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 professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop for six years with the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). After his playing career, Meacham became a manager and coach for many baseball teams.
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College Baseball Career
Playing for San Diego State
Bobby Meacham was first chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the 1978 Major League Baseball draft. This was after he finished high school at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. However, he decided to play college baseball instead, attending San Diego State University.
Meacham was a great player in college. In 1979, he was named the most valuable player for the San Diego State Aztecs team. In 1981, he had a batting average of .375, hit seven home runs, and stole 44 bases. He was then picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1981 MLB draft.
He ended his college career as one of San Diego State's top players. He held records for most runs scored (214) and hits (277). He was also second in stolen bases with 116.
A famous baseball player, Tony Gwynn, said that Meacham helped him join the Aztecs baseball team. Gwynn was on a basketball scholarship, but Meacham knew how good he was at baseball. He encouraged Coach Jim Dietz to give Gwynn a chance.
Professional Playing Career
Time with the St. Louis Cardinals
After signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, Meacham played for their minor league teams. In 1981, he played for the Gastonia Cardinals and had a batting average of .182. The next year, in 1982, his batting average improved to .259 with the St. Petersburg Cardinals.
However, he made 47 errors at shortstop, which was a lot. The Cardinals already had a great shortstop named Ozzie Smith. So, on December 14, 1982, Meacham was traded to the New York Yankees.
Playing for the New York Yankees
The trade to the Yankees turned out well for them. Meacham joined the Yankees' minor league system and was called up to the major leagues by June 1983. He made his MLB debut on June 30, 1983. By the end of that season, Meacham had become the Yankees' starting shortstop. He played in 22 games and batted .235.
In 1984, Meacham shared the shortstop position with a few other players. He played the most innings and batted .253 with two home runs. He also led the American League by making 14 sacrifice hits. In 1985, Meacham was the Yankees' main shortstop, playing in 156 games. He led all of Major League Baseball with 23 sacrifice hits that year.
One of the most talked-about plays in Meacham's career happened on August 2, 1985. In a game against the Chicago White Sox, Meacham and another player, Dale Berra, were on base. Rickey Henderson hit a ball far into the outfield. Meacham slipped between second and third base, and both runners ended up near home plate at the same time. The White Sox catcher, Carlton Fisk, tagged out Meacham, then quickly tagged out Berra right after. This was a very unusual double play.
The Yankees were sometimes frustrated with Meacham's play. In 1986 and 1987, he split his time between the Yankees and their Triple-A team, the Columbus Clippers. In 1988, he played the whole season with the Yankees, but injuries limited his playing time. He also played some games at second base.
After the 1988 season, Meacham was traded to the Texas Rangers.
Other Teams: Rangers, Pirates, and Royals
Meacham did not make the Rangers' main team in 1989 and was released. He then joined the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, playing for their Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons, but he did not reach the major leagues. In 1990, he played for the Omaha Royals, a team for the Kansas City Royals, but again, he did not make it to the big league club.
Professional Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Bobby Meacham started coaching. He began in the minor league system for the Kansas City Royals. He then coached for the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Pirates' minor league teams.
In 2002, Meacham got his first job as a manager for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He managed them until 2004. In 2005, he returned to the Rockies organization as an instructor for their minor league infielders.
His first major league coaching job came in 2006. He became the third base coach for the Florida Marlins. In 2007, he was the first base coach for the San Diego Padres. He then rejoined Joe Girardi as the Yankees' third base coach in 2008.
Meacham later coached for the Houston Astros as their first base coach from 2009 to 2012. He also managed minor league teams for the Toronto Blue Jays, including the Dunedin Blue Jays (2013), New Hampshire Fisher Cats (2014), and Buffalo Bisons (2016-2019).
In 2020, Meacham joined the Philadelphia Phillies coaching staff as an assistant to manager Joe Girardi. They were both let go in the middle of the 2022 season.
As of 2023, Meacham was the bench coach for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, a team for the Colorado Rockies. On January 31, 2024, he became the manager of the Hartford Yard Goats, which is the Double-A team for the Colorado Rockies.
Personal Life
Bobby Meacham and his wife, Gari, have three children. His mother was born in Kingston, Jamaica.
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