Dave McKay

Dave McKayName: David Lawrence McKay
Elected: February 19, 2001
Induction: June 23, 2001
Born (date, year, place): March 14, 1950 in Vancouver, British Columbia
Primary Position: Second Base, Coach
Bats: Both
Throws: Right
Years Played: 1975 to 1982
Teams Played: Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland A’s

Despite not having a baseball team at his high school and only playing about 12 games a year as a teen, Dave McKay evolved into a big league prospect. After receiving scholarships from Columbia Basin Junior College and Creighton University, the determined Canadian signed with the Minnesota Twins on June 20, 1971.

After being called up by the Twins in August 1975, he homered in his first big league at bat (the only Canadian to do so). McKay would spend another partial season with the Twins, before being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft. The switch-hitting infielder was the only Canadian on the field in the Jays’ first game on April 7, 1977. Despite the snow falling at Exhibition Stadium, McKay had two hits and drove in the winning run in a 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

McKay’s playing career would finish with three seasons in Oakland, before accepting a coaching position with the A’s. When Tony La Russa was named the A’s manager in 1986, McKay was retained as a coach.

He worked on La Russa’s staff for more than two decades, and moved with the renowned skipper to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996. One of the game’s hardest working coaches, McKay owns three World Series rings, securing one in 1989 with Oakland and two with St. Louis (2006, 2011).

After LaRussa retired, McKay served as the first base coach with the Chicago Cubs in 2012 and 2013 and was recently named to the same post with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Career Major League Statistics

G AB R H D T HR RBI TB BB SO SB OBP SLG AVG
645 1928 191 441 70 15 21 170 604 86 337 20 .266 .313 .229

For season by season MLB statistics click HERE.

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