Dale Sveum

2.1. Early Life and Amateur Career

Born on November 23, 1963, in Richmond, Contra Costa County, California, Dale Sveum attended Pinole Valley High School. During his high school years, he demonstrated exceptional athletic talent, not only in baseball and basketball but also as a football player. He received recognition as an All-State and All-American quarterback. His multi-sport prowess led to him being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round as the 25th overall pick in the 1982 amateur draft.

2.2. Major League Playing Career

Sveum made his Major League Baseball debut on May 12, 1986, embarking on a playing career that spanned 12 seasons until 1999. Over his career, he played for several MLB teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Yankees. He accumulated an overall batting average of .236 with 69 home runs.

His most notable season as a player came in 1987, largely as the Brewers' ninth hitter in the lineup. During that year, he hit 25 home runs and recorded 95 RBIs. A significant highlight occurred early in the 1987 season on April 19, Easter Sunday, when Sveum hit a walk-off home run at Milwaukee County Stadium, securing a 6-4 victory for Milwaukee over the Texas Rangers. This particular win contributed to the Brewers' impressive 12-0 start to the season. Later that same year, on July 17, 1987, Sveum delivered another standout performance, totaling three home runs and six RBIs in a 12-2 victory against the California Angels.

On September 3, 1988, Sveum's career was significantly impacted by a severe collision with fellow Brewer Darryl Hamilton. The incident resulted in a badly broken left leg, which forced him to miss the remainder of the 1988 season and the entirety of the 1989 MLB season. Following his return in 1990, his batting average struggled to regain its early career consistency; while his lowest yearly batting average in his first three major league seasons was .242, he only batted over .241 twice in the subsequent nine seasons.

Throughout his playing career, Sveum had the unique distinction of playing under five different managers who, at some point in their careers, would win a league Manager of the Year Award. These included Tony La Russa (in Oakland), Jim Leyland (in Pittsburgh), Gene Lamont (with the Chicago White Sox), Lou Piniella (in Seattle), and Joe Torre (in New York).

Below are Dale Sveum's career batting and fielding statistics in Major League Baseball:

3.1. Early Coaching Roles

Sveum began his coaching journey in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, managing their Double-A team from 2001 to 2003. During this period, he compiled a managerial record of 213 wins and 211 losses. His potential as an MLB manager was recognized early, with Baseball America naming him the best potential MLB manager in the Eastern League in 2003.

From 2004 to 2005, Sveum served as the third base coach for the Boston Red Sox, working under manager and former Brewers teammate Terry Francona. After two seasons with the Red Sox, he departed to rejoin the Milwaukee Brewers as their bench coach.

3.2. Milwaukee Brewers

Upon returning to the Milwaukee Brewers, Sveum held various significant coaching positions. He served as the team's bench coach in 2006 and 2007, before switching roles to become the third base coach on October 30, 2007.

On September 15, 2008, Sveum was named interim manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. This appointment came after manager Ned Yost was fired, with the team holding an 83-67 record, having lost eleven of their last fourteen games, and tied for a Wild Card spot. Under Sveum's leadership, the Brewers concluded the 2008 regular season with a 7-5 record, which was sufficient for the team to secure a playoff berth for the first time since their 1982 World Series run. In the 2008 NLDS, the Brewers were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies in four games.

Following the 2008 season, despite leading the team to the playoffs, General Manager Doug Melvin announced that Sveum was no longer a candidate for the permanent managerial position. Ken Macha was eventually named the Brewers' manager for the 2009 season, while Sveum remained with the team as their hitting coach, a role he held until the end of the 2011 season.

3.3. Chicago Cubs

On November 16, 2011, the Chicago Cubs offered Dale Sveum their vacant managerial position. He accepted the offer the following day, on November 17, 2011, and was formally introduced as the new manager of the Cubs on November 18, 2011. Sveum managed the Cubs for two seasons, from 2012 to 2013, during which the team posted a combined record of 127 wins and 197 losses. Due to the team's performance, Sveum was fired on September 30, 2013. Despite his departure, Sveum received a World Series ring from the Cubs on August 16, 2017, acknowledging his contributions to the organization.

3.4. Kansas City Royals

After his tenure with the Cubs, Sveum was hired by the Kansas City Royals on October 3, 2013, as a coach and infield instructor, reuniting him with his former Brewers manager, Ned Yost. On May 29, 2014, in an effort to address the team's struggling offense, the Royals promoted Sveum to be their hitting coach. He served in this capacity until the 2017 season. For the 2018 season, Sveum transitioned to the role of bench coach for the Royals, a position he held until 2019, when he departed the team following Ned Yost's retirement.

6.1. Jersey Numbers

Throughout his career, Dale Sveum wore several different jersey numbers as both a player and a coach:

• 27 (1986)
• 7 (1987-1988, 1990-1991)
• 8 (1992 - part of season)
• 42 (1992 - remainder of season)
• 6 (1993)
• 36 (1994)
• 17 (1996-1998)
• 11 (1999)
• 41 (2004-2005)
• 29 (2006-2011)
• 33 (2012-2013)
• 21 (2014-2017)
• 26 (2018)
• 46 (2019)