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Mel McGaha

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American basketball player and baseball manager

Mel McGaha
Personal information
Born(1926-09-26)September 26, 1926
Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedFebruary 3, 2002(2002-02-03) (aged 75)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolMabelvale (Mablevale, Arkansas)
CollegeArkansas (1943–1947)
NBA draft1948: -- round, --
Selected by the New York Knicks
Playing career1948–1949
PositionPoint guard
Number8
Career history
As player:
1948–1949New York Knicks
As coach:
1953–1955Arkansas–Monticello
Career BAA statistics
Points176 (3.5 ppg)
Assists51 (1.0 apg)
Games played51
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Fred Melvin McGaha (/məkˈɡeɪheɪ/ mək-GAY-hay; 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.

Manager of Indians and Athletics

He 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. 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

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

In 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

McGaha 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

Legend
  GP Games played
 FG%  Field-goal percentage
 FT%  Free-throw percentage
 APG  Assists per game
 PPG  Points per game

Regular season

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

Year Team GP FG% FT% APG PPG
1949 New York 2 .000 .500 1.0 .5
Career 2 .000 .500 1.0 .5

References

  1. Eck, Frank. "McGaha Hopes to Harness Tito Who Would Relish More Homers," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, March 27, 1962. Retrieved May 29, 2021
  2. 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

Preceded byMickey Livingston Shreveport Sports manager
1954–1957 		Succeeded byLes Peden
(1959)
Preceded byDon Heffner Mobile Bears manager
1958–1959 		Succeeded byAl Hollingsworth
Preceded byDixie Walker Toronto Maple Leafs manager
1960 		Succeeded byJohnny Lipon
Preceded byGrady Hatton Oklahoma City 89ers manager
1966–1967 		Succeeded byCot Deal
Preceded byNellie Fox Houston Astros first base coach
1968–1970 		Succeeded byHub Kittle
Cleveland Guardians managers
Athletics managers
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