"Mick the Quick. One of the most popular Yankees and one of the most vocal, Rivers was the fourth-leading hitter in the league and covered the huge Yankee Stadium center field like a blanket. Born in Miami, he walks like an old man but runs as if he's being chased.
'When I go to spring training, I don't work on the bad things, I work on my good things. You can't improve what's bad.' Mickey credits Paul Blair with helping him improve his throwing.
'Do you know how many assists you have?' he was asked in June.
'About three,' he said.
'You have six,' he was told.
'That's better than three,' he decided."
-Phil Pepe, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1978 Edition
"It was a second straight super season for Mickey Rivers with the Yankees. Mickey is the leadoff hitter, the man who gets things started, and from that position he hit a career high .326, fourth best in the league.
While he didn't match his 1976 mark of 43 stolen bases (the most by a Yankee since George Stinnweiss's 55 in 1944), Mick the Quick provided more punch than in the previous year. He hit a career high 12 home runs and drove in 69 runs, an excellent total for a leadoff hitter.
Even though his steal total was down, Rivers' speed was evident as he patrolled the infamous 'Death Valley' center field in Yankee Stadium. He probably covers as much ground as any outfielder in the major leagues.
Mickey has improved his hitting each year, and there is little reason to doubt that 1978 will be an exception. Look for the man with the slow gait to the batter's box to warm things up as he ignites the Yankee attack."
-The New York Yankees Official 1978 Yearbook
1977 MOST VALUABLE (11th in American League MVP voting)
"Mickey had an outstanding season and made a late bid to steal off with the MVP honors. His .326 average was a career high as were his 12 homers and 69 RBI. As the Yankees' leadoff man, he was responsible for making the offense go. His speed and ability to be bothersome to opposing pitchers while on the bases are other intangibles which make him a most valuable player to his teammates."
-The New York Yankees Official 1978 Yearbook
AUGUST, 1977 YANKEE OF THE MONTH
"Mickey Rivers made a late pitch for American League Most Valuable Player honors by spearheading the Yankee hitting attack with a .405 average in August. It seemed when Rivers began hitting, the Yankees began winning. The fleet-footed center fielder also contributed five homers and 21 RBI for the month. His big game was August 23 versus the White Sox in which he went 5-for-5 with three RBI."
-The New York Yankees Official 1978 Yearbook
"It was a second straight super year for Mickey Rivers with the Yankees. Igniting things from the leadoff spot, Mickey hit a career high .326, fourth best in the American League, and his 184 hits were tenth best. Finishing 11th in the MVP voting, he had a career high in home runs with 12, including two in one game against the Brewers. Mickey proved to be a good clutch hitter with 69 RBIs, a good total from the leadoff spot, collected 10 game-winning RBIs and batted .388 with men on base. He led all Yankee outfielders with nine assists.
He had two four-hit days and one five-hit day last year, along with hitting streaks of 12 and 10 games. Mick hit safely in 48 of his final 56 games of the regular season. His average reached a high of .336 and was never under .300 after May 31.
Mickey finished third in the MVP voting in 1976. His 20-game hitting streak that year was the longest by a Yankee since 1942. He was a member of the 1976 All-Star team.
Rivers has daring speed on the bases. His 43 stolen bases in 1976 were the most by any Yankee since George Stirnweiss stole 44 in 1944. He was the league's base-stealing champ in 1975, stealing 70 in 86 attempts. Although his stolen base total fell to 22 last year, Mickey is considered a good bet to break Fritz Maisel's all-time Yankee record of 74 stolen bases in one season. For his career, Mick the Quick has stolen 191 bases in 248 attempts, a .770 percentage of success. He also covers a lot of ground in the Yankee Stadium center field.
Mickey hit over .300 in each of his five minor league seasons and has been over .300 in both years with the Yanks. A free swinger, Mickey has walked only 30 times over the last two seasons, yet he tied a Yankee record by grounding into only two double plays last year. He has won two triples titles in the American League, including one in 1974 when he missed five weeks with a broken wrist.
Rivers is a product of Northwestern High in Miami, lettering in baseball, football, basketball and track. He attended Miami Dade North Community College, signed with the Braves in 1969, then was dealt to the Angels in a deal that sent Hoyt Wilhelm (now pitching coach at the Yanks' Tacoma farm club) to the Braves.
Mickey was given the Golden Foot Award by the American Footwear Society at their luncheon this winter."
-New York Yankees 1978 Media Guide
No comments:
Post a Comment