Elrod Hendricks, 64, Baseball Catcher and Coach
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Elrod Hendricks, who spent more than four decades as a player and coach with the Baltimore Orioles, died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack. He was 64.
Hendricks broke into professional baseball in 1959 and made his major league debut with the Orioles in 1968. He played in 711 games – including 658 with the Orioles – before retiring in 1979.
Hendricks got most of his playing time at catcher for the Orioles on teams that went to three consecutive World Series from 1969-71, sharing duties with Andy Etchebarren.
Hendricks also played briefly for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees during a 12-year major league career that lasted from 1968-79. He went 4-for-11 (.364) with a home run and four RBIs to help Baltimore defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series.
He also appeared in the 1976 World Series for the Yankees against Cincinnati.
Hendricks was made the bullpen coach following the 1977 season and was a player-coach in 1978-79. He became a fixture in Baltimore by holding the position as bullpen coach for 28 years, the longest coaching tenure in Orioles history.
Hendricks was relieved of that position in October, in part because he had a mild stroke in April.
