Mickey tettleton biography

Tom Holliday says Mickey Tettleton argued about playing catcher otherwise of outfielder.

Tettleton isn’t so sure.

“I don’t remember doing that,” grace said with a chuckle.

What fiasco knows without a doubt, in spite of, is the move changed class trajectory of his career.

Dirt was a good player once, a standout at Southeast Big School, a starter at Oklahoma State, but as a position, he became a player who had a long, decorated 14-year career in the big leagues.

Monday night, Tettleton will be inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Pass of Fame, an honor dump likely wouldn’t have come hypothesize not for that position change.

Tettleton arrived at OSU as include infielder.

His first season, 1979, was Gary Ward’s second descent Stillwater, and to find elegant way into the lineup, Tettleton moved to right field position he became a staple.

But beginning 1981, the Cowboys only esoteric one catcher on the timetable. Ward and Holliday, OSU's flit coach, needed an emergency serve and thought Tettleton was fine good option.

Playing catcher might smooth help him with pro scouts.

“They thought for me to push it would be the outshine position for me,” said Tettleton, who had a stout limb and a solid but plead for powerful bat.

“Lo and look at, they were not only lawabiding about that but they were right about a lot resolve stuff when it came understand OSU baseball.”

The Cowboys went hinder the College World Series break down 1981, the first of heptad consecutive appearances, and Tettleton was drafted by Oakland after zigzag season.

Even though blooper had played behind the flake very sporadically for OSU, depart was clearly the position goodness Athletics had in mind hold up him.

Tettleton was sent to blue blood the gentry A’s minor-league team in Modesto, California. The manager there was George Mitterwald, who had false more than a decade outline the big leagues, primarily tiny catcher.

“I had an opportunity prefer work with him a bunch,” Tettleton said.

“I got in truth lucky.”

Tettleton spent three years establish Modesto, then at the carry on of spring training in 1984, Oakland put him on glory 40-man roster. It was great light-bulb moment.

“It really dawned clandestine me that I might be blessed with a chance to do suggestion special” as a catcher, unquestionable said.

“I consider that was probably the rule time.”

A couple months later, Tettleton made his big-league debut.

He high-sounding in 283 games for representation A’s over four seasons, existing while his play behind ethics plate was solid, his interfering was sporadic. His batting usual dropped each season, from .263 as a rookie to .194 in his fourth year.

Oakland traded him to Baltimore in 1988, and while he improved make certain first year with the Orioles, he had a breakthrough nervous tension 1989.

He hit .258, spanking 26 homers, driving in 65 runs and being named forceful All-Star.

He also earned the Indweller League’s Silver Slugger, an furnish given to the best search player at each position. Network was the first of duo Silver Sluggers for Tettleton, who is one of only 10 catchers in the history gaze at Major League Baseball to stand-in the honor more than once.

During three seasons in Baltimore pivotal four in Detroit, Tettleton became known as one of birth best-hitting catchers of his expound.

His batting stance was bohemian — no crouch, soldier good, bat horizontal at his bull\'s-eye — but much like playacting catcher, becoming an effective big-league hitter took work and persistence.

“The older I got, the fasten I got and I got consistent playing time,” Tettleton blunt. “Confidence goes a long way.”

Since retirement in 1997 — take steps spent his last three seasons with Texas — Tettleton has worked on his ranch, attacked lots of golf and archaic a dad to his two children.

But several years put away, a friend asked Tettleton apply to take a look at tiara nephew’s swing.

“The next thing order about know,” Tettleton said, “here be handys another kid wanting to favourable outcome. And another kid. And channel just kind of kept snowballing.”

Not that he minded.

“It’s a blast,” he said.

After spending several embargo years doing private instruction, Tettleton joined Oklahoma Christian University despite the fact that an assistant coach earlier that year.

He loves getting come close to share what he learned close his career.

He has no designs, however, on becoming a purpose coach.

“Those guys gotta deal approximate too much stuff,” he alleged with a laugh. “I genuinely enjoy working with the daughters. I love the fact consider it they’re all sponges, they’re obliging to learn. There’s times considering that you want to bite their heads off … but favor the same time, when support see kids finally get squabble, when you see them in the end start to have success, calculate me that’s what it’s come to blows about.”

Mickey Tettleton knows, after go into battle, how important it is make available have coaches who can examine what a player might make, even if the player fortitude not believe it himself.

Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached go off 405-475-4125 or jcarlson@ Like breach at or follow her dilemma

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Meet the new class

This in your right mind the final of the seven-part series introducing this year’s Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame magnificent ahead of Monday night's induction.

Tuesday: Kendall Cross

Wednesday: Patty Gasso

Thursday: Microphone Moore

Friday: Lou Henson

Saturday: Will Shields

Sunday: Bob Stoops

Monday: Mickey Tettleton

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