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Mike Jirschele

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Mike Jirschele
Jirschele as manager of the Omaha Storm Chasers in 2023
Coach
Born: (1959-03-03) March 3, 1959 (age 65)
Clintonville, Wisconsin, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Teams
As coach
Career highlights and awards

Michael John Jirschele (/ˈdʒɜːrʃəli/; born March 3, 1959) is an American professional baseball coach who is the current manager of the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Triple-A minor league affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals. He previously served as manager of the Storm Chasers from 1995 to 1997 and from 2003 to 2013. He also played minor league baseball for 13 seasons, and is also a former third base coach for the Royals.

Playing career

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Jirschele went to high school in Clintonville, Wisconsin. He was named as an all-state quarterback on the football team. He was recruited to play football by the University of Wisconsin-Madison,[1] but after graduating high school, was drafted in the fifth round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft and signed with the Texas Rangers organization.[1]

An infielder, Jirschele played minor league baseball from 1977 through 1985 and from 1987 to 1990, hitting .225 with 102 doubles, 31 triples and 35 home runs in 999 games. He played at the Triple-A level for six seasons but never reached the major leagues.[2]

Manager and coach

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Jirschele began his minor league managing career in 1992, heading the GCL Royals in the Gulf Coast League and leading them to the league championship. In 1993, he managed the Rockford Royals of the Midwest League, and in 1994 he managed the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Carolina League, leading them to the league championship. From 1995 to 1997 and from 2003 to 2011 he managed the Omaha Storm Chasers franchise, that was nicknamed the Omaha Royals prior to the 2011 season.

On May 23, 2011, Jirschele won his 1,000th game as a minor league manager and was later named the winner of the 2011 Mike Coolbaugh Award as the minor league manager of the year.[1][3]

Jirschele (right) as manager of the Storm Chasers in 2012

On October 25, 2013, Jirschele was announced as a coach for the Kansas City Royals for the 2014 season.[4] Later, he became the Royals' third-base coach.

In Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, with the Royals down by one run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against San Francisco Giants ace pitcher Madison Bumgarner, Alex Gordon hit a single to left field; Giants left fielder Gregor Blanco misplayed the ball, and Gordon advanced to third base where Jirschele stopped him. The next batter was catcher Salvador Pérez, who popped out to third baseman Pablo Sandoval in foul territory to end the game and the series in favor of the Giants. Royals fans hotly debated whether Jirschele should have sent Gordon home.[5] The Kansas City Star arranged to have the fan theory tested with a college baseball team, and five of six times, the runner was thrown out (the one time the runner was safe was the fault of an overthrow).[6]

The Royals returned to the playoffs in 2015 after winning the American League Central Division. In Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, after the Royals had given away a two-run lead and allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to tie the game, Eric Hosmer singled to right field with Lorenzo Cain on first base. When Blue Jays right fielder José Bautista threw to second base, Jirschele sent Cain home to score the run that would send the Royals back to the World Series, where they defeated the New York Mets in five games to win the team's second championship.[7]

In 2021, Jirschele was bench coach for the Royals’ High-A affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits. Following the 2021 season, Jirschele, along with 2021 River Bandits manager Chris Widger were transferred to the Royals’ Double-A affiliate, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Jirschele maintained his role as bench coach.

In 2023, Jirschele returned as manager of the Omaha Storm Chasers. On April 8, he recorded his 1,000th win as manager of Omaha’s Triple-A team, as the Storm Chasers defeated the Toledo Mud Hens, 13-8.

Personal life

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Jirschele is one of eight children. His three brothers, Doug, Pete and Jim, all suffered from muscular dystrophy and died in their 40s.[8]

For a number of years he worked with a furniture store in the baseball off-season.[9]

He and his wife, Sheri, have three children and four grandchildren. His son Justin played minor league baseball for four seasons in the Chicago White Sox organization before retiring in 2015. He subsequently transitioned to coaching and served three different stints as a coach for the White Sox Double-A affiliate Birmingham Barons before being named the manager of the White Sox Triple-A affiliate Charlotte Knights in 2023.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Thompson, Andy (8 January 2012). "Jirschele could see beyond sports' success". The Post-Crescent.
  2. ^ "Mike Jirschele Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  3. ^ Dutton, Bob (November 14, 2011). "Royals notes: Omaha's Jirschele honored". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  4. ^ Mitchell, Andrew (October 25, 2013). "Mike Jirschele Promoted to Kansas City Royals Coaching Staff". Omaha Storm Chasers. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  5. ^ "Upon reflection, Royals' Jirschele still says stopping Gordon at third was right call". 13 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Royals season ends with tying run 90 feet away". USA Today.
  7. ^ "Royals' split-second decision sends Lorenzo Cain home - to capture AL pennant". USA Today.
  8. ^ "Jones: Jirschele's path to the big leagues".
  9. ^ McDowell, Sam (24 February 2015). "Royals third-base coach Mike Jirschele: 'a baseball man's baseball man'". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 14 July 2023. (subscription required)
  10. ^ Merkin, Scott (February 3, 2023). "Jirschele talks moving up MiLB managerial ladder". MLB.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
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