Mario Mendoza Page

After his playing days ended, Mendoza returned to Mexico, where he became a highly successful manager in the Mexican League. He also managed the Mexican national team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He later served as a coach for the San Diego Padres (2003–2005) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2006–2007), as well as a scout.

The joke among the players was that .200 was the cutoff point. If you were hitting above .200, you were a competent hitter. If you were below .200, you were in "Mendoza territory." mario mendoza

But who was the man behind the term? Here’s a closer look. After his playing days ended, Mendoza returned to

The term was coined by his teammate, the late, great of the Kansas City Royals. Brett, a lifetime .305 hitter and Hall of Famer, was famous for his hitting prowess and sharp wit. During a slump in the late 1970s, Brett joked to a sportswriter: "The first thing I look for in the morning is the box score to see if Mario Mendoza is hitting over .200." The joke among the players was that

Mario Mendoza finished his MLB career in 1982. He may not be in Cooperstown, but his name is spoken in baseball clubhouses, broadcast booths, and sports bars every single summer. The "Mendoza Line" serves as a reminder of how difficult the game of baseball truly is. Hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest thing in sports, and for nearly a decade, Mario Mendoza did it well enough to stay on a big-league roster.