“It’s always nice to see an ex-Yankee in the managerial ranks,” Mike Roy, of East Haven, said.
On Wednesday at a sunny Dunkin Park, the Hartford Yard Goats introduced former first round pick Bobby Meacham as the fifth manager in club history.
Meacham played six seasons with the New York Yankees from 1983 to 1988, learning from legendary managers like Billy Martin.
“He was so clear,” Meacham said of Martin. “He was clear on what he expected of me, and so that’s kind of how I manage. I feel like the best thing I can do is let these guys know what I need from them, what they need to know to be great.”
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Meacham arrives in Hartford after serving as bench coach for the Colorado Rockies’ Triple-A team in 2023.
His last manager role came from 2017 to 2019, leading the Toronto Blue Jays Triple-A club.
“I’m excited to be managing again. I’m excited to be managing here in Hartford with a bunch of guys that want to play the game the right way, want to play the game hard,” Meacham said.
Local
He brings decades of experience to the table, coaching from Low-A to the big leagues, most recently in 2022 under former Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi.
“I wanted to manage in an atmosphere where there was a lot of hype so to speak, a lot of big prospects supposedly are coming here, a lot of fans show up at the ballpark,” Meacham said.
He added that since his days playing for Martin and the Yankees, his dream has always been to be a major league manager.
