Mel McGaha
{{short description|American basketball player and baseball manager}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Mel McGaha
| image = Mel McGaha 1965.jpg
| width =
| caption =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lb = 190
| birth_date = {{birth date|1926|09|26}}
| birth_place = Bastrop, Louisiana, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|02|03|1926|12|26}}
| death_place = Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
| high_school = Mabelvale (Mablevale, Arkansas)
| college = Arkansas (1943–1947)
| draft_year = 1948
| draft_round = --
| draft_pick = --
| draft_team = New York Knicks
| career_start = 1948
| career_end = 1949
| career_number = 8
| career_position = Point guard
| years1 = 1948–1949
| team1 = New York Knicks
| cyears1 = 1953–1955
| cteam1 = Arkansas–Monticello
| stats_league = BAA
| stat1label = Points
| stat1value = 176 (3.5 ppg)
| stat2label = Assists
| stat2value = 51 (1.0 apg)
| stat3label = Games played
| stat3value = 51
| bbr = mcgahme01
}}
Fred Melvin McGaha ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|k|ˈ|g|eɪ|h|eɪ}} {{respell|mək|GAY|hay}};[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2907989/the-hays-daily-news/ Eck, Frank. "McGaha Hopes to Harness Tito Who Would Relish More Homers," The Associated Press (AP), Tuesday, March 27, 1962.] Retrieved May 29, 2021 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 {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|198|lb}}. McGaha graduated from the University of Arkansas and played a season of professional basketball with the New York Knicks of the NBA.
Early life
McGaha was born on September 26, 1926, in Bastrop, Louisiana. He was raised by Fred and Ethie McGaha in Mabelvale, Arkansas, where he attended Mabelvale High School, and played basketball and baseball. He attended the University of Arkansas, where he played baseball, basketball and football. In the 1944-45 season, his basketball team competed in the NCAA tournament, however, he had entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in early 1945, and was not discharged until November of that year. He was a reserve on the Razorbacks football team that went to the 1947 Cotton Bowl (January 1, 1947).{{Cite web |title=Mel McGaha (1926–2002) |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/mel-mcgaha-13316/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=1944-45 Arkansas Razorbacks Men's Roster and Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/arkansas/men/1945.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Cotton Bowl - LSU vs Arkansas Box Score, January 1, 1947 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1947-01-01-arkansas.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}
He was a football team captain the following season in 1947. The team won the 1948 Dixie Bowl (January 1, 1948) over William and Mary, Arkansas' first bowl win. McGaha returned an interception seventy yards for a touchdown in the 21–19 victory.{{Cite web |title=Dixie Bowl - William & Mary vs Arkansas Box Score, January 1, 1948 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1948-01-01-arkansas.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}
After graduating in 1948, McGaha had opportunities to play professional football with the Los Angeles Rams, baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, and basketball for the New York Knicks of the Basketball Association of American (BAA), a precursor to the National Basketball Association. He chose both baseball and basketball.{{Cite web |title=1948-49 BAA Season Summary |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/BAA_1949.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Brett |date=2022-08-03 |title=On This Day In NBA History: August 3 - The NBA Is Officially Formed |url=https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/news/on-this-day-in-nba-history-august-3-baa-nbl-merge-to-form-nba |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Fastbreak On SI |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Daley |first=Arthur |date=June 7, 1962 |title=Indian Chief |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1962/06/07/80393791.html?pageNumber=40 |work=New York Times}}
Professional basketball
McGaha played 51 games for the New York Knicks of the BAA, for the 1948-49 season, under coach Joe Lapchick. He averaged 3.5 points, but his main role was as the team's "hatchetman". This was his only year playing professional basketball.{{Cite web |title=Mel McGaha Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mcgahme01.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}
Minor league baseball
McGaha played in the Cardinals' minor league system from 1948-52. Playing Class-C baseball in 1948, his batting average was well over .300. In 1949, he was advanced to the Triple-A Columbus Red Birds. In 114 games,he hit .290 and scored 70 runs, but only had one home run. The following season, he was demoted to Double-A baseball, and never played at the Triple-A level again, or in the major leagues. He played for the Double-A Shreveport Sports of the Texas League from 1953-57. After 11 minor league seasons, at age 31, he retired after playing 33 games for the Mobile Bears in the Cleveland Indians organization in 1958.{{Cite web |title=Mel McGaha Minor & Winter Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mcgaha001fre |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}
Minor league manager
After a few years playing in the minor leagues, McGaha realized he was not going to make the major leagues as a player, and began preparing himself to become a manager. In 1954, McGaha become Shreveport's player-manager.{{Cite web |title=1954 Shreveport Sports Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=ea060d29 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} At only 27, he led the Double-A Texas League Sports to 90 victories and a regular-season pennant in his first season, though they lost in the playoffs.{{Cite web |title=1954 Texas League |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=9a1c5907 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He led the Sports to 87 wins and a playoff title the following year.{{Cite web |title=1955 Texas League |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/league.cgi?id=a2748759 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He would hold the job with Shreveport for two more years, though not as successfully.
When Cleveland hired him to join the Bears in 1958, it was likewise as player-manager. The team was 84–68 that year.{{Cite web |title=1958 Mobile Bears Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=74994039 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} After retiring as a player, he remained the Bears' manager in 1959, with the team record improving to 89–63,{{Cite web |title=1959 Mobile Bears Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=dda4adad |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} and winning the Southern Association championship.{{Cite web |title=1959 Southern Association (SA) Minor League Baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-SOUA/y-1959 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241203161942/https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-SOUA/y-1959 |archive-date=2024-12-03 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.statscrew.com |language=en}} Cleveland promoted him in 1960 to manage the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League, leading the team to a 100–54 record.{{Cite web |title=1960 Toronto Maple Leafs Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=d1da423c |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} The team won the International League's Governors' Cup playoff championship.{{Cite web |title=1960 International League (IL) Minor League Baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-IL/y-1960 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241130190829/https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/standings/l-IL/y-1960 |archive-date=2024-11-30 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.statscrew.com |language=en}} McGaha was selected the league's Manager of the Year and The Sporting News Minor League Manager of the Year.{{Cite web |last=DeFillipo |first=Larry |title=Mel McGaha, Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mel-mcgaha/ |website=SABR.org}} His 1960 Toronto team included two future major league managers, hall of famer Sparky Anderson and Chuck Tanner.{{Cite web |title=Anderson, Sparky {{!}} Baseball Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/anderson-sparky |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=baseballhall.org}}{{Cite web |title=Chuck Tanner Managerial Record |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/tannech01.shtml |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}
Manager of Indians and Athletics
In 1961, he was promoted to a coaching position with the parent Cleveland Indians, then became their manager at age 35 in {{baseball year|1962}}, succeeding Jimmie Dykes. The team's early season performance gave some the thought he might be manager of the year. The team was 48–37 at the All-Star break, tied with the New York Yankees for first place. The team declined steeply after that (30–45 after the break), and McGaha was told before the team's final two games he would be fired, and he left the team with two games remaining in his maiden season. Cleveland finished at 78–82 in sixth place in the ten-team American League.{{Cite web |title=1962 Cleveland Indians Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CLE/1962.shtml |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He was particularly criticized for his handling of Cleveland's pitching staff.
In 1963, McGaha became a coach for the Kansas City Athletics, also working as an executive for the A's. 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;{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} then, a few days later, moved him back onto the field as Lopat's successor.{{Cite news |date=1964-06-12 |title=Athletics Dismiss Lopat as Pilot And Hire McGaha Through '65 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/12/athletics-dismiss-lopat-as-pilot-and-hire-mcgaha-through-65.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Just a day before taking over as the A's manager, he had been assigned to manage the A's Wytheville, Virginia rookie team, but never made it before becoming the A's manager.
Lopat's record was 17–35 when he left the team.{{Cite web |title=1964 Kansas City Athletics Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/KCA/1964.shtml |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He was assigned as a minor league consultant for the A's. The A's revived somewhat, but still finished in last place.{{Cite web |title=1964 American League Standings & Expanded Standings |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1964-standings.shtml |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Their record was 40–70–1 under McGaha. McGaha was fired by Finley on May 15, 1965, season after a 5–21 start; on that day, his team was still locked in the league basement, 13{{fraction|1|2}} games out of the lead.{{Cite web |title=1965 Major League Scores, Standings, Box Scores for Saturday, May 15, 1965 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/index.fcgi?date=1965-05-15 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}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}}{{Cite web |title=1965 Kansas City Athletics Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/KCA/1965.shtml |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} He was replaced by Haywood Sullivan.{{Cite journal |date=September 13, 1965 |title=Scorecard |journal=Sports Illustrated |volume=23 |issue=11}} By the end of the year, Finley hired Alvin Dark as an executive consultant, as McGaha had been before he eventually replaced Lopat; and Finley did replace Sullivan with Dark in 1966.{{Cite web |title=All-Time Managers {{!}} Athletics |url=https://www.mlb.com/athletics/history/managers |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}
In part of three seasons as a Major League manager, McGaha posted a 123–173 record (.416).{{Cite web |title=Mel McGaha Managerial Record |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/mcgahme99.shtml |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Following his big-league managing career, he worked for the Houston Astros as pilot of the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers (1966–67){{Cite web |title=1966 Oklahoma City 89ers minor league baseball Roster on StatsCrew.com |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-o813468/y-1966 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231007064638/https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/roster/t-o813468/y-1966 |archive-date=2023-10-07 |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.statscrew.com |language=en}} and in the Venezuelan Winter League. He next became the Astro's first-base coach for three seasons (1968–70).{{Cite web |title=1968 Houston Astros Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1968.shtml#all_coaches |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1969 Houston Astros Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1969.shtml#all_coaches |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=1970 Houston Astros Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1970.shtml#all_coaches |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}
=Managerial record=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Team | rowspan="2"|Year | colspan="5"|Regular season | colspan="4"|Postseason | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result |
| CLE|| {{mlby|1962}}
||160||78||82||{{Winning percentage|78|82}}|| 6th in AL || – || – || – || – | ||||||||
| KCA|| {{mlby|1964}}
||110||40||70||{{Winning percentage|40|70}}|| 10th in AL || – || – || – || – | ||||||||
| KCA|| {{mlby|1965}}
||26||5||21||{{Winning percentage|5|21}}|| Fired || – || – || – || – | ||||||||
| colspan="2"|KCA total || 135 || 45 || 91 || {{Winning percentage|45|91}} || || 0 || 0 || – || | ||||||||
| colspan="2"|Total || 296 || 123 || 173 || {{Winning percentage|123|173}} || || 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.{{Cite web |title=UAM MBB Year By Year (Pre 2024-25) (PDF) |url=https://www.uamsports.com/documents/2025/1/13/UAM_MBB_Year-By-Year_Pre-2024-25.pdf |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=University of Arkansas at Monticello Athletics |language=en}}
Personal life and death
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.{{Cite web |last=Rippel |first=Joel |title=The 1948 Duluth Dukes Bus Crash |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-1948-duluth-dukes-bus-crash/ |website=SABR.org}}
After retiring from major league baseball in 1970, he was a director of Parks and Recreation in Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana. He also became president of Shreveport’s Double-A minor league team; briefly worked as an executive for an El Paso minor league team; and scouted regionally for the Yankees. He was very involved in building a minor league baseball stadium in Shreveport in the 1980s. He moved to a retirement home in Grand Lake, Oklahoma after suffering health issues. He died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at age 75.
BAA career statistics
| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 90%; white-space: nowrap;" |
| colspan="6" style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid #aaa;"| Legend |
|---|
| style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| GP
| Games played |
| style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| FG%
| style="padding-right: 8px" | Field-goal percentage |
| style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| FT%
| Free-throw percentage |
| style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| APG
| Assists per game |
| style="background:#f2f2f2; border:1px solid black;"| PPG
| Points per game |
=Regular season=
=Playoffs=
References
External links
- [https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/mcgahme99.shtml Baseball-Reference.com] – career managing record
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070128170541/http://www.basketballreference.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=McGahMe01 NBA statistics] @ basketballreference.com
- [https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mel-mcgaha/ Mel McGaha] at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=Shreveport Sports manager|years=1954–1957|before=Mickey Livingston|after=Les Peden
(1959)}}
{{succession box|title=Mobile Bears manager|years=1958–1959|before=Don Heffner|after=Al Hollingsworth}}
{{succession box|title=Toronto Maple Leafs manager|years=1960|before=Dixie Walker|after=Johnny Lipon}}
{{succession box|title=Oklahoma City 89ers manager|years=1966–1967|before=Grady Hatton|after=Cot Deal}}
{{succession box|title=Houston Astros first base coach|years=1968–1970|before=Nellie Fox|after=Hub Kittle}}
{{s-end}}
{{Cleveland Indians managers}}
{{Athletics managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGaha, Mel}}
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Arkansas–Monticello Boll Weevils basketball coaches
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks baseball players
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball players
Category:Baseball players from Louisiana
Category:Basketball coaches from Louisiana
Category:Basketball players from Louisiana
Category:Cleveland Indians coaches
Category:Cleveland Indians managers
Category:Columbus Red Birds players
Category:Houston Astros coaches
Category:Houston Buffaloes players
Category:Kansas City Athletics coaches
Category:Kansas City Athletics managers
Category:Major League Baseball first base coaches
Category:Major League Baseball third base coaches
Category:New York Knicks draft picks
Category:New York Knicks players
Category:People from Bastrop, Louisiana
Category:Sportspeople from Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
Category:Shreveport Sports players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) managers