Fredi Gonzalez is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. He was born on January 28, 1964, in Havana, Cuba, and grew up in Miami, Florida. Gonzalez played college baseball at Miami-Dade Community College and Tennessee Wesleyan College before being signed by the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 1982.
Gonzalez played in the minor leagues for six seasons, reaching as high as Triple-A before retiring as a player in 1987. He then began his coaching career, working as a manager in the Yankees' minor league system from 1988 to 1992. He then spent several years as a coach and manager in the Florida Marlins' minor league system before being promoted to the major league coaching staff in 1999.
Gonzalez served as the Marlins' third base coach from 1999 to 2000 before being named the team's manager in 2007. He led the Marlins to a record of 71-91 in his first season as manager, but the team improved to 84-77 in 2008 and won the National League East division title. However, the Marlins were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs, and Gonzalez was fired after the season.
Gonzalez was hired as the manager of the Atlanta Braves in 2011, replacing Bobby Cox. He led the Braves to a record of 89-73 in his first season, but the team lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild card playoff game. The Braves missed the playoffs in 2012 and 2013, but returned in 2014 with a record of 79-83. However, the team was swept by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the playoffs, and Gonzalez was fired after the season.
Gonzalez returned to the Marlins as their third base coach in 2016, but was fired after the season when the team underwent a managerial change. He then spent several years as a coach and advisor in the San Diego Padres' organization before being hired as the manager of the Mexican League's Algodoneros de Guasave in 2020.
Throughout his career, Gonzalez was known for his aggressive style of managing, often employing the hit-and-run and stolen base tactics. He was also known for his ability to develop young players, and several of his former players have gone on to have successful careers in the major leagues. Despite being fired from both of his major league managerial positions, Gonzalez is widely respected in the baseball community and is considered a strong candidate for future managerial openings.
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