Jim Essian

Essian is the head coach of the Greek National Baseball Team and in 2017, he became the manager of the Utica Unicorns of the United Shore Professional Baseball League.

Essian became a coach for the Chicago Cubs, and in 1991 he became manager of the club after Don Zimmer was fired; Essian finished that year with a won-loss record of 59-63.

In 1978, Essian was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where his catching time became more limited. After a return stop to the White Sox, followed by the Seattle Mariners, the Cleveland Indians, and a brief return to Oakland, he retired following being released by the A’s at the end of spring training, on March 31, 1985.

After he was released by Oakland in spring training of 1985, Essian signed with the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) Miami Marlins of the Florida State League. The Marlins were an independent team, meaning they were not affiliated with any major league club. Though the Marlins were a Single-A team, ownership was aggressive in signing former major league players in order to increase interest and game attendance. The Marlins added Essian and such fading big league players as Broderick Perkins, Juan Eichelberger, Derrel Thomas, Ed Farmer, and Mike Torrez. However, this plan backfired, after manager Tom Burgess was unable to get much out of his squad of former major leaguers and marginal prospects. Burgess was fired and Essian took over as manager. The team finished 58-83. 1985 was Essian's final season as an active player.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Essian was signed at age 18 by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1969, making his MLB debut for Philadelphia on September 15, 1973. Having amassed only 24 major league at-bats during three seasons with the Phillies, on May 7, 1975, Essian was traded (along with Barry Bonnell and cash considerations) to the Atlanta Braves for Dick Allen and Johnny Oates; on May 15, Essian was selected by the Chicago White Sox (from Atlanta), as the player to be named later, thereby completing the December 1974 trade in which the Braves had originally acquired Allen from the White Sox.

Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an undrafted amateur free agent, out of Arizona State in 1969, Essian played in the minors before making his MLB debut with Philadelphia in 1973. He continued to bounce back and forth from the major leagues to the minors for the next few seasons. In May 1975, Essian and outfielder Barry Bonnell were traded to the Atlanta Braves for catcher Johnny Oates and Dick Allen. Eight days later, Essian was traded to the Chicago White Sox to finish the trade which had been started when the Braves acquired Allen in December 1974. As part of the White Sox deal, Essian was the player to be named later, which meant he had been traded for the same player twice with two different teams.

James Sarkis Essian, Jr. (born January 2, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher and occasional infielder with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Cleveland Indians.