"Baylor was a hit in more ways than one last season. He likes to crowd the plate and was hit by a pitch 23 times, shattering the club record of 15 set by Frankie Crosetti in 1938. Baylor also led the Yankees in home runs and was third on the club in RBI. He tied for seventh in the AL with 13 game winning RBI, but could have had a bigger year than that because he hit only .235 with runners in scoring position.
This former outfielder has played only six games in the field the last two years, concentrating instead on being the designated hitter. His platoon status disturbed him in 1984.
He was selected AL MVP in 1979 after leading the league in RBI for California. Baylor signed with the Yankees as a re-entry free agent prior to the 1983 season.
Baylor originally signed with Baltimore as a second round pick in the 1967 draft, turning down a football scholarship to Texas. He attended Miami Dade JC and Blinn JC. He was dealt from the Orioles to Oakland as part of the deal that sent Reggie Jackson to Baltimore in 1976.
Born in Austin, Texas, Don is an old pro whose bat keeps right on ticking."
-Tracy Ringolsby, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1985 Edition
"Yankees D.H. Don Baylor must sometimes feel like a target in a canvas tent at a roadside carnival- he's always being pelted by baseballs. In fact, at the start of the season Baylor was only 22 shy of the A.L. record (189) for times being hit by a pitch. It's not that Baylor has slow reflexes. On the contrary, he has excellent reflexes (he can pull any pitcher in the league). He also has a quick mind. Baylor knows getting hit by a pitch eventually hurts the pitchers more than the batter.
He does whatever it takes to win. Baylor is willing to sacrifice and hustle for his team whether he's breaking up a double play or taking an extra base when the defense takes a nap. But he'll hurt you most at the plate.
The former A.L. MVP can hit for average and power and he's especially tough when the game is on the line. In two years with the Yankees, Don has batted .283 with 48 home runs and 174 RBI. Pitchers should take note: as a target, Baylor is very dangerous."
-The New York Yankees Official 1985 Yearbook
"Baylor was a mainstay at designated hitter, appearing in 127 games as a DH and hitting .262 with 25 homers, 85 RBI, a .482 slugging percentage and a .340 on-base percentage. He led the club by being hit-by-pitch 23 times, overtaking Bert Daniels' club record of 18 set in 1912 and 1913, and came within one of the AL single season record of 24 set by Norm Elberfeld in 1911 and Bill Freehan in 1968. Baylor also led the team with 27 home runs overall and was third with 13 game winning RBIs.
He got off to a slow start, hitting .216 in April, but homered twice in the same game on April 25 at Minnesota and again on June 12 at Boston, with five RBIs in the June 12 game. Don hit an inside-the-park home run on June 4 against Boston off Bob Ojeda, and homered in each end of an August 10 doubleheader at Cleveland.
Baylor hit a home run in each game of a three-game series at Seattle, May 22-24, and with Winfield and Mattingly hit three consecutive homers on May 29 in the sixth inning. He hit career home run 250 on June 26 off Detroit's Sid Monge. Don started three games in right field and one in left field.
Don enjoyed his best season in 1979 when he was named the American League's MVP, leading the league with 139 RBI, 120 runs and 162 games played while batting a career high of .296 with career highs of 186 hits, 33 doubles and 36 homers. During his six seasons with California, he hit 141 home runs, becoming the Angels all-time career home run leader; he ranks among the Angels top 10 in 10 different offensive categories.
Following 1979, he played in only 90 games in 1980, slowed by a fractured left wrist and a dislocated middle toe on his left foot. In 1982 he helped lead California to the AL West Division title and led the AL with 21 game-winning RBIs.
Baylor enjoyed a successful premier season with the Yankees in 1983. Used primarily as a designated hitter, he led the team in doubles, stolen bases and hit-by-pitch. Don hit over .300- a career first- and won an American League Silver Bat as a DH.
Don was originally signed by the Orioles in 1967, and in 1970 was named Minor League Player of the Year. After four full seasons with Baltimore he was traded to Oakland as part of a deal including Reggie Jackson. Don played out his option with the A's in 1976, signing a six-year contract with California that fall. He served as the Angels player representative for three seasons. Don has been hit-by-pitch 167 times in his career, just 22 shy of the AL record of 189 held by Minnie Minoso.
A native of Austin, Texas, he attended Miami Dade Junior College and Blinn Junior College (Brenham, TX). For the last six seasons Don has been instrumental in raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and was the 1985 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award."
-1985 New York Yankees Information Guide
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