David Blain Huppert (born April 17, 1957) is an American former professional baseball

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) and former

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

of the

Lakeland Flying Tigers The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Lakeland, Florida, and play their home games at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. H ...

of Minor League Baseball's Florida State League (FSL) in the Detroit Tigers organization.

Playing career

Huppert was originally signed as a player by the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

in . He caught 31 of 33 innings on April 18, 1981, for the Rochester Red Wings against the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

in the longest game in professional baseball history. Huppert reached the major leagues as a

with the Orioles in and again with the Milwaukee Brewers in . He appeared in a total of 15 games, he collected one

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

—a single against

Joe Niekro Joseph Franklin Niekro ( ; November 7, 1944 – October 27, 2006) was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was the younger brother of pitcher Phil Niekro, and the father of former Major League first baseman Lance Niekro. Niekr ...

Managerial career

Huppert began his managerial career with the Helena Gold Sox in at the age of 29. He went on to work in the farm systems of the Milwaukee Brewers (1986–91),

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

(1993–98),

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...

(1999–2001),

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

(2002–04), Philadelphia Phillies (2006–10) and Detroit Tigers (since 2011). For the Expos, he was the manager of the Double-A

Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League, and the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who play their home games at FNB Field on City Island, which opened in 1987 a ...

for one year (2002), and the Triple-A

Edmonton Trappers The Edmonton Trappers were a minor league baseball team in Edmonton, Alberta. They were a part of the Triple-A level in the Pacific Coast League, ending with the 2004 season. Their home games were played at Telus Field in downtown Edmonton. T ...

for two years (2003–04). He worked alongside the legendary

Frank Robinson Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams, from to . The only player to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of both ...

third base coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

for the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

during that team's inaugural season in , after its transfer from Montreal. Huppert moved to the Phillies' organization in . He replaced

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

as Philadelphia's third-base coach during Smith's two-game suspension in September 2008. In December 2010, Huppert was hired to manage the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Huppert spent the next six seasons managing the Flying Tigers, 2016 was his final season in this role. Though 2016 and 28 seasons as a minor-league skipper, Huppert posted a managerial record of 1,909–1,831 (.510). He recorded winning records 15 times in those 28 seasons, earning playoff berths 12 times. Huppert managed teams to league titles four times: the Florida State League (Advanced-A) co-champion

Brevard County Manatees The Brevard County Manatees were a minor league baseball team of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League from 1994 to 2016. They were based in Viera, Florida, and played their home games at Space Coast Stadium. The team left Brevard County af ...

, the 2006

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

(Low-A) champion

Lakewood BlueClaws The Jersey Shore BlueClaws (formerly Lakewood BlueClaws) are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their locat ...

, the Florida State League champion Clearwater Threshers and the Florida State League champion

. Huppert was named Manager of the Year in with the Stockton Ports in the California League and in 2001 with Brevard County.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huppert, Dave 1957 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baltimore Orioles players Baseball coaches from California Baseball players from California Birmingham Barons managers Bluefield Orioles players Charlotte O's players El Paso Diablos players Hagerstown Suns players Lehigh Valley IronPigs managers Major League Baseball catchers Major League Baseball third base coaches Miami Orioles players Milwaukee Brewers players People from South Gate, California Philadelphia Phillies coaches Rochester Red Wings players Toledo Mud Hens players Vancouver Canadians players