1986 Profile: Dave Winfield

1986 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"Winfield enjoyed a truce in the war of words with George Steinbrenner until the Yankees owner popped off during a key September series against Toronto and called him 'Mr. May.'
His average dipped 65 points from its 1984 level but he drove in 114 runs, the third highest total in the AL. Winfield became the first Yankee to drive in 100 or more runs in four consecutive seasons since Yogi Berra in 1953-56 and became the first Yankee to drive in 100 runs and score 100 runs in two straight seasons since Joe DiMaggio in 1941-42. He committed only three errors in right field for a .991 fielding percentage, the fourth best mark among outfielders who played at least 140 games, and had 13 assists. He had 19 game winning RBI in 1985.
Winfield never played a minor league game. San Diego made him the fourth player picked overall in the June 1973 draft. He signed a 10-year contract with the Yankees as a re-entry free agent prior to the 1981 season and helped the Yankees to the AL pennant in '81, but hit .045 in six World Series games.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Winfield attended the University of Minnesota. He was drafted by the Padres in baseball, the Minnesota Vikings in football, and the Utah Stars (ABA) and Atlanta Hawks (NBA) in basketball."

-Tom Verducci, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1986 Edition

"'I'm always being criticized for one thing or another, but I maintain I'll put my numbers on the board by the end of the year and do what I can to help my teammates. You don't become an automatic star because you put on a Yankee uniform. You have to earn your way to the top.' And Dave Winfield has.
In 1985 he knocked in more than 100 runs for the fourth consecutive year to become the first Yankee player to accomplish that feat since Yogi Berra (1953-56). Winfield also finished in the A.L.'s top in five offensive categories and won his sixth career Gold Glove. The cannon-armed right fielder has never stopped producing since joining the Yankees in 1981. He produces because he tries. A lack of effort has never been his problem.
'Whenever he's out there, he's giving 150 per cent,' teammate Ron Guidry said. 'Here's a guy that's 6'6" who runs into walls, dives, charges the ball, is always in the games and has a great arm.'
Winfield says let the critics talk. He knows he can play ball. 'Mentally, you can accomplish just about anything you want,' he says, 'and mentally I'm as tough as anyone in the game. I'll do whatever it takes to win.'"

-The New York Yankees Official 1986 Yearbook

"Dave recorded yet another outstanding year at the plate, with the glove and on the basepaths. He was second in the American League with 19 game winning RBI, third with 114 RBI, tied for seventh with 66 extra base hits, ninth with 105 runs, 10th with 298 total bases and scored his 1,000th career run on July 26 at Texas. Dave recorded 100+ RBI for the fourth straight year, the first Yankee [to do this] since Yogi Berra (1953-56), was the first Yankee to score 100+ runs in consecutive seasons since Mickey Mantle (1960-61), and the first Yankee to record 100+ runs and 100 RBIs since Joe DiMaggio (1941-42).
He hit two home runs in a game twice in '85- June 7 at Milwaukee and August 8 (first game) against Cleveland- [something] he's now accomplished 14 times in his career. Winfield matched his personal single game RBI mark, driving in six in [that] first August 8 game, and also had three four-RBI games.
Winfield lost 17 spring training days, March 17 through April 2, with an infected left elbow which required a six-day hospital stay. He began the '85 regular season struggling at the plate, hitting .257 through April and dropping to a season low of .234 on May 18. At this point Dave began a season-high 13-game hitting streak which lasted through June 1, raising his batting average 23 points (he also had a 10-game hitting streak from July 9-22). He went 36-for-105 (.343) in June, driving his average up to .289; it peaked at .300 on July 22, then from July 23 to August 18 he went 18-for-96 (.188) with his overall average dropping to .280, where it hovered through September. Dave ended the season going 1-for-21.
His 96 strikeouts matched a career high set in 1974, yet his 19 stolen bases were his most since 1980. Dave had only five homers through June 6, yet hit homers in back-to-back games on three occasions: July 29-30 (first game), August 19-20 and September 8-9. He stole home on September 7 against Oakland. He won his fourth straight AL Gold Glove (sixth overall) and appeared in his ninth consecutive All-Star Game.
In 1984 Winfield finished second to Don Mattingly for the American League batting championship with a career high .340, fourth in the AL with 193 hits and a .393 on-base percentage, and sixth with 106 runs. He had the longest hitting streak of his career, 20 games, from August 17 to September 8. Dave had three five-hit games in June, equaling Ty Cobb's mark of five-hit games in one month. He won his fourth straight Silver Bat and was named to the UPI and Sporting News All-Star teams.
Winfield led the Yankees at the plate in 1983 in games played, at-bats, runs scored, hits, triples, homers, RBI, game-winning RBI and walks. He finished second in the AL with 21 game winning RBI, third with 116 RBI, fifth with 307 total bases, tied for fifth with 32 homers, tied for fifth with eight triples, seventh with a .513 slugging percentage and tied for eighth with 99 runs scored. Named to his seventh consecutive All-Star team, Dave contributed three hits in the American League's win. He was selected as AL Player of the Week [for each of] the first two weeks of August. On August 4 at Toronto, he fatally beaned a seagull during between-innings warm-ups and was charged by Toronto Police with cruelty to animals, charges that were dropped the next day. Dave was named to the 1983 UPI and Sporting News AL All-Star teams, won his second consecutive Gold Glove and third straight American League Silver Bat.
In 1982 he finished second in the AL with a .560 slugging percentage and third with 37 homers. He also led the Yankees with 106 RBI and his 37 home runs were a career high. Joe DiMaggio is the only right-handed Yankee batter to hit more homers in a season (46 in 1937, 39 in 1948). Winfield was the ninth player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season in both leagues. He was named AL Player of the Month for September (.294, 11 HR, 22 RBI, .661 slugging percentage).
In 1981, his first season for the Yankees, Dave led the team in games, at bats, hits, total bases, doubles, RBI, game winning RBI and sacrifice flies. He hit his first home run as a Yankee on April 29 in Detroit off Jack Morris, and his first Yankee Stadium homer on May 23 off Rick Waits. Dave made his first appearance in postseason competition and was named to the 1981 UPI AL All-Star team.
He went to the major leagues off the campus of the University of Minnesota in 1973, hit safely in his first six major league games and never played in the minors. Dave played eight seasons with San Diego and holds many Padre batting and outfield defense records. In 1979, he finished third in the NL MVP voting behind co-winners Willie Stargell and Keith Hernandez. He was also voted by the players to the Sporting News NL All-Star team and named to both the AP and UPI NL All-Star teams.
At the University of Minnesota, Winfield was 13-1 on the mound in his senior year while batting over .400 [as an outfielder]. He was the Gophers team captain, named a first team All-American and was MVP of the 1973 College World Series. He also played basketball for Minnesota and was drafted in three different sports: Padres in baseball, Vikings in football, and Utah (ABA) and Atlanta (NBA) in basketball.
The David M. Winfield Foundation has received much acclaim for its work with youth groups and contributions to the community. Winfield set up a college scholarship program in his native St. Paul/Minneapolis area and was named 1979 winner of the YMCA Brian Piccolo Award for humanitarian services."

-1986 New York Yankees Information Guide