{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1968)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Rusty Meacham | image = | position = Pitcher | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|1|27}} | birth_place = Stuart, Florida, U.S. | death_date = | bats = Right | throws = Right |debutleague = MLB | debutdate = June 29 | debutyear = 1991 | debutteam = Detroit Tigers |finalleague = MLB | finaldate = June 20 | finalyear = 2001 | finalteam = Tampa Bay Devil Rays |statleague = MLB | stat1label = Win–loss record | stat1value = 23–17 | stat2label = Earned run average | stat2value = 4.43 | stat3label = Strikeouts | stat3value = 198 |stat2league = CPBL | stat21label = Win–loss record | stat21value = 2–0 | stat22label = Earned run average | stat22value = 2.34 | stat23label = Strikeouts | stat23value = 9 | teams = * Detroit Tigers ({{mlby|1991}}) * Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|1995}}) * Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|1996}}) * Houston Astros ({{mlby|2000}}) * Tampa Bay Devil Rays ({{mlby|2001}}) * Chinatrust Whales ({{by|2004}}) }} '''Russell Loren Meacham''' (born January 27, 1968) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of eight seasons in Major League Baseball between 1991 and 2001.
== Professional career ==
=== Early career === Meacham was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 33rd round of the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.
=== Major league career === He made his major league debut for the Tigers in 1991, and was used as both a starter and reliever. Meacham had the most relief wins in the AL in 1992 with 10. During the remainder of his major league career, he was used almost exclusively in relief, with the exception of five starts in 1996 while he was with the Seattle Mariners. After spending three entire seasons (1997-99) in Triple-A, Meacham resurfaced with the Houston Astros in May 2000.
=== Independent leagues === After his MLB career ended in 2001, Meacham continued to pitch in independent leagues for several years. Meacham was a player in the Golden Baseball League playing for the Yuma Scorpions for two seasons. Meacham then retired and became their first base coach for one year, then he left Yuma to be the pitching coach for the Vermont Lake Monsters. He was released after the 2008 season, even though he helped the Lake Monsters to one of the lowest ERAs of the league. Meacham returned to pitch in one game for the GBL's Tijuana Cimarrones in 2010.
==External links== {{baseballstats |br=m/meachru01 |brm=meacha001rus}}, or [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmeacr001.htm Retrosheet], or [https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Pitching-Paperback-DVD-Psychology/dp/0760338507 Physics-Pitching-Paperback-DVD-Psychology]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meacham, Rusty}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada Category:Baseball players from Martin County, Florida Category:Bristol Tigers players Category:Detroit Tigers players Category:Durham Bulls players Category:Fayetteville Generals players Category:Grosseto Baseball Club players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Italy Category:Houston Astros players Category:Indian River State Pioneers baseball players Category:Indianapolis Indians players Category:Kansas City Royals players Category:Lakeland Tigers players Category:London Tigers players Category:Long Island Ducks players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Memphis Redbirds players Category:Nashua Pride players Category:Nashville Sounds players Category:New Orleans Zephyrs players Category:Omaha Royals players Category:Pawtucket Red Sox players Category:Sportspeople from Stuart, Florida Category:Seattle Mariners players Category:Tacoma Rainiers players Category:Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Category:Tijuana Cimarrones players Category:Toledo Mud Hens players Category:Yuma Scorpions players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Category:American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Category:Chinatrust Whales players Category:20th-century American sportsmen