Bobby Cuellar, the former pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners, passed away this week at the age of 72. The Mariners shared their condolences on social media, expressing their sorrow over his passing and sending thoughts to his family and friends.
Cuellar briefly played in the major leagues, making a brief appearance with the Texas Rangers in 1977. After his playing career, he joined the Mariners organization, where he worked as a minor league pitching coach for several affiliates, including Bakersfield, Salt Lake City, Calgary, San Bernardino, Williamsport, and Jacksonville.
He eventually became the Mariners’ major league pitching coach for the 1995 and 1996 seasons. The 1995 season was pivotal for the Mariners, marking their first-ever playoff appearance. That season also helped secure a new stadium for the team, moving from the Kingdome to T-Mobile Park in 1999. Randy Johnson, under Cuellar’s guidance, won the American League Cy Young Award that year with an impressive 18-2 record and a 2.48 ERA.
In addition to his coaching career, Cuellar also managed the Wausau Timbers, a minor league team in the Mariners’ system, in 1986 and 1987. He led the team to a 73-60 record in 1986.
After his time with Seattle, Cuellar went on to work with the Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, and Minnesota Twins.
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