"Jerry's hallmark- a quiet consistency that goes unnoticed until you check the box score- led him to another .300 year in '82. Plus, his outfield play improved noticeably throughout the season as he flagged down many an extra-base hit in Death Valley.
The all-around skills of this 6-2, 185-pound native of Tyler, Texas should never be overlooked, even though Mumphrey isn't the flashy type.
'I don't hit for a lot of power,' he says, 'and you won't catch me going for the fences. But I get my base hits.' Indeed, Mumphrey's 143 hits last season placed him third only to Dave Winfield and Willie Randolph for the team lead in that department.
Last season, September was especially productive for Jerry, who averaged around the .370 mark for the month. That hot streak boosted his RBI total to 68, not bad for someone who missed nearly two months of the campaign with a fractured thumb.
No, unobtrusive Jerry may not be a superstar like Dave Winfield, but together, they have left and center fields locked up. And that's the way the Yankees like it."
-The New York Yankees Official 1983 Yearbook
"For the second consecutive season Mumphrey missed time with a major injury. He fractured his left thumb on May 9 in Seattle attempting a diving catch in the outfield. Despite missing 39 games, Jerry finished second on the club with 11 game winning RBIs and batted .300 for the second consecutive season. He hit .336 (44-for-131) with men in scoring position, third best on the club behind Wynegar and Piniella.
Jerry did not hit a home run in the first half of the season, then hit four homers from July 17-27 and finished the season with nine homers and 68 RBI, personal season career highs. He had two hitting streaks of more than 10 games, hitting in 12 straight from May 4- June 27 (sandwiched around his time on the disabled list) and in 11 straight from September 5-14 and had 42 multi-hit games, with three hits in a game nine times. A consistent batter at the plate, his batting average remained between .280 and .310 for most of the season.
Jerry was named to the Gulf Coast League All-Star team in 1971. In 1980 with San Diego, he finally became a regular center fielder and established a Padre record with 27 consecutive stolen bases from June 3 until caught by Bob Boone in Philadelphia on August 21. Jerry finished that season with 52 steals in 57 tries, joining Gene Richards (61) and Ozzie Smith (57) as the first trio from one team in National League history to steal over 50 bases in one season. He would have had a better 1981 season for the Yankees, but was slowed by two injuries. He missed 13 games with a pulled left thigh muscle and 15 games with a sprained left ankle. Jerry played well in the '81 ALCS, batting .500.
He has a lifetime stolen base percentage of .71% (142-for-201) and lifetime is a .300 hitter left-handed and .264 right-handed. 20 of his 27 lifetime homers have been hit left-handed.
Mumphrey earned 12 letters at Chapel High in Tyler, Texas. He was named all-district in baseball, football and basketball and was also on the track team. His hobbies are hunting and fishing."
-1983 New York Yankees Information Guide
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