BILLY WILLIAM JOSEPH HASELMAN
Image of BILLY
Nickname:   BILLY Position:   COACH
Home: N/A Team:   Retired
Height: 6' 3" Bats:   R
Weight: 225 Throws:   R
DOB: 5/25/1966 Agent: N/A
Uniform #: N/A  
Birth City: Long Branch, New Jersey
Draft: 1987 - Rangers #1 - Out of UCLA
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
1987 SAL GASTONIA   61 235 35 72 13 1 8 33 1   19 46     .306
1988 FSL PORT CHARLOTTE   122 453 56 111 17 2 10 54 8   45 99     .245
1989 TL TULSA   107 352 38 95 17 2 7 36 5   40 88     .270
1990 TL TULSA     430 68 137 38 2 18 80 3   43 96     .319
1990 AL RANGERS $100.00 7 13 0 2 0 0 0 3 0   1 5     .154
1991 AA OKLAHOMA CITY   100 308 36 67 4 2 2 30 1   35 57     .218
1992 AA OKLAHOMA CITY     58 8 14 5 0 1 9 1   13 12     .241
1992 PCL CALGARY     302 49 77 14 2 19 53 3   41 89     .255
1993 AL MARINERS $117.00 58 137 21 35 8 0 5 16 2   12 19     .255
1994 AL MARINERS $175.00 38 83 11 16 7 1 1 8 1   3 11     .193
1994 PCL CALGARY   44 163 44 54 10 0 15 46 1   30 33     .331
1995 AL RED SOX $200.00 64 152 22 37 6 1 5 23 0   17 30     .243
1996 AL RED SOX $300.00 77 237 33 65 13 1 8 34 4   19 52     .274
1997 AL RED SOX $650.00 67 212 22 50 15 0 6 26 0   15 44     .236
1998 AL RANGERS $625.00 40 105 11 33 6 0 6 17 0   3 17     .314
1999 AL TIGERS $650.00 48 143 13 39 8 0 4 14 2   10 26     .273
2000 AL RANGERS $1,100.00 62 193 23 53 18 0 6 26 0   15 36     .275
2001 AL RANGERS $800.00 47 130 12 37 6 0 3 25 0   8 27     .285
2002 AL RANGERS $800.00 69 179 16 44 7 0 3 18 0   11 25     .246
2003 IL PAWTUCKET   79 280 37 63 6 0 6 24 1   9 46     .225
2003 AL RED SOX   4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 1     .000
Personal

  • At UCLA, Bill was once Troy Aikman's backup quarterback.
  • When Haselman was growing up in the Bay Area, his favorite NFL player was Raiders QB Kenny Stabler.

  • Billy's hobbies are golf and fishing.

  • In October 1990, Bill and the former Tracy Cunning were married.

  • In March 1998, Bill's son, Tyler, was born during Spring Training.

    TRANSACTION REPORT

  • In May 1992, the Mariners picked Bill up on waivers when the Rangers released him.

  • In November 1994, Haselman signed with the Red Sox organization as a six-year free agent.

  • In November 1997, the Rangers sent C Jim Leyritz and OF Damon Buford to the Red Sox to acquire Bill and pitchers Aaron Sele and Mark Brandenburg.

  • In December 1998, Haselman signed with the Tigers for two years and $1.75 million.

  • November 1999: The Rangers sent OF Juan Gonzalez, P Danny Patterson and C Greg Zaun to the Tigers for Haselman, pitchers Justin Thompson, Francisco Cordero and Alan Webb, OF Gabe Kapler and INF Frank Catalanotto.

  • In August 2000, Haselman signed a two-year contract extension with the Rangers -- through the 2002 season.

  • December 2002: Bill signed with the Tigers again.

  • March 27, 2003: Haselman chose free agency, rather than be sent to Triple-A Toledo by the Tigers

  • April 9, 2003: Bill signed with the Red Sox organization.

  • December 7, 2003: The Red Sox didn't offer Haselman salary arbitration, making him a free agent.

  • When his playing career is over, Haselman always said he would like to try his hand at being a manager. But he was concerned about leaving his family again while he extends his career in baseball. As a second-string catcher, he has lots of time to learn. He spends hours in the video room reviewing tape and finding ways to pitch hitters, etc. He talks to pitchers all the time, teaching them little tidbits to improve. He helps the pitching staff even when he doesn't play.

    "He knows the game of baseball," his former manager, Johnny Oates says. "But perhaps even more importantly, he knows how to treat people. That's something you can't teach. He knows how to get the most out of people."

  • When on the road, Haselman goes online on his laptop computer to research the stock market. "I've played cribbage online before, with people I don't even know. It's wild," Bill said.

  • He likes to debate a lot, saying his favorite foils are Frank Catalanotto and Gabe Kapler. "We debate a lot. They can give a really good exchange of ideas."

  • January, 2004: Haselman signed with the Orioles organization. But they released him near the end of spring training because of declining skills.
Pitching
BATTING: Billy has a great body & tremendous power potential. He is an aggressive hitter

Tough righthanded pitchers and breaking balls give him trouble. But he can smack that fastball. And he gets those breaking balls in the air, now

He hits best in tough situations.

Batting

  • Billy could turn on a fastball. He has a great body and good power. He was an aggressive hitter.
  • Tough righthanded pitchers and breaking balls gave him trouble. But he could nail lefthanders. He could smack that fastball. 

  • He hit best in tough situations.
Fielding

  • Haselman's hands and receiving skills were pretty good. His arm was merely average having rotator cuff problems in 1987. But he called a real good game and pitchers responded well to him.
  • As a freshman at UCLA, he was a quarterback and outfielder, then converted to catching in 1986. His fine atheleticism is apparent.

    WORKS WELL WITH PITCHERS

  • Bill did a great job of working and talking with pitchers during his off time, which he had a lot of with the Rangers, as backup to Pudge Rodriguez. Haselman was able to teach the Rangers pitching staff a thing-or-three about pitching. He had an excellent knowledge of how to work hitters, pitch sequences, etc.

  • He is renowned for his work with pitchers and his calming influence in the clubhouse.

  • Haselman understood that what he does best is think for his pitchers. He was known as a future manager who constantly studies hitters and the game, and he brings that encyclopedic knowledge into every contest.

  • In 2000, the Rangers ERA with Ivan Rodriguez catching was 5.96. With Haselman behind the plate, it was 4.61.

  • He was an excellent second-string catcher because he had a good disposition for handling playing irregularly.

  • In 2000, Bill caught 28 percent (13 of 47) runners who were trying to steal. In 2001, he improved it to 31 percent (15 of 49).

  • Bill no longer had a strong arm, due to elbow and shoulder surgery in 2001. So in May 2002, Rangers bullpen coach Jamie Quirk, a former catcher, worked on shortening up his throwing motion.

  • Haselman was taking an extra step and going in the direction of left side of the infield when throwing to second. By stepping toward second, he shortened up the throwing motion and reduced the amount of time it took him to get rid of the ball. It made a huge improvement. 
Running
  • POST-PLAYING CAREER POSITIONS:  In April, 2004, Haselman joined the Red Sox organization as a special assignment Scout and Instructor.
  • 2005: Bill joined the Red Sox coaching staff as Bullpen Coach. In 2006, Haselman became the first base Coach for Boston.

    After the 2006 season, Haselman left the Red Sox organization to pursue other opportunities.

  • 2010: Haselman returned to the game as Manager for Bakersfield (CAL-Rangers).
  • 2012: Bill was Manager for Inland Empire (CAL-Angels), through the 2013 season.
  • 2014: Haselman moved to the Dodgers organization as Manager for Great Lakes (MWL).
  • 2015: Bill moved up to Rancho Cucamonga (CAL-Dodgers) as Manager.
  • 2016: Haselman was Manager for the Oklahoma City Dodgers (PCL).
  • Jan 4, 2022: The Angels hired Haselman as MLB coach for the 2022 season 
Career Injury Report

  • 1987: Haselman had shoulder problems, caused by taking infield with the Rangers just after he signed his first pro pact.

    It had been a month since he'd finished his college season at UCLA, but he was convinced to throw and tried to impress the players and coaches. So, in November 1987, he had surgery to repair a slight tear in the rotator cuff. It was only about the size of an eraser.
  • 1992: Bill started the season in extended Spring Training after he bruised his ribs chasing a foul pop in an exhibition game.

  • June 1997: Haselman went on the D.L. after breaking his thumb on a wild pitch. He was reactivated in August.

  • September 2000: Bill underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder to repair a partial tear of the rotator cuff. He missed the end of the season.

  • 2001: He started the 2001 season on the D.L. with a right elbow problem. He was finally activated June 22.