Buck Showalter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Buck Showalter
Showalter with the New York Mets in 2023
Manager
Born: (1956-05-23) May 23, 1956 (age 69) DeFuniak Springs, Florida, U.S.
Bats: Left Throws: Left
MLB statistics
Managerial record	1,727–1,664
Winning %	.509
Teams
As manager New York Yankees (1992–1995) Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000) Texas Rangers (2003–2006) Baltimore Orioles (2010–2018) New York Mets (2022–2023) As coach New York Yankees (1990–1991)
Career highlights and awards
4× Manager of the Year (1994, 2004, 2014, 2022)

William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III, born on May 23, 1956, is a well-known American professional baseball manager. He has managed several Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. These include the New York Yankees (1992–1995), Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000), Texas Rangers (2003–2006), Baltimore Orioles (2010–2018), and New York Mets (2022–2023). He also used to play baseball in the minor leagues and worked as a TV analyst for sports channels like ESPN and the YES Network.

Buck Showalter is known for quickly turning baseball teams into strong contenders for the playoffs. For example, he helped the Yankees go from a lower spot to first place in their division before a player strike ended the 1994 season early. He also led the Diamondbacks to their first-ever playoff game in just their second year as a team. Even with this skill, Showalter has never managed a team that won the World Series. He left both the Yankees and Diamondbacks right before they won the World Series.

Showalter has won the Manager of the Year award four times. He won it three times in the American League (AL) and once in the National League (NL). He is one of only a few managers to win this award four times. He is also the only manager to win it with four different teams and in four different decades.

Early Life and College Baseball

Buck Showalter was born in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, on May 23, 1956. He grew up in a nearby town called Century. His father, William Nathaniel Showalter II, was a teacher and principal at Century High School for 23 years. Buck's father had also been a talented football player in college.

Before he was known as "Buck," Showalter was called "Nat." He played college baseball at Chipola Junior College in Florida in 1976. After that, he went to Mississippi State University to play for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Showalter with the Nashville Sounds in 1980

In 1976, Showalter played summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). He was the best hitter in the league that year, with a batting average of .434. He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 2002, he was added to the CCBL Hall of Fame.

Showalter was named an All-American in 1977. He set a record at Mississippi State for the highest batting average in a season, hitting .459.

Playing in the Minor Leagues

The New York Yankees chose Buck Showalter in the fifth round of the 1977 MLB draft. He spent seven seasons playing in the Yankees' minor league system. During his minor league career, he had a batting average of .294. He hit 17 home runs and had 336 runs batted in. He never played in the major leagues, reaching as high as Triple-A, which is just one step below the majors.

Coaching and Managing Career

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Buck Showalter began his coaching career as a manager for the Single-A Oneonta Yankees in 1985. He led them to 114 wins in two seasons. In 2017, he was honored by being inducted into the New York–Penn League Hall of Fame.

In 1987, Showalter became the manager of the minor league Fort Lauderdale Yankees. In his first year, his team had the best record in the league, with 85 wins and 53 losses. In 1989, Showalter managed the Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees. That year, Baseball America magazine named him the Minor League Manager of the Year.

Managing the New York Yankees (1990–1995)

In 1990, Showalter was promoted to the coaching staff of the New York Yankees. He became the team's manager for the 1992 season. During his four years as the Yankees' manager, the team won 313 games and lost 268. In the 1994 season, which was cut short by a player strike, the Yankees finished in first place. Because of this, the Associated Press named him the American League Manager of the Year. He also managed the American League team in the All-Star Game in 1995.

The Yankees made the playoffs in 1995, which was their first time since 1981. However, they lost to the Seattle Mariners in the Division Series. After the season, the Yankees' owner, George Steinbrenner, offered Showalter a new contract. But he wanted Showalter to fire his hitting coach. Showalter did not want to do this. On October 26, 1995, the Yankees announced that Showalter and the team had gone their separate ways. Showalter was surprised by this news. Some people say he was fired, while others say he resigned.

The Yankees won the World Series the very next year after Showalter left. They went on to win the World Series in four of the next five years. Showalter later said he felt bad for the New York fans because of what they missed during the 1994 strike.

Showalter even appeared as himself in a 1994 episode of the TV show Seinfeld called "The Chaperone".

Managing the Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000)

In November 1995, Showalter was asked to manage a brand new team that would start playing in 1998. This team was called the Arizona Diamondbacks. Showalter was very interested in helping to build the team from the ground up. He signed a seven-year contract with them.

In the Diamondbacks' first season (1998), Showalter led the team to 65 wins and 97 losses. But after the team added many new star players, like Randy Johnson and Luis Gonzalez, Showalter managed the 1999 team to an amazing 100 wins and 62 losses. They won the National League West title, becoming the fastest new team in MLB history to win a division title. They lost in the playoffs to the New York Mets.

After the team's record dropped to 85 wins and 77 losses in 2000, the Diamondbacks fired Showalter. They said they needed a "lighter touch" than Showalter's strict style. His record with the Diamondbacks was 250 wins and 236 losses. Just like the Yankees, the Diamondbacks won the World Series the year after Showalter left.

Managing the Texas Rangers (2003–2006)

After working as a TV analyst for ESPN for a few years, Showalter was hired as the manager of the Texas Rangers on October 11, 2002. In his first season with the Rangers, the team finished in last place. However, after trading Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees, Showalter's Rangers started the 2004 season very strong. The Rangers stayed in the playoff race for most of the season, doing much better than expected. Even though they didn't make the playoffs, Showalter was again named Manager of the Year.

In Showalter's four years with the Rangers, the team never finished higher than third place in their division. He was fired as manager on October 4, 2006. He finished his time with the Rangers with a record of 319 wins and 329 losses.

Managing the Baltimore Orioles (2010–2018)

Showalter arguing with umpire Phil Cuzzi in 2011

Showalter with the Baltimore Orioles in 2017

Buck Showalter became a senior advisor for the Cleveland Indians in 2006. Then he went back to ESPN as an analyst. On July 29, 2010, he was hired to manage the Baltimore Orioles. He took over a team that had the worst record in baseball at the time. In his first game as manager on August 3, the Orioles won 6–3. The team won 34 of 57 games under Showalter in 2010.

Showalter earned his 1,000th major league victory as a manager on May 1, 2012, in a game against the Yankees. Showalter led the 2012 Orioles to a record of 93 wins and 69 losses. This ended a 14-year streak of losing seasons for the Orioles.

Under Showalter, the Orioles reached the playoffs for the first time since 1997. They beat the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card game on October 5, 2012. The Orioles then lost to the New York Yankees in the playoffs. Showalter was named the AL Manager of the Year by The Sporting News. He signed a contract to stay with the Orioles until 2018.

In 2014, Showalter led the Orioles to win the AL East title. This was the team's first division title in 17 years. The Orioles then swept the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs, which was Showalter's first playoff series win. However, they were then swept by the Kansas City Royals in the next round.

On November 11, 2014, Showalter won his third AL Manager of the Year award.

The Orioles finished the 2015 season with an even record of 81 wins and 81 losses. In 2016, the Orioles made the playoffs again, but they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card game.

On October 3, 2018, after the Orioles had their worst season ever with 115 losses, Showalter's contract ended. The team announced that he would not be brought back.

Managing the New York Mets (2022–2023)

On December 18, 2021, the New York Mets hired Buck Showalter as their manager. He signed a three-year contract. Showalter wore number 11, which was the number he wore at most of his other managing jobs.

In 2022, Showalter's Mets had their first 100-win season since 1988. However, they lost their division lead to the Atlanta Braves late in the season. The Mets then lost in the playoffs to the San Diego Padres. After the season, on November 14, Showalter was named NL Manager of the Year.

The 2023 season was disappointing for the Mets. On October 1, 2023, Showalter announced that he had been fired as the Mets manager.

Managerial Record

Personal Life

Buck Showalter has been married to his wife, Angela, since 1983. They have two children: a daughter named Allie, born in 1987, and a son named William, born in 1991. The couple first met in Nashville when Buck was playing baseball for the Nashville Sounds. When Showalter was managing the Orioles, his wife was involved with KidsPeace, a charity that helps foster children.

See Also

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins