What he did: They called it "Camp Leo,'' and around this time every February, Braves pitchers would come into to town and start warming up their arms before the beginning of spring training. They all came … Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Steve Avery, Charlie Leibrandt, Mark Wohlers and on and on.
In a way, Leo Mazzone was an anomaly when it came to pitching coaches, believing strongly that his way of handling pitchers was the right way which was somewhat different from the way others worked their pitching staffs in the majors. His success is rather remarkable when considering not only the records and ERA’s of his pitchers but more importantly their health and ability to pitch a full season.
Mazzone did not believe in limiting his pitchers’ activity but had them throw often with less exertion. In a span of 15 years as the pitching coach in Atlanta, he tutored three Hall of Fame pitchers including Glavine, Maddux and Smoltz and they won a collective six Cy Youngs with the Braves. He was with the Braves for all 14 of their division titles which included 125 postseason games, five National League pennants and a World Championship. Since Mazzone left in 2005, the Braves have played in nine postseason games. Born in West Virginia, Mazzone played high school baseball in Westernport (Md.) and at the Allegany College of Maryland before being signed by the Giants’ organization. A left-hander, he pitched for 10 seasons in the minors, winning 15 games in two different seasons and making it to the Class AAA level but never getting a taste of the majors. After a climb through the minors, he was named the pitching coach in Atlanta in June 1990. He did make a brief appearance in Atlanta in 1985 as the co-pitching coach with Johnny Sain, who was his mentor. Loud, with a quirky sense of humor and not afraid to speak his mind, Mazzone was able to take the young pitching staff and lead the Braves to a worst to first season in 1991 which began the franchise’s streak of 14 straight division titles. That season, Glavine, Smoltz, Avery and Leibrandt all pitched more than 200 innings and combined for 67 wins. Mazzone became a fixture in the dugout, rocking back and forth alongside manager Bobby Cox. The extended honeymoon, however, ended after the 2005 season when the New York Yankees went after Mazzone but he decided to take a job with Baltimore and childhood friend Sam Perlozzo, who was the Orioles manager. Perlozzo, who had served as the best man in Mazzone’s wedding, was fired in June 2007, and while Mazzone said he would complete his contract he was let go the following season, retiring from the majors.
Where he lives: Mazzone, 66, lives on Lake Hartwell in Anderson, S.C., where he converted a clubhouse into his home. He has been married to Rebecca for eight years and has three sons: Tony, Chris and Nick, and one grandchild.
What he does now: During baseball season, Mazzone can be heard on 680 The Fan for the beginning of each Braves series and also does a Saturday morning show for the station. While he likes to say he "doesn't want to do anything,'' he travels around the country doing pitching seminars, recently in front of 3,500 high school coaches in Texas.
On this time of year and whether he gets antsy: "I always miss the spring training and the first couple of years I was miserable and actually got depressed. But you have to move on.''
On the high number of arm injuries today: "Back then we allowed them to throw as much as they wanted. Imagine that but it was in a controlled effort and always 60 feet, six inches throwing downhill. I think it is a joke how major league baseball pitchers are handled today. It is an insult to my intelligence. The problem today is one word: velocity. Everyone is enamored with the radar gun. You can sign a scholarship or get into professional baseball if you can put a number on the gun. So they are going to overexert themselves. I just wanted my guys to be able to get some touch on the ball. I was concerned about the pitch they selected and where they located it.''
On going to Cooperstown to see Cox, Glavine and Maddux inducted: "I sat behind the Cox family and one of his daughters told me that her father was really tight about it all. I told him to loosen up, that we had been in a lot tighter spots than this.''
On Smoltz going into the Hall this summer: "The main reason he is going into the Hall is in 1991 when he was 2-11 at the All-Star break, Bobby didn't take him out of the rotation. There were factions in the organization that wanted to do so but Bobby said we are not taking him out. I also think John did some amazing things, going from starting to the bullpen and back and forth and then popping down to three-quarters to pitch one half of a year because his elbow hurt. When the money was on the line, Smoltz could elevate his game.''
On how the game has changed: "The manager is no longer the face of the franchise. It is run by stats and computers. Bottom line, they are going to protect pitchers with limiting the number of innings pitched. And guess what? There are more Tommy Johns surgeries than in the history of baseball. This also has led to abusing the bullpens. I think it is totally ridiculous."
On the great Braves run: "We moved up to the lake so we have gotten a lot of things out of storage and it is incredible to look at all that stuff again and say, 'My God, what a tremendous accomplishment. It is the greatest run in sports history.'''
On whether he still rocks back and forth: "I still rock a lot when I watching Notre Dame football.''
On his favorite pitcher today: "It is Madison Bumgarner. I think he is tremendous. He changes speeds and when he does well he is cool about it. I tell you what bugs me … I wish there were a lot of closers out there that would have to bat so a pitcher could put one in their ear. All these closers that finish games and then shooting arrows in the sky drives me crazy. The lack at sportsmanship is incredible. We just wanted to go in there quietly, get the job done and then get out of there.''
On losing his father a couple of weeks ago: "He was 92 and wanted to be buried in a Braves uniform top and hat. We were very close and here is something pretty cool … he coached 18 years in a Pony League and guess how many titles he won? Yep, 14.''
