1988 Yankee Prospect Profiles

AL LEITER
"Made big impression after September promotion. Leiter went 2-2 with a 6.35 ERA in four starts but showed he could be overpowering as he fanned 28 in 22 2/3 innings. He recorded his first six major league outs on strikeouts and allowed one run in six innings to beat Milwaukee, 4-3, in his debut.
Leiter has excellent movement on his fastball and is frequently compared to Dave Righetti. He shows surprising poise for his age, but will the Yankees have the patience to live with his mistakes?
Born in Toms River, New Jersey, Leiter was selected by the Yankees in the second round of the June 1984 draft. His older brothers Kurt and Mark have pitched in the Baltimore system."

-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1988 Edition

"Just by taking the mound for his first major league start last September, Al Leiter set a team record, becoming the 48th man to play for the Yankees in 1987. By the time the then 21-year-old southpaw left the mound he cut that number in half, giving himself a chance to make the 24-man roster in 1988. Right from the start, Leiter came out firing, striking out six batters in the first two innings of his major league debut.
He started 1987 in Columbus where he suffered a broken nose, and while working his way back at Double-A Albany he went on the DL with a tender left shoulder. Leiter came back strong, winning two postseason games for Columbus before making his debut for the Yankees.
After looking impressive for New York, the baseball world took note. The Yankee brass turned down several offers for the youngster over the winter, and now Leiter is vying for a spot in the team's rotation. 'After last year I have a real shot at making the team,' he says. 'That's all I can ask for.'"

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Leiter began the 1987 season at Columbus but was placed on the disabled list on May 1 with a broken nose, suffered while running sprints in the outfield. He was reinstated from the DL on May 23 and was re-optioned to Albany on May 24. While in AA ball, Leiter was placed on the DL on June 14, this time with a tender left shoulder. He was activated on July 3 and remained with Albany until being re-optioned to Columbus on August 27.
He finished his Albany season with a record of 3-3 with a 3.35 ERA, appearing in 15 games and starting 14. At Columbus he was 1-4 with a 6.17 ERA in five games, all starts, in the regular season. Al made two starts in the International League playoffs, defeating Rochester 15-3 on September 3 and downing Tidewater on September 8 in Game 2 of the Governor's Cup finals. In those two postseason starts, he allowed three earned runs in 15.1 innings pitched with nine hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts [0.72 WHIP].
Al pitched for the Yankees against the Atlanta Braves in the Hall of Fame exhibition game on July 27, going two scoreless, hitless innings with three strikeouts and was credited with the save in the Yankees' 3-0 win over Atlanta. He was recalled by the Yankees on September 10 and made his official Yankee debut at age 21 on September 15 in a starting assignment against Milwaukee. Al became the youngest player to pitch for the Yankees since 19-year-old Jose Rijo appeared on July 6, 1984 at Minnesota, and the youngest to start for the Yankees since Rijo on June 11, 1984 at Boston. In that start he also became the 48th man to play for the Yankees in 1987, breaking the record of 47 players used in 1979 and 1982.
In that first big league start, Al showed great poise while allowing the Brewers just one run on one hit in six innings, walking four and striking out eight en route to his first career victory as the Yanks defeated the Brewers 4-3. By winning that game he became the youngest Yankee pitcher to win a game since Rijo defeated Baltimore on June 23, 1984, and was the youngest Yankee starter to record a victory since 20-year-old Gene Nelson beat Baltimore on June 4, 1981.
Leiter suffered his first major league loss on September 20 against Toronto, losing 6-2 while allowing home runs to George Bell and Nelson Liriano. He won his second game on September 25 at Baltimore, winning 6-4 while allowing the Birds four runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings pitched, walking five and striking out 10, the first time Al struck out 10 or more batters in a game in his professional career. He finished the season by picking up his second loss with the Yankees, dropping a 7-0 decision to the Red Sox on September 30, going only 3.1 innings and giving up six runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
He finished with a 2-2 record with the Yankees in four starts with 6.35 ERA, along with 15 walks and 28 strikeouts in 22.2 innings pitched, giving up 16 runs (all earned) on 24 hits [1.72 WHIP]. Coming into 1987 he had a career minor league strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.5 to 1, but in '87 it was 1.8 to 1.
Leiter was selected by the Yankees in the second round (regular phase) of the June 1984 free agent draft. He began his pro career at Oneonta of the 'A' New York-Penn League, going 3-2 in 10 starts with a 3.63 ERA. Al notched 48 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched.
He began the 1985 season with the 'A' Ft. Lauderdale Yankees and posted a 1-6 record and a 6.48 ERA in 17 starts and recorded a complete game. He finished the year at Oneonta and went 3-2 in six starts with a 2.37 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 38 innings, with two complete games.
In 1986 Leiter appeared in 22 games (21 starts) for Ft. Lauderdale Yankees and posted a 4-8 record with an ERA of 4.05 (117.2 IP, 96 H, 63 R, 53 ER, 90 BB. 101 K) [1.58 WHIP]. He had one complete game, a 2-hit 6-0 shutout of West Palm Beach on May 24, recording eight strikeouts in that contest. He followed that by pitching five shutout innings of 2-hit ball with seven strikeouts against Daytona Beach on May 30 and received credit for the Yankees' victory. Al had a season high nine strikeouts twice, on May 13 against Vero Beach and on July 9 at Ft. Myers, but did issue six or more walks six times including a season high of seven walks on June 17 at St. Petersburg. He missed two starts when he was sidelined with a bruised left elbow from July 26-August 8.
Al graduated from Central Regional High School in Bayville, New Jersey in 1984, where he participated in baseball, football and track and led the baseball team to the state championship. His older brother Kurt was a pitcher in the Orioles organization from 1982 through 1984 and his older brother Mark has been a pitcher in the Oriole system since 1983.
Al's favorite player is Tom Seaver and his favorite entertainer is Bruce Springsteen. His favorite spectator sport is college basketball, and his most memorable sports moment: 'My first six major league outs were strikeouts.'"

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


JAY BUHNER
"Ever since he was acquired from the Pittsburgh organization in 1984, Jay Buhner has done nothing but excel as a Yankee farmhand.
The strapping young Texan enjoyed his finest pro season last year as he hit .279 with 85 RBI and an International League-leading 31 home runs. He capped off the year by getting called up to New York for most of September. In the Bronx, Buhner impressed with his strong arm, good range and quick, powerful swing.
Buhner may have a tough time becoming a Yankee regular in 1988, but he is sure to be a prominent fixture in the near future."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Buhner spent most of the 1987 season with the AAA Columbus Clippers of the International League, where he batted .279 (40-for-152) in 134 games with 31 home runs and 85 RBIs. He led the league in homers, ranked third in RBIs, second in total bases with 258 and finished tied for third with 12 game-winning RBIs. Jay was named one of the outfielders on the postseason International League All-Star team.
He hit 12 of his 31 homers in August, when he also had 26 RBIs, and was recalled from Columbus to New York on September 10. Buhner made his major league debut the next day, September 11 at Toronto, as the starter in left field. His first major league at-bat came in the second inning when he flew out to center field off Mike Flanagan. He went 0-for-4 in that contest but did record his first major league RBI. Jay started the next day, also at Toronto, and went 2-for-3 off Jimmy Key. His first major league hit, a single to left in the fifth inning, came off Key as did a single to left in the seventh.
Jay played in five more games with the Yanks. He went 1-for-3 on October 2 against Baltimore, hitting a double off Jeff Ballard for his first major league extra base hit, and had his second career multi-hit game on October 4 against Baltimore, going 2-for-4 with a double. In his seven games with the Yankees he hit .227 (5-for-22) with two doubles, a RBI, a walk and six strikeouts.
He was ticketed to start the 1986 campaign at the AA level but suffered a fractured ulna bone in a spring training game on April 1. As a result, he was placed on the disabled list on April 11 and remained there until July 27. Jay made his season debut on July 28 with the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees of the 'A' Florida State League. In 36 games with that club, Jay hit .304 (42-for-138) with 24 runs, nine doubles, seven home runs and 31 RBIs.
Jay was acquired by the Yankees along with Dale Berra and Alfonso Pulido in exchange for Steve Kemp and Tim Foli in December 1984. He spent the 1985 season with Ft. Lauderdale, batting .296 in 117 games with 11 home runs and 76 RBIs. Jay led the Florida State League in game winning RBIs (15) and was named 'Star of Stars' in the FSL All-Star Game.
He was the Pirates' second round pick (secondary phase) in the January 1984 draft. In his first pro season, at Watertown of the 'A' New York-Penn League, Buhner hit .323 in 65 games with nine home runs and a league leading 58 RBIs. He was named to the New York-Penn League All-Star team as an outfielder.
Buhner graduated in 1982 from Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas where he was All-State in baseball. He attended McClellan Community College in Waco, Texas. Selected in the ninth round of the regular phase of the June 1983 draft by Atlanta, Jay signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Texas prior to being drafted by the Pirates. He was awarded a college scholarship only after attending a tryout camp.
An avid hunter and fisherman, Jay's favorite spectator sports are pro basketball and baseball. His favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds and his favorite players were Dave Parker and Willie Stargell. The greatest influences on his career were Stargell and Bucky Dent.
Jay would like to start a guiding business (hunting and fishing) after his baseball career. His favorite entertainers are Chuck Norris, John Wayne and Dominique Wilkins."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


ORESTES DESTRADE
"Destrade signed as a free agent with the Yankees in 1981 and has averaged over 22 homers a year since 1985. He spent most of 1987 with Columbus, hitting .263 with 25 home runs and 85 RBI, and hit .263 with the Yankees last September."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Destrade spent most of 1987 with the AAA Columbus Clippers, where he hit .256 (119-for-465) in 135 games with 26 doubles, three triples, 25 home runs (fourth in the International League) and 81 RBIs (fifth in the IL). He also ranked fifth in the league in games played and second in walks (79). After finishing the season at Columbus, Destrade was recalled to the Yankees on September 10.
He made his major league debut on September 11 at Toronto in a pinch-hitting capacity, for Wayne Tolleson, and was walked by Mike Flanagan. Orestes went 2-for-5 on September 22 at Milwaukee (Game 2) with a run scored while notching his first major league hit in that contest, a single to center in the third inning off Dave Stapleton. He also made his first major league start in that game.
Destrade pinch-hit for Don Mattingly (who had the flu) in the fifth inning of an October 1 game against Boston and flied to left, becoming the first player to pinch-hit for Mattingly since Vic Mata did so on August 3, 1984. He then notched his first big league RBI on October 3 against Baltimore. In his final at-bat of the season, on October 4 against Baltimore, Orestes was in a pinch-hitting role for Roberto Kelly and was the fifth consecutive pinch hitter used by the Yankees in that inning (9th), tying a major league record.
In all, he played nine games with the Yankees in 1987, batting .263 (5-for-19) with five runs scored, a RBI, five walks and five strikeouts.
Destrade was having an exceptional year at Columbus in 1986 when he suffered a season-ending broken and dislocated right ankle sliding into second base in a game at Tidewater on July 23. He underwent surgery (by Dr. John Bonamo) to repair the injury on July 28 and missed the remainder of the season.
He finished with a batting average of .276 (99-for-359) in 98 games with 59 runs, 21 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs, 56 RBIs, 185 total bases and a slugging percentage of .515. At the time of his injury, he ranked first in the International League in total bases, second in home runs and third in runs scored. Despite missing more than a month of the season, Destrade still finished tied for third in the IL in home runs and was second in slugging percentage. He hit a home run once every 18.89 at-bats, the fourth-best ratio in the IL, led Columbus in home runs and finished third on the club in RBIs. He was named as the Rookie of the Year in the International League and was named IL Player of the Week for May 19-25.
Destrade has progressed steadily through the minors while showing the ability to play both first and the outfield. A switch-hitter, he hits the ball to all fields from both sides but makes better contact from the right side.
In 1981 at Paintsville he led the Appalachian League in home runs with 14 and in 1982 hit four homers with 30 RBIs in 64 games at Oneonta. In 1983 at Ft. Lauderdale he led the Florida State League in walks with 82 and was named the league's All-Star first baseman; Orestes was second on the Ft. Lauderdale club in homers and RBIs with 18 and 74 respectively. In 1984, he led the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees with 12 home runs and also had six homers in 35 games with Nashville.
In 1985 Orestes led Albany (AA Eastern League) in games (136), at-bats (564), runs (82), hits (119), doubles (24), home runs (23), RBIs (72) and slugging percentage (.471). He was named Eastern League All-Star designated hitter despite leading the circuit in games played at first base (134), total chances (1,194), putouts (1,103) and double plays (99). He finished second in the EL in homers and total bases (222), tied for second in walks (86) and third in runs.
Orestes attended Coral Park High School and Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, where he graduated in 1980. He was all-city in basketball and baseball and was offered college scholarships in both sports. Orestes was a junior college All-American at Florida College and was signed by Yankee scout Fred Ferreira.
His hobbies are basketball, reading, movies and computers and his favorite spectator sport is college basketball. His favorite teams growing up were the Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds and his favorite player was Tony Perez.
Orestes is nicknamed 'Big O.'"

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


CHRIS ALVAREZ
"Acquired from the White Sox in February 1986, Alvarez hit .305 with Albany-Colonie in 1987 and was named the starting third baseman in the Eastern League All-Star Game. He finished the season with Columbus.
Alvarez was voted the Yankees 1986 Minor League Player of the Year."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Chris began 1987 with the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA Eastern League). He was placed on the disabled list on May 23 with a bruised heel and was reinstated on June 2. In the month of May he hit .385 (25-for-65) in 17 games with three homers and 15 RBIs, and in June hit .310 (35-for-113) in 30 games with four home runs and 15 RBIs. Chris was promoted to the Columbus Clippers on July 2 (AAA International League).
At the time of his promotion, he was hitting .305 in 62 games with Albany (71-for-233) with 44 runs, 16 doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 37 RBIs and was named as the starting third baseman in the Eastern League All-Star Game. While at Columbus, Chris injured his hamstring and was placed on the DL on July 16. He was reinstated on August 1, then reinjured the hamstring on August 3 and went back on the DL until August 25.
His injuries limited him to just 19 games with Columbus, where he batted .203 (13-for-64) with nine runs, a double and two RBIs. This is his first appearance on the Yankees' 40-man roster.
Chris was obtained by the Yankees along with catcher Ron Hassey, pitcher Eric Schmidt and outfielder Matt Winters from the White Sox on February 13, 1986 in exchange for pitcher Neil Allen, catcher Scott Bradley and outfielder Glen Braxton. He spent the season with the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees ('A' Florida State League) and batted .322 (151-for-469) in 133 games with 79 runs, 30 doubles, eight homers and 90 RBIs and played 129 games at third base. Chris was named the 'Star of Stars' in the Florida State League All-Star Game after going 5-for-5 with two home runs. He was voted the 1986 Yankee Minor League Player of the Year.
He was selected by the White Sox in the 6th round of the January 1985 free agent draft. In his first pro season, Chris hit .276 (43-for-156) in 54 games for the Sarasota White Sox, Chicago's entry in the rookie Gulf Coast League, with 20 runs, four doubles, four triples, five home runs and 31 RBIs. He led the GCL in homers (5), game-winning RBIs (9) and intentional walks (5). In addition to his 41 games at third base, he also played two games in the outfield and caught in five games.
Chris grew up in Miami and attended Miami Senior High. His favorite team growing up was the Boston Red Sox. Chris' hobby is music and his favorite entertainer is Robin Williams."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


TROY EVERS
"Evers returned from 1986 elbow surgery to post excellent figures in 1987. He spent the entire year at Fort Lauderdale where he was 13-5 with a 3.05 ERA and seven complete games.
A hard thrower, Evers has a minor league career record of 24-6 with a 2.27 ERA."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Evers had an outstanding season at Ft. Lauderdale ('A' Florida State League) in 1987. He posted a 13-5 record and a 3.05 ERA in 24 games (22 starts) with 73 strikeouts and 153 hits allowed in 147.2 innings pitched [and 52 walks for a 1.21 WHIP] and had seven complete games. This is his first appearance on the Yankees' 40-man roster.
He was handled gingerly at the start of the season after his surgery in 1986, but finished strongly, winning his last seven regular-season decisions and two playoff games. Beginning with his first start in July, Troy went 7-0 in his final nine regular season starts with a 2.63 ERA (18 ER, 61.2 IP). Included in that span were his five starts in August when he went 5-0 with a 0.95 ERA and four complete games (38 IP, 18 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 9 BB, 15 K [0.71 WHIP]), and was named Yankee Minor League Pitcher of the Month.
In 1986 Evers pitched in only one game, with Ft. Lauderdale, getting the win in a 2.2 inning scoreless relief outing. He underwent surgery on July 30 to have an ulnar nerve transposition in his right elbow and for the removal of bone spurs. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama, and he missed the remainder of the 1986 season.
Troy was the Yankees' second-round pick in the regular phase of the June 1985 free agent draft. In his first pro season, he posted a 10-1 record with Oneonta ('A' New York-Penn League) with a 1.18 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) along with 85 strikeouts while allowing just 69 hits and 25 walks in 99.1 innings pitched [0.95 WHIP]. Troy pitched a no-hitter in the semifinal playoff game against the Geneva Cubs on September 3.
He attended Iowa State and was selected by the Mets in the tenth round of the regular phase of the June 1982 free agent draft but did not sign. His hobbies are golf and bowling and his favorite spectator sport is football.
Troy's favorite team growing up was the Pittsburgh Pirates, his favorite athlete was Roberto Clemente, and his most memorable moment was pitching his playoff no-hitter."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


CLAY PARKER
"Acquired from the Mariners in December 1987, Parker owns an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio. He was 15-6 with an ERA under 3.00 in Seattle's farm system [in 1987] and finished the year in Seattle.
Parker was a three-year starter for the Louisiana State football team."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Parker began the 1987 season at the Mariners' AA Chattanooga affiliate and made 16 appearances (all starts), going 7-5 with a 2.73 ERA and five complete games along with 60 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched. He was promoted to AAA Calgary on July 5, and in 12 games with Calgary (all starts) was 8-1 with a 2.93 ERA and four complete games along with 44 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched. He was recalled from Calgary to the Mariners on September 12.
He made his major league debut in Seattle against Cleveland on September 14, pitching 2.1 innings of relief and giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts, and was not involved in a decision in the Mariners' 11-8 defeat. He made his second appearance on September 23 against Kansas City, finishing that game by pitching one inning of relief, giving up two runs (earned) on two hits with two walks and a strikeout, and did not figure in the Royals' 9-0 win.
Clay made his third and final appearance of the season, a start on October 2 at Texas, going 4.1 innings and giving up four runs (all earned) on eight hits (including a two-run homer by Ruben Sierra) with a walk and three strikeouts, and again was not involved in a decision in the Mariners' 5-4 victory. In his three major league outings, Clay pitched 7.2 innings without a decision, giving up 10 runs (nine earned) for a 10.56 ERA while allowing 15 hits (including two home runs) with four walks [2.48 WHIP] and eight strikeouts.
He was acquired by the Yankees from Seattle along with Lee Guetterman and Wade Taylor in December of 1987 in exchange for Steve Trout and Henry Cotto.
In 1986, Parker was Wausau's top starter with a 2.88 ERA (eighth in the 'A' Midwest League). He led the club in innings pitched and shared honors in starts, was second in complete games and strikeouts, and was fifth in the league with a 1.92 walks-per-nine-innings pitched ratio (38 BB, 178 IP). Parker was Seattle's 15th round pick (16th selection) in the 1985 June draft. He led all Northwest League ('A') pitchers with a 1.55 ERA and a .857 winning percentage (6-1 record) in his first year in pro ball.
Clay graduated from Caldwell Parish (Columbia, LA) High School in 1981. He was named All-State in baseball, football and track, where he was the state javelin champion. He attended LSU on a football scholarship and was a three-year starter, playing in the 1983 Orange Bowl and the 1985 Sugar Bowl. He also played four years of baseball. Clay declined a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys and signed with the Mariners.
His hobbies are hunting and fishing and his favorite spectator sport is football. His favorite team growing up was the Miami Dolphins and his favorite player was Larry Csonka. His most dramatic moments in sports were playing in the 1983 Orange Bowl and 1985 Sugar Bowl. His most humorous moment: 'Celebrating after tackling Willie Gault, not realizing he had returned my 48-yard punt 47 yards.'
Clay's favorite entertainer is Randy Travis."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


MITCH LYDEN
"Selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 1983 June draft, Lyden opened the '87 campaign at Columbus but was optioned to Albany-Colonie in late May. He hit .253 in 71 games at Albany and committed only five errors in the 61 games he caught there.
Lyden still has home run potential."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"In 1987 Lyden was a member of the Yankees' 40-man roster at the start of spring training but was optioned to Columbus on March 19. He played in 29 games at Columbus and batted .220 (22-for-100) with three doubles and eight RBIs.
Mitch was optioned to Albany-Colonie on May 30, where he finished the season. In 71 games with Albany, he batted .253 (59-for-233) with 25 runs, eight homers and 36 RBIs and had a slugging percentage of .425. His home run total ranked fourth on the club while his RBI total was fifth best on the team. He committed just five errors in the 55 games he caught at Albany.
In 1986 Lyden suffered ligament damage to his left knee on April 6 in spring training after sliding into home plate as a baserunner. Surgery on the knee was performed the following day by Dr. Dan Kanell.
Following rehabilitation, Lyden joined Sarasota, the Yankees' entry in the Rookie Gulf Coast League, where he batted .340 (17-for-50) in 17 games with eight runs, seven doubles, three homers and 16 RBIs and had a slugging percentage of .660. He was promoted to Albany-Colonie (AA Eastern League) on July 13 and hit .302 (48-for-159) in 46 games with 14 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 29 RBIs (including five game-winners) and had a slugging percentage of .553. He homered once every 19.9 at-bats and committed just three errors in his 31 games as a catcher. Mitch joined the Columbus on August 31 following the completion of Albany's schedule and was 0-for-7 in two games with the Clippers.
The Yankees' first pick (fourth round) in the June 1983 free agent draft, Lyden hit just .148 in 47 games with Oneonta in '83 but led New York-Penn League catchers with a .991 fielding percentage. He began the 1984 season at Sarasota and hit .235 in 54 games. He was promoted to Greensboro and batted .219 in 14 games.
Mitch played a full season at Fort Lauderdale ('A' Florida State League) in 1985. He was second on the club in games (116) and at-bats (438); tied for second in doubles (21) and home runs (10); and third in total bases (155) and RBIs (58). He caught 101 games, led FSL catchers in fielding percentage (.988), assists (63), putouts (607) and total chances (678), and was named to the Florida State League All-Star team.
Mitch graduated from Beaverton [OR] High School in 1983 and was signed by [Yankee scout] Whitey DeHart. He played baseball, football and basketball in high school, was all-state in football as a defensive back and was offered both football and baseball scholarships by a number of PAC-10 colleges.
His hobbies are fishing, camping, skiing and traveling, and his favorite spectator sport is football. His favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds and his favorite player was Johnny Bench. The greatest influence on Mitch's career was Bucky Dent.
Mitch likes uniform No. 13 because Wilt Chamberlain was his idol as a young basketball player."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


HENSLEY MEULENS
"Meulens signed with the Yankees as a free agent in October 1985 and had an outstanding 1987 campaign at Prince William. He showed tremendous home run potential at the plate, hitting .300 with 28 home runs and 103 RBI in 116 games. Developing as a fielder but already a lethal offensive weapon, Meulens was named to the Carolina League All-Star team in only his second year of pro ball. He finished the '87 season at Fort Lauderdale.
He's nicknamed 'Bam-Bam.'"

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


RANDY VELARDE
"Acquired from the White Sox in January 1987, Velarde split the '87 season with Albany-Colonie and Columbus, hitting .317 and .319, respectively. He played eight games in New York late in the year.
Velarde is an excellent glove man with a good bat."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Velarde was acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago White Sox along with pitcher Pete Filson in exchange for pitcher Scott Nielsen and infielder Mike Soper in January of 1987. He began the season at Albany-Colonie (AA Eastern League) and in 71 games there batted .316 (83-for-262) with seven home runs and 32 RBIs. Randy was promoted to Columbus on June 29 and hit .319 (59-for-185) in 49 games there with five home runs and 33 RBIs.
His contract was purchased by the Yankees on August 20 and he made his major league debut that night in Seattle, starting at shortstop and going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. In his next game on August 21 at Oakland, Velarde went 2-for-3 with a RBI, getting his first major league hit, a single off Steve Ontiveros. He became the 29th shortstop to play alongside Willie Randolph in Randolph's career with the Yankees. He had another two-hit game, on August 24 at California, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Randy played in six games with the Yankees, batting .190 (4-for-21) with no homers and a RBI before being optioned to Prince William ('A' Carolina League) on August 29. Randy never reported to that club, remaining with the Yankees and was recalled by the Yankees three days later, on September 1, at the conclusion of Prince William's season.
He was 0-for-1 in two games after rejoining the Yankees to finish with a .182 batting average (4-for-22) in his two stints with New York. He struck out six times and committed two errors at shortstop, both coming on August 21 at Oakland.
Velarde began the 1986 season playing for the White Sox 'A' affiliate in Appleton, batting .252 in 124 games (105-for-417) with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs. He was promoted to Buffalo (AAA American Association) and hit .200 (4-for-20) in nine games there.
In 1985, he broke into professional baseball playing 67 games at Niagara Falls, batting .220 (48-for-218) with a home run and 16 RBIs. He was used as an outfielder and at second base in addition to his normal shortstop position.
Velarde graduated from Robert E. Lee High in Midland, Texas."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


AMALIO CARRENO
"Carreno signed with the Yankees as a free agent in November 1983. He was 6-6 last with Columbus, Albany-Colonie, and Prince William.
He's a starter-turned-reliever who's beginning to mature."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Carreno spent time on all three levels of minor league baseball within the Yankee organization in 1987. He began the season with the Prince William Yankees ('A' Carolina League) and was promoted to the Columbus Clippers (AAA International League) on June 4. He was sent down to the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA Eastern League) on July 5 and was recalled to Columbus on July 16. He was returned to Prince William on July 30 and was again promoted to Albany on August 15. Carreno was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster following the conclusion of the 1987 season, making his first appearance on the Yankees' roster.
In his stint at Prince William, where he spent the bulk of the season, Amalio posted a 5-2 record and two saves with a 3.03 ERA in 26 games (including four starts) and tossed two complete games. He struck out 49 batters in 62.1 innings while allowing only 53 hits and 30 walks [1.33 WHIP]; he posted a 3-0 record in two starts in August with a 2.25 ERA when he notched his two complete games. In nine games with Albany (three starts) Carreno was 0-3 with a 7.88 ERA with one save, while in 11 appearances with Columbus, all in relief, he was 1-1 with one save and a 7.79 ERA.
He began the 1986 season with Sarasota, the Yankees' entry in the rookie Gulf Coast League, and went 5-0 in seven games (all starts) along with a 1.70 ERA and a shutout to earn a promotion to Ft. Lauderdale, where he was 1-1 with a 4.02 ERA in three games (all starts), including a complete game. Elbow problems in his right arm all but wiped out his 1985 campaign, when he was limited to only one game with Sarasota (2 IP, 1 H, 1 R) and did not get a decision.
Amalio was signed as a free agent by [Yankee scout] Fred Ferreira on November 22, 1983. In his first professional season, he was 1-6 with a 4.91 ERA in nine games (seven starts) with Sarasota, but did strike out 31 in 33 innings pitched."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


BILL FULTON
"The Yankees' second-round pick (secondary phase) in the 1983 June draft, Fulton spent the majority of last season with Columbus. He made 31 appearances (including 19 starts) and went 7-8 with one save, and made three relief appearances with the Yankees in September.
Fulton features a rising fastball and an outstanding curve."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Bill spent the majority of 1987 with the Columbus Clippers (AAA International League). He made 31 appearances for the Clippers (including 19 starts) and went 7-8 with one save. In 144.2 innings pitched he allowed 179 hits, 89 runs (76 earned) with 30 walks and 73 strikeouts [1.45 WHIP] along with a 4.73 ERA. Bill was recalled by the Yankees from Columbus on September 10.
He made his major league debut at Toronto on September 12 and pitched 1.2 innings in relief, giving up five runs on six hits. Bill began the seventh inning of that game and pitched out of a bases loaded jam without giving up a run, but after retiring the first two batters in the eighth gave up three consecutive home runs to Ernie Whitt (3-run), Jesse Barfield and Kelly Gruber before being relieved.
Bill allowed one run (a Willie Upshaw homer) in his next outing, one inning of relief on September 20 against Toronto. In his third and final Yankee appearance of the year, on September 28 against Boston, he pitched two innings of scoreless innings of relief, giving up one hit and recording his first major league win in the Yankees' come-from-behind 9-7 victory as the Yanks scored six times in the ninth inning for the win.
In three appearances with the Yanks, he was 1-0 with an 11.57 ERA (6 ER, 4.2 IP), with nine hits, a walk [2.14 WHIP] and two strikeouts. Bill has a riding fastball which can sink and also features an outstanding curve.
The Yankees' second-round pick in the secondary phase of the June 1983 free agent draft, Bill had been selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the January 1983 free agent draft. On July 25, 1983, Bill pitched a no-hitter against the Geneva Cubs in a game won by Oneonta 1-0. In 1984 he posted a 2-3 record in 10 games (eight starts) with 'A' Greensboro, including three complete games, and had a 4.15 ERA.
He started the 1985 season in Florida in the Florida Instructional League and moved to the Fort Lauderdale Yankees on May 29. Bill hurled a seven-inning no-hitter against Lakeland on July 2. He tied for second in the Florida State League with nine complete games, was third with a 1.61 ERA and had a .217 batting average against.
Bill began 1986 with the Albany-Colonie Yankees in the AA Eastern League. In 14 games (all starts), he was 6-6 with a 4.73 ERA (80.0 IP, 90 H, 46 R, 42 ER, 24 BB, 46 K [1.43 WHIP]) along with five complete games and had a .289 batting average against.
He had two shutouts: a 4-hit blanking of Vermont on May 4 (with a season high seven strikeouts) and a 2-hit shutout of Glens Falls with five strikeouts; both shutouts were seven-inning complete games. Bill was named to the Eastern League All-Star team but did not pitch in that game because he was promoted to the Columbus Clippers on July 5.
In 12 starts at Columbus, he was 4-6 with a 3.84 ERA along with a .301 batting average against. Bill had two complete game wins, against Maine on July 11 and Toledo on July 26. His high strikeout game with Columbus came on August 15, recording five strikeouts at Maine.
Bill's nickname is 'Fulty,' started by Bucky Dent, and his favorite spectator sport is football. His favorite team growing up was the Pittsburgh Pirates and his favorite player was Pete Rose. Bill was signed by Murray Cook."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide

Other 1988 Yankee Profiles

PAT CLEMENTS
"When he was good, he was really good and when he was bad ... So went Pat Clements' 1987 campaign. There was seemingly no middle ground in his first year with the Yankees after being acquired in the Rhoden trade with Pittsburgh. It was an inconsistent year for Clements, who struggled with his mechanics.
He made the club after an impressive spring but was optioned to Columbus in May. When he returned to the Yankees in June he was unstoppable, giving up only one earned run in 11 appearances. But from July 11 to August 1 he gave up 13 runs in 10 innings and was again sent to Columbus. He was recalled eight days later and, despite struggling, finished the year with respectable totals.
Clements is a durable lefty who can pitch long or short relief, and could also be a starter. This durability, along with a wicked sinker, will give the 26-year-old a look in 1988."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Clements finished tied for 18th place in the American League with 55 appearances, all in relief, which also ranked third on the Yankees. He finished with a record of 3-3 with seven saves (80 IP, 91 H, 45 R, 44 ER, 30 BB, 36 K [1.51 WHIP]). His seven saves tied for 23rd place in the AL, was the third highest total on the Yankees, were a career high and in fact were two more than his career total heading into the 1987 season.
He had a season high of four walks in his first outing of the year on April 10 at Kansas City. His first win of the year came on April 19 against Kansas City, pitching a scoreless inning in a 1-0 Yankee win and giving up one hit in a combined 5-hit shutout with Tommy John (7 IP) and Dave Righetti, who pitched the ninth inning for the save. Clements matched his career high of four strikeouts on May 19 at Oakland, the third time in his career he struck out four batters in a game; in that contest, he pitched 5.2 innings, his longest outing of the season. He was optioned to the Columbus on May 23 after pitching 13 games for the Yankees.
He made two starts for the Clippers, going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 innings pitched before he was recalled by the Yankees on June 5. From the time of his recall through June 28 he pitched 13.2 innings and gave up just one earned run in 11 appearances (0.66 ERA) with three saves. Included in that span was a streak of eight consecutive outings, covering 8.2 consecutive scoreless innings from June 12-28, when Pat did not allow a run, his longest such streak of the year, and he had only one walk in that span to go with five strikeouts.
Through July 8, in 29 games, Pat was 2-0 with four saves and a 2.50 ERA, but in his next eight outings, from July 11 (when he gave up his first home run of the season to Carlton Fisk at Yankee Stadium) through August 1, he allowed 13 earned runs in 10 innings pitched, going 0-2 with an 11.70 ERA. He was optioned back to Columbus on August 2 with an overall record with the Yanks at the time of 2-2 with four saves and a 4.35 ERA. Pat made two appearances for the Clippers (both in relief), pitching five innings and giving up one earned run without a decision, and was recalled from Columbus on August 10.
He made 18 outings for the Yankees after his recall, allowing 20 runs on 38 hits in 30.1 innings pitched for a 5.93 ERA and going 1-1 with three saves. In his final five appearances of the season, starting on September 22, he had a win, two saves, a loss and a no-decision.
Pat was 7-for-9 in save opportunities, with his two 'blown saves' coming on August 18 at Seattle and September 27 at Baltimore. He retired the first batter he faced with runners on base in 25 of 38 instances and retired the first batter he faced overall in 35 of his 55 appearances. He prevented 37 of the 62 runners he inherited from scoring.
He allowed just four home runs all season, including two solo shots in one game on September 1 at Oakland (Jose Canseco and Terry Steinbach). He had a batting average against by left-handed hitters of .179 (14-for-78) and .344 by right-handed hitters (77-for-224). His overall batting average against was .301 (91-for-302).
Pat was selected by the Angels in the fourth round of the June 1983 draft and began his career as a starter for Peoria (Class A), starting 14 of his 15 games with that club. In 1984 he adapted well to his new role as a reliever with Class AA Waterbury. Pat had a club high nine saves in 41 relief outings and gave up just two homers in 67 innings.
He opened the 1985 season, only his third as a pro, with the California Angels. He made the squad after coming to camp as a non-roster player, having spent 1984 with the Angels' Class AA Waterbury club. He made his major league debut on April 9 against Minnesota, retiring the only batter he faced, and his longest career outing came on May 26 when he worked 6.2 scoreless innings (two hits) in a win over Baltimore.
Pat was 5-0 with a 3.34 ERA in 41 relief appearances with the Angels before his contract was acquired by Pittsburgh on August 2 along with outfielder Mike Brown and pitcher Bob Kipper in exchange for pitchers John Candelaria and Al Holland and outfielder George Hendrick. He was tied for 12th in innings pitched among AL relievers at the time of the deal, and only six AL relievers had more than his five wins; AL batters had hit .218 (47-for-216) against him. He won two against Boston and one each against Toronto, Baltimore and Detroit. Pat fanned four in 2.1 innings at Chicago on October 3 to tie his career high (he had four strikeouts against Boston on April 29 in six innings pitched when he recorded his first major league win).
He had one save with California (against Boston on July 5) and two with the Pirates (both against the Mets). He was 4-0 in Anaheim with one save and a 1.37 ERA (6 ER, 39.1 IP), and overall at home in '85 was 4-2 with two saves and a 1.92 ERA (12 ER, 56.1 IP).
Pat led the Pirates in games pitched (65) in 1986, ranking 12th in the National League, with all appearances coming in relief. He finished with a record of 0-4 with two saves and an ERA of 2.80, the lowest earned run average on the Pirate staff and had 31 strikeouts and 32 walks in 61 innings pitched.
He had scoreless streaks of 9.2 innings in 12 outings from April 22 to May 13 and of 10.1 innings in nine outings from May 23 to June 7. His two saves came on May 3, a 7-6 Pirate victory over San Diego, and on May 31, a 4-0 Pittsburgh win against Los Angeles.
Pat gave up just one home run in his 61 innings pitched (to Terry Kennedy at San Diego on July 9). He did not give up a run in his last 13 outings (11.2 IP) and gave up just two runs in his last 20 games (19.1 IP, 13 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 K, 0.93 ERA [1.12 WHIP]). Of the 53 hits he gave up in '86, just nine went for extra bases (eight doubles, one homer). He stranded 36 of the 49 runners he inherited.
He was acquired by the Yankees along with pitchers Rick Rhoden and Cecilio Guante from the Pittsburgh Pirates in November 1986 in exchange for pitchers Doug Drabek, Brian Fisher and Logan Easley.
A graduate of Pleasant Valley High School in Chino, California where he played baseball and basketball, Pat also played baseball for three seasons at UCLA. He was selected to the USA College All-Star team and was a psychology major.
Pat's hobbies are golf and tennis and his favorite spectator sport is volleyball. His favorite team growing up was the San Francisco Giants and his favorite player was Willie McCovey."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


CECILIO GUANTE
"The 1987 campaign looked very promising for Cecilio Guante, who came to the Yankees in a November 1986 trade with the Pirates. His tender right shoulder forced him on the disabled list twice and his season ended in early July.
The hard-throwing reliever had an excellent spring and started his first year in Pinstripes as the all-important setup man for Dave Righetti. Then came the injury after only 16 games, and the season was over before it really got started. In his brief stints with the team, the native of the Dominican Republic showed promise for 1988.
Guante prevented 15 of 20 runners he inherited from scoring while striking out an impressive 46 batters in only 44 innings. Project those numbers over an entire season, and you'll understand why the Yankees are expecting Cecilio Guante to make a contribution out of the bullpen."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Guante had an injury plagued year in 1987. He pitched in 16 games (all in relief) with the Yankees through May 24, posting a record of 3-2 with one save and a 4.24 ERA, but he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a tender right shoulder on May 29 (retroactive to May 25).
He was activated from the disabled list on June 9 and pitched in seven more games (all in relief), going 0-0 with no saves and a 6.64 ERA in those contests. Cecilio was again placed on the DL on July 17 with a strained right shoulder. He was again activated on September 14 but did not pitch again the rest of the season.
His last appearance of the year was on July 5 against Texas when he pitched 4.1 innings, his longest outing of the season. His one save of the year (in his one save opportunity) came on April 21 against Detroit. His wins came on April 14 against Cleveland and in back-to-back appearances, on May 8 against Minnesota and on May 12 against Chicago; those back-to-back victories marked the fifth time in his career he has won two games in a row. His two losses came on April 29 at Texas and on May 18 at Seattle. In between those two defeats he had a string of seven scoreless innings, covering six outings from May 2-15, when he went 2-0, giving up only one hit with eight strikeouts and five walks.
In his May 8 win against the Twins, Guante pitched two scoreless, hitless innings and recorded five strikeouts, his 1987 high and one shy of his single game career best. He also notched five strikeouts in his last appearance on July 5.
Guante finished with an overall record of 3-2 with one save and a 5.73 ERA in 23 games, all in relief, with 42 hits allowed, 20 walks and 46 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched while giving up eight home runs. He struck out 9.4 per 9.0 innings pitched and has now struck out 7.6 hitters per 9.0 innings pitched in his career (339 K in 339.2 IP). Cecilio's 23 appearances were his fewest since he pitched 10 games with the Pirates in his rookie season of 1982. All 224 of his career appearances have been in relief.
He had an overall batting average against of .247 (42-for-170). With a runner on base he retired the first batter he faced in nine of 14 appearances and overall he retired the first batter he faced in 16 of his 23 appearances. Guante prevented 15 of 20 runners he inherited from scoring.
Guante was acquired by the Yankees along with pitchers Rick Rhoden and Pat Clements from the Pittsburgh Pirates in November 1986 in exchange for pitchers Doug Drabek, Brian Fisher and Logan Easley. At the time of the trade, he ranked ninth on the all-time Pirates save list (20).
He appeared in 52 games for the Pirates in 1986 and finished with a record of 5-2, four saves and a 3.35 ERA. He finished second on the Pirates in appearances and saves, and his five wins represent his career high.
Guante struck out 63 batters in 78 innings pitched (7.3 per 9.0 IP). He had a batting average against of .225 (65-for-289) and gave up 11 home runs in his 78 innings pitched. He made one plate appearance, on April 18 at Chicago, and struck out; Cecilio has a career batting average of .061 (3-for-49) with no homers or RBIs.
He had a scoreless streak of 13.1 innings pitched from April 26 to May 18 and allowed just one run in 12 appearances (17.1 IP) from June 18 to July 17. His appearance on August 14 at Philadelphia was the 200th of his career. Cecilio struck out a season high five batters in his last 1986 appearance, August 15 at Philadelphia (first game), pitching three scoreless innings and receiving credit for the Pirates' 6-5 win. He was placed on the disabled list on August 25 after sustaining a sprained right wrist. He was activated on September 24 but did not pitch again.
Cecilio was originally signed by the Pirates as a non-drafted free agent on November 24, 1979. In 1980 he fanned 114 batters in 90 innings at Shelby, led the South Atlantic League in saves and was named to the league's all-star team in his first pro season.
He opened his second pro season in 1981 at the AA level with Buffalo and had a 0.64 ERA in 10 games to earn a promotion to AAA, where he worked 17 games in a starting role with Portland. Cecilio was recalled by the Pirates from Portland four times during the 1982 season. He made his major league debut on May 1, working 3.2 innings against Houston, and his longest outing was seven innings on July 4th (first game) against Montreal.
Cecilio opened the 1983 season at Hawaii but was recalled on May 26. He picked up his first major league save on June 22, working four scoreless innings against Chicago and finished second on the club in saves that year. His first major league win came on June 27 when he pitched seven scoreless innings in relief at St. Louis (and tied his longest career outing).
In 1984 he was plagued by injuries which limited him to 27 appearances, the last coming on July 2 at Los Angeles. He was placed on the disabled list on July 8 with a sore right shoulder, was activated on July 30 and optioned to Nashua (AA Eastern League) where he pitched just one game (3.0 IP) before being sidelined for good by shoulder problems (Cecilio was recalled by the Pirates on September 1 but didn't pitch). His longest outing was 6.2 innings pitched on June 22 (second game) against Philadelphia, giving up one run with no decision. He had 10.1 scoreless innings in nine games between May 15 and June 15.
In 1985 Cecilio established career highs in games (63), innings pitched (109.0) and strikeouts, fanning 92 in 109 innings pitched for a ratio of 7.6 per 9.0 innings. He led the staff in appearances and games finished (31), and made his 100th career appearance on May 17 against Cincinnati. Only eight of the 39 runners he inherited scored.
He did not allow a home run in a stretch of 69.2 innings between April 20 and July 31. Cecilio pitched 5.2 innings of scoreless relief (the longest outing of the year by a Pirate reliever) on July 11 to defeat San Francisco at Three Rivers Stadium, yielding just two hits and one walk while tying his career high with six strikeouts. His scoreless innings streak of 16.1 innings in eight games between August 28 and September 20 was the longest on the staff; he also put together scoreless innings streaks of 14 innings in six games from July 5-22, 13.1 innings in seven games from June 15-July 2 and 10.1 innings from May 19-31.
Cecilio played winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. His hobbies are music and playing cards."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


JERRY ROYSTER
"A utility player is like a patch. You don't think about it until you have a hole somewhere. Jerry Royster came to the Yankees in an August 26 trade with the White Sox, to sew up a few holes. And with injuries plaguing several members of the team, Royster did just that.
The versatile veteran came to New York and appeared in 18 games, seeing action at second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield. Royster had a total of 33 chances in those positions combined and committed only two errors. He was just as steady at the plate, hitting .357 (15-for-42) as a Yankee. Those numbers include some timely hitting, like going 2-for-5 as a pinch hitter with three RBI and two game-winning RBI.
Royster's patchwork will be counted on again in 1988."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Jerry was obtained by the Yankees along with infielder Mike Soper on August 26, 1987 from the White Sox in exchange for pitcher Ken Patterson and a minor league player to be named later (pitcher Jeff Pries was sent to Chicago on September 19 to complete the trade). At the time of the trade Jerry was hitting .240 (37-for-154) in 55 games for the White Sox, with seven home runs and 23 runs batted in.
He played four different positions in his first four games as a Yankee (shortstop on August 28, third base on August 29 (first game), second base on August 29 (second game) and left field on August 30). Jerry was used only as a third baseman and as a pinch hitter for the rest of the season. He committed four errors all season, two with the White Sox and two with the Yankees.
Royster had at least one base hit in his final five games of the season, September 27-October 4, including two hits in each of his last three games, going 8-for-15 (.533) in those five contests. He had two RBIs on September 28 against Boston and also scored a run in that game.
He appeared in 18 games with the Yankees and hit .357 (15-for-42) with four RBIs. He had two game winning RBIs for the Yankees, on September 2 against Oakland and on October 2 against Baltimore. He was 2-for-5 (.400) as a pinch hitter with the Yankees with three RBIs. After joining the Yankees, Jerry had five multiple hit games and had two stolen bases in three attempts. His combined total with both clubs was .265 (52-for-196) with seven homers and 27 RBIs. He was acquired by the White Sox when they signed him as a free agent in January of 1987 after spending his previous two seasons with the San Diego Padres.
Royster was originally signed by the Dodgers as a free agent on August 21, 1970, and in 1971 played 'A' ball at both Bakersfield and Daytona Beach in his first professional season. In 1972 he hit .257 with AA El Paso with a career best 18 home runs.
He batted .302 with Albuquerque in 1973 and drove in a career best 68 runs. He made his major league debut for Los Angeles on August 14 against Montreal, appeared in 10 games with the Dodgers and hit .211. Jerry played in 10 games with the Dodgers in 1974 and batted .275 with Albuquerque and hit 10 home runs.
In 1975 Jerry led the Pacific Coast League with both a .333 average and 33 stolen bases and was named as the PCL's Player of the Year. A late-season recall by the Dodgers for the third consecutive year, after five seasons at AAA Albuquerque, marked his last season of minor league ball and he has not been back in the minors since then. Jerry was acquired by the Atlanta Braves in November of 1975 along with Jimmy Wynn, Lee Lacy and Tom Paciorek in exchange for Dusty Baker and Ed Goodson.
1976 was his first full season in the majors. He batted .248 with the Braves in 149 games with five home runs and 45 RBIs and stole 24 bases in 37 attempts. Despite a .216 batting average in 1977, Jerry managed to hit six homers, the second highest single season total of his career. In 1978 he batted .259 and scored 67 runs (his second highest single season total) while stealing 27 bases in 44 attempts.
Jerry swiped a career high 35 bases in 44 attempts in 1979 and established single season highs in runs (103), hits (164) and RBIs (51). He hit .242 in 1980, with 22 stolen bases in 35 attempts, and in 1981 became the Braves' all-time stolen base leader. Jerry had his finest major league season in 1982- he hit a career-high .295 and helped the Braves win their first division flag since 1969.
He was used sparingly during the first four months of that season but was a catalyst during the Braves' stretch drive. He earned the regular left field job for much of the second half and hit .326 from July 29 through the end of the season with 30 runs scored and 13 stolen bases.
Royster strung together a career-best 17-game hitting streak from August 4-27, the longest by a Brave in '82, and also had hitting streaks of 12 and eight games down the stretch. He enjoyed a pair of four-hit games in late September as the Braves fought off challengers en route to the West flag.
Mainly a reserve in 1983, Royster finished with a .235 batting average in 91 games. He had one five-game stretch in July when he drove in nine runs, including a pair of game-winners. He had the opportunity to be the regular third baseman late in the season when Bob Horner was felled with an injury but Royster suffered an ankle injury three days later that knocked him out for three weeks.
He ended his nine-year association with Atlanta with a disappointing year in 1984. He batted just .207 in 81 games, the fewest number of contests for Royster in a Brave uniform (other than the strike-shortened 1981 campaign). He started just 52 games and played four different positions.
In 1985 Jerry enjoyed a fine season in his first year with San Diego, platooning with Tim Flannery at second base. He batted .281, the second best mark of his major league career, and his 31 RBI in just 90 games was the third highest total of his career. Jerry batted .308 in May and .367 in June and also clubbed his first and only major league grand slam on June 21 off the Giants' Greg Minton. He started 49 games at second base, seven at third and four at shortstop and also played twice in the outfield.
Royster batted .257 in 118 games in 1986 and spent time in both the infield and outfield. His most duty came at third base (59 games) but he also played shortstop (24 games), second base (21 games) and in the outfield (seven games). He platooned at third base with Graig Nettles early in the season.
Primarily a utility player and a pinch hitter, Royster hit .250 as a pinch hitter (8-for-32) with five RBIs. Four of the five RBIs (including a game-winning RBI) came in his first six pinch-hitting appearances. He hit safely in five of his first 11 pinch-hitting at-bats (.455) through June 8. Jerry totaled 12 doubles, five homers and 26 RBIs in 257 at-bats and succeeded on three of eight stolen base attempts.
His longest hitting streak was a five-gamer at the start of the season (April 7-15) when he hit safely in seven of his first 17 at-bats (.353). He also enjoyed a stretch of four two-hit games (August 12-17) when he batted .400 (8-for-20) with a pair of homers. Four of his five home runs came in the span of July 28-August 26.
A native of Sacramento, CA, Jerry lettered in four sports at Sacramento High (baseball, football, basketball and track). He also attended Healds Business College in Sacramento.
Jerry is an avid golfer."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


SCOTT NIELSEN
"Never say never, and at age 29 Scott Nielsen isn't giving up his chances of staying in the major leagues. Nielsen was reacquired by the Yankees in a winter trade with the White Sox after he split 1987 with Chicago and their Triple-A club in Hawaii. He saw limited action for the Sox, but the Yankees know full well what he is capable of doing.
Nielsen had been in the New York organization since 1984 and made his major league debut with a win for the Yankees in July 1986. He made it two in a row in his next start, registering his first career complete game and first shutout. Nielsen finished at 4-4 with the Yanks in '86, leading the team in individual shutouts with two while tying for the lead with two complete game victories. In fact, three of Nielsen's seven major league wins have been complete game shutouts.
The right-hander, who can start or relieve, is looking to have that type of success for the whole season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Scott was reacquired by the Yankees from the Chicago White Sox in November 1987, along with pitcher Rich Dotson, in exchange for Dan Pasqua, Mark Salas and Steve Rosenberg. He was originally acquired by the White Sox from the Yankees in January 1987 along with infielder Mike Soper in exchange for pitcher Pete Filson and infielder Randy Velarde. Scott split the 1987 season with the White Sox and the Hawaii Islanders, their AAA Pacific Coast League affiliate.
He started the season with Hawaii but had his contract purchased by the White Sox on June 4. At that point, he was 3-4 with the Islanders along with a 3.97 ERA in ten games (all starts), including three complete games, and had 28 walks and 30 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched.
Scott made his White Sox debut on June 5, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings of relief at California but was not involved in the decision in Chicago's 6-4 loss. He made his first start for the Sox in his next outing, June 12 at Minnesota (Game 2), going 4.2 innings and giving up six hits and six runs (all earned) and was charged with Chicago's 7-4 loss. After a loss in another start, June 22 at Seattle, Scott recorded his first White Sox win, pitching eight innings and giving up three earned runs on June 30 against Oakland and getting credit for Chicago's 12-3 victory.
He followed that with his third career shutout (and first as a member of the White Sox) in his next outing, July 5 at Cleveland, limiting the Indians to six hits in a 17-0 White Sox win as Chicago equaled the widest margin of victory in a shutout in the club's history. It was his only shutout and his only complete game of the season. Scott made one more start, July 10 at New York, giving up five runs in 1.1 innings and getting the loss in Chicago's 9-5 defeat, before being moved back to the bullpen.
Scott made his longest relief outing in his first appearance since his move to the pen on July 19 against Cleveland, pitching six innings and giving up two runs (earned), and was credited with the White Sox' 9-7 victory. He made an emergency start at Detroit on July 27 and pitched seven innings, giving up four earned runs, and was charged with Chicago's 4-1 loss. He was optioned back to Hawaii on August 7.
At that point, Scott was 3-4 in 11 games with the Sox (including six starts) with a 4.73 ERA (27 ER, 51.1 IP). He did not actually report to the Islanders and was recalled on August 10. He made one more start after his recall, August 11 against Detroit, and was tagged with Chicago's 9-6 loss, giving up seven earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched. After that, his final seven appearances of the season were all in relief and he did not get a win or a loss in those outings.
Scott recorded his first major league save on August 24 at Boston, retiring all three men he faced in the ninth inning with two inherited runners aboard to preserve Chicago's 6-3 win. He picked up his second career save in his next outing, August 26 at Boston, pitching the final 1.1 innings without giving up a run to save Chicago's 5-3 victory.
Overall with the Sox, he finished with a 3-5 record and a 6.24 ERA (46 ER, 66.1 IP) in 19 games (seven starts) with 23 strikeouts and 25 walks. As a starter, he was 2-5 with a 6.57 ERA (28 ER, 38.1 IP) while in his 12 games in relief he was 1-0 with two saves and a 5.79 ERA (18 ER, 28 IP).
Scott's 1986 season started with arm rehabilitation in 'A' ball and ended in the major leagues. He began the year at Ft. Lauderdale of the 'A' Florida State League to rehabilitate his arm following surgery in August 1985. If not for the surgery, he would have participated in the Yankees' major league spring training camp. Scott was 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA in six games (five starts) at Ft. Lauderdale and owned a pair of complete games, assuring himself and the Yankees his arm was recovered from the surgery.
Assigned to AAA Columbus on May 6, Scott was 9-3 with a pair of complete games and a 2.96 ERA in 84.2 innings when his contract was purchased by the Yankees on July 4th. Prior to joining the Yanks, he was named International League Pitcher of the Week, June 23-29, and had a streak of six consecutive wins broken by his third loss just before heading to New York.
Scott made his major league debut as a starter at Texas on July 7 and was a 14-3 winner. He allowed three earned runs in seven innings in that initial start, yielding home runs to Oddibe McDowell and Pete Incaviglia while allowing nine hits and one walk. He struck out five, a figure he has yet to top in the major leagues.
He also won his next start, registering his first major league complete game and first shutout at Minnesota on July 12. He held the Twins to six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Scott had an ERA of 1.69 through his first two starts.
Scott lost his next three starts, allowing 19 runs (15 earned) in just 7.1 innings, and his ERA for those starts was 18.41. Optioned back to Columbus on July 30, he owned a 2-4 mark in seven starts back at Columbus with a 5.34 ERA. Scott returned to the Yankees on September 1 when major league rosters expanded. His final statistics at Columbus show an 11-7 record and 3.55 ERA.
He made four more starts and one more relief appearance with the Yanks. He defeated Toronto on September 30 and then blanked Boston at Fenway Park in the final game of the season on October 5. He walked two and struck out three and limited the eventual American League champions to just five hits in the 7-0 win.
He accounted for two of the three individual shutouts on the entire Yankee pitching staff in 1986 (Dennis Rasmussen had the other). His two complete game victories tied Rasmussen for the staff lead in that category.
Scott was originally selected by the Seattle Mariners in the sixth round of the June 1983 free agent draft. He made his professional debut that year at the age of 24 at Bellingham (WA) of the 'A' Northwest League. He was 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA with that Mariner farm team and earned a quick promotion to AA Chattanooga, where he compiled a 2-4 mark and 6.39 ERA in 13 games (nine starts).
He was traded from the Mariners organization to the Yankees organization on February 14, 1984 along with pitcher Eric Parent in exchange for infielder Larry Milbourne. Scott played at all three levels of the Yankee farm system in '84: he was 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA in four games (three starts) at Ft. Lauderdale; posted a 6-3 mark and 2.44 ERA in 10 starts at AA Nashville; and was 5-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) at AAA Columbus for a composite 13-8 mark for 1984.
Scott opened the 1985 season at AA Albany and was 6-1 with a 2.95 ERA in his first 11 starts. Bothered by pain in his pitching elbow, he stopped pitching in May in order to rest the sore arm. After an unsuccessful attempt at a comeback, Scott underwent surgery on August 23. The surgery consisted of the repositioning of the ulnar nerve and the removal of bone spurs in his right arm. He began rehabilitation just two weeks after the surgery with hopes of being ready for the start of the 1986 season.
Scott was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised in Tacoma, Washington. A Mormon, he attended Brigham Young University. A spot starter and reliever for the Cougars' baseball team in his freshman and sophomore years, he opted to leave school and serve his Mormon mission during 1980 and '81.
He went to Buenos Aries, Argentina to assist the underprivileged. He returned to Brigham Young and completed his education and was not drafted until the spring of 1983 at the age of 24.
Scott finished his collegiate career with a 28-3 record and established a NCAA record with 26 consecutive wins. Current major leaguers Rick Aguilera, Wally Joyner and Cory Snyder were his BYU teammates.
An accounting major at BYU, Scott works for Price, Waterhouse during the off-season. His hobbies are fishing and golf and his favorite spectator sport is football. His favorite team growing up was the Oakland A's, his favorite player was Catfish Hunter and his favorite ballpark is Fenway Park."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


JOSE CRUZ
"'We've been looking for some lefty hitters who can come off the bench,' Billy Martin said at spring camp.
Enter Jose Cruz, a two-time National League All-Star who has hit .300 or better six times in his major league career. At the age of 40, Cruz may no longer be able to play every day, but the line driving lefty showed in camp that there is still plenty of pop left in his bat. The outfielder owns a .283 batting average and has over 1,000 RBI during his 16-plus years in the major leagues.
'From what I've seen, he's taken care of himself and can still swing the bat,' Martin said. 'We'll be in good shape now.'"

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


PETE FILSON
"Pete began the 1987 season with the Columbus Clippers and was recalled by the Yankees on July 10. At that point he was 8-4 with a 4.44 ERA for the Clippers, appearing in 17 games (all starts).
He did not appear in a game with the Yankees and was optioned back to Columbus on July 16. He finished his season at Columbus with a record of 12-4 in 22 games (all starts) along with a 3.73 ERA and a shutout. His 12 wins ranked in a tie for third among International League pitchers.
Filson was recalled back to the Yankees on August 29 and made his first five Yankee appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 10 innings and giving up nine runs (seven earned) with no decisions or saves and a 6.30 ERA. He made his first start of the year on September 26 against Baltimore, throwing seven shutout innings and allowing five hits, with four walks and four strikeouts (both season highs), and received credit for the 2-0 combined shutout win (with Tim Stoddard and Dave Righetti). It was Pete's first win since September 28, 1985 when he was a member of the Minnesota Twins.
He made one other appearance, his second start of the year, on October 1 against Boston, going five innings and allowing only one run on six hits, and did not get a decision in the Yankees' 7-5 loss. Beginning on September 12, Pete pitched 13.1 consecutive scoreless innings before giving up a run in the fifth inning of his October 1 start. In his two starts, he gave up just one run (earned) and 11 hits in 12 innings pitched (0.75 ERA) with six walks and six strikeouts [1.42 WHIP].
Filson was the Yankees' eighth round draft choice in June of 1979 and began his minor league career by winning his first 12 decisions. Pitching for Paintsville, he led the Appalachian League in wins, ERA, complete games, shutouts, innings pitched and strikeouts, while tying for the league lead with a 1.000 winning percentage, and was named the left-hander on the league's all-star squad. Pete tossed a no-hitter to beat Kingsport 1-0 on August 7.
In 1980, Pete was 3-0 at Greensboro and 10-9 with Ft. Lauderdale. He pitched a no-hitter for Greensboro on April 25, blanking Gastonia 4-0. Named Yankee Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 1981, he was 7-1 at Ft. Lauderdale and 10-2 with a 1.82 ERA at Nashville while tying for the Southern League lead in winning percentage (.833).
He began the 1982 season with the Yankees' AAA affiliate at Columbus but was acquired by the Twins along with infielder Larry Milbourne and pitcher John Pacella for pitcher Roger Erickson and catcher Butch Wynegar in May. Pete was 0-2 with an 8.76 ERA in five games (three starts) with the Twins. With Toledo, he was 8-10 and led the International League with 11 complete games.
Pete was disabled for much of the 1983 season with a posterior shoulder strain. His first big league save came on April 18 against Seattle and he recorded his first major league win with a strong 2.1 inning relief stint at California on May 15. He spent the final week of August with Toledo in the International League and then came back to make five strong starts for the Twins in September; Pete was 3-0 in those five starts. Until that point, 18 of his previous 21 appearances for the Twins had been out of the bullpen. His only loss of the year came in his one ineffective start, on June 8 at Kansas City.
In 48 relief appearances in 1984 he was 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA, and overall for the season posted a 6-5 mark with a 4.10 ERA in 55 games. Of the 44 runners he inherited, just 12 (27%) scored. Pete won his first three decisions of the season, his first full year in the majors, but dropped his last three after winning his sixth game in a start against Seattle on July 30. He struck out six batters in a hitless three innings against Toronto on August 26.
In 1985 Pete went 4-5 with a 3.67 ERA in 40 games (six starts) with the Twins. His best effort was a 7.2 inning, 3-hit relief stint to beat Toronto 8-2 on May 19. Five losses came in a stretch of six consecutive starts, May 25-June 24. Pete was 3-0, 2.43 in 34 relief outings and led the club's relievers by stranding 28 of 38 inherited runners (74%) over the season.
He began the 1986 season with the Minnesota Twins, where he was 0-0 in four games with a 5.68 ERA. He appeared in all four of those games in relief and pitched 6.1 innings, giving up 13 hits, four runs (all earned) and one home run with two walks and four strikeouts. His contract was assigned to the Buffalo Bisons, Chicago's AAA affiliate in the American Association, on April 30.
Filson posted a 14-3 record with six saves and a 2.26 ERA with the Bisons, leading the league in wins and ERA, and was named as the 1986 American Association Pitcher of the Year. He appeared in 36 games including 12 starts, pitched four complete games including a shutout, struck out 81 and walked 32 in 139 innings pitched. Pete joined the White Sox on September 2 in a waiver transaction.
He appeared in three games with Chicago, going 0-1, with a 6.17 ERA. His one decision came in his only big league start of '86, a 6-2 loss to Oakland on September 10. His other two outings were in relief. In 11.2 innings pitched with the White Sox, he gave up 14 hits, nine runs (eight earned) and four home runs with five walks and four strikeouts.
His longest outing of the year came on October 3 at Minnesota, when he went five innings in relief and gave up two runs on solo homers by Kirby Puckett and Greg Gagne. Pete was acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago White Sox in January 1987 along with infielder/outfielder Randy Velarde in exchange for pitcher Scott Nielsen and infielder Mike Soper.
Pete is a graduate of Ridley High School in Folsom, Pennsylvania. He attended Temple University, majoring in criminal justice, and pitched in the College World Series in 1977. He spent the winter prior to the 1987 season pitching for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League and was one of the circuit's ERA leaders.
Pete's hobbies are basketball and golf and his favorite entertainer is Dan Akroyd."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


MIKE KINNUNEN
"Kinnunen was signed by the Yankees to a Columbus (AAA) contract in November as a free agent after he was released by the Baltimore Orioles following the conclusion of the 1987 season. The Yankees are the sixth organization he has been with in the last seven seasons (the Orioles, Cardinals, Expos, Royals and Twins are the others).
He spent most of 1987 with Rochester, the AAA International League affiliate of the Orioles. With Rochester in 48 games (all in relief) Mike posted a 6-4 record with 16 saves and a 1.75 ERA. His 16 saves led the International League and he finished third in the league with 34 games finished. With 40 points he won the International League Rolaids Relief Man Award.
Mike did appear in 18 games during the season with the Orioles, all in relief, with a 4.95 ERA and did not have a decision or a save in those appearances (including four games finished). He has now worked 48 games in his major league career (all in relief) without gaining a decision.
He began the season at Rochester, but after appearing in only three games there was recalled to Baltimore on April 16. He made his first appearance with Baltimore on April 19 (Game 2) against Cleveland, pitching two-thirds of a scoreless inning. In his third appearance with the Orioles on April 25 at Milwaukee, he had his longest outing of the season, going 3.2 innings and giving up one run on three hits, and had a season high four strikeouts. He appeared in eight games with the Orioles, pitching 9.2 innings and giving up three runs (2.79 ERA) before being optioned back to Rochester on May 13.
Kinnunen remained in Rochester until he was recalled on July 7, and pitched that day against Chicago (0.1 IP, 1 ER) before being optioned back to Rochester on July 21. He remained at Rochester through the conclusion of their season, then was recalled to Baltimore for the final time on September 7. From that point until the conclusion of the season Mike appeared in nine games, pitching 10 innings and allowing eight earned runs (7.20 ERA).
He has enjoyed the most success in his career against the Yankees, allowing only five hits and two runs (one earned) in 9.2 innings over eight games.
Mike was selected by the Twins in the 10th round of the June 1979 free agent draft after his junior year at Washington State. He was 6-6 with a 4.12 ERA in 17 games (16 starts) and a 4.12 ERA with Orlando in his first season of professional ball.
He began the 1980 season in Toledo and was 2-2 with three saves and a 2.57 ERA in 15 relief appearances when he was recalled by the Twins in June and spent the rest of the season with the big league club. Mike made his major league debut in Detroit on June 12 and gave up a home run to Champ Summers. He was used exclusively in relief, his longest outing being three innings (twice), and was 0-0 with no saves and a 5.04 ERA in 21 outings for the Twins.
In his final season with the Twins organization in 1981, he was 4-4 with Toledo with four saves and a 5.50 ERA. Kinnunen was acquired by the Cardinals from the Twins in exchange for pitcher Jeff Little in October 1981. In 1982, he appeared in only 18 games at Arkansas (a Cardinal affiliate) but earned five saves and four wins and had the second lowest ERA on a club that led the Texas League in ERA. He was signed by the Expos organization on April 27, 1983 after he was released by the Cardinal organization on April 4.
In 38 games at Memphis (Expos) Mike tied for the club lead in saves (6) and was second on the staff in ERA (2.57). In 1984 at Indianapolis and Jacksonville (Expo farm teams) he was a combined 9-3 with four saves. He was acquired by the Royals from the Expos with outfielder Ken Baker in exchange for shortstop U.L. Washington in January of 1985.
In 1985 Mike pitched with Omaha, the Royals' AAA affiliate in the American Association, and was second on the club in appearances (53), saves (6) and games finished (25). On March 23, 1986 he was signed by the Orioles as a seven-year free agent.
He spent most of the '86 season with Rochester, where he was 1-3 with 10 saves and held opponents to a .216 batting average against. He did not allow a home run in 87.2 innings pitched and was second on the staff in appearances (47), saves (10) and games finished (24). Mike was recalled to Baltimore on September 14 and worked in his first game for the Orioles the next day at Yankee Stadium, his first big league appearance since October 4, 1980 with the Minnesota Twins. He had no decisions in nine appearances (all in relief) with the Orioles in '86 and posted a 6.43 ERA.
Mike attended Lincoln High School in Seattle where he pitched, played quarterback and was president of his senior class. He attended Washington State University for three years, compiling a 20-9 record and helping the Cougars to three straight Pac-8 Northern Division championships. In 1979 as a junior Mike was 9-3 and was the co-winner of the team's Most Valuable Pitcher Award.
He played for the United States team which finished second in the world amateur tournament in Italy in 1978. He was 3-0 in tourney play with a 0.45 ERA.
Nicknamed 'Kino,' Mike's hobby is fishing."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


STEVE SHIELDS
"Steve signed with the Yankees in November 1987 as a six-year minor league free agent. He spent 1987 with the Mariners organization, going 3-2 in 16 appearances with Triple-A Calgary and 2-0 in 20 appearances with Seattle.
He is a former starter who has been with four organizations."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Shields began the year with the Mariners, and in his first appearance of the season on April 9 at California pitched 2.1 innings of relief, giving up two hits and one earned run, and was credited with his first major league save in the Mariners' 7-2 win over the Angels. In his second appearance, on April 11 against Minnesota, he pitched 1.2 innings of relief with a season high three strikeouts before leaving the game after Kirby Puckett hit him in the face with a line drive. Steve was placed on the 21-day disabled list the following day with a fractured cheek bone.
He was activated from the DL on May 12 and made his first appearance following the injury the next day in a relief outing at Boston, getting the final out in the Mariners' 5-4 win to earn his second save of the year. Shields picked up his first win of the year in his next appearance, on May 16 against the Yankees, pitching three innings of relief, giving up two hits and one earned run, and was credited with the Mariners' 10-8 victory. He picked up his third save of the year on June 5 against Kansas City, pitching two scoreless innings to save the Mariners' 7-2 win.
Through his first ten outings with the Mariners, Steve was 1-0 with three saves and a 2.47 ERA (4 ER, 14.2 IP). While involved in no decisions in his next three outings, however, he gave up eight runs (earned) and 11 hits (including three homers) in three innings pitched, a 24.00 ERA to raise his overall ERA to 6.11. He was outrighted to Calgary on June 26.
Steve appeared in nine games with Calgary (all in relief), going 2-1 with a save and a 1.85 ERA (3 ER, 14.2 IP). He was recalled from Calgary on July 25 and picked up his second win of the season on August 2 at California, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings in Seattle's 5-4 win. He appeared in seven games with the Mariners following his recall and in those contests was 1-0 with no saves and a 7.31 ERA (10 ER, 12.1 IP). That left Steve with an overall record of 2-0 with Seattle along with two saves and a 6.60 ERA (22 IP, 30 IP) in 20 games, all in relief.
On August 18 he was outrighted back to Calgary, where he finished the '87 season. In his second stint at Calgary, he appeared in seven games (all in relief) with a 1-1 record with three saves and a 2.90 ERA (3 ER, 9.1 IP). Overall in his two stints with Calgary, he was 3-2 in 16 games (all in relief) with four saves and a 2.25 ERA (6 ER, 24 IP).
Shields spent six years in the Red Sox' farm system where he shifted between the bullpen and the starting rotation. He originally was Boston's 10th round selection in the 1977 June draft and posted a 1-6 record and a 4.11 ERA with Elmira in his first professional season. He went 3-3 with a 1.94 ERA for Winter Haven in 1978, and in 1979 ranked eighth in the Carolina League with a 3.02 ERA and was second in the league with 152 strikeouts, his single season professional high. In 1980 Steve was 5-6 with four saves in his first season at AA Bristol.
In 1981, his second season at Bristol, he was 5-14. At Bristol in 1982, he tossed an Eastern League leading 13 complete games and three shutouts. After going 4-12 in 1983 at Pawtucket, the AAA affiliate of the Red Sox, Steve was signed to a minor league contract by Atlanta as a six-year minor league free agent in October of that year.
Steve spent time in 1984 both as a starter and a reliever at the Braves' AAA Richmond affiliate and was second on the club in wins, appearances and strikeouts and was third in saves. He started the 1985 season at Richmond where, in his first seven games, he recorded four complete games, two shutouts and a 1.79 ERA. Steve was promoted to Atlanta on May 30.
He made his major league debut on June 1 in a start against Pittsburgh and received a no-decision in a 6-3 loss (4.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). He won his first major league game on June 9 in his third start, a 10-3 victory over the Dodgers (6 IP, 3R), and received a no-decision on June 13 against Cincinnati, despite allowing one hit in eight innings in an eventual 11-inning 9-2 loss. Steve was 1-2 with a 4.47 ERA in 12 appearances (six starts) before being optioned to Richmond on July 10.
Steve finished the year at Richmond leading the International League with three shutouts, and his 2.64 ERA and eight complete games were second in the league. He was called up by the Braves in September and made seven more relief appearances.
He started the 1986 season at Richmond but was acquired by Kansas City on September 23 to complete the deal that sent Darryl Motley to Atlanta. At Richmond, he ranked second in the IL with a 2.59 ERA, the top mark among starters, and tied for the league lead in strikeouts with Richmond teammate Charlie Puleo by fanning 124 in 149.1 innings. Steve earned a September promotion to Atlanta, where he made six relief appearances without a decision before his trade to the Royals. He made three more appearances with Kansas City to finish the year. He then was acquired by the Mariners from the Royals in December of 1986 with pitcher Scott Bankhead and outfielder Mike Kingery in exchange for outfielder Danny Tartabull and pitcher Rick Luecken.
Steve graduated from Hokes Bluff (AL) High School where he lettered in baseball, basketball and football. He led the basketball team to three straight championships and was named All-America as a senior. He also pitched his American Legion team to the state title.
His hobbies are hunting, fishing and bowling, and his favorite spectator sports are college basketball and drag racing. Steve's favorite team growing up was the Atlanta Braves and his favorite player was Phil Niekro."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


BOB GEREN
"Geren began the 1987 season at AA Albany-Colonie and was hitting .219 (21-for-96) in 31 games with three home runs and 11 runs batted in when he was promoted to AAA Columbus on May 29. He played in five games with the Clippers, hitting .150 (3-for-20) with a home run and three RBIs, before being outrighted back to Albany on June 12.
He finished the season with Albany, and in the 47 games he played there, following his return, batted .222 (26-for-117) with eight home runs and 20 RBIs. Overall in his two stints with Albany, Bob hit a combined .221 (47-for-213) with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs; his 11 homers ranked second on the club, and his five game-winning RBIs ranked fourth. He led all Eastern League catchers in fielding with a .994 percentage (two errors in 358 chances).
He signed with the Yankees in November of 1985 as a six-year minor league free agent. In 1986 he batted .254 at Columbus, with seven homers and 25 RBIs, and .148 [in 11 games] at Albany-Colonie.
Geren was selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round (24th choice overall) in the regular phase of the June 1979 free agent draft. That choice was awarded to the Padres as compensation for the Los Angeles Dodgers' signing of [free agent] Derrel Thomas. In his first professional season, Bob hit .172 in 54 games at Walla Walla.
He split his time in 1980 between Reno (where he hit .287 in 48 games with four homers and 23 RBIs) and Walla Walla (where he hit .254 in 51 games). Geren was acquired by the Cardinals organization in December 1980 along with pitchers Rollie Fingers and Bob Shirley and catcher Gene Tenace for catchers Terry Kennedy and Steve Swisher, infielder Mike Phillips, and pitchers Al Olmstead, John Urrea, Kim Seaman and John Littlefield. Geren hit .222 in 64 games at St. Petersburg in 1981.
In 1982, his second consecutive season at St. Petersburgh, he batted .244 in 110 games. He led Florida State League catchers in games (96) and assists (72). Bob spent the entire 1983 season at Springfield, where he tied for third in the Midwest League in home runs with 24, his professional high. He batted .265 and set another personal pro best with 73 runs batted in. Bob led Midwest League catchers in total chances (939), putouts (826) and assists (102).
He spent most of 1984 at Arkansas, batting .247 with 15 home runs and 40 RBIs, and in 15 games at Louisville hit .175. In 1985, Bob's final year as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization, he hit .225 at Arkansas, where he spent most of the season, and in five games at Louisville batted .357."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


JEFF MORONKO
"Moronko signed with the Yankees as a six-year minor league free agent in November of 1986. In 1987 he was not a member of the Yankees' 40-man roster at the start of spring training and reported directly to the club's minor league camp. He began the season with the Columbus Clippers.
The Yankees purchased his contract from Columbus on July 2 when Bobby Meacham was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right ankle. At that point, in 65 games with Columbus, Jeff was hitting .264 (60-for-227) with 39 runs, 14 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 48 runs batted in. He made his Yankee debut on July 3 against Texas (Game 1) at Yankee Stadium, playing shortstop and going 1-for-1, hitting a single (his only base hit as a Yankee) off Paul Kilgus. Jeff followed that by going 0-for-10 in his next five games with the Yankees and was optioned to Columbus on July 15. At that point, in his six games with the Yankees, he was hitting .091 (1-for-11) with two strikeouts.
Moronko did not report to Columbus and was recalled on July 16, the day after Willie Randolph was placed on the 21-day disabled list with torn cartilage in his left knee. He made one appearance after his recall, in right field on July 19 at Texas, without batting. In his seven games with the Yankees, he played four different positions (shortstop, left field, third base and right field). He was optioned back to Columbus on July 22 when Juan Bonilla's contract was purchased and finished the season with the Clippers.
In his second tour at Columbus, Jeff batted .208 (25-for-120) in 35 games with two home runs and eight RBIs. Overall in his two stints with Columbus, he hit a combined .245 (85-for-347) in 100 games with 13 home runs (fourth on the club) and 56 RBIs (fifth on the club). Jeff saw most of his action with the Clippers at third base (78 games), but also played four games at shortstop and 12 games in the outfield. He was named as the third baseman on the postseason International League All-Star team.
Moronko was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the sixth round of the June 1980 free agent draft. In his first pro season, he hit .242 in 63 games at Batavia, and in 1981 batted .256 at Chattanooga with six homers and 51 RBIs. In 1982, his second season at Chattanooga, he hit .253 with five homers and 50 RBIs. Jeff batted .269 in 124 games with the AA Buffalo Bisons in 1983 with 12 homers and 49 RBIs.
In 1984 Jeff was Buffalo's offensive leader and was named to both the Topps AA All-Star team and the Eastern League All-Star squad. He ranked second in the league in RBIs (95) and total bases (224), third in doubles (30), fourth in batting average (.314), tied for fourth with 147 hits and was fifth in runs scored (84); all those figures represent career highs. Jeff also hit 13 home runs.
He earned a promotion to the Indians on September 1 and appeared in seven games with the Tribe, batting .157 (3-for-19) with a run scored, a double and three RBIs along with three walks and five strikeouts. Moronko made his major league debut on September 1, starting against Boston. He collected his first major league hit the following day, also against Boston, and recorded his first major league RBI on September 7 against Oakland, driving in two runs with a double. Of his 19 at-bats against Cleveland, 14 came against lefties.
Moronko began the 1985 season with Maine, he AAA affiliate of the Indians, and in six games batted .250 (6-for-24). He was traded to the Texas Rangers organization on April 29 to complete the deal of April 4 that sent Kevin Buckley to Cleveland. After the trade, he played 63 games at Tulsa (where he hit .262 with nine homers and 36 RBIs) and 54 games at the Rangers' AAA Oklahoma City affiliate (where he hit .247 with five homers and 17 RBIs). Playing for Oklahoma City in 1986, Jeff batted .280 in 120 games with seven home runs and 44 RBIs.
Jeff attended Texas Wesleyan and San Jacinto Junior College and was a member of the U.S.A. All-Star team in 1980. He graduated from Pasadena (TX) High School in 1978, where he played basketball and football and was an All-State safety on the gridiron. Jeff did not play high school baseball but played Little League, Pony League, and American Legion ball as a youngster."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


DALE MOHORCIC
"Got off to a rousing start only to have illness contribute to a late-season slide. Mohorcic led Texas with 16 saves, the third highest single-season total in club history, and was third in the league with 74 appearances, the most ever by a Texas right-hander. He allowed a run in only 23 of 74 appearances and permitted only 30 of 82 inherited baserunners to score. He made 38 appearances from May 12 to July 29, going 5-1 with 12 saves and a 1.61 ERA.
Mohorcic earned saves in 15 of his first 17 chances but converted just one in his final six attempts beginning on July 29. He was disabled from August 12-27 with gastrointestinal bleeding.
Born in Cleveland, he was signed as a free agent to an Oklahoma City (AAA) contract in March 1985. He spent eight and a half seasons in the minors before making his major league debut."

-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1988 Edition


DR. STUART J. HERSHON (Team Physician)
"Dr. Stuart J. Hershon is in his first season as the Yankees team doctor. He is an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with St. Lukes-Roosevelt and North Shore Hospitals. He is a graduate of Harvard University and New York Medical College."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Dr. Stuart J. Hershon begins his first year as the Yankees team physician. He is an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with St. Lukes-Roosevelt and North Shore Hospitals, and previously was the team physician for Nassau Community College. He is a graduate of Harvard University and New York Medical College."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


GENE MONAHAN (Trainer)
"Gene Monahan is in his 17th season as the Yankees trainer. He has spent 26 years in professional baseball and is a certified member of NATA."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"A certified member of NATA (National Athletic Trainers Association) and a member of PBATS (Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society), serving as chairman of the grants and scholarships committee, Gene has 26 years of service in professional baseball. He started in 1962 at Ft. Lauderdale and is entering his 17th year at the helm of the Yankee training duties.
Gene served as American League trainer at two All-Star Games (1977 at Yankee Stadium and 1986 at Houston's Astrodome). All three of his previous assistants during his Yankee tenure advanced to head training positions in the major leagues."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


STEVE DONOHUE (Assistant Trainer)
"Steve Donohue is in his third year as the Yankees assistant trainer. He has been in the Yankees organization since 1979. Steve graduated from the University of Louisville."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"A certified member of NATA and a certified member of New York State EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians), Steve is in his third season as the Yankees' assistant trainer. He has been a member of the Yankees organization since 1979, working at West Haven (1979), Nashville (1980-81) and Columbus (1982-85).
Steve was also assistant trainer for the New York Jets (1974-78) and assistant trainer for the University of Louisville's NCAA Championship basketball team in 1980."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


JEFF MANGOLD (Strength and Conditioning Coach)
"Jeff Mangold is in his fifth year as the Yankees strength and conditioning coach. He supervises in-season and off-season weight and conditioning programs."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook

"Jeff Mangold is entering his fifth year as the Yankees strength and conditioning coach, supervising the team's daily weight training program. He previously spent three years each as assistant strength coach at the University of Florida and the University of Nebraska."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


NICK PRIORE (Clubhouse Manager)
"Nick Priore has worked in the Yankees clubhouse for over 22 years. He was Pete Sheehy's assistant."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


BOB FLEMING (Assistant Clubhouse Manager)
"Bob Fleming is in his third year as the Yankees clubhouse man. He works closely with Nick Priore."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


LOU CUCUZZA (Visitors Clubhouse Manager)
"Lou Cucuzza is in his 13th season of hosting the visiting teams at Yankee Stadium."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


LOU CUCUZZA, JR. (Assistant Visitors Clubhouse Manager)
"Lou Cucuzza, Jr. has assisted his father in the Yankee Stadium visitors clubhouse since 1976."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


STEVE GREGORY (Umpires' Room Attendant)
"Steve Gregory is in charge of the umpires locker room for the tenth season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


BOB SHEPPARD (Public Address Announcer)
"Bob Sheppard has been the public address Voice of the Yankees [since 1951]. He also teaches speech at St. John's University."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


EDDIE LAYTON (Stadium Organist)
"Eddie Layton is the Yankee Stadium organist and has recorded more than 25 albums. He also records commercials, and plays at Radio City and other New York entertainment centers."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


JIM OGLE (Yankees Alumni Association)
"Jim Ogle heads the Yankees Alumni Association and coordinates Old Timers' Day. He was a New York sportswriter for more than 20 years."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


MARSH SAMUEL (Spring Training Coordinator)
"Marsh Samuel is the Yankees Spring Training Coordinator. He began his baseball career as a publicist with the 1946 White Sox, and also developed the first press guide."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


BOB ADAMENKO (Yankees Photographer)
"Bob Adamenko has been the Yankees Photographer since 1984. He also photographs many other New York sporting events."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


JIM TURNER (Yankees Photographer)
"Jim Turner is in his second year as a Yankee photographer. He works alongside Bob Adamenko."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


STEVE CRANDALL (Yankees Photographer)
"Steve Crandall is in his second season as a Yankee photographer. He assists Bob Adamenko."

-The New York Yankees Official 1988 Yearbook


MIKE FENNELL (Bullpen Catcher)
"Mike Fennell, the Yankees' bullpen catcher, is in his second season in that capacity. He was a catcher in the Yankees organization from 1983-85 and then served as bullpen catcher at Albany in 1985 and at Columbus in 1986."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


JOHN COOK (Statistics)
"John Cook is in his first season charting the Yankee defense and will be in charge of the Yankees' baseball computer statistics. Cook was a catcher from 1979-83 at the University of South Florida."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide


JEFF SADLER (Video Coordinator)
"Jeff Sadler is in his first season coordinating the Yankees' video tape operations. Sadler played at Florida Southern College from 1979-81, served as a coach at Palm Beach Junior College for three years and the University of Florida for two years, and was the bullpen catcher at Columbus last season."

-1988 New York Yankees Information Guide