HITTING
"A Yankee attack that produced the second highest team batting average (.276) and fourth highest total of runs scored (758) in the AL last season should be even better in 1985 with the addition of Rickey Henderson from the A's. Henderson, who hit .293, led the AL in steals for the fifth year in a row with 66 in 1984. He is also a power threat as witnessed by his career 16 homers last year. And he's only 26.
Henderson is the perfect man to sit atop a Yankee lineup that is solid down the middle with Don Mattingly (.343, 23 homers, 110 RBI) and Dave Winfield (.340, 19 homers, 100 RBI), who finished one-two in the AL batting race, as well as DH Don Baylor (27 homers, 89 RBI).
Willie Randolph (.287) can now drop to the No. 2 position in the order, where he should benefit from hitting between Henderson and Mattingly. And with Bobby Meacham hitting ninth, the Yankees can string together three consecutive speedsters who can create havoc on the bases.
Now, if solid-hitting catcher Butch Wynegar remains strong enough to play approximately 140 games, the Yankees will again be able to call themselves the Bronx Bombers."'
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1985 Edition
PITCHING
"So much for the doubters. Converted starter Dave Righetti may not have liked pitching out of the bullpen, but the Yankees certainly liked the job he did (31 saves, 2.34 ERA). Somebody, however, will have to emerge to fill the void created by the inclusion of setup man Jay Howell in the package that brought Henderson from Oakland.
There is reason for hope that the rotation will be strong, but also reason for doubt. Phil Niekro (16-8, 3.09) had a fast start but a slow finish (5-4, 5.06 in the second half). Ron Guidry's 21 complete games in 1983 seemed to take a toll on his left arm last season, when he finished only five and posted a 10-11 record and a 4.51 ERA, the highest mark of his distinguished career. At age 34, can he bounce back?
Rookies Dennis Rasmussen (9-6, 4.57) and Joe Cowley (9-2, 3.56) made big impressions, but will they be as impressive the second time around? And will John Montefusco and Marty Bystrom every stay healthy for a full season? The addition of ex-Padre Ed Whitson (14-8, 3.24) via free agency should help."
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1985 Edition
FIELDING
"Mattingly may not have been voted a Gold Glove, but he is as good as gold at first base. Winfield is a premier right fielder. But what about Henderson? He was a solid left fielder for the A's but can he make the move to center? He has the speed to play out there, of course, but there are still some adjustments and they won't be easy. Shortstop Meacham is solid, but third basemen Mike Pagliarulo and Dale Berra are ordinary. One of the better second basemen in the league, Randolph has lost several steps."
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1985 Edition
OUTLOOK
"It is obvious that the Yankees, coming off an 87-75 season that was salvaged in the second half, are still playing the game one year at a time. They gutted their farm system to get Henderson, giving up four of their top five prospects.
Owner George Steinbrenner has stayed in the background for the past year, but if the Yankees don't step into the forefront early, heads will begin rolling again at Yankee Stadium. He's letting GM Clyde King and manager Yogi Berra do it their way- for now."
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1985 Edition
"New York's 1984 season ended in confusion, poor hitting and little starting pitching. And that was just through May.
For the rest of the season, the Yankees finally let their kids get a taste of the big time, conceding the AL East to the Tigers. While youngsters such as Joe Cowley, Jay Howell, Mike Pagliarulo, Vic Mata, Bobby Meacham, Dennis Rasmussen and Brian Dayett were allowed to display their wares, a pair of Yankee Doodle Dandy hitters were staging a remarkable battle for the AL batting title.
The team had sunk so low- thanks greatly to the meddling of owner George M. Steinbrenner- that team achievements were overshadowed by the nip-and-tuck race for glory staged by Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield.
Without any apparent malice, with total professionalism and even a common bond that few of us could comprehend, they seesawed in and out of the lead.
On the final day of the season, Mattingly- fittingly- went 4-for-5 to secure the batting title. He wound up at .343 with 91 runs, a league high 207 hits, 44 doubles (also No. 1 in the league), 23 homers, 110 ribbies (tied for fifth), a .537 slugging percentage (No. 2), .381 on-base percentage and the plaudits of baseball observers everywhere.
Winfield ended up at .340 with 106 runs, 193 hits, 34 doubles, 19 homers and 100 RBI.
Expect Winfield and Mattingly to be the centerpieces of Yogi Berra's team this year, too. Yes, Steinbrenner has deemed it fitting that Berra return, especially in light of New York's surging second half, when the Yankees won 59 games for the best 81-game record in the majors.
But it might be lightning-quick outfielder Rickey Henderson who might steal the show. The Yankees picked up the speedster from Oakland for Howell, Jose Rijo, Stan Javier and a pair of promising pitchers.
Henderson, the only man to steal 100 bases three times in the majors, adds a new dimension to New York's offense- speed. He'll score lots of runs and drive pitchers crazy.
Not many other veterans can feel safe. Despite hitting .287 with 86 runs, second baseman Willie Randolph is on the trading block. So are infielder Toby Harrah (.217) and outfielders Ken Griffey (.273) and Omar Moreno (.259, 20 steals).
Berra was happy with the showings of Pagliarulo (third base), Meacham (shortstop) and Mata (center field). They probably will start, though the Yankees still carry hopes that Andre Robertson will make a comeback from a near fatal auto accident of two years back.
Don Baylor (27 homers, 89 RBI) is a classy DH and team leader, one of the few free agents who has paid off for Steinbrenner.
The hitting came around for New York last year, and the Bronx Bombers were second in the AL with a .276 average, even if they were weak on the long ball (only 130 homers, with Mattingly, Baylor and Winfield accounting for 70).
The pitching didn't get going- except for Phil Niekro and reliever Dave Righetti- until it was too late. The Yanks were ranked third in the AL with a .3.78 ERA but that's deceiving.
Just as deceiving as Niekro's flutterball. The oldest player in the majors at 45, Niekro was 16-8, 3.09 with 136 K's in 216 innings and made the Braves look awfully silly for dumping him.
'Heck, I'm just reaching my prime,' he joked. 'I might be out there throwing the knuckleball when I'm 50.'
Righetti, transformed from a starter, went 5-6, 2.34 with 31 saves and 90 strikeouts in 96 innings. When Berra forgot about weak-armed vets Dale Murray and Mike Armstrong and turned to Howell as his other reliever, the big righty responded by going 9-4 with seven saves and 109 strikeouts in 104 innings.
Cowley pitched less than a half-season but went 9-2. Guidry was a vast disappointment at 10-11, 4.51 and his future is cloudy without Louisiana Lightning. The new fireballer from the left side is Rasmussen (9-6, 110 K's).
There should be a lot more to hold Yankee fans' interest than the batting race this year."
-Barry Wilner, Major League Baseball Yearbook 1985
"PROBLEMS: Problems, yet Yankee youngsters started a winning spark when they began to replace high-priced veterans after the mid-year All-Star break. The club fought back from this tough division's tail end to finish a strong third, almost catching Toronto in the season's final week.
Manager Yogi Berra will be back, at least for a while. He and owner George Steinbrenner spent the winter seeking solutions for a horrible center field situation, help for the starting rotation, and quality depth for the very thin infield troops.
PITCHING: Ageless Phil Niekro with his knuckleball was an early season savior for the then-faltering pinstripers. Yet Niekro fared poorly in the last half of the campaign, and he is given only a chancy shot at staying in the everyday rotation. Ron Guidry had his worst season in the majors and must come back sharply if he's to remain as a regular.
Kids Dennis Rasmussen and Joe Cowley were great in the stretch, joining Niekro and Guidry in starting roles. John Montefusco pitched well after coming back from an auto injury, but at 35 the right-hander is a questionable commodity. If no trade is made, rookie Clay Christiansen will get a longer look this spring at making the roster.
Dave Righetti dispelled all doubts about his switch to the bullpen, saving 31 games- the third highest save total in Yankee history. He prefers to start, but will probably stay with the relief corps unless Steinbrenner gets a Sutter or a Hernandez.
Ex-Cub Rich Bordi will be asked to help in the bullpen now that Ray Fontenot, Jay Howell and Jose Rijo are gone in last winter's trading. The Yanks picked up their needed center fielder in Rickey Henderson but the pitching is now highly suspect.
HITTING: Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield were one-two in the AL batting stats, while Butch Wynegar, Willie Randolph and DH Don Baylor supplied above average stick work. Though the club was second in the AL in team batting, run production suffered from the lack of a good leadoff man. Rickey Henderson will definitely resolve this problem, and Yogi's son, Dale Berra, will help as a platoon player at third.
There is a power shortage, however. Other than Mattingly, Winfield, Baylor and the departed Oscar Gamble, no Yank hit for homers in double figures. RBI totals for the infield were woeful.
INFIELD: Bobby Meacham proved conclusively that he's ready to take over at short, pairing well with veteran Randolph on the double play. No pop in his bat, but he's a better hitter than many other of today's major league shortstops.
Dale Berra will rotate with last year's rookie find Mike Pagliarulo at third. Pagliarulo was swifter at third than long-gone Roy Smalley, and Berra is better at third than as a shortstop- a position he had to play in Pittsburgh. Toby Harrah is still on hand if needed. There's pretty good depth and insurance now since Berra and Harrah can play short if necessary.
Moved from the outfield to first, Mattingly is a fixture and one of the bright young stars in the game. Baylor and outfielder Ken Griffey can relieve at first on occasion.
Wynegar is steady behind the plate and is solidly backed by former Cub Ron Hassey.
OUTFIELD: The outfield situation is still questionable even with the acquisition of Henderson. Rickey played left in Oakland and was unable to perform satisfactorily in center on a couple occasions when Dwayne Murphy was hurt. He will now have to do the job in New York.
Dave Winfield is a great right fielder, and he hits with proven authority. Ken Griffey was the left fielder for much of August and September, but could lose his job to youngsters Henry Cotto or Jay Buhner, who came as 'throw ins' in a couple of New York winter trades. With Kemp and Oscar Gamble gone, the depth is not strong beyond deposed center fielder Omar Moreno.
PROGNOSIS: The new Yankees are a coming and hungry club. Yet the holes and the unproven starting pitching keep most of the game's experts from picking them as serious contenders.
Still, one solid trade or the pickup of a free agent pitcher of the calibre of San Diego's Ed Whitson could do a lot to change the prospects quickly.
The guess is for a 4th place finish in a very tight pack with Boston, Detroit and Toronto."
-Tommy Kay's Big Book of Baseball 1985
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