Bobby Meacham
Encyclopedia
Robert Andrew Meacham is a former Major League Baseball
shortstop
who spent his entire six year career with the New York Yankees
. Currently, he is serving as the first base coach
for the Houston Astros
.
out of Mater Dei High School
in Santa Ana, California
in the fourteenth round of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft
, but chose, instead, to play baseball
at San Diego State University
.
He earned third team All-America accolades as a freshman, and was named San Diego State Aztecs team MVP in . He was second team All-American in after batting .375 with seven home run
s, 51 runs batted in and 44 stolen bases, and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
with the eighth overall pick in the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft
. He signed, ending his college career as SDSU's all-time leader in runs
(214), hits
(277) and at bats (767), and was second in career stolen bases (116), including a streak of thirty consecutive.
in 1981. His batting average
improved to .259 in with the Florida State League
's St. Petersburg Cardinals, but his .915 fielding percentage
and 47 errors
was far worse than the organization that employed Ozzie Smith
at short was used to. On December 14, 1982, he was traded to the New York Yankees with OF Stan Javier
for P Marty Mason, P Steve Fincher and OF Bob Helsom in a minor league
deal.
from the Oakland Athletics
. Meacham, meanwhile, earned a major league promotion by June of his first season with his new club. He made his Major League debut on June 30 in the 12th inning of an extra innings
game against the Baltimore Orioles
. The Yankees won on a Butch Wynegar
walk off home run before Meacham could log his first major league at bat. That didn't occur until his third Major League game against the Seattle Mariners
on September 3, . He lined out to Mariners third baseman
Manny Castillo
. By the end of the season, Meacham had won the Yankees' starting shortstop job, appearing in a total of 22 games, and batting .235 in 51 at bats.
During the off season, the Yankees acquired Tim Foli
to play short in 1984. The Yankees ended up having something of a revolving door at short, with Meacham, Foli, Roy Smalley and Andre Robertson
all seeing playing time at the position. Meacham emerged with the most playing time of the bunch, logging 840 innings and batting .253 with two home runs and 25 RBIs. Despite his limited role, Meacham led the American League
with fourteen sacrifice hit
s for the season. Meacham was the Yankees regular shortstop in , playing in 156 out of 162 games. He hit just .218 in 1985 but led the major leagues with 23 sacrifice hits.
The Yankees were growing frustrated with Meacham's generally inconsistent play, and had acquired both Paul Zuvella
and Wayne Tolleson
in separate deals during the season to replace him at short. Meacham ended up splitting 1986 and between the Yankees and their triple A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers
. He spent all of with the big league club, but injuries and the off season acquisition of Rafael Santana
from the New York Mets
limited Meacham to only 47 games, during which, he saw about half his playing time at second base
.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
was particularly frustrated with Meacham's injuries and lackluster play and often lambasted him in the New York press. Following the 1988 season, Meacham was traded to the Texas Rangers
for Bob Brower
.
, and was released by the club. He joined the Pittsburgh Pirates
shortly afterwards, spending all of the 1989 season with their triple A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons
, but never reaching the major league level. He spent with the Omaha Royals
, but again failed to make the major league club, however, following his retirement as a player, Meacham received his first minor league coaching job from the Kansas City Royals
.
in and the Pittsburgh Pirates from to , Meacham was given his first managerial job in with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
(advanced A California League
affiliate of the Anaheim Angels). He held that job through , and returned to the Rockies organization in as their Minor League roving infield instructor. The following season, he received his first major league coaching job, when new Florida Marlins
manager Joe Girardi
named him third base coach in .
Meacham was the San Diego Padres
first base coach for the season, and rejoined Girardi as the Yankees' third base coach for , however, on October 14, 2008, it was announced that Meacham's contract would not be renewed for the season. Meacham spent 2009 with the Philadelphia Phillies
organization, as the batting coach for the Williamsport Crosscutters
. On October 30, 2009, he was hired as the first base coach for the Houston Astros under new manager Brad Mills.
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...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
who spent his entire six year career with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Currently, he is serving as the first base coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
.
San Diego State Aztecs
Meacham was originally drafted by the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
out of Mater Dei High School
Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)
Mater Dei High School is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Santa Ana, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. With an enrollment of 2,100 students Mater Dei High School is one of the largest Catholic high schools in the United States...
in Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
in the fourteenth round of the 1978 Major League Baseball Draft
1978 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :In 1978, four players made the jump from amateur baseball to the major leagues, including Arizona State third baseman Bob Horner, who was selected number one overall by the Atlanta...
, but chose, instead, to play baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
.
He earned third team All-America accolades as a freshman, and was named San Diego State Aztecs team MVP in . He was second team All-American in after batting .375 with seven home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 51 runs batted in and 44 stolen bases, and was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
with the eighth overall pick in the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft
1981 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.- Other notable players :*John Elway was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1981 amateur draft...
. He signed, ending his college career as SDSU's all-time leader in runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(214), hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(277) and at bats (767), and was second in career stolen bases (116), including a streak of thirty consecutive.
St. Louis Cardinals
Meacham batted only .182 for the Gastonia Cardinals of the South Atlantic LeagueSouth Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
in 1981. His batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
improved to .259 in with the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
's St. Petersburg Cardinals, but his .915 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
and 47 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
was far worse than the organization that employed Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
at short was used to. On December 14, 1982, he was traded to the New York Yankees with OF Stan Javier
Stan Javier
Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitter who played with the New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , San Francisco Giants , Houston...
for P Marty Mason, P Steve Fincher and OF Bob Helsom in a minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
deal.
New York Yankees
This turned out to be a very good deal for the Yankees, as none of the three players the Yankees sent to the Cardinals ever reached the majors, and Javier was later included in the December 5, deal to acquire Rickey HendersonRickey Henderson
Rickey Henley Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner...
from the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Meacham, meanwhile, earned a major league promotion by June of his first season with his new club. He made his Major League debut on June 30 in the 12th inning of an extra innings
Extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
game against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. The Yankees won on a Butch Wynegar
Butch Wynegar
Harold Delano "Butch" Wynegar, Jr. is a former professional baseball player and is the current hitting coach for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees Triple A affiliate of the New York Yankees...
walk off home run before Meacham could log his first major league at bat. That didn't occur until his third Major League game against the 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...
on September 3, . He lined out to Mariners third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Manny Castillo
Manny Castillo
Estaban Manuel Antonio Castillo Cabrera is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He batted and threw right-handed, and was 5 foot 9. Castillo played 3 seasons in Major League Baseball, with the Kansas City Royals in and the Seattle Mariners in and...
. By the end of the season, Meacham had won the Yankees' starting shortstop job, appearing in a total of 22 games, and batting .235 in 51 at bats.
During the off season, the Yankees acquired Tim Foli
Tim Foli
Timothy John Foli , nicknamed Crazy Horse, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels and New York Yankees from to...
to play short in 1984. The Yankees ended up having something of a revolving door at short, with Meacham, Foli, Roy Smalley and Andre Robertson
Andre Robertson
Andre Levett Robertson is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. He played during five seasons at the major league level for the New York Yankees. He was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 4th round of the amateur draft...
all seeing playing time at the position. Meacham emerged with the most playing time of the bunch, logging 840 innings and batting .253 with two home runs and 25 RBIs. Despite his limited role, Meacham led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with fourteen sacrifice hit
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...
s for the season. Meacham was the Yankees regular shortstop in , playing in 156 out of 162 games. He hit just .218 in 1985 but led the major leagues with 23 sacrifice hits.
The Yankees were growing frustrated with Meacham's generally inconsistent play, and had acquired both Paul Zuvella
Paul Zuvella
Paul Zuvella is a former Major League Baseball player and minor league baseball manager. Primarily a shortstop and second baseman, he stood 6'0" tall, weighed 178 pounds, and batted and threw right-handed.-Atlanta Braves:...
and Wayne Tolleson
Wayne Tolleson
Jimmy Wayne Tolleson is a former Major League Baseball player. A switch hitter who threw right-handed, Tolleson was listed at 5'9" tall and 160 pounds during his playing career.-Western Carolina University:...
in separate deals during the season to replace him at short. Meacham ended up splitting 1986 and between the Yankees and their triple A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
. He spent all of with the big league club, but injuries and the off season acquisition of Rafael Santana
Rafael Santana
Rafael Francisco Santana de la Cruz is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who won a World Series ring with the 1986 New York Mets. He currently serves as the Dominican Republic scouting and player development supervisor for the Chicago White Sox.-St...
from the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
limited Meacham to only 47 games, during which, he saw about half his playing time at second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
was particularly frustrated with Meacham's injuries and lackluster play and often lambasted him in the New York press. Following the 1988 season, Meacham was traded to 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...
for Bob Brower
Bob Brower
Robert Richard Brower is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born on January 10, 1960 in Jamaica, New York. Bob attended college at Duke University and was signed by the Texas Rangers in . Brower played four seasons in the majors, with the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees in ....
.
Rangers, Pirates & Royals
Meacham failed to make the Rangers out of Spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, and was released by the club. He joined the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
shortly afterwards, spending all of the 1989 season with their triple A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, but never reaching the major league level. He spent with the Omaha Royals
Omaha Royals
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a United States minor league baseball team currently based in the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska. The team is the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals major league club and has been a member of the expanded Pacific Coast League since 1998. From 1969 to 1997,...
, but again failed to make the major league club, however, following his retirement as a player, Meacham received his first minor league coaching job from the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
.
Coaching career
After serving as a minor league coach with the Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in and the Pittsburgh Pirates from to , Meacham was given his first managerial job in with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are a minor league baseball team in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA. They are a Class A – Advanced team in the California League and a farm team of the Los Angeles Dodgers, their third major league affiliate in team history....
(advanced A 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 Anaheim Angels). He held that job through , and returned to the Rockies organization in as their Minor League roving infield instructor. The following season, he received his first major league coaching job, when new Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
manager Joe Girardi
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. During a 15-year playing career, he played from 1989–2003 for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals...
named him third base coach in .
Meacham was the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
first base coach for the season, and rejoined Girardi as the Yankees' third base coach for , however, on October 14, 2008, it was announced that Meacham's contract would not be renewed for the season. Meacham spent 2009 with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
organization, as the batting coach for the Williamsport Crosscutters
Williamsport Crosscutters
The Williamsport Crosscutters are a Short-Season A classification minor league baseball team based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. On October 30, 2009, he was hired as the first base coach for the Houston Astros under new manager Brad Mills.