Bobby Meacham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bobby Meacham |
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Meacham in 2010.
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| Shortstop | |||
| Born: August 25, 1960 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 30, 1983, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 10, 1988, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .236 | ||
| Home runs | 8 | ||
| Runs batted in | 114 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Robert Andrew Meacham (born August 25, 1960) is a former American baseball player. He played as a shortstop for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six years. After he stopped playing, Meacham became a manager and coach for many baseball teams. He worked with teams in both the major and minor leagues.
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College Baseball Career
Playing for San Diego State
Bobby Meacham was first picked by the Chicago White Sox in the 1978 baseball draft. This was after he graduated from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. But instead of joining the White Sox, he decided to play college baseball at San Diego State University.
In 1979, as a freshman, Meacham was named an All-America player. He also became the most valuable player (MVP) for the San Diego State Aztecs team. In 1981, he was again an All-American. He had a great batting average of .375, hit seven home runs, and got 51 runs batted in (RBI). He also stole 44 bases.
Later that year, the St. Louis Cardinals picked him as the eighth player overall in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft. Meacham signed with the Cardinals, ending his college career. He finished as San Diego State's all-time leader in runs (214), hits (277), and at bats (767). He was also second in stolen bases with 116. This included a streak of 30 successful steals in a row.
Helping Tony Gwynn
Baseball Hall of Fame member Tony Gwynn said that Meacham helped him join the Aztecs baseball team. Gwynn had first come to the school on a basketball scholarship. Meacham and Gwynn had played against each other in high school. Meacham knew how good Gwynn was and encouraged Coach Jim Dietz to give him a chance to play baseball.
Professional Playing Career
Starting with the Cardinals
In 1981, Meacham played for the Gastonia Cardinals in the South Atlantic League. His batting average was only .182. In 1982, he played for the St. Petersburg Cardinals. His batting average improved to .259. However, his fielding was not as good, with 47 errors.
On December 14, 1982, Meacham was traded to the New York Yankees. He went with outfielder Stan Javier. In return, the Cardinals received three minor league players.
Playing for the New York Yankees
This trade turned out to be very good for the Yankees. None of the players the Yankees sent to the Cardinals ever played in the major leagues. Also, Stan Javier was later part of a trade that brought Rickey Henderson to the Yankees.
Meacham quickly moved up to the major leagues in June 1983. He made his MLB debut on June 30, 1983. This was in an extra-inning game against the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees won before Meacham even got to bat. His first time at bat in the major leagues was on September 3, 1983, against the Seattle Mariners. By the end of that season, Meacham had become the Yankees' starting shortstop. He played in 22 games and batted .235.
In 1984, the Yankees had several players at shortstop, including Meacham. Meacham ended up playing the most. He batted .253 with two home runs and 25 RBIs. He also led the American League (AL) with 14 sacrifice hits. In 1985, Meacham was the Yankees' main shortstop. He played in 156 out of 162 games. He batted .218 but led all of Major League Baseball with 23 sacrifice hits.
One memorable play in Meacham's career happened on August 2, 1985. It was during a game against the Chicago White Sox. With Meacham and Dale Berra on base, Rickey Henderson hit a ball far into the outfield. Meacham slipped between second and third base. Both runners ended up near home plate at the same time. The White Sox catcher, Carlton Fisk, tagged out Meacham. Then he quickly tagged out Berra, completing a double play.
The Yankees were sometimes frustrated with Meacham's playing. They brought in other players like Paul Zuvella and Wayne Tolleson to play shortstop. Meacham spent 1986 and 1987 playing for both the Yankees and their Triple-A team, the Columbus Clippers. In 1988, he stayed with the Yankees. But injuries and a new player, Rafael Santana, limited him to only 47 games. He also played some games at second base.
After the 1988 season, Meacham was traded to the Texas Rangers.
Later Playing Career
Meacham did not make the Rangers team in 1989 and was released. He then joined the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He spent all of 1989 with their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons. However, he never played for the Pirates in the major leagues. In 1990, Meacham played for the Omaha Royals, a team linked to the Kansas City Royals. Again, he did not reach the major league level.
Professional Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Bobby Meacham started coaching. He began in the Royals' minor league system. In 1993, he moved to the Colorado Rockies organization. From 1994 to 2001, he coached in the Pirates' minor league system.
In 2002, Meacham got his first job as a manager. He managed the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, a team linked to the Anaheim Angels. He managed them until 2004. In 2005, he returned to the Rockies organization. He worked as an instructor for their minor league infielders.
The next year, 2006, Meacham got his first major league coaching job. He became the third base coach for the Florida Marlins. In 2007, he was the first base coach for the San Diego Padres. In 2008, he rejoined manager Joe Girardi as the Yankees' third base coach. However, his contract was not renewed for the 2009 season.
Meacham then worked for the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2009. He was the batting coach for the Williamsport Crosscutters. On October 30, 2009, he was hired as the first base coach for the Houston Astros. He worked under manager Brad Mills. On August 18, 2012, Meacham left the Astros.
On January 7, 2013, Meacham was announced as the manager for the Dunedin Blue Jays. On January 13, 2014, he became the manager for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. This team is linked to the Toronto Blue Jays. On November 28, 2016, the Blue Jays promoted Meacham. He became the manager of their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons. He was fired from this role on September 5, 2019.
In January 2020, the Philadelphia Phillies announced that Meacham was joining their coaching staff. He became a coaching assistant to manager Joe Girardi. After a difficult start to the 2022 season, both Girardi and Meacham were no longer with the team.
As of 2023, Meacham is the bench coach for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. This team is linked to the Colorado Rockies. On January 31, 2024, it was announced that Bobby Meacham became the manager of the Hartford Yard Goats. This is a Double-A team also linked to the Colorado Rockies.
Personal Life
Bobby Meacham and his wife, Gari, have three children. His mother was born in Kingston, Jamaica. In 1985, there was a situation where the Yankees manager and owner tried to stop Meacham from taking time off to be with his wife when their first child was born.
Images for kids
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Meacham in 2010.
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Meacham in 1984.
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Meacham as Astros 1st base coach, 2011.
