1984 Profile: Omar Moreno

"For 50 years they said Ty Cobb's record of 96 stolen bases in a single season was as untouchable as Elliot Ness- but Maury Wills, Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson annihilated that record.
Guess which center fielder on the New York Yankees also stole 96 bases in a single season with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1980?
No, that's not fair ... you know we're talking about Omar Moreno because you see his picture near this story. Moreno is a player who likes to play- obviously- but a player who can handle pressure. Many people claim he was the most important all-around player on the World Champion Pirates of 1979. Right now, he's only 31 and has the perfect build for a center fielder. He's lean and lanky, with the legs of a roadrunner.
He may not play every day in manager Yogi Berra's scheme of things, but it is so much more comforting to have him on the bases on YOUR side than on the opposing team's side. He will steal at the drop of a sign. He will first-to-third the opposition to death.
Any hitting he does is a plus, and once he starts slapping grounders past drawn-in first and third basemen, there is no telling where you will find him- at first, second or third. They say he can't hit left-handed pitching, but he slammed a three-run homer off lefty Ed Vande Berg of the Mariners on August 24.
He has the quiet confidence off all great center fielders, and when Yankee pitchers look out and see him in center, they know they can give up an occasional long ball- because the ball that Moreno cannot outrun has not yet been invented- by the Chinese or the Russians."

-The New York Yankees Official 1984 Yearbook

"Moreno began 1983 with the Astros and was traded to the Yankees for Jerry Mumphrey on August 10. On August 19 against California he was 3-for-4 with three RBI and on August 24 against Seattle was 3-for-4 with four RBI including his first American League homer (off Ed Vande Berg).
Omar had been a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization for 14 years before signing with the Houston Astros as a free agent in December 1982. He began his career in 1969 but did not reach the majors until the end of the 1975 season. Omar played in every game for the Pirates in 1979, 1980 and 1981. He dislocated the little finger in his left hand in July 1980 and underwent corrective surgery following the end of the season.
A native of Panama, Omar has played winter ball in Venezuela."

-1984 New York Yankees Information Guide