Johnny Goryl

Who is Johnny Goryl?

John Albert Goryl is a special adviser/player development for the Cleveland Indians and a former infielder, manager and coach in American Major League Baseball.

A right-handed batter and thrower who stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds, Goryl apprenticed in the farm systems of the Boston/Milwaukee Braves and Chicago Cubs. He played 117 games for the Cubs over three seasons, returned to the minor leagues when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, then joined the Minnesota Twins in 1962 for the remainder of his MLB playing career. His finest season was 1963, when he hit .287 with nine home runs in 64 games. Overall, Goryl batted .225 with 134 hits in 276 games over six MLB campaigns.

When his playing career ended, Goryl became a manager in the Twins' farm system, and was in his second stint as a Minnesota coach in August 1980 when he was named successor to manager Gene Mauch. The Twins won 23 of their final 36 games that season, to improve from sixth to third place in the American League West, but when they faltered coming out of the gate in 1981 — losing 25 of their first 36 games — Goryl was replaced by one of his coaches, Billy Gardner. His career managing record was 34–38.