Bill Haselman
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Haselman (born May 25, 1966, in Long Branch, New Jersey
) is a former Major League Baseball
catcher
. He served as the first base coach for the Boston Red Sox
in . Before taking over the role of first base coach, Haselman served as bullpen
coach. He was the catcher in Roger Clemens
's second career 20-strikeout
game, against the Detroit Tigers
in .
During his 13-year playing career (1990, 1992–2003) with the Texas Rangers
, Seattle Mariners
, Boston Red Sox
and Detroit Tigers
, Haselman hit .259 with 47 HR and 210 RBI. His best season came in 1996, when he hit .274 with 8 HR and 34 RBI in a career-high 237 AB for the Red Sox. He hit .314 with 6 HR in 105 AB for Texas in 1998. The former catcher was a first-round draft pick of the Rangers in 1987.
Haselman's most dramatic offensive performance came in a game at Fenway Park
against the Toronto Blue Jays
on June 27, 1995. With the bases empty and the score tied 5-5, he pinch hit for catcher Mike Macfarlane
in the bottom of the 11th inning. Haselman shattered his bat, sending a Woody Williams'
offering sailing over the Green Monster
to give the Boston Red Sox
their first walk-off win of their 1995 Eastern Division winning campaign.
Haselman was a NCAA
Division 1 quarterback
, serving as the backup to Troy Aikman
during his American football
career at UCLA. He also shares his birthday and place of birth with pitcher John Montefusco
. He is an alumnus of Saratoga High School
in Saratoga, California
.
Haselman served as the Red Sox' interim first-base coach in , bullpen coach in and fulltime first-base coach in . Boston then offered Haselman a position managing in the minor leagues, and while he said he was tempted, he did not want to spend that much time away from his family which included Tracy, Tyler, Koko, Megan, Mary, and his mother and father.
Haselman then went into private business and worked as a post game host during Mariners' games. In he returned to baseball as manager of the Class A Bakersfield Blaze
, California League
affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
Long Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,719.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. He served as the first base coach for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in . Before taking over the role of first base coach, Haselman served as bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
coach. He was the catcher in Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
's second career 20-strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
game, against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in .
During his 13-year playing career (1990, 1992–2003) with the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, Haselman hit .259 with 47 HR and 210 RBI. His best season came in 1996, when he hit .274 with 8 HR and 34 RBI in a career-high 237 AB for the Red Sox. He hit .314 with 6 HR in 105 AB for Texas in 1998. The former catcher was a first-round draft pick of the Rangers in 1987.
Haselman's most dramatic offensive performance came in a game at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
on June 27, 1995. With the bases empty and the score tied 5-5, he pinch hit for catcher Mike Macfarlane
Mike Macfarlane
Michael Andrew Macfarlane is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics...
in the bottom of the 11th inning. Haselman shattered his bat, sending a Woody Williams'
Woody Williams
Gregory Scott "Woody" Williams is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He made his major league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on May 14, 1993.-Baseball career:...
offering sailing over the Green Monster
Green Monster
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the thirty-seven foot , two-inch high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team...
to give the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
their first walk-off win of their 1995 Eastern Division winning campaign.
Haselman was a NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division 1 quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, serving as the backup to Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
during his American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
career at UCLA. He also shares his birthday and place of birth with pitcher John Montefusco
John Montefusco
John Joseph Montefusco Jr. is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1974 to 1986 for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1975, Montefusco's nickname was "The Count", a pun on his last name which...
. He is an alumnus of Saratoga High School
Saratoga High School
Saratoga High School is a high school in Saratoga, California, United States, part of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District. The school is jointly accredited by the California Department of Education and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Student enrollment averages...
in Saratoga, California
Saratoga, California
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, USA. It is located on the west side of the Santa Clara Valley, directly west of San Jose, in the San Francisco Bay area. The population was 29,926 at the 2010 census....
.
Haselman served as the Red Sox' interim first-base coach in , bullpen coach in and fulltime first-base coach in . Boston then offered Haselman a position managing in the minor leagues, and while he said he was tempted, he did not want to spend that much time away from his family which included Tracy, Tyler, Koko, Megan, Mary, and his mother and father.
Haselman then went into private business and worked as a post game host during Mariners' games. In he returned to baseball as manager of the Class A Bakersfield Blaze
Bakersfield Blaze
The Bakersfield Blaze are a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California, USA. They are a Class A – Advanced team in the California League and are a farm team of the Cincinnati Reds. The Bakersfield Blaze play their home games at Historic Sam Lynn Ballpark...
, California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
affiliate of the Texas Rangers.