Editing Adam Melhuse

{{short description|American baseball player & coach (born 1972)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|image=Melhuse.jpg
|caption=Melhuse with the Texas Rangers 
|name=Adam Melhuse
|position=[[Catcher]]
|team= 
|bats=Switch
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1972|3|27}} 
|birth_place=[[Santa Clara, California]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=June 16
|debutyear=2000
|debutteam=Los Angeles Dodgers
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 27
|finalyear=2008
|finalteam=Colorado Rockies
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.234
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=24
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=98
|teams=
*[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] ({{mlby|2000}})
*[[Colorado Rockies]] ({{mlby|2000}}–{{mlby|2001}})
*[[Oakland Athletics]] ({{mlby|2003}}–{{mlby|2007}})
*[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|2007}}–{{mlby|2008}})
*[[Colorado Rockies]] ({{mlby|2008}})
}}
'''Adam Michael Melhuse''' (born March 27, 1972) is an American former professional [[baseball]] [[catcher]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], [[Colorado Rockies]], [[Oakland Athletics]] and [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]. He was the hitting coach for the [[Detroit Tigers]] AAA [[Toledo Mud Hens]].

==High school, college years==
Melhuse attended Lincoln High School in Stockton, California and was a student and a letterman in [[basketball]] and [[baseball]]. He was 1991 [[West Coast Conference]] Freshman of the Year in baseball at [[Santa Clara Broncos baseball|Santa Clara]] before transferring to [[UCLA Bruins|UCLA]]. In 1991, he played [[collegiate summer baseball]] with the [[Harwich Mariners]] of the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]], and returned to the league in 1992 to play for the [[Brewster Whitecaps]].<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://capecodbaseball.org.ismmedia.com/ISM3/std-content/repos/Top/2012website/archives/Current%20Year/All_Time_MLB_CCBL_Alumni.pdf |title=Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |date= |accessdate=September 25, 2019}}</ref>

==Major League Baseball career==
Previously, Melhuse played with the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], [[Colorado Rockies]], [[Oakland Athletics]], and [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]. He throws [[right-handed]] and is a [[switch-hitter]].

===Colorado Rockies===
Melhuse collected his first career [[Hit (baseball)|hit]] on August 22, {{mlby|2000}}, in the 12th [[inning]] of an unusual game between the Rockies and [[Atlanta Braves]]. Out of pitchers, Rockies [[manager (baseball)|manager]], [[Buddy Bell]], asked injured [[catcher]], [[Brent Mayne]], who was unable to swing a bat due to a sprained left wrist, if he could [[pitch (baseball)|pitch]]. Mayne pitched the 12th inning and held the Braves scoreless. The following inning, with two [[out (baseball)|outs]] and the bases loaded, Melhuse, [[Pinch hitter|pinch hitting]] for Mayne, [[Glossary of baseball (S)#single|singled]] off of [[Stan Belinda]] over shortstop [[Walt Weiss]]' head to win the game in walk-off fashion by a score of 8-7. This victory also earned Mayne a pitching win in what would be his only career outing on the mound.

===Oakland Athletics===
On November 6, 2002 Melhuse signed a minor league contract with the [[Oakland Athletics]]. He would spend four seasons with the club as a backup to [[Damian Miller]] and later [[Jason Kendall]], with his best year coming in 2004 when he hit .257/.309/.463 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 69 games.

===Texas Rangers===
On June 10, {{mlby|2007}}, Melhuse was traded by the Athletics to the Texas Rangers for cash.
Adam's career as a Texas Ranger was short-lived, as the club traded for fellow catcher [[Jarrod Saltalamacchia]] on July 31, 2007, which lessened Melhuse's playing time. Melhuse was designated for assignment on August 24, 2007, and would later be released.

===Oakland Athletics (second stint)===
He re-signed with the Athletics for his second stint in 2007 on September 1 when rosters were expanded. Despite being on the Athletics for a second go-around in September, Melhuse sat on the bench the whole time and did not get into a game. He declared free agency on October 8, 2007, though not before being outrighted to the minors on October 5.

===Texas Rangers (second stint)===
on January 11, {{mlby|2008}} Melhuse signed a minor league contract with an invitation to [[spring training]] with the Texas Rangers. He made the team out of spring training as a backup to starting catcher [[Gerald Laird]], but injured his hand in a game against the [[Detroit Tigers]] on April 24, resulting in his release.

===Colorado Rockies (second stint)===
In late June 2008, Melhuse signed a minor league contract with the [[Colorado Rockies]] and was called up on August 14, 2008. On August 30, 2008, Melhuse was called up to the Rockies from the Triple-A [[Colorado Springs Sky Sox|Sky Sox]] to replace [[Yorvit Torrealba]] who was placed on the [[Disabled list|DL]].

===Texas Rangers (third stint)===
Melhuse signed a minor league contract with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] in January {{By|2009}}. However, he was released on April 4.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nationalsportsreview.com/sports/us/digitalsportsdaily/2009/04/04/adam-melhuse-available/ |title=Adam Melhuse Available |access-date=2009-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090408060256/http://nationalsportsreview.com/sports/us/digitalsportsdaily/2009/04/04/adam-melhuse-available/ |archive-date=2009-04-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Pittsburgh Pirates===
On May 8, 2009, he signed a minor league contract with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]].

===Retirement===
On June 17, 2009 Melhuse announced his retirement.

===Post-playing career===
Melhuse spent four seasons as an advance scout for the [[Chicago Cubs]] and two seasons in the [[Los Angeles Angels]] system as manager of the [[Burlington Bees]]. In 2018, he joined the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] organization as hitting coach for the [[Oklahoma City Dodgers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.milb.com/okc-dodgers/news/okc-dodgers-announce-2018-coaching-staff/c-264410060|title=OKC Dodgers Announce 2018 Coaching Staff|work=milb.com|date=January 8, 2018|accessdate=January 8, 2018}}</ref> He was transferred to the [[Tulsa Drillers]] for 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/scott-hennessey-will-return-as-drillers-manager/article_5d1ea9a9-6c69-5035-a874-5779d0be6aa4.html|title=Scott Hennessey will return as Drillers manager|work=Tulsa World|first=Barry|last=Lewis|date=January 16, 2019|accessdate=January 16, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{Baseballstats|mlb=282597|espn=4390|br=m/melhuad01|fangraphs=294|brm=melhus001ada}}, or [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/M/Pmelha001.htm Retrosheet]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melhuse, Adam}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Albuquerque Dukes players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Baseball coaches from California]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Santa Clara, California]]
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[[Category:Major League Baseball catchers]]
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