Introduction
Leonard Joseph Okrie (born July 16, 1923) is a retired American catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Born in Detroit, Okrie stood 6'2" (188 cm) tall, weighed 185 pounds (84 kg), and batted and threw right-handed.
Career as player and MLB coach
Okrie's playing career stretched from 1942 through 1957, with three seasons (1943–45) missed due to World War II service in the United States Navy. Drafted by the Washington Senators out of the Chicago Cubs farm system in November 1947, Okrie would spend only one full season (1950) in the Major Leagues as Washington's third-string catcher (behind Al Evans and Mickey Grasso). He spent parts of the 1948 and 1951 campaigns with Washington, and appeared in one game for the 1952 Boston Red Sox. Overall, Okrie appeared in 42 games, with 78 at bats, 17 hits, no home runs, three runs batted in, and a .218 batting average.
He managed in the Boston farm system from 1954 to 1960 and in 1963, and was the Red Sox' Major League bullpen coach in 1961–62 and 1965–66. He then joined his hometown Detroit Tigers as a minor league manager (1967–69, 1971–74) and MLB bullpen coach (1970). His career record as a minor league manager was 912 wins, and 1,013 defeats (.474). Okrie won one league pennant, in the Appalachian League during his maiden season as a skipper.
His father, Frank, a left-handed pitcher, appeared in 21 games for the 1920 Tigers and two brothers played minor league baseball.