1981 Profile: Rick Cerone

"Called upon to fill the position left vacant by the tragic death of Thurman Munson and did remarkably well. Cerone was one of the most valuable players on the team. Extremely productive at the plate and an iron man behind it, he throws as well as any catcher in the league.
Three times Tiger manager Sparky Anderson walked Graig Nettles with first base open to pitch to Rick and three times Rick came through with clutch hits, two singles and a grand slam. Several days later Toronto manager Bobby Mattick made the same mistake with the same result. When will they ever learn?
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Cerone was the No. 1 draft pick of the Indians in '74. He was acquired by the Yanks in a trade with Toronto."

-Jim Hawkins, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1981 Edition

"The Chairman of the Board sings 'New York, New York' and the partisan packed house at Yankee Stadium cheers their loudest for the Big Apple's latest hometown hero. No, Joe Pepitone hasn't gotten back into uniform, but a fellow paisan has struck a sweet note.
He wears number 10, models jeans with the same identification, plays with a ferocity all his own and enjoys the fine life of a Yankee bachelor. Rick Cerone, the Seton Hall star, hails from Newark, New Jersey and becomes the latest local star the Yankees can call their own.
After coming to New York in a multi-player deal on the first of November in 1979, Rick immediately made his presence known. Teammates enjoyed his casual demeanor off the field but came to respect his rigid approach between the chalk lines. Yankee fans everywhere enjoyed his .277 batting average, 10 game-winning RBIs and 85 total runs batted in. Defensively, the Italian Stallion enjoyed a banner season throwing out 47 runners of 99 who attempted to steal. Statistics this good earned Rick a berth on the Associated Press, United Press International and Sporting News All-Star teams. Statistics this good can only push the 26-year-old catcher to an even more sensational sophomore Yankee season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1981 Yearbook

"Cerone responded to a pressure-filled first Yankee season by being named to the UPI and Sporting News American League All-Star teams. One of the Yanks' most valuable players in 1980, he finished seventh in the league MVP voting behind George Brett, Reggie Jackson, Rich Gossage, Willie Wilson, Cecil Cooper and Eddie Murray, and received one first place vote.
Rick led the Yankees in games played with 147, all but one as the starting catcher, and finished second to Jackson in RBIs with 85, four more than his previous two years combined. He hit .315 with men in scoring position.
He started slowly and was hitting just .202 on May 19, but hit .300 the rest of the way. Rick's best day was May 26, when he drove in six runs, including his first career grand slam; all six RBIs came after the man in front of him was intentionally walked. He was 6-for-11 with 14 RBIs hitting after the man in front of him was intentionally walked. Rick hit .381 with three homers and 13 RBIs against Toronto and drove in 11 runs against both Kansas City and Minnesota.
Defensively, he started the first 54 games before taking a rest. Rick easily led the league by throwing out 47% of potential base stealers (47 of 99) and was second to Jim Sundberg in chances and assists.
Cleveland's No. 1 selection in the June 1974 draft, Cerone was called up on August 15, 1975 after just 46 games in the minors. He appeared in only seven big-league games for the Indians, getting his first big league hit off Paul Splittorf on August 22. Rick started the next season at Toledo, was called up after an injury to Alan Ashby and again appeared in seven games. He was the International League All-Star catcher that year. He was traded to the Blue Jays that December with John Lowenstein for Rico Carty.
Rick was the Jays Opening Day catcher in 1977 but broke his thumb five days into the season. He went to Charleston to get in shape and celebrated his return with a home run off Nellie Briles. He ended Mitchell Page's consecutive base stealing streak at 26. In 1978, Rick ended Ron LeFlore's streak at 27. That was his first full season in the big leagues, and he finished strong, hitting .302 for August.
He came into his own in 1979, driving in 61 runs, including six game-winners, and hitting 27 doubles. Rick was hitting just .219 at the All-Star break but hit .261 the rest of the way to finish at .239. He was voted the most improved player by the Toronto BBWAA.
A local product, he grew up in Newark and had an outstanding career at Seton Hall, where he was a two-time All-American and played in the College World Series in 1974 and 1975. Rick hit .410 his senior year ('75) with a school-record 15 homers, 64 RBIs and 125 total bases. He had a .362 career average at the Hall. Rick made Academic All-American in 1975 and holds a B.S. in physical education. He was also on the fencing team.
Cerone played baseball, football and fenced at Essex Catholic High School. As a quarterback he threw 13 touchdown passes for a 6-0-2 team. He enjoys golf, racquetball and photography. Rick was nicknamed the 'Italian Stallion' by broadcaster Phil Rizzuto and has been active in raising funds for the Italian earthquake victims."

-1981 New York Yankees Media Guide