Hensley Meulens
Encyclopedia
Hensley Filemon Acasio Meulens (born June 23, 1967 in Willemstad
, Curaçao
) is a former professional baseball
player and current hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants
. He played from to in Major League Baseball
, Nippon Professional Baseball, and the Korea Baseball Organization
. He was the first major leaguer to come from Curaçao
(which has since produced other players, including Andruw Jones
, Randall Simon
, and Jair Jurrjens
). When Meulens worked as the hitting coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates
organization he often acted both as unofficial team translator for the Indians
and as Japanese scout for the Pirates because he speaks five languages: English
, Spanish
, Dutch
, Papiamento
and Japanese
.
Hitting home runs left-handed while playing softball as a teenager earned Meulens the nickname "Bam Bam" when his friends compared his power to the Flintstones cartoon character.
Over the course of his career, Meulens would become the first to play for all four of the major Caribbean winter leagues.
, Meulens made a splash in 1987 with Single-A Prince William, hitting .300 with 28 HR and 103 RBI, also being named to the Carolina League
All-Star team. His hitting cooled somewhat in 1988 & 1989 as he split time between the Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees of the Eastern League and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers
of the International League
.
His bat rebounded in 1990 for Columbus as he helped lead the team to the 1990 International League
championships (where they ultimately lost to Rochester
), hitting .285 with 26 HR and 96 RBI, and was named the 1990 International League MVP. Meulens' impressive 1990 season earned him a spot on the Yankees roster in 1991, but he was back in Columbus in 1992 to help lead the Clippers to the Governors' Cup Championship
.
1993 was a frustrating year for Meulens, at the end of which the Yankees sold his contract to the Chiba Lotte Marines
of Nippon Professional Baseball.
August 23, 1989. While having great success hitting minor league pitching, Meulens never attained a permanent spot on the New York lineup, despite spending the entire 1991 season on the Yankees roster. Averaging a strike-out every three at bats, Meulens platooned in left field with the more consistent hitting Mel Hall
. He saw limited action with the Yankees in late-season call-ups in 1992 & 1993.
of Nippon Professional Baseball, where he spent the 1994 season, hitting 23 home run
s and driving in 69 runs while accumulating 135 strikeouts. The following season, Meulens signed with the Yakult Swallows, helping lead the Swallows to the 1995 Japan Series
Championship.
, he reached the Majors again briefly playing with the Montreal Expos
(while having a good season for the Expos' AAA affiliate Ottawa Lynx
) and Arizona Diamondbacks
. Unable to secure a contract with a major league team in 1999, Meulens signed with the Newark Bears
of the independent Atlantic League
. He made one last stop in Asia, playing 14 games with the SK Wyverns
of the Korea Baseball Organization
and batting only .196, before heading his professional playing career to the Mexican League with the Saraperos de Saltillo
in 2001 and finally retiring, in 2002, after a mid-season injury while playing with the Pericos de Puebla
.
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Australia. His 4th inning double gave the Cuban team their first Olympic loss in 21 games. Ultimately, the Netherlands took fifth place in the final standings. He returned to the team as a coach for the 2004 Summer Olympics
and the 2009 World Baseball Classic
.
Meulens also played for the Dutch team in the 2001 Baseball World Cup in Chinese Taipei
and 2002 Intercontinental Cup
in Havana, Cuba.
for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. From -, he was the hitting coach of the Indianapolis Indians
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
, also coaching in the Arizona Fall League
for the Peoria Saguaros
in 2005 and the Hawaii Winter Baseball
league for the Honolulu Sharks
in the 2006 off-season. In 2009, Meulens served as hitting coach for the Fresno Grizzlies
, the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants
of the Pacific Coast League
. Meulens reached the Major League
ranks as batting coach in 2010, serving as hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants
following the firing of previous hitting coach Carney Lansford
.
In the year 2010 he won the World Series with the Giants.
Hensley Meulens also runs the Dutch Antilles Baseball Academy in Curaçao
.
He is reportedly interested in starting a baseball league in Curaçao in association with Major League Baseball's RBI Program.
Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles
Willemstad is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Formerly the capital of the Netherlands Antilles prior to its dissolution in 2010, it has an estimated population of 140,000. The historic centre of...
, Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
) is a former professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player and current hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. He played from to in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, Nippon Professional Baseball, and the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
. He was the first major leaguer to come from Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
(which has since produced other players, including Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
, Randall Simon
Randall Simon
Randall Carlito Simon is a professional baseball first baseman. He has played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball and one in Nippon Professional Baseball between 1997 and 2006. Simon's debut season came with the Atlanta Braves in 1997, for whom he played until 1999...
, and Jair Jurrjens
Jair Jurrjens
-Childhood:Jurrjens grew in a quiet neighborhood called ´Kura Piedra´ pronounced in Dutch as ´Steenkoraal or Stenenkoraal´, and was always active in baseball. His older brother, Carl Jr., also played baseball.Jurrjens speaks English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamentu....
). When Meulens worked as the hitting coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
organization he often acted both as unofficial team translator for the Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
and as Japanese scout for the Pirates because he speaks five languages: English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, Papiamento
Papiamento
Papiamento is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having the official status on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government....
and Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
Hitting home runs left-handed while playing softball as a teenager earned Meulens the nickname "Bam Bam" when his friends compared his power to the Flintstones cartoon character.
Over the course of his career, Meulens would become the first to play for all four of the major Caribbean winter leagues.
Early Career (1985-1993)
Hensley Meulens was signed by the Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 1985. After struggling in his first professional season in 1986 with the Gulf Coast YankeesGulf Coast Yankees
The Gulf Coast League Yankees are the Rookie League affiliate of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. The GCL Yankees play in Tampa, Florida at the Yankee Complex...
, Meulens made a splash in 1987 with Single-A Prince William, hitting .300 with 28 HR and 103 RBI, also being named to the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
All-Star team. His hitting cooled somewhat in 1988 & 1989 as he split time between the Double-A Albany-Colonie Yankees of the Eastern League and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers
Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a minor league baseball team based in Columbus, Ohio. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The team is owned by the government of Franklin County, Ohio....
of the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
.
His bat rebounded in 1990 for Columbus as he helped lead the team to the 1990 International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
championships (where they ultimately lost to Rochester
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
), hitting .285 with 26 HR and 96 RBI, and was named the 1990 International League MVP. Meulens' impressive 1990 season earned him a spot on the Yankees roster in 1991, but he was back in Columbus in 1992 to help lead the Clippers to the Governors' Cup Championship
Governors' Cup
The Governors' Cup is the trophy awarded each year to the champion of the International League, one of the two current Triple-A level minor leagues of Major League Baseball.-Governors' Cup history:...
.
1993 was a frustrating year for Meulens, at the end of which the Yankees sold his contract to the Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
of Nippon Professional Baseball.
Career as a New York Yankee (1989-1993)
He made his Major League debut with the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
August 23, 1989. While having great success hitting minor league pitching, Meulens never attained a permanent spot on the New York lineup, despite spending the entire 1991 season on the Yankees roster. Averaging a strike-out every three at bats, Meulens platooned in left field with the more consistent hitting Mel Hall
Mel Hall
Melvin Hall Jr. is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1996 with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants. He also played in Japan from 1993-1995...
. He saw limited action with the Yankees in late-season call-ups in 1992 & 1993.
Japan (1994-1996)
In November 1993, the Yankees sold Meulens' contract to the Chiba Lotte MarinesChiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
of Nippon Professional Baseball, where he spent the 1994 season, hitting 23 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and driving in 69 runs while accumulating 135 strikeouts. The following season, Meulens signed with the Yakult Swallows, helping lead the Swallows to the 1995 Japan Series
Japan Series
, or is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a seven-game series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League....
Championship.
Back to America (1997-2002)
He returned to North America in 1997, and after an unsuccessful tryout with the Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, he reached the Majors again briefly playing with the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(while having a good season for the Expos' AAA affiliate Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
) and Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. Unable to secure a contract with a major league team in 1999, Meulens signed with the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
of the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
. He made one last stop in Asia, playing 14 games with the SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
of the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
and batting only .196, before heading his professional playing career to the Mexican League with the Saraperos de Saltillo
Saraperos de Saltillo
The Saraperos de Saltillo are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League. They have won 3 championships in 1980, 2009, and 2010. Their homefield is the Estadio De Béisbol Francisco I. Madero in Saltillo, Coahuila. Juan Jose Pacho is the team manager....
in 2001 and finally retiring, in 2002, after a mid-season injury while playing with the Pericos de Puebla
Pericos de Puebla
The Pericos de Puebla are a baseball team that has been a member of the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol since 2000. They have existed on and off since 1942 in various other leagues...
.
International competition
Meulens represented the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Australia. His 4th inning double gave the Cuban team their first Olympic loss in 21 games. Ultimately, the Netherlands took fifth place in the final standings. He returned to the team as a coach for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
.
Meulens also played for the Dutch team in the 2001 Baseball World Cup in Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
and 2002 Intercontinental Cup
2002 Intercontinental Cup (baseball)
The 2002 Intercontinental Cup was held in Havana, Cuba from November 8 through November 20, 2002. Cuba defeated South Korea 2-1 in the final to win the tournament....
in Havana, Cuba.
Coaching career
Meulens began his coaching career with the Bluefield OriolesBluefield Orioles
The Bluefield Blue Jays are a minor league baseball team of the Rookie Appalachian League representing the twin cities of Bluefield, West Virginia, and Bluefield, Virginia. Beginning in 2011, Bluefield will be affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The team plays their home games at Bowen Field, a...
for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. From -, he was the hitting coach of the Indianapolis Indians
Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, also coaching in the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
for the Peoria Saguaros
Peoria Saguaros
The Surprise Saguaros are a baseball team that plays in the West Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona....
in 2005 and the Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball
Hawaii Winter Baseball, based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball.-History:...
league for the Honolulu Sharks
Honolulu Sharks
The Honolulu Sharks were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They are based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Sharks name comes from the large number of shark species native to the waters of Hawaii. They play their home games at the Les Murakami Baseball Stadium.-Team...
in the 2006 off-season. In 2009, Meulens served as hitting coach for the Fresno Grizzlies
Fresno Grizzlies
The Fresno Grizzlies are a minor league baseball team based in Fresno, California. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League , is the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club. The Grizzlies play in Chukchansi Park , located in downtown Fresno and built in 2002...
, the AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
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...
. Meulens reached the Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
ranks as batting coach in 2010, serving as hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
following the firing of previous hitting coach Carney Lansford
Carney Lansford
Carney Ray Lansford is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball and the hitting coach of the Colorado Rockies...
.
In the year 2010 he won the World Series with the Giants.
Hensley Meulens also runs the Dutch Antilles Baseball Academy in Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
He is reportedly interested in starting a baseball league in Curaçao in association with Major League Baseball's RBI Program.