| Mick Kelleher | |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees | |
| Infielder / Coach | |
| Born: July 25, 1947 Seattle, Washington |
|
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| September 1, 1972 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 3, 1982 for the California Angels | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .213 |
| Home runs | 0 |
| Runs batted in | 65 |
| Teams | |
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As a player
As a coach
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Michael Dennis Kelleher (born July 25, 1947, in Seattle, Washington) is the first base coach for the New York Yankees. He succeeded Tony Peña, who became the bench coach.
In 11 seasons, Kelleher was an infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals (1972–73 and 1975), Houston Astros (1974), Chicago Cubs (1976–80), Detroit Tigers (1981–82) and California Angels (1982). He was a member of the 1982 AL Western Division Champions, playing mostly shortstop and hitting .163 in 49 at bats. He did not appear in the playoffs. Playing in 622 games, Kelleher recorded a career .213 batting average in 1,081 at bats. He is the most recently retired non-pitcher to have more than 1,000 at-bats and no home runs.
Kelleher has consistently worked in major league baseball since retiring as a player. He has been a minor league coach and a scout. He also served as a first base coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and for the Detroit Tigers from 2003 to 2005.[1] Prior to being named first base coach for the Yankees, he was a defensive coordinator for the Yankees’ minor league system. His main assignment with the Yankees will be to monitor the development of Robinson Cano, who he coached in the minor leagues.[2]
As a minor league shortstop with the Tulsa Oilers in 1972, Kelleher set an American Association record for shortstops with a .979 fielding percentage.[3]
Perhaps Kelleher's most famous moment as a Major Leaguer came as a Cub in 1977. That August 7, in the second game of a doubleheader against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field, Kelleher, at 5-9 and 170 pounds, responded to Dave Kingman's hard slide into him on a double play attempt (Kingman was apparently angered over being hit by a Steve Renko pitch) by jumping on the 6-6, 210-pound Kingman's back and pummeling him with blows; the ensuing bench-clearing brawl resulted in the ejections of both players. The two became teammates the following season, after Kingman signed with the Cubs as a free agent.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tony Peña |
New York Yankees First Base Coach 2009- |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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