Nick Leyva

Who is Nick Leyva?

Nicholas Tomas Leyva is the current third base coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Leyva, who is of Mexican American descent, is a former minor league player and manager, and has spent over a decade as a Major League Baseball coach. He was the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989 though early 1991.

As a player, Leyva was an infielder in minor league baseball. He began his managing career at age 24 with the Rookie-level Johnson City Cardinals of the Appalachian League in 1978. By 1983, he was manager of the parent St. Louis Cardinals' AA farm team, the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League.

He then served on the major league coaching staff of Whitey Herzog's Cardinals for five seasons, 1984-88. He was the first base coach for the National League champion 1985 Cardinals and third base coach for the National League champion 1987 Cardinals.

In 1989, he was hired as manager of the Phillies by his former farm director in St. Louis, Lee Thomas. But Leyva's inaugural Philadelphia team won only 67 of 162 games, and finished last in the National League East Division. In 1990, his team won ten more games and finished fourth, but still played eight games below the .500 mark. When the 1991 Phils dropped nine of their first 13 games, Leyva was ousted on April 23. His career totals as a major league manager were 148 victories, 189 defeats.