"The West Coast may have its hero, but the Yankees have their own fine, feathered friend. Fred Stanley, affectionately called 'Chicken' because of his unique style of running, doesn't worry about Ted Giannoulous stealing the show. Without a doubt, Chicken is one of New York's darlings.
Year in and year out, Chicken turns over the double play, pops his annual home run (even if it's down the FOWL line) and lays down the perfect sacrifice bunt. His ability to play all infield positions makes him one of the most valuable utility men in baseball.
So next time you're watching the 'other' bird playing up to the crowd and the umpires, take a long, hard look at number 11 and remember that he can take the starch out of the opposition without so much as ruffling a feather."
-The New York Yankees Official 1980 Yearbook
"Stanley once again proved his value to the Yankees as one of the outstanding utility infielders in baseball. He appeared in 57 games last year and played all four infield positions in addition to one game in left field.
Fred had three game-winning RBIs for the Yankees last year. He also had two home runs, and they were hit within six days of each other, one on August 16 against the Twins, and the other a three-run shot off Paul Splittorf that sealed a 6-2 Yankee come from behind win over the Royals. He had a four-game hit streak, August 16-19.
Stanley was the Yankees' number one shortstop in 1975 and 1976 and has served primarily as a backup for Bucky Dent the past three years in addition to backing up the other infield positions. He did a good job filling in Dent when Bucky missed time with a pulled hamstring in 1978. Fred started off well offensively in '78, batting as high as .276 in July. He batted a respectable .261 in 1977 but had his best season with the bat in 1976, his average reaching as high as .277
One of the few players who was with the club in the 'old' Yankee Stadium, Stanley has six Yankee home runs, two of them being grand slammers; his first was the last grand slam home run hit in the 'old' Yankee Stadium (September 8, 1973 against Milwaukee) and the other being hit off Mike Torrez of the Red Sox on June 20, 1978 to key a 10-4 Yankee win. His third Yankee homer won a ball game on July 2, 1977, when he connected for a two-run shot off John Hiller in the eighth inning to beat the Tigers 6-4. Last year was only the third time in his career that he has hit more than one home run in a season, the first being at Cleveland in 1971, and the second time was in the minors at Syracuse in 1973.
Known to his teammates as 'Chicken,' Fred was with the Pilots, Brewers, Indians and Padres before joining the Yankees. He was originally signed by the Houston organization in 1966 by Karl Kuehl, a former Yankee scout now coaching for the Twins.
Raised in Whittier, California, where he played Little League, Pony League and American Legion ball, Stanley played baseball, football, basketball and ran track in high school. He was the Player of the Year in baseball in '66 and was also an all-league high school football player that year. A business major in college and later a sergeant in the Army Reserve, Fred switch-hit briefly early in his career but is now strictly a right-hander. He enjoys golf, racquetball and hunting.
Fred went 3-for-3 against the California Angels in his first major league game. He lists his biggest thrill as playing in the ALCS and World Series for the first time in 1976.
He's of Swedish-Irish descent."
-New York Yankees 1980 Media Guide
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