Dave Meier | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Outfielder | |
Born: Helena, Montana | August 8, 1959|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 3, 1984, for the Minnesota Twins | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 29, 1988, for the Minnesota Twins | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .253 |
Home runs | 1 |
RBI | 22 |
Teams | |
|
David Keith Meier (born August 8,1959) is a former Major League Baseball left fielder,who also played a few games at third base and as a designated hitter.
Meier attended Bullard High School in Fresno,California and then went on to attend Stanford University and Fresno City College. While at Stanford,Meier played for head coach Mark Marquess,who went on to lead the United States to the Olympic gold medal. "He was tough,a real disciplinarian," Meier told the Chicago Tribune in 1988. "At that age we probably needed it. I went back to visit a few years later,and he was real nice. I thought,'Is this the same guy?'" [1]
Standing at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and 185 pounds,Meier,a right-hander,was originally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third round,61st overall,of the 1978 draft,but he opted not to sign. In 1981,he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 5th round,113th overall,and at that point,decided to sign.
An overall good contact hitter in the minors who showed some pop,Meier had his best season in 1983 with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens,when he hit .336 with 8 home runs and 21 doubles in 126 games. He started the 1984 season on the Opening Day roster,making his big league debut as a pinch hitter on April 3. He went 0 for 1 in his debut.
Meier spent the majority of his major league career as a back-up/pinch hitter,with his best season being 1985,when he hit .260 with 1 home run and 8 RBI in 104 at-bats (74 games). He finished his career hitting .253,with 1 home run,15 doubles,1 triple,22 RBI and 37 runs scored in 145 games. He committed four errors in his career for a fielding percentage of .978.
On March 17,1988,the Rangers traded Meier and Greg Tabor to the Chicago Cubs for Ray Hayward. In September 1988,the Cubs promoted Meier to the major league team from its AAA Iowa Cubs minor league team after Iowa's season was over. The Cubs found Meier while he was enjoying a postseason vacation in Lake Tahoe,Nevada. "I was in Tahoe," he told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I don't know how they found me,but when they did,I said,'Who,me? I haven't played in eight days.' But I was thrilled. I got here as fast as I could." [2]
Meier played his final major league game on September 29,1988 for the Cubs at the age of 29. He went 1–1 as a pinch hitter in his final game. [3]
In March 1989,Meier retired. [4]
Meier currently resides in San Diego,California.
David Arthur Kingman,nicknamed "Kong","King Kong",and "Sky King",is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder,first baseman,third baseman,and designated hitter who was a three-time MLB All-Star with 442 career home runs and 1,210 runs batted in (RBI) in 16 seasons. In his career,Kingman averaged a home run every 15.11 at bats,tied for 14th best all-time.
Shawon Donnell Dunston is an American former professional baseball player. A shortstop,Dunston played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1985 through 2002. On January 13,2023,he was selected as a member of the 2023 class of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame.
Eric Peter Karros is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB),primarily with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1992 and won a Silver Slugger Award in 1995. Karros currently works as a sportscaster,covering the Dodgers on Spectrum SportsNet LA.
Michael Brooks Kieschnick is an American former professional baseball left fielder and pitcher. The only player to win the Dick Howser Trophy twice,he is a College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) during six seasons between 1996 and 2004,primarily with the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted left-handed but threw right-handed. During the initial part of his major league career,he was exclusively a position player;for his final two seasons in the big leagues,he was used primarily as a relief pitcher who also occasionally served as an outfielder and pinch hitter.
Leon"Bull"Durham is an American former first baseman and outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for 10 seasons. Durham was a longtime minor league hitting coach,and most recently served as the assistant hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers during the 2017 season. Durham played with the St. Louis Cardinals,Chicago Cubs (1981–1988),and Cincinnati Reds (1988). Durham batted and threw left-handed.
Jason Jerome Ellison is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He attended Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston,Idaho,and made his major league debut on May 9,2003. As of the 2015 season,he was an area scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim based in Issaquah,Washington.
Richard Alan Rhoden is an American professional golfer and former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. During his 16-year baseball career,he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1974–1978),the Pittsburgh Pirates (1979–1986),the New York Yankees (1987–1988),and the Houston Astros (1989).
Edward James Zosky is a former professional baseball shortstop. He played in brief parts of five seasons in Major League Baseball,between 1991 and 2000,for the Toronto Blue Jays,Florida Marlins,Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros. He also played in the Baltimore Orioles,San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates minor league systems.
Kosuke Fukudome is a retired Japanese professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2012,primarily with the Chicago Cubs and had a long spanning career in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Chunichi Dragons and Hanshin Tigers.
Michael Eugene Fontenot Jr. is an American former professional baseball infielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs,San Francisco Giants,and Philadelphia Phillies. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Fontenot was commonly used at second base,shortstop,or third base during his career. He won a World Series with the Giants in 2010.
James Lewis "Trey" Lunsford is a former baseball catcher who last played in the San Francisco Giants farm system with the Double-A Norwich Navigators. Lunsford attended Central High School in San Angelo,Texas. After graduating,he went to Grayson County College before transferring to Texas Tech University for his junior season.
David Thomas Gallagher is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven teams from 1987–1995.
James Micah Hoffpauir is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He was drafted in 2000 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 44th round,but he did not sign and returned to college. The Cubs selected him in the 13th round of the 2002 draft. He is a distant cousin of former Major Leaguer Jarrett Hoffpauir.
Joshua Warren Vitters is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs in 2012.
Michael Lewis Vail is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder.
Kenneth George Boswell is a former Major League Baseball second baseman.
Greg Steven Tabor is a former right-handed Major League Baseball second baseman and pinch runner who played for the Texas Rangers in 1987.
Below is a partial list of minor league baseball players in the Chicago Cubs system:
Pedro JoséValdés Manzo is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers,four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks,and one season in the Korea Baseball Organization for the LG Twins. During his MLB career,he was listed as 6'1" tall weighing 180 pounds.
Daniel Taylor Vogelbach is an American professional baseball designated hitter who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners,Toronto Blue Jays,Milwaukee Brewers,Pittsburgh Pirates,and New York Mets.