Fred Melvin McGaha (/məkˈɡeɪheɪ/ mək-GAY-hay;[1] September 26, 1926 – February 3, 2002) was an American coach and manager in Major League Baseball as well as a professional basketball player. Born in Bastrop, Louisiana, he stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 198 pounds (90 kg). McGaha graduated from the University of Arkansas and played a season of professional basketball with the New York Knicks of the NBA.
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 26, 1926 Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 2002 (aged 75) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mabelvale (Mablevale, Arkansas) |
| College | Arkansas (1943–1947) |
| NBA draft | 1948: -- round, -- |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Playing career | 1948–1949 |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 8 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1948–1949 | New York Knicks |
| As coach: | |
| 1953–1955 | Arkansas–Monticello |
| Career BAA statistics | |
| Points | 176 (3.5 ppg) |
| Assists | 51 (1.0 apg) |
| Games played | 51 |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Manager of Indians and Athletics
editHe signed his first baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1948. An outfielder who batted and threw right-handed, McGaha never played in the Major Leagues. However, he achieved great success as a minor league manager. At 27, he became a playing skipper in 1954 in the Double-A Texas League, leading the Shreveport Sports to 90 victories and a regular-season pennant in his first season, and then to 87 wins and a playoff title the following year. In 1959, his Mobile Bears won the Double-A Southern Association championship and 89 regular-season games. Then, in 1960, McGaha led the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs to 100 victories and the International League's Governors' Cup playoff championship.
In 1961, he was promoted to a coaching position with the parent Cleveland Indians, then became their manager at age 35 in 1962, succeeding Jimmie Dykes. McGaha was fired with two games remaining in his maiden season with Cleveland at 78–82 in sixth place in the ten-team American League.
In 1963, McGaha became a coach for the Kansas City Athletics. In June 1964, with the Athletics in last place under manager Eddie Lopat, owner Charlie Finley, known for his quick trigger finger in hiring and firing, abruptly shifted McGaha into the Kansas City front office; then, a few days later, moved him back onto the field as Lopat's successor. The A's revived somewhat, but still finished in last place. McGaha was fired by Finley in on May 15, 1965, season after a 5–21 start; on that day, his team was still locked in the league basement, 131⁄2 games out of the lead.[2] He was replaced by Haywood Sullivan.
In part of three seasons as a Major League manager, McGaha posted a 123–173 record (.416). Following his big-league managing career, he worked for the Houston Astros as pilot of the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers (1966–67) and MLB first-base coach (1968–70).
Managerial record
edit| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| CLE | 1962 | 160 | 78 | 82 | .488 | 6th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| KCA | 1964 | 110 | 40 | 70 | .364 | 10th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| KCA | 1965 | 26 | 5 | 21 | .192 | Fired | – | – | – | – |
| KCA total | 135 | 45 | 91 | .331 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
| Total | 296 | 123 | 173 | .416 | 0 | 0 | – | |||
Basketball coach
editIn addition to his baseball managing, McGaha also spent two years as the head men's basketball coach at Arkansas A&M College (now the University of Arkansas at Monticello), serving as the head coach in 1953-54 and 1954–55. He posted a 32–15 (.681) record during his two years as the Boll Weevils' head coach.
Personal life
editMcGaha was a member of the 1948 Duluth Dukes and was one of the survivors of a July 24 bus crash in which four players and their manager were killed in a head-on accident with a truck.
He died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 75.
BAA career statistics
edit| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | ||||
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | ||||
| FT% | Free-throw percentage | ||||
| APG | Assists per game | ||||
| PPG | Points per game | ||||
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–49 | New York | 51 | .318 | .591 | 1.0 | 3.5 |
| Career | 51 | .318 | .591 | 1.0 | 3.5 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | New York | 2 | .000 | .500 | 1.0 | .5 |
| Career | 2 | .000 | .500 | 1.0 | .5 | |
References
edit- ^ Eck, Frank. "McGaha Hopes to Harness Tito Who Would Relish More Homers," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, March 27, 1962. Retrieved May 29, 2021
- ^ Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, p.92, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
External links
edit- Baseball-Reference.com – career managing record
- NBA statistics @ basketballreference.com
- Mel McGaha at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
- Historic Baseball