Lloyd McClendon named new Mud Hens skipper
Lloyd McClendon has been hired as the new manager of the Toledo Mud Hens. McClendon's experience includes eight years as a player and seven years as a manager in Major League Baseball.
The 56-year-old native of Gary, Indiana, managed the Seattle Mariners for the past two seasons. He also managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2001-2005, and spent eight seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 2006-2013, mostly as the team's hitting coach.
As a player, McClendon spent eight seasons in the majors from 1987-1994 with Cincinnati, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh as an outfielder and first baseman. He played in 570 MLB games, hitting .244 with 35 home runs and 154 RBI.
"I am very pleased to have Lloyd McClendon managing the Toledo Mud Hens in 2016," says Dave Littlefield, Detroit Tigers, VP of Player Development. "He is a passionate competitor, experienced baseball man and strong leader. Toledo's players and our minor league development system will benefit with Lloyd at the helm."
"It's an honor to come back to the Detroit Tigers organization. I've been to Fifth Third Field many times in the past. It's a wonderful ballpark and the fans are outstanding. It should be a very enjoyable summer for us," says McClendon.
McClendon becomes the fifth person to manage the Mud Hens since the team moved to Fifth Third Field in 2002, and takes over for longtime Mud Hens skipper Larry Parrish, who retired following the 2015 season. Parrish served as Mud Hens skipper for a total of 10 seasons and guided the team to back-to-back IL Governors' Cup championships in 2005 and 2006.
"Larry Parrish is a true legend in Toledo sports history. Mud Hens fans will be thrilled to have Lloyd McClendon taking over with his extensive experience at the highest level as a player and as a manager," says Mud Hens General Manager Erik Ibsen.
McClendon says he's excited for the opportunity to help develop young, aspiring professional baseball players. "I'm going to be much more in a teaching mode compared to being a manager in the majors. I'll do my best to use my experience and knowledge of the game to help these young players develop."
As a manager, McClendon says he's very passionate and expects maximum effort from the players on a daily basis. "I just think it's the right way to play the game of baseball. When you put the uniform on, the name on the back isn't as important as the name on the front of the uniform, and you respect the organization and that's what we'll try to do."
Away from the ballpark, McClendon says he enjoys playing golf and horseback riding. "I've always loved horses because you learn a lot from them. Just like baseball players, some days they don't feel pretty good. You have to know what make them tick. During the season, I try to hit the golf courses as much as possible."
The Toledo Mud Hens will open the 2016 season on Thursday, April 7 against the Louisville Bats at Fifth Third Field.
Lloyd McClendon's MLB managerial record:
Pittsburgh Pirates
- 2001: 62-100
- 2002: 72-89
- 2003: 75-87
- 2004: 72-89
- 2005: 55-81
Seattle Mariners
- 2014: 87-75
- 2015: 76-86