Editing Gene Tenace

{{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>

==Playing career==
===Oakland Athletics (1969–76)===
Tenace was selected in [[baseball]]'s first entry draft, being taken in the 20th round of the [[1965 Major League Baseball draft]] by the then [[Kansas City Athletics]]. Tenace made his major league debut for Oakland on May 29, [[1969 Oakland Athletics season|1969]], against the [[1969 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]] at [[Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum]] where he went 0-for-4 with two [[Strikeout|strikeouts]] in an 8–4 Oakland loss.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 29, 1969|title=May 29, 1969 Tigers-Athletics box score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK196905290.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> He hit the first [[home run]] of his career on June 6, 1969, at [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]] against [[Earl Wilson (baseball)|Earl Wilson]] of the Detroit Tigers.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 6, 1969|title=June 6, 1969 Athletics-Tigers box score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET196906060.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> He finished the {{Baseball year|1969}} season with a .158 [[Batting average (baseball)|batting average]], a home run and two [[runs batted in]], appearing in just 38 games as a third-string catcher.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" />

He continued to play the next two years as the third-string catcher before serving as [[Dave Duncan (baseball)|Dave Duncan]]'s backup in [[1971 Oakland Athletics season|1971]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1971 Oakland Athletics|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/1971.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> Tenace entered the [[1972 Oakland Athletics season|1972]] season backing up Duncan, but was given a chance to show his abilities by being made the team's regular catcher in the post-season. Tenace took full advantage of this opportunity, excelling in the 1972 playoffs and World Series. In the [[1972 American League Championship Series]] against the [[1972 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit Tigers]], he drove in the clinching [[Run (baseball)|run]] in Oakland's 2–1 victory in Game 5; it was his only hit of the series.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Gene Tenace post-season statistics|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tenacge01.shtml#batting_postseason|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>  Tenace's heroics made up for an error in Game 4 of the series when he had to play second base (for the first time since high school) in the late innings due to regular second baseman [[Dick Green]] getting hurt and backup second baseman [[Ted Kubiak]] having to play shortstop due to [[Bert Campaneris]] being suspended.  Tenace dropped a throw from [[Sal Bando]] on a potential game-ending double play attempt in the bottom of the 10th which kept the inning alive as the Tigers eventually won.

He put himself in the spotlight once again in Game 1 of the [[1972 World Series]] when the Athletics faced the [[1972 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]]. He became the first player to hit home runs in his first two World Series [[At bat|at bats]] and drove in all three runs in the A's 3–2 victory.  Prior to Tenace's feat, only eight other players had homered in their first World Series at bat.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Murray |first=Jim |date=January 1973 |title=How The A's Curbed the Big Red Machine |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_baseball-digest_1973-01_32_1/page/32/mode/2up |url-access=limited |access-date=2025-02-11 |magazine=[[Baseball Digest]] |pages=30–32 |volume=32 |issue=1}}</ref> In Game 4, the A's were losing 2–1, with their only run to that point coming on Tenace's solo home run.<ref>{{cite web|title=1972 World Series Game 4 box score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197210190.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> A ninth-[[inning]] one-[[Out (baseball)|out]] rally consisting of four [[Single (baseball)|singles]], with Tenace's the second and the rest coming from [[Pinch hitter|pinch hitters]], won the game against Cincinnati's ace [[relief pitcher]], [[Clay Carroll]]. He hit a three-run [[home run]] in the A's Game 5 loss.<ref>{{cite web|title=1972 World Series Game 5 box score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197210200.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> Before Game 6 of the 1972 Series, he was the target of a death threat.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Fimrite|first=Ron|date=April 2, 1973|title=A Hero Finds There's No One For Tenace|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1973/04/02/618018/a-hero-finds-theres-no-one-for-tenace|access-date=November 5, 2008}}</ref> In Game 7, he was once again the hero, driving in two runs in a 3–2 victory for Oakland.<ref>{{cite web|title=1972 World Series Game 7 box score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197210220.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> In total, he went 8-for-23 in the Series, with four [[Home run|home runs]] and 9 RBI to earn the [[World Series Most Valuable Player Award]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Reiter|first=Ben|date=July 2, 2007|title=Video|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|publisher=[[CNN]]|url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1111928/index.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=May 3, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404172017/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1111928/index.htm|archive-date=April 4, 2008}}</ref>

Tenace's heroics helped him earn a full-time job in Oakland's lineup. He served as the team's starting [[first baseman]] for two seasons, while still serving as the backup catcher to [[Ray Fosse]]. He had his roles reversed in {{Baseball year|1975}}, starting at catcher while backing up first base. As a regular starter for the A's, Tenace had a low [[Batting average (baseball)|batting average]] but a fair amount of power, hitting 20 home runs in four consecutive years in Oakland, finishing among the top 10 home run hitters in the [[American League]] each year. He further made up for his lack of a high batting average by sporting a tremendous batting eye. He drew over 100 [[Base on balls|walks]] in a season three times for Oakland, and led the American League in [[Walk (baseball)|walks]] in 1974, making up for a career-low .211 average that year.<ref>{{cite web|title=1974 American League Batting Leaders|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1974-batting-leaders.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> Statistically, his best year with Oakland was in [[1975 Oakland Athletics season|1975]], when he hit a career-best 29 home runs and drove in 87 runs, drew 106 walks, finished 18th in the American League [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]] balloting and was selected to be the starting first baseman for the American League in the [[1975 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1975 All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1975 American League Most Valuable Player Award balloting|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1975.shtml#ALmvp|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1975 All-Star Game|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ALS/ALS197507150.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>

As a member of the A's, Tenace hit what turned out to be the final home run in the history of Kansas City's [[Municipal Stadium (Kansas City)|Municipal Stadium]] on September 30, 1972, in a 10–5 Oakland victory over the [[Kansas City Royals]].

===San Diego Padres (1977–80)===
[[File:Gene Tenace - San Diego Padres.jpg|thumb|194x194px|Tenace with San Diego, {{c.|1977}}]]
Tenace was one of several Athletics who became [[Free agent|free agents]] after the [[1976 Oakland Athletics season|1976]] season and participated in a newly created re-entry draft, in which teams acquired the rights to negotiate with veteran free agents. Tenace and teammate [[Rollie Fingers]] were the first players from that draft to sign, with both joining the [[San Diego Padres]] in December of that year.<ref name="Gene Tenace Trades and Transactions2">{{cite web|title=Gene Tenace Trades and Transactions|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=tenacge01|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball Almanac]]|publisher=}}</ref> In four years as a starter with the Padres, his power numbers dropped in part due to the cavernous dimensions of San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, only reaching 20 home runs once; but his batting eye remained, recording three more seasons of 100 walks, with a career best of 125 in [[1977 San Diego Padres season|1977]]. In [[1979 San Diego Padres season|1979]], Tenace led [[National League (baseball)|National League]] catchers with a .998 [[fielding percentage]], committing only one [[Error (baseball)|error]] in 94 games.<ref>{{cite web|title=1979 National League Fielding Leaders|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1979-fielding-leaders.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref> He recorded an [[on-base percentage]] of over .390 in each of his years in San Diego, and finished third in the National League in that department in three consecutive years.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" />

On August 1, 1979, Tenace was part of a [[bench-clearing brawl]] against the [[Atlanta Braves]]. After hitting a home run off of pitcher [[Eddie Solomon]], he charged the mound when Solomon apparently said something to him, and the benches cleared. No punches were thrown, and the Braves won 5–4.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Frank|date=August 2, 1979|title=Foster sidelined, but his bat still assisting Reds|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1913&dat=19790802&id=T14gAAAAIBAJ&pg=1565,262830&hl=en|access-date=January 9, 2020|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=The Lewiston Evening Journal}}</ref>

===St. Louis Cardinals (1981–82)===
After the [[1980 Oakland Athletics season|1980]] season, Tenace, Fingers, [[Bob Shirley]], and [[Bob Geren]] joined the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in a trade for [[Terry Kennedy (baseball)|Terry Kennedy]] and six minor league players.<ref name="Gene Tenace Trades and Transactions2" /> In his two years in St. Louis, Tenace primarily played against left-handed pitchers, [[Platoon system|platooning]] with [[Darrell Porter]]. As a member of the Cardinals team he won the [[1982 World Series]], giving him four [[World Series ring|World Series rings]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1982 World Series|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1982_WS.shtml|access-date=October 4, 2010|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|publisher=[[Sports Reference]]}}</ref>

===Pittsburgh Pirates (1983)===
Tenace played his final season as a [[utility player]] and pinch-hitter, appearing in 53 games and batting just .177 with 6 RBI for the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in [[1983 Pittsburgh Pirates season|1983]].<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" /> He retired after being released the following year in [[spring training]].

==Coaching career==
Tenace became a coach after retiring as a player. He was touted as a possible managerial candidate during his later years. The [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] became strongly interested in the possibility of hiring Tenace as their [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] to replace [[Chuck Tanner]]. When the year ended, however, Tanner was still the manager, so Tenace became a coach at the Major League level with the [[Houston Astros]] in [[1986 Houston Astros season|1986]] and [[1987 Houston Astros season|1987]], and later coached with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] from [[1990 Toronto Blue Jays season|1990]] to [[1997 Toronto Blue Jays season|1997]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Official Site of the Houston Astros: History: Astros All-Time Coaches|url=http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/history/coaches.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015185848/http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/history/coaches.jsp|archive-date=October 15, 2007|access-date=May 26, 2007|website=[[Houston Astros]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Official Site of the Toronto Blue Jays: History: Blue Jays All-Time Coaches|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/coaches.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014232734/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/tor/history/coaches.jsp|archive-date=October 14, 2007|access-date=May 26, 2007|website=[[Toronto Blue Jays]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> When manager [[Cito Gaston]] was sidelined with a [[herniated disc]] in [[1991 Toronto Blue Jays season|1991]], Tenace served as the team's [[interim manager]], going 19–14 and keeping Toronto competitive en route to an eventual [[American League East|American League Eastern Division]] title.<ref>{{cite news|date=August 22, 1991|title=Jays' Manager is Hospitalized|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE4DD1E3FF931A1575BC0A967958260|access-date=May 26, 2007}}</ref> He was part of Toronto's World Series-winning teams in [[1992 Toronto Blue Jays season|1992]] and [[1993 Toronto Blue Jays season|1993]], giving him six rings in six World Series appearances as a player and a coach. After he left the Jays, he joined the [[Boston Red Sox]] organization, serving as hitting coach for their [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[Farm team#Baseball|affiliate]] [[Pawtucket Red Sox]] in 1999, and [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] [[Farm team#Baseball|affiliate]] [[Trenton Thunder]] in 2001. He then served as a [[Batting (baseball)|hitting]] instructor for the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] organization.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 12, 2006|title=Cardinals make staff additions and promotions at minor league and scouting levels|url=http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20061213&content_id=1760464&vkey=pr_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517055107/http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20061213&content_id=1760464&vkey=pr_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl|archive-date=May 17, 2011|access-date=May 26, 2007|website=[[St. Louis Cardinals]]|publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> He was re-hired as the Blue Jays' hitting coach on June 20, [[2008 Toronto Blue Jays season|2008]], when [[Cito Gaston]] replaced [[John Gibbons]] as the team's manager.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|date=June 20, 2008|title=Gibbons out; Gaston returns to Jays|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080620&content_id=2968076&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622010612/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080620&content_id=2968076&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|archive-date=June 22, 2008|access-date=January 16, 2022|website=[[MLB.com]]|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> Tenace replaced hitting coach [[Gary Denbo]]. He was one of two members of Gaston's old coaching staff from his last World Series championship team who were brought back to the team (third base coach [[Nick Leyva]] being the other). He announced his retirement following the [[2009 Toronto Blue Jays season|2009]] season.<ref>{{cite web|date=October 30, 2009|title=Gaston to manage Blue Jays one more year|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2009/10/30/gaston_to_manage_blue_jays_one_more_year.html|access-date=November 1, 2009|website=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref>

===Managerial record===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
|-
![[1991 Toronto Blue Jays season|TOR]]|| {{mlby|1991}}
||33||{{WinLossPct|19|14}}|| interim || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|Total ||33||{{WinLossPct|19|14}}|| || {{WinLossPct|0|0}} || 
|}

==Hitting approach==
Tenace advocates a more aggressive approach to hitting. Under his guidance, hitters spend less time working the count and more time preparing to hit. He stresses the mental part of hitting, such as the mental preparation for what a pitcher will do, rather than just the physical aspect.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Laurila|first1=David|date=October 26, 2008|title=Prospectus Q & A: Gene Tenace|url=http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=8258|access-date=December 5, 2008|website=[[Baseball Prospectus]]}}</ref> Under Tenace, the philosophy of hitting can be described as "Grip It And Rip It" and more of an old school approach to hitting.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rutsey|first1=Mike|date=June 23, 2008|title=Blue Jays grip it and rip it|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Baseball/MLB/Toronto/2008/06/23/5960621-sun.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310093228/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Baseball/MLB/Toronto/2008/06/23/5960621-sun.html|archive-date=March 10, 2016|access-date=December 9, 2008|website=[[Canoe.com]]|publisher=[[Sun Media]]}}</ref>

During the 2008 season, prior to the hiring of Gaston, the Blue Jays had a record of 35–39. Once Gaston and his coaches took over the Blue Jays went 51–37 to finish with an 86–76 record. The offensive improvements under Gaston were one of the reasons for the resurgence and as the hitting coach, Tenace was credited with rejuvenating a stagnant offense. [[Adam Lind]] commented: "The thing is, a lot of people can teach you how to hit, but not a lot of people can teach you how to hit in the big leagues", referring to the major league experience of Gaston and Tenace.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kelly|first1=Malcolm|date=July 29, 2008|title=Lind finds comfort in a big league approach|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/lind-finds-comfort-in-a-big-league-approach-1.717270|access-date=December 9, 2008|website=[[CBC Sports]]}}</ref> Blue Jays' former center fielder [[Vernon Wells (baseball)|Vernon Wells]] has said he likes the approach to hitting that Tenace teaches: "One thing Gene talks about is having that approach mentally when you go up there, in your mind you already guarantee yourself that one run on third, but you want to do more than that. Gene always says that first runner is a gimme, you should be able to come through in pretty much every situation like that. And then you try to do more damage than just that one run".

==Career statistics==
In a 15-year major league career, Tenace played in 1,555 [[Games played|games]], accumulating 1,060 [[Hit (baseball)|hits]] in 4,390 [[at bats]] for a .241 career batting average along with 201 home runs, 674 runs batted in and an [[on-base percentage]] of .388.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" /> He not only caught nearly 900 games, but also played [[First baseman|first base]] over 600 times.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" /> Tenace ended his career with a .986 [[fielding percentage]] as a catcher and a .993 fielding percentage as a first baseman.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" /> He reached 20 home runs in five of his seven seasons as a regular, with a high of 29 in {{Baseball year|1975}}. After becoming an everyday player in [[1973 Oakland Athletics season|1973]], he did not have an on-base average below .370 until his final year; his OBP was above .400 five times and over .390 (about 60 points above the league average) an additional three times, ending his career with an impressive .388 on-base percentage.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" /> Six times he drew more than 100 bases on balls, and he led his league twice.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" /> He set the American League record for having the lowest batting average while leading the league in walks in {{Baseball year|1974}} when he posted a .211 batting average with a league-leading 110 walks.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 1988 |title=Lowest Batting Average While Leading the League in Walks |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_baseball-digest_1988-11_47_11 |url-access=limited |access-date=2025-02-11 |magazine=[[Baseball Digest]] |page=14 |volume=47 |issue=11}}</ref> In {{Baseball year|1977}}, he had a .415 on-base percentage while posting a .233 batting average, the second lowest batting average with a .400 on-base percentage in major league history.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=June 2004 |title=Lowest Batting Average With .400 On Base Percentage |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_baseball-digest_2004-06_63_6 |url-access=limited |access-date=2025-02-11 |magazine=[[Baseball Digest]] |page=15 |volume=63 |issue=6}}</ref> Less than half of his career trips to first base came via base hits, reaching 1,075 times through walks (984) and being [[Hit by pitch|hit by pitches]] (91) as opposed to only 1,060 hits. His ratio of on-base percentage to batting average (1.61) is the highest of any player in major league history with at least 4,000 plate appearances.<ref name="Gene Tenace at Baseball Reference2" />

In his book, ''[[The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract]]'', baseball historian [[Bill James]] ranked Tenace 23rd all-time among major league catchers.<ref>{{cite book|author=James, Bill|title=[[The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract]]|publisher=Free Press|year=2001|isbn=0-684-80697-5|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/newbilljameshist00jame/page/390 390]}}</ref> Chuck Rosciam, a baseball historian and a member of the [[Society for American Baseball Research]], ranked Tenace as the fourth-greatest offensive catcher in MLB history, behind [[Mike Piazza]], [[Roger Bresnahan]], and [[Mickey Cochrane]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/greatzmi.htm |title=Best Hitting Catcher (Zminda) |author=Rosciam, Chuck |publisher=tripod.com |accessdate=March 27, 2025}}</ref> Among major league catchers, Tenace is fourth overall in career on-base percentage (OBP) behind Mickey Cochrane, [[Wally Schang]] and [[Joe Mauer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/obp_car.htm |title=On Base Percentage (Top 50 Catchers) |author=Rosciam, Chuck |publisher=tripod.com |accessdate=5 August 2022}}</ref> He is tied with [[Johnny Bench]] and [[Joe Torre]] for third in career on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) behind only [[Roy Campanella]] and [[Yogi Berra]].<ref name="Bob Elliott">{{cite news|last1=Elliott|first1=Bob|date=September 8, 2008|title=According to a baseball historian, Blue Jays hitting coach and former catcher Gene Tenace deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame|newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]]|url=http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bob_elliott/2008/09/08/6695111.html|url-status=dead|access-date=December 9, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207095720/http://www.torontosun.com/sports/columnists/bob_elliott/2008/09/08/6695111.html|archive-date=February 7, 2015}}</ref>

==Notable achievements==

* AL All-Star (1975)
* [[1972 WS|1972 World Series]] MVP
* 2-time League Bases on Balls Leader (1974/AL & 1977/NL)
* 20-Home Run Seasons: 5 (1973–1976 & 1979)
* Caught [[Vida Blue]]'s [[no-hitter]] on September 21, 1970<ref>{{cite web|date=September 21, 1970|title=September 21, 1970 Twins-Athletics box score|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/B09210OAK1970.htm|access-date=December 7, 2008|website=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>
* Won four World Series as a player with the [[Oakland Athletics]] ([[1972 World Series|1972]], [[1973 World Series|1973]] & [[1974 World Series|1974]]) and the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ([[1982 World Series|1982]])
* Won two World Series as a coach with the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ([[1992 World Series|1992]] & [[1993 World Series|1993]])
* October winner of the [[Hickok Belt|S. Rae Hickok]] "professional athlete of the year" award (1972)<ref>{{Cite news |date=1972-11-17 |title=Tenace Tops Hickok Poll |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/17/archives/tenace-tops-hickok-poll.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Appearances in other media==
* Tenace did a voice cameo in an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' entitled "[[Regarding Margie]]" in 2006.
* Tenace appeared in a television commercial for the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] in 2008.
* Tenace was mentioned by sportscaster Champ Kind in the party scene in ''[[Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy]]'' while describing his signature catchphrase. "Gene Tenace at the plate, and Whammmy!"
* Tenace is portrayed on one of the Floodwall Murals in [[Portsmouth, Ohio]] honoring local Major League Baseball players.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=t/tenacge01|brm=tenace001fur|retro=T/Ptenag101}}
*{{IMDb name|id=2524988|name=Gene Tenace}}

{{1972 Oakland Athletics}}
{{1973 Oakland Athletics}}
{{1974 Oakland Athletics}}
{{1982 St. Louis Cardinals}}
{{1992 Toronto Blue Jays}}
{{1993 Toronto Blue Jays}}
{{World Series MVPs}}
{{Babe Ruth Award}}
{{Toronto Blue Jays managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tenace, Gene}}
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