#3 KEN SILVESTRI
Coach
What came before: Before there was Bobby Dews, there was Ken Silvestri – a Braves “lifer” who was a mentor, confidant and a helluva baseball man. He began his minor league career in 1936, began a 12-year MLB career in 1939, where he was a valued backup catcher who was a switch-hitter and a deft pinch-hitter.
His career was interrupted for four seasons during WWII as a veteran in the U.S. Army, but was mostly stationed stateside until the closing days of the war. Upon his return, he was little more than a bit player until his major league days ended in 1951.
He soon became a minor league skipper from 1955-58, but the leagues weren't through with him – by a long shot. In 1959, the Phillies brought him on board as a coach for two seasons. He was hired by the Braves as a coach for their top farm club in Louisville. Then, in 1963, new Milwaukee Braves manager Bobby Bragan summoned Silverstri, and he began a 13-year stint wearing the tomahawk, most of them serving as bullpen coach.
That 1966 season: Silvestri was removed from the turmoil surrounding the firing of Bobby Bragan and Billy Hitchcock's moving into the top role. He remained the total professional and had a hand in the maturing of several young pitchers in 66-67.
What happened next: When Hitchcock was fired with three games remaining in 1967, Silverstri was entrusted to run the team. He went 0-3, and would be his only opportunity to manage in the majors. But new manager Luman Harris appreciated Silvestri's work in the bullpen and he returned to his old role and stayed there, in the bullpen and was mere feet away from Tommy House when he caught Hank Aaron's 715th home run.
“Now I can retire,” Silvestri told a reporter in the aftermath of Aaron's feat. He did, at the end of 1975.
But the following year, former Braves' GM Paul Richards was a surprise choice to manage the White Sox and he tabbed Silve\stri to run his bullpen. When Richards was let go at year's end, admittedly a failed experiment, Silverstri became a minor league instructor for the Sox until a surprising phone call in 1982. Pitching coach Ron Schueler had been fired and Silvestri was called by skipper Tony La Russa to display his expertise, and the White Sox went 15-3 after his arrival.
Silverstri died at age 75 in 1992, just three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
