Mel Queen was a professional baseball player and coach who had a long and varied career in the sport. He was born in Johnson City, Tennessee in 1942 and grew up playing baseball in the local leagues. He was signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1964 and began his professional career as a pitcher.
Queen played for several minor league teams before making his major league debut with the Reds in 1968. He played for the Reds for three seasons before being traded to the California Angels in 1971. He played for the Angels for two seasons before being traded again, this time to the Kansas City Royals.
Queen played for the Royals for three seasons before retiring as a player in 1975. He then began his coaching career, working as a pitching coach for several minor league teams before being hired by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1980. He worked as a pitching coach for the Blue Jays for several years before being promoted to manager in 1984.
Queen managed the Blue Jays for two seasons before being fired in 1986. He then worked as a coach for several other teams, including the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox. He also worked as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles and as a minor league pitching coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Throughout his career, Queen was known for his expertise in pitching. He was credited with helping to develop several successful pitchers, including Dave Stieb, Jimmy Key, and Juan Guzman. He was also known for his fiery personality and his willingness to speak his mind, which sometimes got him into trouble with team management.
Despite his successes as a coach and scout, Queen's career was not without controversy. In 1992, he was arrested for possession of cocaine and was subsequently suspended by the Pirates. He later admitted to struggling with addiction and sought treatment for his substance abuse issues.
Queen retired from baseball in 1997 and returned to his hometown of Johnson City, where he worked as a volunteer coach for local youth baseball teams. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 68. Despite the ups and downs of his career, Queen was widely respected in the baseball community for his knowledge and passion for the sport.
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