Scott Ullger

{{Short description|American baseball player and coach (born 1955)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Scott Ullger

|image=Scott Ullger on June 26, 2012.jpg

|image_size=

|position=First baseman / Coach

|team=

|number=

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1955|6|10}}

|birth_place=New York City, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 17

|debutyear=1983

|debutteam=Minnesota Twins

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 30

|finalyear=1983

|finalteam=Minnesota Twins

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.190

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=5

|teams=

As player

• Minnesota Twins ({{mlby|1983}})

As coach

• Minnesota Twins ({{mlby|1995}}–{{mlby|2014}})

}}

Scott Matthew Ullger (born June 10, 1955) is an American former Major League Baseball player and coach. He spent 20 seasons (1995–2014) as a coach for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball, serving in four different roles: as third base and first base coach, bench coach and hitting instructor. Ullger was frequently referred to as "Scotty" by Twins faithfuls and by broadcasters Bert Blyleven and Dick Bremer.

Ullger, from Plainview, New York, was drafted by the Twins in the 18th round (456th overall) of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft.{{Cite web |title=18th Round of the 1977 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1977&draft_round=18&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |access-date=May 10, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} After a successful minor league career, he was called up in {{Baseball year|1983}}. He started out his career by going hitless in his first 19 at-bats before recording his first career hit and RBI against Kansas City Royals pitcher Steve Renko on June 8.{{Cite web |title=Manager and Coaches |url=http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=min&coachorstaffid=123555 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103045538/http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/coach_staff_bio.jsp?c_id=min&coachorstaffid=123555 |archive-date=November 3, 2011 |website=Minnesota Twins |publisher=MLB.com}} Ullger played in 35 career games, all in the 1983 season, batting .190 with four doubles, 5 RBI and five walks in 85 career plate appearances.{{Cite web |title=Scott Ullger Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/ullgesc01.shtml |access-date=May 10, 2024 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Defensively, Ullger primarily appeared at first base, starting 17 games, but he also appeared in three games at third base.

After his playing career, he got into coaching. Ullger became the manager of the Visalia Oaks in {{Baseball year|1988}}, becoming the California League Manager of the Year in {{Baseball year|1990}}. He also had successful runs with the Portland Beavers/Salt Lake Buzz when the team was the Twins' Triple-A affiliate.

On October 7, {{Baseball year|1994}}, Ullger was named the Twins' first base coach. He went 3–2 in a brief unofficial managerial stint in {{Baseball year|2002}}, while manager Ron Gardenhire was absent. Following the {{Baseball year|2005}} season, Ullger was shifted and became the Twins’ new third base coach, a position which he held through the 2010 season. In December 2010, it was announced he would become the Twins' bench coach, swapping roles with Steve Liddle. This allowed him to work more closely with manager Ron Gardenhire.

In May {{Baseball year|2008}}, Ullger managed the team for five games due to the death of Ron Gardenhire's brother Mike, and for a road game in New York at the end of the month while Gardenhire attended his daughter's high school graduation.{{Cite web |last=Nystrom |first=Thor |date=May 30, 2008 |title=Gardenhire hands over Twins to Ullger |url=http://m.twins.mlb.com/news/article/2803083 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305095012/http://m.twins.mlb.com/news/article/2803083 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2008 |website=Minnesota Twins |publisher=MLB.com}}