest among all sub .250 hitters.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jaffe|first=Jay|date=April 1, 2020|title=Remembering Jimmy Wynn, the Toy Cannon (1942-2020)|url=https://blogs.fangraphs.com/remembering-jimmy-wynn-the-toy-cannon-1942-2020/|access-date=April 1, 2020|website=[[FanGraphs]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Simon|first=Andrew|date=January 16, 2019|title=Best low batting average players MLB history|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/best-low-batting-average-players-mlb-history-c302810642|access-date=January 16, 2019|website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> Tenace's career 140 [[Runs created#Weighted runs created plus|Weighted Runs Created Plus]] (wRC+) are tied with [[Mike Piazza]] for the highest all-time among catchers.<ref>{{cite web|title=All-time catcher WRC+ ranking|url=https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=c&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2022&month=0&season1=1871&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=1871-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&sort=20,d|website=[[Fangraphs.com]]}}</ref> Tenace won the [[1972 World Series|1972]] [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Post-Season World Series MVP Awards & All-Star Game MVP Award Winners|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/postmvp.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>

After his playing days ended, Tenace coached for several organizations, most notably for the [[Toronto Blue Jays]]. In 2023, he was inducted into the [[Oakland Athletics#Achievements|Athletics Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/athletics/history/athletics-hall-of-fame |title=Athletics Hall of Fame |work=mlb.com |access-date=7 February 2025}}</ref>