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Mike Gallego is in his first season as the As third base coach, but it is his 13th season in the Oakland organization, which includes 12 years as a player.
Gallego joins the As from the Colorado Rockies organization, where he spent nine seasons, including the last four as third base and infield coach on Clint Hurdles major league staff. Under his tutelage, the Rockies set a major league record for fielding percentage with a mark of .98925 in 2007. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki led major league shortstops with a .987 fielding percentage that year and Todd Helton topped all National League first baseman with a .999 fielding percentage. Gallego joined the Rockies organization as a roving infield coordinator in 2000, a position he held until joining the major league coaching staff on May 1, 2002. He returned to his minor league duties in 2003-04, before rejoining the major league staff in 2005. Gallego began his coaching career as Bostons minor league infield instructor in 1999.
Gallegos professional career began when the As drafted him in the second round of the 1981 June draft out of UCLA. He made his major league debut with Oakland in 1985 and spent 13 seasons in the majors with Oakland (1985-91, 95), the New York Yankees (1992-94) and St. Louis Cardinals (1996-97). He is a .239 career hitter with 42 home runs and 282 RBI in 1111 games, including .232 in 772 games with the As. A valuable utility infielder, he played in three straight postseasons with Oakland from 1988-90 and was a member of the 1989 World Champion As. In 1993, he won the Good Guy Award from the New York Press Photographers Association and New York Baseball Writers after enjoying his best season, batting .283 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI.
A native of Whittier, Calif., Gallego graduated from St. Paul High School (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) and attended UCLA for three years before being drafted by the As. He and his wife, Caryn, have twin sons, Nicholas and Joseph (12/29/88) and a daughter, Allison (12/12/90), and reside in Yorba Linda, Calif.
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