Gene Tenace

Fury Gene Tenace (pronounced /ˈtɛnɨs/, born Fiore Gino Tennaci on October 10, 1946 in Russellton, Pennsylvania), is a former Italian-American Major League Baseball player who was a catcher and first baseman in the 1970s. He is currently the hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. As a player, he was a key part of the Oakland Athletics powerhouse that won 3 consecutive World Series from 1972 to 1974. He was the World Series Most Valuable Player i... more

Fury Gene Tenace (pronounced /ˈtɛnɨs/, born Fiore Gino Tennaci on October 10, 1946 in Russellton, Pennsylvania), is a former Italian-American Major League Baseball player who was a catcher and first baseman in the 1970s. He is currently the hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. As a player, he was a key part of the Oakland Athletics powerhouse that won 3 consecutive World Series from 1972 to 1974. He was the World Series Most Valuable Player in 1972, hitting 4 home runs. He was one of the top catchers of his era. He not only caught nearly 900 games, but also played first base over 600 times. Tenace was known for his power, especially versus right-handed pitching. Despite having a low batting average, Tenace had excellent patience at the plate and drew a lot of walks. In 1991, he briefly served as the interim manager of the Toronto Blue Jays while Cito Gaston was sidelined. As a coach, he won 2 more World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993, serving as the hitting instructor.... less