Chris Maloney
Encyclopedia
James Christopher Maloney (born September 6, 1961) is the first base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals. A former minor league first baseman
and outfielder
, he began the season as the skipper of the Memphis Redbirds
of the Pacific Coast League
, his fifth consecutive season as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals
' Triple-A farm club. He has now been hired (Nov. 16, 2011) as the first-base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
.
. He graduated from St. Joseph High School in Jackson and from Mississippi State University
.
His father, J. Con Maloney, was the longtime owner of the Jackson Mets
and Jackson Generals of the Texas League
, and a co-owner (with Nolan Ryan
and family) of Round Rock Baseball, owners of the Round Rock Express
.
Chris has a brother, Mark, who is a partner with the law firm King & Spalding.
in 1983 and played four seasons of minor league baseball in the Mets and Cardinals organizations, never rising above the Class A level. In his finest season, 1984 with the Columbia Mets
of the South Atlantic League
, he batted
.324 in 173 at bats with three home runs and 24 runs batted in. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, Maloney stood 5'11" (1.8 m) and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg) during his playing career.
of the Appalachian League
. In 18 seasons (1991–96; 1998–2009) as a manager, his teams have won 1,191 games and lost 1,121 (.515) with two league championships — including the 2009 PCL playoff title. With the exception of three seasons (2002–04) as manager of the New Orleans Zephyrs
, top farm club of the Houston Astros
at the time, all of those years have been spent with the Cardinals' organization.
He was announced as taking the job as first-base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
on Nov. 16, 2011.
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, he began the season as the skipper of the Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, his fifth consecutive season as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' Triple-A farm club. He has now been hired (Nov. 16, 2011) as the first-base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
2012 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2012 season will be the 131st for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 121st season in the National League, and the seventh at Busch Stadium III...
.
Early and personal life
Maloney was born on September 6, 1961, in Jackson, MississippiJackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
. He graduated from St. Joseph High School in Jackson and from Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
.
His father, J. Con Maloney, was the longtime owner of the Jackson Mets
Jackson Mets
The Jackson Mets were a professional baseball team based in Jackson, Mississippi, from 1975 through 1990. As of 2010, they are the longest-tenured club to be based in the Jackson metropolitan area...
and Jackson Generals of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
, and a co-owner (with Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
and family) of Round Rock Baseball, owners of the Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
.
Chris has a brother, Mark, who is a partner with the law firm King & Spalding.
Playing career
Maloney signed with the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 1983 and played four seasons of minor league baseball in the Mets and Cardinals organizations, never rising above the Class A level. In his finest season, 1984 with the Columbia Mets
Columbia Mets
Located in Columbia, South Carolina, the Columbia Mets were affiliated with the New York Mets from 1983 to 1992. A member of the South Atlantic League, they became the Capital City Bombers in 1993. They played in Capital City Stadium.-Year by Year Record:...
of the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.324 in 173 at bats with three home runs and 24 runs batted in. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, Maloney stood 5'11" (1.8 m) and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg) during his playing career.
Manager
Maloney became a minor league manager in the Cardinals' system in 1991 with the Rookie-level Johnson City CardinalsJohnson City Cardinals
The Johnson City Cardinals are a rookie league team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The Cardinals are affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization and play with the Appalachian League, of which they are currently the two-time defending champions. The team plays its home games at Howard...
of the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
. In 18 seasons (1991–96; 1998–2009) as a manager, his teams have won 1,191 games and lost 1,121 (.515) with two league championships — including the 2009 PCL playoff title. With the exception of three seasons (2002–04) as manager of the New Orleans Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
, top farm club of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
at the time, all of those years have been spent with the Cardinals' organization.
He was announced as taking the job as first-base coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
2012 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals' 2012 season will be the 131st for the franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 121st season in the National League, and the seventh at Busch Stadium III...
on Nov. 16, 2011.