The Buffalo Bisons announced that the Toronto Blue Jays have selected Bobby Meacham as the manager of the Herd for the 2017 season. The former Bisons infielder is the 20th manager in the team’s modern era and the first African-American to lead the Herd in the team’s 133-year history.
Meacham will be formally introduced as Buffalo Bisons manager at a press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 3 p.m. in Pettibones Grille.
Meacham is the second former Bisons player to return to manage the team in the modern era, joining current Arizona Diamondbacks’ manager Torey Lovullo.
Meacham is entering the 27th season of his coaching career with 10 years of experience as a minor league manager. He joined the Blue Jays organization in 2013 and led Single-A Dunedin (63-68) to a first-half championship. He has spent the last three years as manager of Double-A New Hampshire, guiding the Fisher Cats to a 69-73 record last season. In 2015, Meacham received the Bobby Mattick Award for excellence in player development within the Blue Jays organization.
This is Meacham’s second career managerial job at the Triple-A level, as he led Pittsburgh’s Calgary Cannons (Pacific Coast League) in 1995, the first year after the Pirates’ affiliation with the Bisons. He also managed at Eugene (1992), Carolina (1994) and Rancho Cucamonga (2002-2004) for a career managerial record of 630-702 (.473).
Meacham’s coaching career also includes six years at the Major League level serving as a third base coach for Florida (2006) and the New Yankees (2008) and first base coach for San Diego (2007) and Houston (2010-2012).
Before making the transition to coaching/managing, Meacham spent parts of six seasons in the Major Leagues (1983-88) with the New York Yankees, primarily as a shortstop. In 457 career Major League games, he compiled a .236 career average with 58 doubles, eight home runs, 114 RBI and 58 stolen bases. Meacham spent the 1985 season as the Yankees everyday shortstop, appearing in 156 games while stealing a career high 25 bases. Originally selected in the first round of the 1981 June draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Meacham spent the second-to-last season of his playing career in Buffalo, hitting .218 with 25 RBI in 94 games for the 1989 Bisons.