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 coach New York Yankees (1990–1991) As manager New York Yankees (1992–1995) Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000) Texas Rangers (2003–2006) Baltimore Orioles (2010–2018) New York Mets (2022–2023)
Career highlights and awards
4× Manager of the Year (1994, 2004, 2014, 2022)

William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III (born May 23, 1956) is a famous American professional baseball manager. He has led several big teams, including the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets. Before becoming a manager, he played Minor League Baseball and later worked as a TV analyst for sports channels like ESPN.

Buck Showalter is known for quickly turning baseball teams into winners. He helped the Yankees become a top team and led the Diamondbacks to their first-ever playoffs very early in their history. Even though he's great at building teams, he has never won the World Series. He left both the Yankees and Diamondbacks just before they won the World Series! He has reached the playoffs six times in his 22 seasons as a manager.

He has won the Manager of the Year award four times. This is a special achievement because he is only the third manager ever to win it four times. He is also the only manager to win it with four different teams and in four different decades!

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Buck Showalter was born in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, on May 23, 1956. He grew up in a town called Century. His dad, William Nathaniel Showalter II, was a teacher and principal at Century High School. Buck's father was also a talented football player in college and even thought about playing in the National Football League.

College Baseball Star

Before he was known as "Buck," his friends called him "Nat." He played college baseball at Chipola Junior College. Later, he went to Mississippi State University and played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

In 1976, Buck played summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was amazing, winning the league's batting title with a .434 average. This means he got a hit almost every other time he batted! He was also named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Because of his great performance, he was added to the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2002.

Buck was 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 picked Buck in the 1977 baseball draft. He spent seven seasons playing in the Yankees' minor league system. He had a good batting average of .294, but he never played in the major leagues. The highest level he reached was Triple-A, which is just one step below the big leagues.

Becoming a Baseball Manager

After his playing career, Buck Showalter became a coach and then a manager.

Starting in the Minor Leagues

In 1985, Buck became the manager of the Single-A Oneonta Yankees. He led them to many wins. In 2017, he was honored by being inducted into the New York–Penn League Hall of Fame.

He then managed the Fort Lauderdale Yankees in 1987, where his team had the best record in the league. In 1989, he managed the Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees. For his excellent work, he was named Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball America magazine.

Managing the New York Yankees (1990–1995)

Buck Showalter joined the New York Yankees coaching staff in 1990. By 1992, he became the team's manager. During his four years with the Yankees, his teams won 313 games and lost 268.

In 1994, the Yankees were in first place when a players' strike ended the season early. Buck was named the American League Manager of the Year for his efforts. In 1995, the Yankees made it to the playoffs for the first time in many years. However, they lost to the Seattle Mariners in the Division Series.

After that season, the Yankees' owner wanted Buck to fire his hitting coach. Buck didn't want to do that, so he and the team decided to part ways. The Yankees went on to win the World Series the very next year! Buck said he felt bad for the fans because of the strike that cut short the 1994 season.

Buck even appeared as himself in an episode of the TV show Seinfeld in 1994!

Leading the Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000)

In 1995, Buck was asked to manage a brand-new team called the Arizona Diamondbacks. He wanted to help build the team from the ground up. In their first season (1998), the Diamondbacks won 65 games.

After adding some new star players like Randy Johnson, Buck led the 1999 team to an amazing 100 wins! They won their division, becoming the fastest expansion team in baseball history to do so. They lost in the playoffs to the New York Mets. After the team didn't do as well in 2000, Buck was let go. Just like with the Yankees, the Diamondbacks won the World Series the very next year after he left.

Managing the Texas Rangers (2003–2006)

After working as a TV analyst for a few years, Buck became the manager of the Texas Rangers in 2002. In his first year, the team finished in last place.

However, in 2004, the Rangers started the season very strong. Even though they didn't make the playoffs, Buck was named Manager of the Year again for helping the team do much better than expected. He managed the Rangers for four years, but they never finished higher than third place in their division. He was fired in 2006.

Guiding the Baltimore Orioles (2010–2018)

Showalter arguing with umpire Phil Cuzzi in 2011

Showalter with the Baltimore Orioles in 2017

Buck Showalter became the manager of the Baltimore Orioles in July 2010. The team had the worst record in baseball at the time. In his first game, the Orioles won! By the end of that season, the Orioles won 34 of 57 games under Buck, which was a huge improvement.

On May 1, 2012, Buck earned his 1,000th win as a major league manager. In 2012, he led the Orioles to 93 wins, ending a long streak of losing seasons for the team. The Orioles made the playoffs for the first time since 1997! They beat the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card game but then lost to the New York Yankees in the next round. Buck was named the AL Manager of the Year again.

In 2014, Buck led the Orioles to win their division, the AL East, for the first time in 17 years! They swept the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the playoffs. However, they were then swept by the Kansas City Royals in the next round. In November 2014, Buck won his third AL Manager of the Year award.

The Orioles had a good season in 2016, making the playoffs again. But they lost a close game to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card game. In 2018, after a tough season where the Orioles lost many games, Buck's contract ended, and he left the team.

Managing the New York Mets (2022–2023)

On December 18, 2021, the New York Mets hired Buck Showalter as their new manager. He chose to wear jersey number 11, which he had worn at most of his previous teams.

In 2022, Buck led the Mets to win 101 games, 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 Wild Card Series to the San Diego Padres. Despite this, Buck was named the NL Manager of the Year for his great work.

The 2023 season was a bit disappointing for the Mets. Even though the team owner said Buck's job was safe, Buck announced on the last day of the season that he had been fired as the Mets manager.

Buck Showalter's Managerial Record

Here's a summary of Buck Showalter's time as a manager:

Personal Life

Buck Showalter has been married to his wife, Angela, since 1983. They met in Nashville when he was playing baseball there. They have two children, Allie and William. When Buck was managing the Orioles, his wife was very involved with a charity called KidsPeace, which helps foster children.

Images for kids

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  Showalter with the Nashville Sounds in 1980