Former Braves, White Sox, Athletics and Pirates manager Chuck Tanner passed away today at the age of 81.
↵Tanner managed the Braves during some of the down years in the '80s. He began in Atlanta in 1986, going 72-89. He wasn't any better in 1987, going 69-92. He was let go during the 1988 season after a 12-27 start and replaced by Russ Nixon, who was the final manager before Bobby Cox. He had a career record of 153-208 in Atlanta.
↵Tanner is best known for managing the Pirates to a world title in 1979, going 98-64. His career record with the Pirates was 711-685. He won at least 90 games twice in Pittsburgh, and he had a winning record in six of his nine seasons there.
↵As a player, Tanner played eight seasons in the majors with the Milwaukee Braves, Angels, Indians and Cubs as an outfielder. He played the most games with the Braves, recording a .245/.319/.371 line with nine home runs and 37 RBI in 422 plate appearances. His best years were with the Cubs, where he hit .280/.333/.420 with 11 home runs in 462 plate appearances. His final stats were .261/.323/.388, 21 home runs, 105 RBI, 82 walks and 93 strikeouts. Tanner always knew the strike zone.
↵Tanner was originally signed by the Boston Braves in 1946, debuted with the Milwaukee Braves and ended his managerial career with the Atlanta Braves. His Braves roots spread across the board.