Former A’s catcher Gordy MacKenzie dies

HOUSTON (AP) — Gordy MacKenzie, the longtime minor league manager and coach and scout who had a short stint in the majors as a catcher with the Kansas City Athletics, has died. He was 77.

The Houston Astros said Wednesday that MacKenzie died Tuesday. The team didn’t provide the cause of death.

MacKenzie had three hits and an RBI in 24 at-bats in 11 games for the Athletics in 1961.

“This is truly a sad time for the Astros family,” Quinton McCracken, the Astros’ director of player development, said in a statement released by the team. “Gordy was an outstanding baseball man that was widely respected not only in our organization, but throughout all of baseball. He will be greatly missed. We send our heartfelt condolences to Gordy’s family and many friends.”

MacKenzie, from St. Petersburg, Florida, had coached the Astros’ Gulf Coast League team since 2008. He also worked for Houston as a minor league instructor from 1999-2001 and was a scout from 2004-08 before joining the Gulf Coast League club’s coaching staff.

MacKenzie also coached in the majors with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco and Cleveland, and scouted for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Senators. He managed 16 seasons in the minors at the A, AA and AAA levels, spending time with the Senators, New York Mets, Montreal, Royals, Detroit, San Francisco and Cleveland organizations. He led Kingston to the 1995 Carolina League title.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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