Dale Sveum

Dale Curtis Sveum

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.
• High School Pinole Valley High School
• Debut May 12, 1986
• Final Game October 3, 1999
• Born November 23, 1963 in Richmond, CA USA

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[edit] Biographical Information

Dale Sveum was signed as a 1st round pick in the 1982 amateur draft by scouting director Ray Poitevint and scout Harry Smith.

Sveum, pronounced "Swame", was a long-time backup player in the 1980s and 1990s. He began his career as the heir apparent to Robin Yount as the Milwaukee Brewers' shortstop after being a first round draft choice. After a solid rookie season in 1986 and a great fluke season in 1987, he settled into a back-up role and shuttled between the minors and majors for a few years. He suffered a serious leg fracture late in the 1988 season in a collision with outfielder Darryl Hamilton, which caused him to miss the 1989 season. He later surfaced as a member of the World champion 1998 Yankees.

He hit 3 home runs on July 17, 1987 as a member of the Brewers against the California Angels. He hit 2 off Mike Witt and one off Chuck Finley. He started the game batting 9th and playing 2nd base. He finished the year second on the Brewers with 25 home runs.

After his playing career ended, Sveum managed the Altoona Curve of the AA Eastern League for three seasons. He was then the third base coach for the 2004 and 2005 Boston Red Sox, where he gained a reputation as being over-aggressive waving in runners - a criticism that is regularly levelled on third base coaches whether or not there is any statistical evidence of the fact. Before the 2006 season, he returned to Milwaukee as a coach. He was named interim Manager of the team for the final 12 games of 2008 replacing Ned Yost in the middle of a pennant race. The team went 7-5 the rest of the way, just enough to beat the New York Mets by a game in the NL Wild Card race and taking the Brewers to the postseason for the first time since 1982. The Brewers lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS and Sveum was let go in the off-season.

After the 2011 season, Sveum was the leading contender for two of the prize managerial job openings in the major leagues, those of the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. On November 17, he agreed to terms with the Cubs to become their manager in 2012 and was introduced to the media the next day. However, the Cubs had a terrible season in his first year at the helm, finishing 5th in the NL Central with a record of 61-101. They were saved from finishing in the cellar only by the Houston Astros having the worst season in franchise history in their last year as a National League team. After the season, Sveum was involved in a hunting incident while out looking for quail in Arizona with former Brewers teammate Robin Yount. As he describes it: "I got drilled with pellets in the back and then one stuck in the ear," as Yount pulled off a shot reminiscent of former Vice-President Dick Cheney. Sveum was not seriously hurt although it was "a bloody scene". His players could not pass up such a good opportunity to tease their boss, and on the first day of full workouts in spring training on February 18th, they all removed their warm-up jackets in unison to reveal bright orange hunter's gear; they then gave their manager a similar jacket, with a target painted on it. Sveum took all in good stride.

Sveum is a cousin of John Olerud.

[edit] Notable Achievements

• 1986 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1987)
• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1998 (he did not play in the World Series).
• Postseason Appearances: 1 (2008 Wild Card)

[edit] Year-By-Year Managerial Record

[edit] Related Sites