John Mizerock - Coaching

Coaching

Since retiring as a player, he has served as a minor league manager, a coach and interim manager with the Kansas City Royals. He is a two time winner of the Dick Howser Award, awarded for outstanding contributions to the Royals organization (1996 & 2007).

Mizerock's first managerial job came with the rookie league Eugene Emeralds in 1993. After leading the team to a 40-36 record, he was promoted to the Class A Rockford Royals in 1994, where he earned Midwest League Manager of the Year honors. He moved to the Carolina League's Wilmington Blue Rocks in 1995, where he was again named his league's manager of the year. In 1996, Wilmington won the league championship with Mizerock at the helm. He remained with Wilmington through 1997 before moving on to the Wichita Wranglers in 1998. He won the Texas League title and was Minor League Manager of the Year with Wichita in 1999. He spent the 2000 & 2001 seasons with the Omaha Golden Spikes before getting his first major league coaching gig with the major league club in 2002. He compiled 646 wins and 554 losses in his minor league managerial career.

He was promoted from bullpen coach to interim manager of the Royals 23 games into the season when Tony Muser was fired. Ironically, his first game managing was against the Detroit Tigers, who were being managed by Luis Pujols on an interim basis. Pujols and Mizerock were teammates on the 1983 Houston Astros competing for the back-up catcher job.

After losing their first six games under Mizerock, the Royals won five of their next seven before he was replaced by Tony Peña. In all, he led his team to a 5–8 record in thirteen games. 2002 was the first time in franchise history that Kansas City had lost 100 games. He stayed on as third base coach for the Royals until the end of 2005, when he was assigned to be a roving instructor for the organization.

Despite his extensive experience managing at the minor league and major league level, he accepted a position to once again manage the high level Class A Wilmington Blue Rocks minor league team for the 2007 season. With his leadership, the team led the Carolina League in winning percentage, and returned to the playoffs. During the season, Mizerock was honored with his own bobblehead night on June 6, 2007.

On October 23, 2007, Mizerock was named the Royals bullpen coach for the 2008 season. His contract was not renewed following the 2009 season.

He jumped to the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2011 as hitting coach of their Florida State League affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers. He was arrested in Palm Harbor, Florida under suspicion of DUI on July 10.