Yard Goats coaching staff to return for 2025 season
Former Yankee Bobby Meacham is back to manage Yard Goats after guiding club to first-ever playoff series
The Hartford Yard Goats• Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, has been informed by the Rockies that the entire coaching staff from last year’s playoff team will return for the 2025 season. Former New York Yankees Infielder Bobby Meacham will return as manager, and will once again be joined by North Stonington resident and pitching coach Dan Meyer, hitting coach and former Yard Goats infielder Zach Osborne and bench coach Luis Lopez. Meacham was named the 2024 Eastern League Manager of the Year by MiLB. The Yard Goats won the First-Half Northeast Division Championship in 2024, clinching their first-ever playoff series, and a team-record seven players were promoted to the Major Leagues. Meacham played six seasons with the Yankees from 1983-1988, primarily as a shortstop, hitting .236 with eight home runs and 114 RBI over that span. He led the American League in sacrifice hits in 1984 and 1985. Meacham became the fifth manager in Yard Goats history, replacing Chris Denorfia in 2024. This will be his 35th consecutive season as a coach in MLB affiliated baseball.
Meacham, 64, returns to the Yard Goats for his second consecutive season, and fifth in the Rockies organization. He served as a coaching assistant on Joe Girardi’s Philadelphia Phillies staff from January 2020 through June 2022, and was also part of the Major League coaching staffs of the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Houston Astros from 2006-12. The Los Angeles native spent the 2013-19 seasons managing at three levels in the Blue Jays Minor League system, including three in the Eastern League for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (2014-2016). Meacham was the third base coach for the New York Yankees in 2008, and has managed at every level of the minor leagues (A-AA-AAA).
“We are really excited to welcome Bobby back to Hartford for another season along with Dan, Zach and Luis,” Yard Goats General Manager Mike Abramson said. “The coaching staff did an outstanding job last season leading the Yard Goats to our first-ever playoff series. We look forward to more success on the field, and having them part of the Hartford community.”
Meacham began his coaching career in 1991 as the hitting coach of the Eugene Emeralds, the Kansas City Royals affiliate in the Northwest League. He was promoted and managed the Emeralds the following season in 1992. In 1993, he was the hitting coach for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in the Rockies system, and then managed in the Pirates organization with the Double-A Carolina Mudcats in 1994 and the Triple-A Calgary Cannons in 1995. He next served as the minor league baserunning coach
in 1996 and roving infield instructor for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1997 to 2001. Meacham next joined the Angels organization and managed the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes from 2002 to 2004. Meacham returned to the Colorado Rockies in 2005 as a minor league infield instructor. His first Major League coaching opportunity was in 2006 as the Florida Marlins third base coach on Joe Girardi’s staff. He became the first base coach for the San Diego Padres in 2007 on Bud Black’s coaching staff. In 2008, he rejoined Girardi and became the third base coach for the New York Yankees. After a season of serving as the hitting coach for the Class-A Williamsport Crosscutters in 2009, he returned to the Major Leagues and was the Houston Astros’ first base coach under manager Brad Mills from 2010-2012.
In 2013, Meacham joined the Toronto Blue Jays organization where he would manage for the next seven years. After a season at Class-A Dunedin Blue Jays, he managed the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Eastern League from 2014-2016. He was promoted and managed the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons of the International League from 2017-2019. Meacham returned to coach at the major league level as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Phillies under Joe Girardi from 2020-2022.
Meyer, 43, begins his second season as pitching coach at Hartford, and second season in the Rockies organization (10th overall). He was the pitching coach in the Pirates organization at Triple-A Indianapolis in 2022 and 2023, and helped lead the Indians staff to establish new franchise-records in strikeouts in consecutive seasons. The Woodbury, New Jersey native, who now makes his home in North Stonington, pitched at James Madison University before being selected as the 34th overall pick (first round) in 2002 by the Atlanta Braves. He made his MLB debut on September 14, 2004 against the New York Mets. The left-hander pitched with Atlanta (2004), Oakland (2007-08), and Florida (2009-10), going 3-9 with 2 saves and a 5.46 ERA in 103 career (7 starts) MLB games. He earned his first MLB win on June 12, 2009 @ Toronto and recorded his first MLB save on June 24, 2009 vs Baltimore. Meyer began his coaching career in the Braves organization at Rookie Level Danville in 2014, and was named SAL Coach of the Year in 2016 at Class-A Rome. He was Double-A Mississippi’s interim manager in 2021 and was named the Double-A South Manager of the Year while leading his team to a league title.
Lopez, 54, begins his fourth season at Hartford as the bench coach and his fourth with the Rockies organization. Previously, Lopez served as a hitting coach in the Boston Red Sox organization (2008-11), was the Minor League infield coordinator for the Atlanta Braves (2012-17) and the manager of the GCL Tigers (2018-19). The Cidra, Puerto Rico native began his career at 17 years old in the Padres organization and played professionally from 1988-2005. He appeared in parts of 11 big league seasons with San Diego (1993-94, ’96), New York-NL (1997-99), Milwaukee (2000-02), Baltimore (2002, ’04) and Cincinnati (2005).
Osborne, 34, begins his second season as hitting coach at Hartford, and is the first former Yard Goats player to return as a coach. He played in 64 games on the Inaugural Yard Goats club in 2016, his final season in MiLB, and reached Triple-A Albuquerque in 2015. After retiring as a player, Osborne became a hitting coach in the Rockies system and was assigned to the Rookie level Grand Junction Rockies for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Rockies promoted him to Class-A Spokane in 2021, and he spent the next three seasons as the Indians Hitting Coach in the Northwest League. The Louisville, Kentucky native played in college at the University of Tennessee, and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team, while earning the starting shortstop job. He batted .330 during his junior season, and had a stretch of 148 consecutive starts before getting sidelined with an injury. Zach led his Louisville Little League team to the LL World Series Title in Williamsport (2002) and was named MVP on a team that was coached by his father.The Hartford Yard Goats Baseball Club, the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, has been informed by the Rockies that the entire coaching staff from last year’s playoff team will return for the 2025 season. Former New York Yankees Infielder Bobby Meacham will return as manager, and will once again be joined by North Stonington resident and pitching coach Dan Meyer, hitting coach and former Yard Goats infielder Zach Osborne and bench coach Luis Lopez. Meacham was named the 2024 Eastern League Manager of the Year by MiLB. The Yard Goats won the First-Half Northeast Division Championship in 2024, clinching their first-ever playoff series, and a team-record seven players were promoted to the Major Leagues. Meacham played six seasons with the Yankees from 1983-1988, primarily as a shortstop, hitting .236 with eight home runs and 114 RBI over that span. He led the American League in sacrifice hits in 1984 and 1985. Meacham became the fifth manager in Yard Goats history, replacing Chris Denorfia in 2024. This will be his 35th consecutive season as a coach in MLB affiliated baseball.
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