Lloyd McClendon is a former Major League Baseball player and coach who had a successful career in the sport. He was born on January 11, 1959, in Gary, Indiana, and attended Valparaiso University, where he played college baseball.
McClendon was drafted by the New York Mets in the 8th round of the 1980 MLB draft and made his major league debut with the team in 1987. He played for the Mets for two seasons before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1989. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Detroit Tigers during his career.
McClendon was primarily a first baseman and outfielder during his playing days and was known for his power hitting. He hit a career-high 22 home runs in 1990 while playing for the Pirates and finished his career with a .244 batting average, 35 home runs, and 154 RBIs.
After retiring as a player, McClendon began his coaching career as a hitting coach for the Pirates in 1995. He later served as a coach for the Colorado Rockies and the Detroit Tigers before being named the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2001.
McClendon managed the Pirates for five seasons, leading the team to a record of 336-446 during his tenure. He was fired by the team in 2005 but was later hired as the hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers in 2006.
McClendon served as the Tigers' hitting coach for eight seasons, during which time the team won four American League Central division titles and made two trips to the World Series. He was known for his work with Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, who won two AL MVP awards during McClendon's tenure as hitting coach.
In 2014, McClendon was hired as the manager of the Seattle Mariners. He led the team to a record of 87-75 in his first season, but the team struggled in the following years and McClendon was fired after the 2015 season.
McClendon then returned to the Tigers as the team's hitting coach for the 2017 season before being named the manager of the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate, in 2018. He managed the Mud Hens for two seasons before being hired as the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers in 2020.
Throughout his career, McClendon was known for his passion for the game and his ability to connect with players. He was also known for his fiery personality and was often seen arguing with umpires and defending his players on the field.
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