Baseball is one sport that has a special place in the minds and hearts of many Americans. Similarly, Mike Gallego is one remarkable professional baseball coach who is now the bench coach of the Los Angeles Angels. Gallego, known for his defense throughout his playing career, has inspired many young people to pursue careers in sports.
As many baseball fans are interested to learn more about his professional career and personal life, we present Mike Gallego's biography with all the important details.
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Attended the University of California
Mike was born Michael Anthony Gallego on October 31, 1960, in Whittier, California, U.S. He is of Mexican descent and grew up alongside a supportive family. Unfortunately, since the athlete is not active on social media sites, little is known about Mike Gallego's parents and early life.
Relatively less is known about Mike Gallego's family and early childhood. Image Source: Social Media.
Talking about his educational background, Mike lettered in baseball and football while graduating from St. Paul High School. Later, he attended the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1978 to 1981, picking a history major.
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Mike Gallego Net Worth And Career
Just like how there is a start to everything, Mike, before serving as a coach, used to play baseball professionally. He represented the States at the 1979 Pan American Games. Now, let's look at some of the teams Gallego has played for alongside the salary he received.
Team | Total Years | Salary |
Oakland Athletics | 8 years | $1,672,500 |
New York Yankees | 3 years | $5,100,000 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 2 years | $300,000 |
Table Source: Baseball Reference.com
After his playing days, the sports persona served as a major league coach. In December 2004, Mike was named the Colorado Rockies' third base and infield coach. He was the third base coach for the Oakland Athletics from 2008 to August 25, 2015. Likewise, Gallego was announced as director of baseball development on November 25, 2015, for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. For the 2019 season, the Whittier native was promoted to third base coach and bench coach under Joe Maddon before the 2020 season.
From a successful playing and coaching career, Gallego must have amassed substantial money. Although Mike Gallego's net worth has not been revealed on the web, we can expect it to be a sizable figure considering his contracts with three organizations.
Besides, according to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for a bench coach in America is $47,701. Now that the Whittier native has been working as the Los Angeles Angels bench coach, he must earn significantly.
Another baseball figure with a booming professional career is Pedro Grifol. He is the current manager for the Chicago White Sox of MLB.
A Closer Look At Mike Gallego's Personal Life
Although Mike's profession demands a lot of attention and time, he always keeps his family first and gives them his undivided attention. Talking about his love life, the bench coach shares a thriving and enduring marriage with his partner, Caryn Gallego. Mike Gallego's wife is highly supportive, and he is grateful to have her.
Not just a committed husband, the Los Angeles Angels' defensive coordinator is also a proud and devoted father of three kids. Mike Gallego's children are Joe Gallego, Nicholas Anthony Gallego, and Ali Gallego. Among them, his two sons, Joe and Niko, are twins.
His eldest son, Nicholas, also known as Niko Gallego, has played for UCLA baseball and was promoted to team assistant coach in September 2021. Before that, in July 2010, he was signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Similarly, Mike's younger son, Joe, is a psychiatrist, while his youngest daughter, Ali, works at SAG- AFTRA. All his kids have now grown up, leading their professional careers, and are making him proud.
Overall, Mike has proven that he can assist infielders in developing their abilities and that his personality is one that head coaches want to have around. His current position as bench coach also suggests that he might become a head coach soon.
Trivia And Facts
- In the spring of 1983, he successfully battled testicular cancer.
- The coach stands at 5 feet 6 inches.
- Mr. Gallego is the uncle of Austin Barnes, the Los Angeles Dodgers catcher.