"A forgotten man with the Texas Rangers a year ago, Bob Brower finds himself competing for a starting job with the Yankees in 1989. The departure of Claudell Washington opens a spot in the lineup, one which Brower hopes to fill. He comes to the Yankees hungry for an opportunity.
Brower starts this season at age 29, with just over two years of big league experience. His time is now, and Brower is so determined he spent his winter break improving his game playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.
Not known for his power, Brower is more of a versatile outfielder. He can hit for average, steal a base and drive in a few runs. Brower has the credentials to help a club in a lot of ways, even if he isn't a starter, which is why he is hoping to become a valuable addition to the Yankees."
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Bob was acquired by the Yankees from the Texas Rangers on December 5, 1988 in exchange for shortstop Bobby Meacham. He played in only 82 games for the Rangers in 1988 and batted .224 (45-for-201) with a home run and 11 RBIs. He did have 10 stolen bases in 15 attempts. He underwent arthroscopic surgery before the start of the 1988 season, on January 6 to repair torn cartilage in his right shoulder. He was ready by spring training but began the regular season on the 15-day disabled list, having been placed on the DL on March 28 with a pulled right calf muscle.
Brower was activated on April 27 and made his first appearance that day as a designated hitter against Minnesota. He had a four-game hitting streak from May 3-7, his longest hitting streak of the year, batting .500 (6-for-12) in that span, including a 3-for-5 game on May 6 against the Yankees. That streak was broken when he was forced to leave the game of May 10 after the second inning with tightness in his right calf, having gone 0-for-1. In his first game back on May 14, Brower went 2-for-4 to raise his overall season average to .375 (9-for-24) after nine games, his high point of the year.
That three-hit game on May 6 was one of nine multiple-hit games in 1988, including four three-hit games, the other three coming on June 3 at Chicago, June 21 against Seattle on June 28 at Seattle. Bob had four multiple-hit games in an eight-game stretch from June 21 through July 3, batting .370 (10-for-27) in that span.
In the final game of that stretch, on July 3 against Baltimore, Bob hit his only home run of the season, a grand slam off Don Aase. It was his second career grand slam. In that game he also matched his career high with six RBIs (accounting for more than half of his 11 RBIs for the season) and it was the Ranger team high for 1988.
Bob finished the season by batting .091 (2-for-22) in his last 14 games to lower his average from .240 on September 5 to his final .224 mark.
He twice had two stolen bases in a game, on July 8 at Baltimore and on September 4 at Toronto. He was successful in six of his last seven stolen base attempts.
For the year, he started 15 games in left field, 26 games in center field, one in right field and six games as the designated hitter.
Brower signed a contract for the 1989 season.
In 1987, his first full major league season, Brower placed second on the Rangers in sacrifice hits (9), fourth in stolen bases (15) and tied for fifth in home runs (14), the latter being his professional career high. He started a total of 80 games in the outfield, including 25 of the last 31 contests beginning on September 2. He was bothered at times by a jammed right wrist and a sore right shoulder.
Bob had a good start, batting .282 (11-for-39) in 16 games, but batted just .210 (13-for-62) in 38 contests over the next two months. He finished strong, batting .324 (25-for-77) in his last 26 games; included in that stretch was a career-high six-game hitting streak from September 6-11 when he batted .455 (10-for-22).
He had 22 multi-hit games in '87, with a career high of four hits on July 26 at Cleveland. His 14 home runs broke his previous pro high of 13 in 1986 at Oklahoma City.
Brower hit the first inside-the-park grand slam in Ranger history off Eric Plunk of the A's on June 21 (second game) at Oakland. He was the first American Leaguer to accomplish that feat since Minnesota's Tom Brunansky, also a rookie, on July 19, 1982. Brower also hit a two-run homer off Dennis Lamp in that game to give him a career high six RBIs, and the two homers and six RBIs both were one shy of the Texas single-game club records.
He had one other two-homer game, July 26 at Cleveland. He homered to lead off the Texas half of the first inning four times, including his first major league home run on April 28 off the Yankees' Dennis Rasmussen. In addition to his six-RBI game, Brower had four RBIs once and three in a game twice. He singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on August 5 against Boston.
Brower was signed by the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 1982 by scout Joe Branzell after an outstanding career at Duke University where he graduated in 1982. He started 1983 at Burlington and had six hits on June 7 against Beloit, the only six-hit game in professional baseball that year. Bob was promoted to Tulsa on June 13. At Tulsa in 1984 he was second in the Texas League in steals (54) and was fourth in triples (9).
In 1985 Bob led the American Association in triples and tied for fourth in games (133). He hit for the cycle against Buffalo on May 27, including the game-winning triple in the 11th inning.
While playing for Oklahoma City in 1986, Bob was selected as the American Association 'Star of Stars' by the Howe News Bureau and as the Rangers overall Minor League Player of the Year. He led the A.A. in runs (130), at-bats (550) and walks (94), was tied for the top spot in games (140) and hits (158), tied for second in total bases (236) and was third in steals (53). His run total was an Oklahoma City club record and the highest in the American Association since 1953. Bob was also selected to the league's All-Star team and led the AA in putouts (366) and chances (382).
He was recalled by Texas on September 1 and made his big league debut that night at Boston, scoring the winning run. He doubled off Minnesota's Bill Latham on September 13 for his first major league hit. Brower had an outstanding winter ball season at La Romana in the Dominican Republic, winning the league's MVP award while batting .316 with four homers and a league high 37 RBIs.
He went to Duke on a football scholarship. He lettered four times in baseball and three times in football. In 1981 Bob led the nation in triples and was a first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He gained 130 yards rushing against North Carolina in 1979 to earn ACC 'Offensive Back of the Week' honors. In 1981 he caught 12 passes against Virginia, one shy of the school record. Bob also played a summer in the Alaskan Baseball League.
Bob played baseball, basketball, football and ran track at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia where he graduated in 1978. He earned all-regional honors in all four sports in his senior year. He participated in Little League, Babe Ruth League and Clark Griffith League programs.
Bob's hobbies are hunting, fishing and music."
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led American Association in bases on balls received with 94 in 1986.
Led American Association outfielders in total chances with 382 in 1986.
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
No comments:
Post a Comment