"The comeback story of Eric Soderholm rivals that of Tommy John. Eric spent most of his early career in the Twins organization going up and down before becoming their regular third baseman in 1974 and 1975. He set a Twins record for fielding at third with a .969 percentage in 1975. Then misfortune struck! Eric partially tore the cartilage in his left knee then later broke his ribs in a construction accident.
But the comeback story begins while he was on the disabled list for all of 1976. Eric dedicated himself to a full recovery and underwent an extensive rehabilitation program. He later authored a book, 'Conditioning for Baseball,' about his rehabilitation program. During that year, he added bulk to his 5'11" frame and he became a powerful 202 pounds of dynamite.
Deciding to test the free agent waters, Soderholm became one of the biggest bargains in baseball history when he signed with the White Sox and proceeded to hit .280 with 25 home runs in 1977. Needless to say, he was the landslide winner as the A.L. Comeback Player of the Year.
After hitting 51 home runs in two-and-a-half years in Chicago, Eric was sent to Texas during the middle of last season. In an off-season deal, he was picked up by the Yankees. His valuable right-handed bat and good defensive ability will make Eric an important man as the Yankees strive to return to top form in the '80s."
-The New York Yankees Official 1980 Yearbook
"Soderholm split the 1979 season between the White Sox and Rangers. He started the season with the Sox, appearing in 56 games for them with a .232 average. Eric started off fast for the Sox and was batting as high as .312 on May 10. He had an eight-game hitting streak from April 14-22, going 13-for-33 (.394). He had three 3-hit games and a four-RBI game against the Rangers on May 5.
Eric was sent to the Rangers at the June 15 trading deadline in exchange for Ed Farmer and Gary Holle. He finished the year in Texas where he hit .272 in 63 games. Eric overall batted .261 with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs. He committed just seven errors in 284 chances, a .975 fielding percentage, which was second among American League third basemen.
Soderholm finished strong in Texas, hitting in eight straight games from August 5-11, going 12-for-33 (.364). He went hitless on August 12, then hit in another five straight, giving him a 13-of-14 streak which raised his average from .239 to .256.
Eric started his career in the Twins organization in 1968 at Orlando. After four years in the minors, he broke in with the Twins at the end of the 1971 season. He was named Florida State League Player of the Year in '68.
Soderholm spent the 1972 season with the Twins, then split 1973 between Tacoma and Minnesota. Eric proved to be a steady hitter for the Twins, batting .276 in 1974 and .286 in '75. He set an all-time Twins record for fielding in 1975 with a .969 percentage.
Then misfortune struck Eric, first with a partially torn cartilage in his left knee, and then with broken ribs as a result of a fall into a construction hole. He spent the entire 1976 season on the disabled list, yet he refused to believe that he would never play again and underwent an extensive rehabilitation program (he authored a book about his rehabilitation experiences called 'Conditioning for Baseball').
Eric played out his option with the Twins and was signed by the White Sox on November 26, 1976. He came back with the Sox in 1977, batting .280 with 25 home runs and was the landslide winner of the American League's Comeback Player of the Year award. Eric started off slow with the Sox in '78 as a result of some painful shin splints, but still got into 143 games and topped Chicago with 20 homers. He hit 51 homers in his two-and-a-half seasons in Chicago.
Eric credits his work in the Nautilus program with rebuilding his knee and is very involved now in weight and physical training. The Nautilus Company has produced a 20-minute film about his rehabilitation program and comeback.
Soderholm played American Legion ball in Miami where he grew up. He was baseball MVP at Miami's Coral Park High and earned All-City honors as a shortstop there. Eric went to South Georgia Junior College for two years and was an All-American junior college shortstop there. He also attended the University of Tampa, where he was a Physical Education major, and is 12 hours short of his degree. He's of Swedish ancestry.
Soderholm was the number one draft choice of the Twins in 1968. His younger brother Dale is an infielder in the Twins organization. Eric hit a homer in his second at-bat in the big leagues. He was a Yankee fan as a youngster."
-New York Yankees 1980 Media Guide
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