Major League Managers with 27 World Series Titles Connected to Puerto Rico’s Winter League (Part VIII)

Nineteen Major League managers who once played or managed in the Puerto Rico Winter League (PRWL) or barnstormed in Puerto Rico, led their big league teams to a combined 27 World Series crowns,  from José Méndez, who led the 1924 Kansas City Monarchs to the first Negro World Series (aka 1924 Colored World Series) title, to Bruce Bochy, who managed the San Francisco Giants to 2010, 2012, and 2014 titles, plus the 2023 Texas Rangers to their first World Series title. Part VII covered Davey Johnson (1986 New York Mets). Part VIII transitions to Jack McKeon (2003 Florida Marlins), who managed the Arecibo Wolves and Santurce Crabbers in the PRWL during the 1970s.

McKeon, now 93 years old, was born in South Amboy, New Jersey, on November 23, 1930. He is a lifelong devout Catholic. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School, in South Amboy, class of 1948. McKeon was a catcher and a high school teammate of twins Eddie and Johnny O’Brien. All three played for the 1948 South Amboy All-Stars, New Jersey State Champions, and played five contests in that summer’s All-American Amateur Baseball Association tournament in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. New Orleans Crusaders won that 1948 event.

From 1949-1954, McKeon played in the minors—Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He transitioned, at age 24, to managing the 1955 Fayetteville Highlanders, a Baltimore Orioles affiliate. From 1956-1964, 1968-1972, 1976, and 1979, he managed teams in the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals (KCR), Atlanta Braves, and Montreal Expos organizations. In-between, 1965-67, he scouted for Minnesota. McKeon eventually became the only professional baseball manager to earn over 1,000 minor league AND 1,000 Major League wins. He helped Jim Kaat’s development, 1958 Missoula Timberjacks (245 K, 2.99 ERA). In 1959 he managed Cuban Zoilo Versalles with 1959 Fox Cities. John “Buck” Martinez, who caught for the 1970-71 Santurce Crabbers in the PRWL, was his 1971 Omaha catcher. He managed against Syracuse’s Bobby Cox in 1976 when the Syracuse Chiefs played McKeon’s Richmond Braves. Jim Beauchamp, skipper, 1976 Memphis Blues, recalled that the 5’8” McKeon was “colorful and dedicated to his craft.” Jim Leyland, 1979 Evansville Triplets manager, managed against McKeon in the International League. Table I includes his minor-league managing record.

Table I: Jack McKeon’s Minor League Managing Record

Year	Team	League	Level	Affiliate	W-L	PCT
1955	Fayetteville Highlanders	Carolina	B	Baltimore	34-22	.607
1956	Missoula Timberjacks	Pioneer	C		61-71	.462
1957	Missoula Timberjacks	Pioneer	C	Washington	62-64	.492
1958	Missoula Timberjacks	Pioneer	C	Washington	70-59	.543
1959	Fox Cities Foxes	Three-I	B	Washington	59-67	.468
1960	Wilson Tobs	Carolina	B	Washington	73-65	.529
1961	Wilson Tobs	Carolina	B	Minnesota	83-59	.585
1962	Vancouver Mounties	PCL	AAA	Minnesota	72-79	.477
1963	Dallas Ft. Worth Rangers	PCL	AA	Minnesota	79-79	.500
1964	Atlanta Crackers	International	AAA	Minnesota	55-93	.372
1968	High Pt. Thomasville Hi-Toms	Carolina	A	Co-op	69-71	.493
1968	Royals	Instructional	Rookie	KCR	21-24	.467
1969	Royals	Instructional	Rookie	KCR	17-22	.436
1969	Omaha Royals (won pennant)	American Association	AAA	KCR	85-55	.607
1970	Omaha Royals (won pennant)	American Association	AAA	KCR	73-65	.529
1971	Omaha Royals	American Association	AAA	KCR	69-70	.496
1972	Omaha Royals	American Association	AAA	KCR	71-69	.507
1976	Richmond Braves	International	AAA	Atlanta	69-71	.493
1979	Denver Bears	American Association	AAA	Montreal	62-73	.459
Totals					1184-1178	.501
1970	Post-Season Finals vs. Denver	American Association	AAA	KCR	4-1	.800

Sources: Baseball Reference, Jack McKeon’s SABR Bio, Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Edited by

Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, Published by Baseball America, 2007.

McKeon’s Connection to the PRWL

McKeon was a key reason why the KCR sent many prospects to Arecibo, Puerto Rico, early-to-mid 1970s, from Tom Poquette to Dennis Leonard, Gary Lance, Ken Wright, Buck Martínez, and others. Benny Ayala came into his own (1973-74) and Candy Maldonado—to be inducted in the Puerto Rico Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, on December 16, 2023—played regularly for the 1978-79 Arecibo Wolves. “That was a special moment for me,” noted Maldonado. “I will never forget Jack McKeon penciling my name in the [October 1978] line-up, in left field.” McKeon endeared himself to the PRWL by being competitive and giving young native players a chance to prove themselves. McKeon managed Arecibo after his 1973 AL season as the KCR skipper, a plus in the eyes of PRWL fans.

McKeon: “I had a good rapport with fans and the Puerto Rican players. They remember me as a manager who always gave the kids—Candy Maldonado, Carlos Lezcano, Mario Ramírez—a chance to play. I tried to get these kids enough playing time to build up experience and not have to worry about imported players. It was time to begin infiltrating them, and build tradition and depth of Arecibo’s native players.” He also experienced heavy traffic, parades, and noise during the Island’s 1972 and 1976 elections.

Santurce, in 1975-76 and 1976-77, made the playoffs under McKeon. Paul Hartzell, star 1976-77 pitcher (8-2 W-L), viewed him as a solid manager who “seemed to have the right balance between playing native players and imports.” McKeon reciprocated on Hartzell: “Good sinker, good control, real competitor, fun to manage, hard worker.” Table II highlights Arecibo Wolves history, 1961-2010, their final PRWL season.

Table II: Arecibo Wolves Manager History, Wins-Losses (W-L), and Team Highlights, 1961-62 to 2009-10

Seasons	Managers	W-L	PCT	Highlights-Arecibo players unless otherwise noted.
1961-62	Luis R. Olmo	42-39	.519	Won 4th place tie-breaker vs. San Juan. Phil Niekro won it. Tommie Aaron tied Santurce’s Orlando Cepeda with 53 RBIs.
1962-63	Luis R. Olmo	35-35	.500	Cookie Rojas: most league hits (95). John Herrnstein: most homers (14).
1963-64	Tony Castaño	31-39	.443	Tony Oliva (.365) won the batting title. Teammate Arturo López (.337) was fourth.
1964-65	Tony Castaño	38-32	.543	Miguel Cuéllar (12-4) tied Mayagüez’s Dennis McLain (12-4) for most league wins.
1965-66	Cookie Rojas	34-36	.486	Rojas: youngest Arecibo manager ever (age 26).
1966-67	Larry Shepard	34-36	.486	Walter “No Neck” Williams, .312 BA, second to Tony Pérez’s .333 BA, with Santurce.
1967-68	Carlos M. Santiago	28-41	.406	Sal Bando (.330): third-highest league BA. Degold Francis (14): most league homers.
1968-69	Vic Power	19-50	.275	Samuel Parrilla hit 10 HR. Lefty Paul Lindblad enjoyed pitching for the Wolves.
1969-70	Lou Klimchock, Lucas Buyé (interim skipper)	19-50	.275
1970-71	Castaño, Jack McKeon	32-37	.464	Angel Mangual’s seven triples led league.
1971-72	McKeon, Steve Boros	28-37	.431	Rich Coggins .309 BA fourth-best. Jim Hicks’s 11 homers tied San Juan’s Milt May for third behind Caguas’s Willie Montañez (15) and Mayagüez’s Charlie Manuel (14).
1972-73	Boros, McKeon	37-34	.521	Coggins (.352) won the batting title; his 15 SBs were second to teammate José “Pepe” Mangual. RHP Lynn McGlothen’s 10 wins tied Santurce’s LHP Terín Pizarro. McGlothen fanned a league-best 130.
1973-74	McKeon, Boros	35-36	.493	Benny Ayala (.340), fifth in BA; tied Caguas’s Jerry Morales with 14 homers and Caguas’s Jay Johnstone with 46 RBIs. Ken Wright’s 147 K’s led loop. Mark Littell’s 2.60 ERA was third-best. Wolves beat Santurce in a tie-breaker for fourth.
1974-75	Jack Krol	33-37	.471	Danny Walton’s 14 homers led the league; 43 RBIs were second to Johnstone’s 46. John Denny’s nine wins—second to Caguas’s Eduardo Figueroa (10).
1975-76	Luis Isaac	24-36	.400	Benny Ayala’s 14 homers and Tom Bruno’s 1.23 ERA led the league.
1976-77	Nino Escalera, Tom Burgess	16-43	.271	Iván de Jesús’s six triples led league; 20 SB were second to Caguas’s Tony Scott (25).
1977-78	Jack McKeon	36-24	.600	One game behind Caguas Criollos (37-23). Dennis Lamp’s nine wins led the league. Iván de Jesús’s 31 SB second to Mayagüez’s Ron LeFlore (34).
1978-79	Jack McKeon	27-33	.450	Candy Maldonado got his first start. Jim Breazeale (13 HR, 50 RBIs), was second to Mayagüez’s Jim Dwyer (15, 53).
1979-80	Rene Lachemann	28-32	.467	Samarito Vegas’s 42 RBIs and 43 runs led the league as did Mookie Wilson’s 28 steals.
1980-81	José A. Pagán	30-31	.492	Candy Maldonado’s 10 homers trailed Bayamón’s Héctor Cruz (11). Candy’s two HR, league All-Star Game, tied: Joshua Gibson-Santurce (1941-42), Hank Aaron-Caguas (1953-54), Roberto Clemente-Santurce (1954-55), and Ismael Oquendo-Santurce (1979-80).
1982-83	Ron Clark	28-32	.467	Won playoffs; 1983 Caribbean Series in Venezuela. Candy Maldonado and Orlando Mercado hit 10 HR. Onix Concepción’s .356 BA was third, ahead of Dickie Thon (.347) and Carmelo Martínez (.333); behind Brian Harper (.378) and Tony Gwynn (.368). All except for Onix were with Bayamón.
1983-84	Bill Dancy	30-30	.500	Candy Maldonado: .346 BA (third), 15 HR (second), and 46 RBIs (second).
1984-85	Dave Duncan	21-38	.356	Randy Niemann (54 K) led the league. Ed Wojna’s 2.17 ERA was second.
1985-86	Ramón Avilés	16-38	.296
1986-87	Frank Funk, Sandy Alomar Sr.,	20-33	.377	Candy Maldonado, eight HR, 35 RBIs. Jeff Montgomery, 2.78 ERA.
1987-88	Avilés, Rick Sweet	23-30	.434	Gary Thurman (35 runs); Francisco Meléndez (33 RBIs) led league.
1988-89	Marv Foley, Alomar Sr.	31-27	.534	Aristalco Tirado’s nine wins and 67 K led the league.
1989-90	Ron Clark, Fernando González	19-31	.380	Bernie Williams’s 13 SB led the league.
1990-91	Orlando Gómez	29-30	.492	Bernie Williams’s 38 runs and five triples led league.
1991-92	Félix Millán	23-27	.460	Alonzo Powell’s .339 BA topped all hitters.
1992-93	Nick Leyva, Fernando González	14-25	.359
1993-94	Pat Kelly	25-23	.521	Kevin Báez (.348) won the batting title. Phil Hiatt: 10 HR, 29 RBIs, led there. José Muñoz’s 14 SB led the league.
1994-95	Dave Miley, Pat Kelly	28-26	.519	Ray Durham’s five triples and 18 SBs led the league. Bernie Williams’s 37 RBIs tied for second.
1995-96	Pat Kelly	27-22	.551	League Champions and runner-up (4-2 W-L), 1996 Caribbean Series. José Alberro (13 saves) tied San Juan’s Paul Shuey. Allen McDill (2-1, 2.10 ERA), an excellent set-up man, fanned three Metro hitters for the “Isla” Team in the league All-Star Game. Ricky Otero’s 17 SB led the league.
1996-97	Luis “Torito’ Meléndez	25-26	.490
1997-98	Miley, Félix Millán	26-35	.426
1998-99	Pat Kelly	23-26	.469
2005-06	Iván de Jesús Sr.	17-23	.425
2006-07	Pat Kelly	22-22	.500	League runner-up.
2008-09	Pat Kelly	22-18	.550	League runner-up.
2009-10	Pat Kelly	25-14	.641	First place, regular season (first time).
Totals	32 Managers	1100-1314	.456	Two League championships; one Caribbean Series crown.

Sources: Pachy Rodríguez, long-time Arecibo official, and 2009-10 GM; Baseball Reference.

Success as Big League Manager and GM pre-Florida Marlins

McKeon managed the KCR to a 215-205, .512 PCT, 1973-1975, and was George Brett’s first big-league skipper. (Jim Kaat, in 2022, was the most recent Cooperstown Inductee managed by McKeon.)

Orlando Cepeda played his final big season for the 1974 KCR, 25 years before his Cooperstown Induction. Charles O. Finley hired McKeon to manage the 1977 Oakland A’s before firing him, and then rehiring him during the 1978 season. McKeon was unhappy with Finley’s meddling for a franchise that had lost its best players to free agency. Throughout the 1980s, McKeon was the San Diego Padres GM. He accepted their managing job in 1988, and was 193-164, .541 PCT, in two-plus years managing the Friars. He brought Carmelo Martínez to the Padres from the Cubs, in one of his many trades. “Trader Jack” also dealt Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter to the Toronto Blue Jays. Alomar and Tony Gwynn were two more Cooperstown Inductees he managed with San Diego.

From 1997-2000, McKeon went 291-259, ,529 PCT, as the Cincinnati Reds skipper. He was voted 1999 National League (NL) Manager of the Year, for leading the Reds to a 96-67 mark, including a tie-breaker loss to the New York Mets for the Wild Card spot. Ken Griffey Jr. was acquired prior to the 2000 season, and hit 40 homers with 118 RBIs for McKeon. Benito Santiago, from Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, was McKeon’s 2000 catcher.

Per his SABR bio by Thomas J. Brown Jr., McKeon “Never lost his Roman Catholic faith. When he was playing or managing, he attended Mass daily. He credited his success to his faith in many ways. When he was fired by the Reds in 2000, he prayed to St. Therese of Lisieux.” McKeon said: “She’s the prodigy of miracles, and I needed a miracle. I don’t know God’s plan but I don’t think my career has been fulfilled. And then came the Marlins.”

Florida Marlins Upend Giants, Cubs, and New York Yankees

Jeff Torborg was fired in May 2003 by the Marlins. McKeon took the managing reins and led Florida to a 75-49 mark, to qualify as the NL Wild Card Team, and earned his second NL Manager of the Year Award. The Marlins topped San Francisco, three games to one, in the Division Series, before edging the Chicago Cubs, four games to three, in the NLCS. Then, the Marlins deprived Joe Torre of his fifth World Series title as Yankees skipper. McKeon put 20-year-old Venezuelan rookie Miguel Cabrera in his line-up on June 20, 2003, in left field. Cabrera rewarded McKeon with a two-run walk-off homer in the 11^th inning versus Tampa Bay, a 3-1 Marlins win. Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez was a key element, behind the plate, for the 2003 World Champions. Mike Lowell, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, provided pop at the plate and solid defense at third base for Florida. Former Arecibo Wolves center fielder Bernie Williams had the best hitting figures in the 2003 Fall Classic, with the Yankees: .400/.429/.720 slash line, and 1.149 OPS. He hit two homers and drove in five.

McKeon, age 72, was the oldest skipper to manage a World Series Champion until this record was eclipsed by 73-year-old Dusty Baker, after the 2022 Houston Astros bested the Philadelphia Phillies in the Fall Classic. McKeon, age 80, became the oldest NL manager, ever, when he replaced Edwin Rodríguez, as Marlins skipper on June 20, 2011. (Edwin Rodríguez was Puerto Rico’s first big league manager.)

Keith Sargeant wrote a fascinating 2022 piece on McKeon in https://www.nj.com/sports/2022/04/at-91-nj-baseball-storyteller-jack-mckeon-is-living-happily-ever-after.html Table III summarizes McKeon’s AL, NL, and his post-season managing record.

Table III: Jack McKeon’s Major League Managing Record

Year	Team	League	W-L	PCT
1973	KCR	American	88-74	.543
1974	KCR	American	77-85	.475
1975	KCR	American	50-46	.521
1977	Oakland A’s	American	26-27	.491
1978	Oakland A’s	American	45-78	.366
1988	San Diego Padres	National	67-48	.583
1989	San Diego Padres	National	89-73	.549
1990	San Diego Padres	National	37-43	.463
1997	Cincinnati Reds	National	33-30	.524
1998	Cincinnati Reds	National	77-85	.475
1999	Cincinnati Reds	National	96-67	.589
2000	Cincinnati Reds	National	85-77	.525
2003	Florida Marlins	National	75-49	.605
2004	Florida Marlins	National	83-79	.512
2005	Florida Marlins	National	83-79	.512
2011	Florida Marlins	National	40-50	.444
Totals	Regular Season		1051-990	.515
2003	NL Division Series	National	3-1	.750
2003	NL Championship	National	4-3	.571
2003	World Series	FL vs. NYY	4-2	.667
Totals	MLB Post-Season		11-6	.647

Source: Baseball Reference.

With gratitude to Jim Beauchamp, Paul Hartzell, Jack McKeon, Candy Maldonado, and Pachy Rodríguez. Jorge Colón Delgado did the editing and photo placements.