Lee Mazzilli Fired

Orioles fire Mazzilli
Manager dismissed after team loses 16 of last 18; Bench coach Perlozzo takes over on an interim basis; Club is 10 1/2 games behind Boston in AL East
By Roch Kubatko
Sun Staff
Originally published August 4, 2005, 1:55 PM EDT
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- With the Orioles having lost 16 of their last 18 games, manager Lee Mazzilli was fired this morning and replaced on an interim basis by bench coach Sam Perlozzo.

Mazzilli was hired before the 2004 season to replace Mike Hargrove. He went 129-140 in his first stint as a major league manager, including 51-56 this year.

The Orioles are 4-16 since the All-Star break and have fallen 10 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. They spent 62 straight days in first place, but currently are in fourth. They're closer to last place than first.

This is the first time majority owner Peter Angelos has fired a manager during the season.

Perlozzo, 54, has never has managed in the majors. But he was runner-up to Mazzilli during the most recent search. Perlozzo is in his 10th season with the Orioles, after spending his first five seasons as third base coach before moving into the role of bench coach in 2001.