Tuesday, December 8, 2015

1986 Profile: Ron Hassey

"Big Ron Hassey is not known for his speed on the bases, but in the 1985 off-season he helped the Yankees pull off a double steal. He went to the Chicago White Sox in the trade that brought Britt Burns to the Yankees, and before the ink was dry on that deal Hassey was back in pinstripes.
In only his first year with the Yankees, Hassey hit a career-high 13 home runs, most of which came after working on his stance with Lou Piniella. 'Lou showed me a few things and I began to hit the long ball,' said Hassey, who then started to show the league a few things. After a two-home run game against Baltimore, Orioles manager Earl Weaver squawked, 'Who the hell does Hassey think he is, Babe Ruth?' Yankees manager Lou Piniella knows. 'He did a very good job for us offensively. He hit close to .300 all year, certainly added power to the lineup and drove in some big runs.' The Babe is back!"

-The New York Yankees Official 1986 Yearbook

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