Dale Sveum

Dale Sveum
Sveum pictured right as Cubs manager in 2013 with Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville
Kansas City Royals – No. 21
Shortstop / Third baseman / Manager
Born: (1963-11-23) November 23, 1963 Richmond, California
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 12, 1986, for the Milwaukee Brewers
Last MLB appearance
October 3, 1999, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average	.236
Home runs	69
Runs batted in	340
Managerial record	134–202
Winning %	.399
Teams
As player Milwaukee Brewers (1986–1991) Philadelphia Phillies (1992) Chicago White Sox (1992) Oakland Athletics (1993) Seattle Mariners (1994) Pittsburgh Pirates (1996–1997) New York Yankees (1998) Pittsburgh Pirates (1999) As manager Milwaukee Brewers (2008) Chicago Cubs (2012–2013) As coach Boston Red Sox (2004–2005) Milwaukee Brewers (2006–2011) Kansas City Royals (2014–present)
Career highlights and awards
3× World Series champion (1998,2004, 2015)

Dale Curtis Sveum (/ˈsweɪm/ SWAYM; born November 23, 1963) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and the former manager of the Chicago Cubs. He is currently the hitting coach for the Kansas City Royals. As a player, Sveum saw action in twelve major league seasons between 1986 and 1999. He was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees. Following his playing career, Sveum managed in minor league baseball for several seasons before becoming an MLB coach. Sveum briefly served as manager of the Brewers in 2008. He was named manager of the Cubs after the 2011 season.

Playing career

During his time at Pinole Valley High School, Sveum was recognized as an All-State and All-American quarterback,^[1] in addition to playing baseball. Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round (25th pick) of the 1982 amateur draft, he went on to play 12 seasons in MLB, hitting .236 with 69 home runs.^[1][2]

Arguably, Sveum's finest season came in 1987, when he hit 25 home runs and drove in 95 runs, mostly as the Brewers' ninth hitter in the lineup. One of his personal highlights came early in the season, when he hit a walk-off home run at County Stadium to give Milwaukee a 6–4 victory over the Texas Rangers. This victory, which came on April 19 (Easter Sunday), led the Brewers to a 12–0 record on the season.^[1][3] On July 17 Sveum totaled three homers and six RBIs during a 12–2 thumping of the California Angels.^[1]

On September 3, 1988, Sveum was involved in a severe collision with fellow Brewer Darryl Hamilton. Sveum's leg was broken and he did not play again in 1988. He also sat out the entire 1989 MLB season,^[1] while seeing action in 17 games in the minor leagues.^[4] In his first three major league seasons, Sveum's lowest yearly batting average was .242 Following his return to the majors in 1990, he only batted over .241 twice in parts of nine seasons.^[2]

During his career Sveum had the distinction of playing for five separate managers who would (at some point in their careers) win a league Manager of the Year Award. Those managers were Tony La Russa ('83, '88, '92, '02), in Oakland; Joe Torre ('96, '98), in New York; Lou Piniella ('95, '01, '08), in Seattle; Jim Leyland ('90, '92, '96) in Pittsburgh; and Gene Lamont ('93) with the Chicago White Sox.^[1]

Coaching career

Milwaukee

Sveum as third base coach for the Brewers in 2006

Prior to coaching in Milwaukee, Sveum managed the Double A team in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from 2001–2003, compiling a 213–211 record. In 2003, Baseball America tabbed Sveum as the best potential MLB manager in the Eastern League.^[1]

Boston Red Sox

Sveum was on the coaching staff of the Boston Red Sox from 2004–05, serving as third base coach^[1] and working under manager (and former Brewers teammate) Terry Francona. Following Sveum's second season in Boston, he left the Red Sox to rejoin Milwaukee as the team's bench coach.^[1] On October 30, 2007, Sveum switched positions on the staff and became the team's third base coach.^[5] On September 15, 2008, he was named interim manager of the Milwaukee Brewers after manager Ned Yost was fired.^[1] Sveum led the team to a 7–5 record to close out the 2008 regular season,^[6] which was enough for the Brewers to make the playoffs for the first time since their World Series run in 1982.^[7] Under Sveum's leadership, the Brewers lost the 2008 NLDS to the Philadelphia Phillies in 4 games.^[8] As Ken Macha took over the Brewers for the 2009 season, Sveum stayed on as the team's hitting coach.

Chicago Cubs

On November 16, 2011 the Chicago Cubs offered Sveum their vacant managerial position.^[9] The following day, on November 17, 2011, Sveum accepted an offer to become the new manager of the Chicago Cubs, and was introduced on November 18, 2011, ^[10] but Sveum was fired on September 30, 2013. His total record with the Cubs in two years was 127-197.

Kansas City Royals

On October 3, 2013 the Kansas City Royals announced they had hired Sveum and added him to their 2014 coaching staff as third base coach. On May 29, 2014, the Royals promoted Sveum to hitting coach in an effort to improve a lackluster offensive start to the season.^[11]

Managerial record

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)