| Roy McMillan | |
|---|---|
 McMillan in about 1953 | |
| Shortstop /Manager | |
| Born:(1929-07-17)July 17, 1929 Bonham, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: November 2, 1997(1997-11-02) (aged 68) Bonham, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1951, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 3, 1966, for the New York Mets | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .243 |
| Home runs | 68 |
| Runs batted in | 594 |
| Managerial record | 27–28 |
| Winning % | .491 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| As player As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Roy David McMillan (July 17, 1929 – November 2, 1997) was an American professionalbaseball player,coach andmanager. He played inMajor League Baseball as ashortstop from 1951 to 1966, most prominently as a member of theCincinnati Reds, where he was the starting shortstop for nine seasons.[1][2]
A two-timeAll-Star player, McMillan was one of the top defensive shortstops of his era.[2][3] Nicknamed "Mr. Shortstop" because of his defensive play, he won threeGold Glove Awards during his tenure with the Reds.[3] He teamed with Reds second baseman,Johnny Temple, to form one of the best double-play combinations of the 1950s.[3]
McMillan also played for theMilwaukee Braves and theNew York Mets. Following his retirement as a player, McMillan managed the Brewers and Mets.[4] McMillan was inducted into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1971.[3]
McMillan was born inBonham, Texas, and attendedBonham High School where he was a member of thefootball,basketball,tennis, and thetrack and field teams.[4] Although his high school did not have a baseball team, he did play as athird baseman on the townsoftball team.[4] After high school, Roy attendedTexas A&M University for one semester hoping to play sports of some kind but, returned to Bonham after failing to make the football team.[4]
In 1947 at the age of 16, McMillan attended a Cincinnati Reds try-out camp in McKinney, Texas conducted by Red scoutHack Miller.[4] Although his baseball experience was extremely limited, Miller saw his athletic ability, especially his ability to catch ground balls.[4] In 1947 he was assigned to theBallinger Cats of theLonghorn League.[5] By the 1950 season, he had progressed to the top of theminor league ladder with theTulsa Oilers where he produced a .274 batting average.[5]
McMillan made his major league debut with the Reds on April 16,1951 at the age of 21 however, he saw little playing time as he served as a back up to the starting shortstop,Virgil Stallcup.[1] Unhappy with Stallcup's performance, Reds managerLuke Sewell decided to promote McMillan to be the starting shortstop for the1952 season.[4]
McMillan became a defensive standout and would lead theNational League (NL) in fielding percentage four times,putouts three times,assists four times, anddouble plays four consecutive years from 1953 to 1956.[4] Whensecond baseman,Johnny Temple joined the Reds in1954, he teamed with McMillan through the1959 season to become the second longest double play combination in the NL since 1900.(The longest wasJoe Morgan andDave Concepción of the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970s.)[4] He played in 150 or more games in eight different seasons–six in a row.[4] In 1954, he set a since-surpassed major league record of 129 double plays.
The Reds’ best result during McMillan’s career came in1956 when the Reds were in first place at mid-season and stayed in the pennant race until the last day of the season, ending up with a 91–63 record, two games behind theBrooklyn Dodgers. Despite the performance of home run hittingFrank Robinson, the Cincinnati Baseball Writers Association named McMillan the Reds’Most Valuable Player in1956 in recognition of the value of his excellent defensive play.[4] He also received recognition from national baseball writers when he placed sixth in the National LeagueMost Valuable Player Award.[1]
Further national recognition came in1957 whenThe Sporting News named him to their All-Star Fielding team and recipient of the RawlingsGold Glove Award in the first year the award was made. McMillan would win the award again in1958 and1959. He was elected to the National League All-Star team in1956 and1957.[1]
In1957, the Reds were once again in first place at mid-season when, McMillan and six of his Redleg teammates—Ed Bailey,Johnny Temple,Don Hoak,Gus Bell,Wally Post andFrank Robinson—were voted into theNational League All-Star starting lineup, the result of aballot stuffing campaign by Reds fans. Bell remained on the team as a reserve, but Post was taken off altogether. Bell and Post were replaced as starters byHank Aaron andWillie Mays. The Reds faltered after the All-Star break and dropped to fourth place in the season final standings. With the Reds in need of pitching, McMillan was traded on December 15, 1960, to the Milwaukee Braves forJoey Jay (who won 20 games in two straight seasons) and Juan Pizarro.[1][4]
McMillan also played with theMilwaukee Braves andNew York Mets and finished his career in 1966. He played in his final major league game on August 3, 1966, at the age of 37.[1] Dubiously, with 2,093 games played, McMillan is one of fourteen players to have played over two thousand games without ever reaching the postseason (the closest he came was with the1956 season, where they finished two games out of a pennant).[6]
In a 16-year major league career, McMillan played in 2,093games, accumulating 1,639hits in 6,752at bats for a .243 career batting average along with 68 home runs, 594 runs batted in and anon-base percentage of .314.[1] He retired with a .972fielding percentage.[1]
McMillan ranked 8th overall among major league shortstops in double plays turned.[7] He ranks 16th overall among major league shortstops in assists and, ranks 19th overall in putouts.[1]
In 1970, McMillan returned to Milwaukee as first-base coach with the Brewers, served as interim skipper in 1972 betweenDave Bristol andDel Crandall, then coached for theNew York Mets. In 1975, he replacedYogi Berra as the Mets' interim manager. Late in his career, McMillan was a scout for theMontreal Expos based in Bonham.[2]
McMillan was inducted into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1971 and was subsequently inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame and the Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame.
McMillan died on November 2, 1997, at the age of 68, having collapsed in his kitchen.[2] He was survived by his wife of 45 years, along with two children and three grandchildren.[2]