Ken Joyce

{{Infobox baseball biography

| name = Ken Joyce

| image = Ken Joyce.jpg

| caption = Joyce with the 2014 World Series trophy

| position = Manager

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|10|28}}

| birth_place = Portland, Maine

}}

Ken Joyce (born October 28, 1964) is an American-born baseball coach and manager.

Baseball career

Joyce was a member of the 1983 Deering High School Class A State Champion baseball team before attending the University of Southern Maine. A four-year starter as an infielder, he set an NAIA record with seven hits in a NAIA Regional tournament before participating in the 1985 NAIA College World Series. (This record has been tied many times and was broken in 2009.){{Cite web |date=2010 |title=Division III Baseball Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/baseball_RB/2010/D3.pdf |website=NCAA |page=3}}

Joyce became the assistant baseball coach at the University of Southern Maine and coached in the NCAA Division III World Series.{{When|date=April 2025}} Joyce became a middle school physical education teacher before joining the Portland Sea Dogs as a volunteer bullpen coach in 1994. The volunteer stint turned into his first professional coaching contract when he was named hitting coach of the Sea Dogs in 1996.{{Cite web |last=Neault |first=Chris |date=August 1, 2008 |title=THT interview: Ken Joyce |url=https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-interview-ken-joyce/ |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=The Hardball Times}}{{cite web |title=Ken Joyce Player Card |url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=154497 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date= |website=The Baseball Cube}}

Joyce became the hitting coach for the Utica Blue Sox of the New York-Penn League in 1997. The Marlins promoted Joyce to manager of the Blue Sox, a position he held in 1998 and 1999.{{Cite web|title=Ken Joyce Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=joyce-001ken|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en}} He became the interim head baseball coach at New England College in the spring of 2000.{{cn|date=November 2022}} In 2000 and 2001, Joyce coached and managed the independent Northern League Catskill Cougars and the Adirondack Lumberjacks, respectively.{{Cite web |last=Wirz |first=Bob |date=2010-11-04 |title=Helping World Series Phenom Buster Posey |url=https://seamheads.com/blog/2010/11/04/helping-world-series-phenom-buster-posey/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Seamheads.com}}

The Toronto Blue Jays hired Joyce as the hitting coach for the Medicine Hat Blue Jays in 2002. He was promoted to the Double-A New Haven Ravens in 2003.{{Cite web|title=2003 Eastern League|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=293443a8|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en}} New Haven led the Eastern League with a .293 average, which topped the 10-year franchise’s record by 11 percentage points.{{Cite web |last=Malafronte |first=Chip |date=2003-09-12 |title=9/12/03 Players re-Joyce at coach's impact |url=https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/9-12-03-Players-re-Joyce-at-coach-s-impact-11689384.php |access-date=2021-03-11 |website=New Haven Register |language=en-US}} In 2004, Joyce managed the Blue Jays' Class A Charleston Alley Cats in the South Atlantic League to an 84–56 record.{{Cite web|title=2004 South Atlantic League|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=38d63de8|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en}} The Blue Jays relocated their Class A affiliate, with Joyce managing the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League in 2005 and 2006.{{Cite web |title=MWL Manager Ken Joyce |website=MWLguide.com |url=https://www.mwlguide.com/managers/joyce.html |access-date=2020-10-23}} He returned to the Eastern League in 2007 and 2008 as the hitting coach for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. In 2009 Joyce became the hitting coach for the Blue Jays Triple-A Las Vegas 51's{{Cite web|date=2009-07-23|title=51s hitting coach working way up|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/51s-hitting-coach-working-way-up/|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Las Vegas Review-Journal|language=en-US}} of the Pacific Coast League, leading them to a .290 team batting average.{{Cite web|title=2009 Pacific Coast League|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=5f155166|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Baseball-Reference.com|language=en}}

Joyce joined the San Francisco Giants in 2010 as hitting coach for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies.{{Cite web |title=Helping World Series Phenom Buster Posey |url=https://seamheads.com/blog/2010/11/04/helping-world-series-phenom-buster-posey/ |access-date=2020-10-23 |website=Seamheads.com}} He then returned to the Eastern League as the hitting coach for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels from 2011 to 2016. He was the hitting coach for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the 2011 Arizona Fall League where he worked with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, who became 2012 AL and NL Rookies of the Year, respectively.{{Cite web|last=Schulman|first=Henry|date=2012-07-02|title=Giants' Ken Joyce is a Harper-Trout expert|url=https://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/Giants-Ken-Joyce-is-a-Harper-Trout-expert-3679577.php|access-date=2020-10-23|website=San Francisco Chronicle|language=en-US}} In 2016 he stepped way from professional baseball to spend time with his family.{{Cite web|last=Jordan|first=Glenn|date=2016-06-12|title=Ken Joyce of Portland steps away from pro baseball|url=https://www.pressherald.com/2016/06/12/ken-joyce-of-portland-steps-away-from-pro-baseball/|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Press Herald}}

In 2017 the New York Yankees hired Joyce as the hitting coach for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs of the South Atlantic League. He spent half the season with Charleston and half the season with the Gulf Coast League Yankees West.{{Cite web|last=Raynor|first=Grace|title=Charleston RiverDogs announce Patrick Osborn as manager for 2017 season|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/charleston-riverdogs-announce-patrick-osborn-as-manager-for-2017-season/article_fc728976-d8de-11e6-92b2-9741e8236600.html|access-date=2020-10-23|website=Post and Courier|date=12 January 2017 |language=en}} Joyce returned to the New York-Penn League as the hitting coach for the Staten Island Yankees in 2018 and 2019. He was selected to as the hitting coach for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League in 2019 before returning to the Eastern League with the Double-A Trenton Thunder in the pandemic-canceled 2020 season.{{Cite web|title=Yankees Set 2020 Thunder Coaching Staff|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-312566850|access-date=2020-10-23|website=MiLB.com|language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Adler |first=David |date=June 30, 2020 |title=2020 Minor League Baseball season canceled |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/2020-minor-league-baseball-season-canceled |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=MLB.com}}

Joyce coached for the independent West Virginia Power in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Menhart, Joyce Added to Power 2021 Coaching Staff |url=https://www.milb.com/west-virginia-power/news/wv-coaching-staff |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}}

Joyce returned to the affiliated minor leagues in 2022, joining the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He was the hitting coach for the Single-A Carolina Mudcats in 2022, followed by the Double-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2023 and 2024.{{Cite web |title=Milwaukee Brewers Announce 2023 Staff for Timber Rattlers |url=https://www.milb.com/news/2023-timber-rattlers-coaching-staff |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Victor Estevez Named New Manager of the Timber Rattlers |url=https://www.milb.com/news/2024-timber-rattlers-coaching-and-support-staff |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}} He was replaced ahead of the 2025 season.{{Cite web |title=Victor Estevez Returns to Manage the Timber Rattlers in 2025 |url=https://www.milb.com/wisconsin/news/estevez-returns-as-wisconsin-manager-for-2025 |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=MiLB.com |language=en}}

Joyce was inducted into the University of Southern Maine Husky Hall of Fame in 1998.{{Cite web|title=Ken Joyce (1998) - Hall of Fame|url=https://southernmainehuskies.com/honors/hall-of-fame/ken-joyce/126|access-date=2020-10-23|publisher=University of Southern Maine|language=en}} He was also inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.{{Cite web|date=2019-08-12|title=Joyce, Ken (2001)|url=https://www.mainebaseballhalloffame.com/post/joyce-ken-01|access-date=2020-10-23|publisher=Maine Baseball Hall of Fame|language=en}}

class="wikitable" \|+ ! colspan="7" \|Managerial record
Year !Team !Affiliation !League !W !L !Pct.
1988 \|Utica Blue Sox \|Marlins \|NY-Penn \|35 \|41 \|.461
1999 \|Utica Blue Sox \|Marlins \|NY-Penn \|42 \|33 \|.560
2001 \|Adirondack Lumberjack \|Independent \|Northern East \|26 \|28 \|.481
2004 \|Charleston Alley Cats \|Blue Jays \|South Atlantic \|84 \|56 \|.600
2005 \|Lansing Lugnuts \|Blue Jays \|Midwest \|70 \|69 \|.504
2006 \|Lansing Lugnuts \|Blue Jays \|Midwest \|72 \|65 \|.526
2014 \|Richmond Flying Squirrels \|Giants \|Eastern \|13 \|8 \|.619
colspan="4" \|Totals: \|342 \|300 \|.533

class="wikitable"

! colspan="7" |Managerial record

Year

!Team

!Affiliation

!League

!Pct.

1988

|Utica Blue Sox

|Marlins

|NY-Penn

|35

|41

|.461

1999

|Utica Blue Sox

|Marlins

|NY-Penn

|42

|33

|.560

2001

|Adirondack Lumberjack

|Independent

|Northern East

|26

|28

|.481

2004

|Charleston Alley Cats

|Blue Jays

|South Atlantic

|84

|56

|.600

2005

|Lansing Lugnuts

|Blue Jays

|Midwest

|70

|69

|.504

2006

|Lansing Lugnuts

|Blue Jays

|Midwest

|72

|65

|.526

2014

|Richmond Flying Squirrels

|Giants

|Eastern

|13

|.619

colspan="4" |Totals:

|342

|300

|.533

References

External links

[https://www.kenjoyceswinglikeapro.com/ Official website]

Category:Minor league baseball managers

Category:1964 births

Category:Living people

Category:Baseball players from Portland, Maine

Category:Deering High School alumni

Category:Southern Maine Huskies baseball players

Category:Staten Island Yankees coaches

Category:Baseball coaches from Maine

Category:20th-century American sportsmen