"The Yanks would have been hurting without him. Signed as a free agent after Boston let him walk away, Watson was the leading Yankee hitter among the regulars. He spent his entire career in the Astros organization before he was traded to the Red Sox amidst a contract dispute. He was one of the most consistent hitters in Houston history.
Born in Los Angeles, Bob once drove in runs in nine consecutive games. He began his career as a catcher but moved to the outfield, and later to first base. He can also DH, of course.
Extremely durable, Watson rarely gets hurt. He was a sergeant in the Marine Corps."
-Jim Hawkins, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1981 Edition
"The last time we left big Bob Watson was 1980 and we were welcoming him to his first season as a New York Yankee. Well, a year later it seems that the giant has heard the cheers of the crowd. By hitting a team high .307, the man called the Bull said 'thank you.' But added to that by smacking 11 game-winning RBIs, playing a fine first base and spending much of his time in the off-season doing what he does best: satisfying the fans.
The Yankees acquired the 6'2", 210-pound giant from the Boston Red Sox stable when they let him roam the free agent market. And like any Bull worth his weight, Bob found greener pastures in Yankee Stadium when he signed with the Bombers. His background includes 13-plus seasons with the Houston Astros where he played in two All-Star Games, scored the one millionth run in baseball history and batted over .300 for four seasons. In fact, Bob's lifetime average coming into the '81 season is exactly at the .300 mark.
Yankee fans will be happy to see the gentleman with number 28 on his back produce similar numbers as he begins his second season in pinstripes. Never one to let down his fans and teammates, you can be sure to check the Yankee box scores this summer. If the Yankees are producing, you'll be sure it's the Bull breaking some fine china ... and some windows outside ballparks all over the American League."
-The New York Yankees Official 1981 Yearbook
"Watson led the Yankees in hitting (.307) in 1980, the tenth best average in the league, and is now a career .300 hitter. His 68 RBIs were third on the club behind Jackson and Cerone, and his 11 game-winning RBIs were second on the club to Jackson. Twice during the year he had five RBIs in a game and had a two-homer game.
Bob was very steady all year despite injuries, and his average never dipped below .291. He was hampered from May 10 on by a badly bruised middle finger in his left hand and also suffered a slight right hamstring pull in June. Bob nevertheless played in 130 games, the sixth highest total on the club. Starting August 19, he hit five home runs in his next nine starts and was robbed of two others when the balls he hit got caught in the speakers in the Kingdome.
Bob surprised many with his fine defensive play, as he committed just nine errors and fielded .990. He also made the most of his first postseason opportunity, leading the Yankees by hitting .500 (6-for-12) with three doubles and a triple in the ALCS.
Originally signed as a free agent by the Astros in 1965, Bob started at Salisbury that year and in 1966 came up to the majors to appear in one game. He had his first full Astro season in 1970.
Bob holds the Astro career mark in RBIs, is second in hits, average, doubles and games played, third in runs, at-bats, home runs, total bases and extra-base hits, and fourth in slugging percentage. He set an Astro club record and a personal high with 110 RBIs in 1977, and his best average year was 1975 when he hit .324 and was named Astro MVP by the Houston BBWAA. Bob had a 19-game hitting streak in 1973, was a member of the National League All-Star team in '73 and '75 and set an Astro club record in June 1978, driving a run in nine consecutive games.
He was traded to the Red Sox in June 1979 for Bobby Sprowl, Pete Ladd and cash, and was hitting just .239 at the time of the trade. Bob hit .337 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs in 84 games for the Sox, making his season totals .303, 16 home runs and 71 RBIs. He hit for the cycle on September 24, 1979 at Baltimore after he had previously done it for the Astros on June 24, 1977; Bob is the only player in history to hit for the cycle in both leagues.
Bob began his career as a catcher but has played only first, the outfield and DH since 1974. He has had only one stint on the DL, in 1968 when he suffered a broken ankle. He has appeared in at least 130 games every year since 1972.
Watson grew up in Los Angeles where he was all-city in both baseball and football. He attended Los Angeles Harbor JC where he was All-American in baseball. He served in the Marines as a sergeant.
Bob scored the one millionth run in baseball history back in 1974. He likes jazz music and fishing."
-New York Yankees 1981 Media Guide
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