Mike Cubbage

From The Met Wiki

Mike Cubbage was a player, coach and manager for the Mets. In the 1980s, he was as a utility infielder for the team and a manager in its minor league system. Cubbage was on the Mets' coaching staff (and an interim manager) from 1990 to 1996.

In 1981, Cubbage came to the Mets after seven seasons with the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins. He collected 17 hits in 67 games during the strike-shortened season. Mike hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to drive home the winning run as the Mets defeated the Cubs, 2-1, at Chicago on April 12. In a game at Montreal on April 26, he got a run-scoring double for his first hit as a Met. Cubbage tripled and scored the tying run in the Mets' eventual 3-2 win in 10 innings at Cincinnati on August 23. He also homered off the Expos' Jeff Reardon in his final major league at bat on October 3 at Shea Stadium.

For the rest of the 80s, Cubbage managed the Mets' affiliates at A-Little Falls, A-Lynchburg, AA-Jackson and AAA-Tidewater (based in Norfolk, Virginia.) In each of his eight seasons, Mike led his team to either a first or second place finish in the standings. Cubbage's Lynchburg team won the championship of the Carolina League in 1984.

Cubbage became the Mets' first base coach and hitting instructor in 1990. The next season, he was shifted to the third base lines and filled in as manager for the final seven games after Bud Harrelson was fired. The Mets had a record of 3-4 under Mike before he returned to his third base coaching duties in 1992. Cubbage was also a coaching staff member for the Astros and Red Sox from 1997 to 2003.