"This is his fifth season as a major league regular, yet when the 1980 season began Willie Randolph was only 25 years old. He's grown up with the Yankee resurgence of the late '70s and he's been a vital cog in leading the Yankees back to the top.
Willie's matured considerably since he was a 21-year-old rookie in 1976. He's also quietly become a leader on the club. With his ability to get on base, hit-and-run, sacrifice and steal, he is one of the keys to the Yankee offense. At the plate, he does all the little things well and he's getting better as evidenced by all the personal highs he set last season: hits, RBIs, runs, triples, home runs, walks, steals and games played.
In addition to his important contributions to the Yankee offense, Willie is just as important to the defense. He teams with Bucky Dent to give the Yankees a fine, young double play combination and he helps anchor a defense that led the A.L. in fielding last year, after finishing second the year before.
This Brooklyn native who goes about his business with a quiet confidence is an extremely valuable team member ... and he can only get better with time."
-The New York Yankees Official 1980 Yearbook
"Randolph enjoyed an injury-free year and posted career high totals in games, at-bats, runs, hits, triples, home runs, RBIs and walks. He led the club in games, at-bats, runs, triples, walks and stolen bases while tying for the club lead in hits.
Willie tied for third in the American League in triples with 13, the most by a Yankee since Tommy Henrich's 14 in 1948. He was fourth in walks (95), tenth in stolen bases (32), 13th in runs (98) and 15th in on-base percentage (.376).
He had four hits in a game on three different occasions. After Mickey Rivers was traded, Willie became the catalyst for the Yankees by getting on base and with his ability to steal.
Willie led all A.L. second basemen in putouts (355), assists (478), chances (846) and double plays (128). He committed only 13 errors in anchoring the Yanks' league leading defense, and finished at .985, just .003 behind league leader Duane Kuiper. Willie teams with Bucky Dent to give the Yankees one of the best young double play combinations in baseball.
Willie has spent four full seasons in the majors, despite starting this season at only 25 years old. Last year was the first time that a major league club he has been on failed to qualify for postseason play, and last year was the most injury-free season he has had.
In 1978, he suffered a bruised left knee and a pulled left hamstring. The hamstring, pulled on September 29, kept him out of the playoffs and World Series. Despite the injuries he still hit .279, finished fifth in the league in on-base percentage (.385) and led the team with 82 walks. Willie had a five-RBI game against Boston on September 7, 1978, and was also named to the A.P. and U.P.I. All-Star teams.
In 1977, he kept the injuries to a minimum although he missed some games with a bruised right thumb and a sore right knee. Following that season he was named to the A.P., U.P.I. and Sporting News All-Star teams.
His injuries during his rookie year of 1976 consisted of a right shoulder injury and an injury to the outside of his right knee which required some minor surgery following the season. Willie still was the first rookie ever listed on the All-Star ballot. He also won the James P. Dawson Award as the outstanding rookie in the Yanks' spring training camp that year, and following the season was named to the Topps Rookie All-Star team.
Randolph has stolen 118 bases in 155 attempts as a Yankee, a .761 percentage. He ranks 15th among the all-time Yankee stolen base leaders.
Willie was named to the A.L. All-Star team in '76 but was replaced due to an injury. He started the All-Star Game in '77, played all nine innings, and set a record for most assists by a second baseman with six.
Originally drafted by the Pirates in the seventh round of the June 1972 Free Agent Draft, Randolph was called up in 1975 when he was leading the International League in hitting. He didn't play much behind Rennie Stennett, but the scouts knew he was a top prospect and he was a key man in the trade with the Pirates. He played winter ball in Venezuela in 1975.
Although he was born in South Carolina, Willie and his family moved to the Brownsville section of Brooklyn when he was just a baby. He played stickball in the streets and in the fields of Canarsie and baseball at Tilden High School. Willie has three brothers and a sister. His brother Terry was drafted in the 11th round by the Green Bay Packers as a defensive back in 1977 and spent 1979 with the Jets on the injured reserve list."
-New York Yankees 1980 Media Guide
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