The Chicago Cubs have hired a manager and his name is Dale Sveum.
Many don’t know who Sveum is, and considering their big splash in snatching Theo Epstein from the Red Sox for their GM position, expected a bigger name.
For those who don’t know a thing about Sveum, we decided to educate you on the Cubs’ new skipper.
Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Dale Sveum.
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10. Former Player
Drafted by theMilwaukee Brewers in the 1st round (25th pick) of the 1982 amateur draft, he went on to play 12 seasons in MLB, hitting .236 with 69 home runs.
9. Friday Night Lights
A talented athlete, Sveum was an All-State and All-American quarterback while attending Pinole Valley High School, in addition to being a fine baseball player.
8. Best Season
Sveum’s best season came in 1987, when he hit 25 home runs and drove in 95 runs while batting mostly in the ninth spot in the Brewers’ lineup.
7. Career Stats
Sveum hit .236 for his career, hit 69 home runs, and drove in 340 RBIs.
6. Managing Career?
He was named Top Managerial Prospect in the Eastern League by Baseball America in 2003.
5. Double-A Manager
Sveum managed the Double A team in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from 2001–2003, compiling a 213-211 record.
4. First Job
On September 15, 2008, he was named interim manager of the Milwaukee Brewers after manager Ned Yost was fired.
3. Demoted
As Ken Macha took over the Brewers for the 2009 season, Sveum stayed on as the team’s hitting coach.
2. Manager Of The Year
Sveum had the distinction of playing for five separate managers who would, at some point in their careers, win a league Manager of the Year Award. These managers were Tony La Russa (’83, ’88, ’92, ’02), under whom Sveum played in Oakland, Joe Torre (’96, ’98), in New York, Lou Piniella (’95, ’01, ’08), in Seattle, Jim Leyland(’90, ’92, ’06) in Pittsburgh, and Gene Lamont (’93) in Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.
1. California Kid
Dale Curtis Sveum was born November 23, 1963, in Richmond, California