Stump Merrill

Carl Harrison "Stump" Merrill (born February 15, 1944) is an American former manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Merrill spent 38 years in the New York Yankees organization, including and as the manager of the Yankees, and he also managed several of the Yankees' minor league affiliates.

Early life Merrill was born in 1944 in Brunswick, Maine. He graduated from Brunswick High School, where he was a star in baseball, basketball, and football despite being considered undersized.

Baseball career

As a player Merrill was listed as tall and ; he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.

He began his baseball career as a catcher for the Maine Black Bears, where he also played football and earned a degree in physical education. He was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the free-agent draft. He spent that season in the class-A New York–Penn League with the Batavia Clippers, and the following year with single-A teams in Bakersfield and Eugene. In and , Merrill was at the double-A level with the Reading Phillies, and returned to Eugene in and while that team was at the triple-A level. His playing career ended after the 1971 season due to a leg injury.

As a manager Merrill's managerial career started in with the West Haven Yankees of the Eastern League. He led the team to the best overall record in the league that season, and to a first-place finish in . When the Yankees moved their affiliation to the Nashville Sounds, Merrill moved as well, guiding the team to two more first-place finishes in and .

In and , Merrill managed the Fort Lauderdale Yankees of the Florida State League, winning the league championship in 1982. For the 1984 season, he jumped to the triple-A level, managing the Columbus Clippers to another first-place finish.

Merrill joined the New York Yankees in as first-base coach for manager Yogi Berra, but was returned to Columbus in mid-season to again serve as that team's manager. He rejoined the major-league team in as a coach on Lou Piniella's staff.

During the season, Merrill was sent to the Albany-Colonie Yankees, then the team's double-A affiliate in the Eastern League. He won the league title that season, and did so yet again in , guiding the Prince William Cannons to the Class A Carolina League championship.

In , Merrill began the season with Columbus before getting a call to take charge of the New York Yankees in June when Bucky Dent was fired as manager. Merrill finished out what would be one of the worst seasons in Yankees franchise history, which saw those Yankees finish at 67-95 (49-64 under Merrill), dead last in the American League and second-worst in all of baseball. It was only the fourth time the storied franchise had finished with the worst record in the league. However, Merrill was not blamed for the debacle and was brought back for the season—the first time in four years where the Yankees had a single manager for the entire season. However, after the Yankees could only improve to 71–91, he was replaced by Buck Showalter prior to the 1992 season and served that season as a roving minor-league instructor.

During and , Merrill once again managed the Columbus Clippers before spending as a special assignment scout. In , Merrill guided the Clippers for a third time, winning the International League title, the Governors' Cup. Along the way, Merrill won his 1000th game as a manager on August 2, 1996. He remained with the Clippers for the and seasons before returning to New York.

In and , Merrill had a two-year stint as special assistant to the general manager under Brian Cashman. He returned to the dugout in to manage the Yankees' double-A farm club, then the Norwich Navigators. When the Yankees changed affiliations after the 2002 season, Merrill moved with the team once more, managing the Trenton Thunder in and .

Merrill returned to New York in and was once again named special assistant to the general manager. He retired in 2014.

Nickname Merrill's nickname, "Stump," was given to him in 1963 by Jack Butterfield, his college baseball coach at Maine. Merrill recalled of the coining: "In my freshman year, we were walking out of the field house. I was with a tall pitcher who was about 6-foot-5. Just as we were outside, Jack Butterfield was trying to get my attention. He hollered at me three or four times and I didn't hear him. Finally he said, 'Hey Stump you little devil, turn around.' The pitcher heard it, and I guess it stuck."