What Happened to Joey Meyer?

Joey Meyer, who played at DePaul and later led the Blue Demons to seven NCAA tournament appearances during his 13-season coaching tenure, passed away at the age of 74 in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale. The cause of his death is unknown.

Making his major league debut with the Milwaukee Brewers on April 4, 1988, Meyer faced the transition from the minors to the majors.

Despite his formidable power in the minors, he encountered challenges in the big leagues. In his rookie season, he hit 11 home runs in 103 games but struggled with 88 strikeouts, surpassing his hit count. Notably, he made history on August 9, 1988, as the first and only player to hit a walk-off home run off the legendary Roger Clemens.

The 1989 season brought further challenges for Meyer, as he split time between the Brewers and the minor leagues, facing a struggle to replicate his minor league success at the major league level.

Despite his power, he found himself released after the season. A brief stint in Japan with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales followed, where he continued to display his home run prowess with 26 in 104 games.