1989 Tribute: Bill White

NATIONAL LEAGUE PRESIDENT
"Each summer for more years than he likes to count, Bill White would meet for dinner with an old friend from Hiram College. They would talk about those days on the placid Ohio campus and they would talk about the days since.
'He's a surgeon now and he would describe his work and talk about the lives he has saved,' remembers White. 'I would talk about the exciting games I played, the World Series and All-Star Games I enjoyed and the tremendous Yankee baseball I described through the years.'
There would be much joy at the reunion and a little sadness. The doctor would moan about his inability to hit the curve ball and march on into baseball as White did. The former Yankee broadcaster and new president of the National League would muse about what his own life might have been like if he had continued his educational dream and went through medical school.
The musings will certainly take on a different tone this summer as White begins his term as the 13th National League president and first to represent his race.
Baseball took a historic step on February 3, 1989 when it named William De Kova White as its new NL president to succeed A. Bartlett Giamatti.
What was truly significant about the acceptance of White as the NL boss was not the color of his skin but the quality of his work. White became the first National League president to move into the position from the playing ranks. The American League had made that historic move twice before with Hall of Famer Joe Cronin and present chief Bobby Brown, the former Yankee third baseman and retired physician.
After 18 years in the Yankees' broadcast booth- a more significant move in 1971 than his present promotion in 1989- followers of the former first baseman's career could hardly be surprised.
The smooth fielding, sweet-stroking left-handed hitter with the Giants, Cardinals and Phillies was a leader on every team he played for, was a figure of dignity and style around the Yankees and has as many baseball friends without really trying as any man in the game.
'When I played with him,' says Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, 'he was a leader on our club. The 1964 Cardinals (Gibson, Curt Flood, Ken Boyer, Dick Groat, Lou Brock, Roger Craig, Curt Simmons, Ray Sadecki) was a veteran club. That was the year we passed the Phillies on the final day of the season. We probably didn't have the best talent but we played hard together.'
That Cardinal team was as famous for its clubhouse needling as its performance on the field. One of the lead characters, if not a lead performer, was Bob Uecker. Many of the lines now heard from him on the Tonight Show were tried out on his St. Louis teammates.
'Bill ran a little trading post in that clubhouse,' Gibson added. 'We used to get small gifts for appearing on radio and television in those days, a portable radio, a shaver, a small traveling bag, things like that. We gave everything to Bill for his trading post. Then we visited his locker when we needed an item and made a deal. I think that business experience will help him in his new job.'
Born in Florida and raised in Ohio, White's family always stressed education. Both his parents were school teachers and White clearly made his future intentions known early. He was going to medical school.
'I got through Hiram College on athletic scholarships and then I needed money for medical school. I had been accepted at Ohio State. I decided to postpone school and play one summer after the Giants signed me for a $5,000 bouns,' White says.
He reported to Danville in the Carolina League and hit .298. He got a pay raise from the Giants and decided to try one more season of professional baseball before starting medical school. He batted .319 at Sioux City in the Western League. His fate was fixed.
'I guess I surprised myself and everybody else by how well I did. The Giants were pressing me for a decision about my future. They had big plans for me and they didn't want me leaving them as I was moving up. I decided to cast my lot with baseball,' he says.
The Giants, Cardinals, Phillies and all of baseball would benefit from that decision. White would add his own style and grace to the game. He was not only a fine performer almost from the start, he was a wonderful representative of the game.
He joined the New York Giants in 1956 and was slightly in awe of his more famous teammates, especially Willie Mays, then reaching his peak as one of the game's greatest performers.
'Willie made it all look easy. I had to work for everything I got in baseball,' he says.
He hit .256 as a New York rookie, spent most of the next two years in the service and was traded to the Cardinals in the spring of 1959. He reported to them in St. Petersburg, Florida. He had previously trained with the Giants in Arizona.
'This was 1959, a dozen years after Jackie Robinson, and black players still lived separately from the whites. I wasn't about to sit still for that,' he says.
Led by White, Gibson, Flood and an outspoken militant named George Crowe, the minority players fought for and won housing with the rest of the ball club. It was a major step forward. When the Yankees followed suit in that town, it was a lot easier for the Mets when they landed in St. Petersburg in 1962.
White's peak year with the Cardinals probably was the pennant-winning season of 1964. He batted .305, had 102 RBI (White had four seasons over 100 RBI in 13 years), slugged 21 homers and led the league in fielding.
He was traded to the Phillies in 1966, tore his Achilles tendon there in 1968 and ended his career back in St. Louis in 1969. He batted .286 for those 13 seasons, not Hall of Fame numbers, but quality play for good teams.
As his career began winding down, White began revving up as a broadcaster. He did some broadcasting in Philadelphia and was taken on by KMOX in St. Louis in the off-season after the trade.
As the civil rights movement gained strength in the late 1960s, White's name came up often as a candidate for the first black manager. No less a personage than Jackie Robinson singled White out as the most qualified man for that historic breakthrough.
'I never really wanted to manage,' he says. 'I didn't want my job to depend on 25 other guys.'
He became more proficient in broadcasting. In 1971, former Yankee boss Michael Burke brought White to New York as a partner on radio with Phil Rizzuto. It was quite a gamble.
White, intelligent, quick-witted, fast with a quip and highly knowledgeable about the game, was an immediate hit. When George Steinbrenner took over the team in January of 1973 he quickly assured White he was a big part of the new New York Yankees.
'We went back a long way,' says Steinbrenner. 'I remember seeing him as a basketball player for Hiram College when I was coaching an Air Force team. I followed his career as a player and I was proud to have him with the Yankees.'
Steinbrenner never actually offered the managerial job on the team but he did discuss the managerial prospects on several occasions through the years.
'He could have been a great manager if he had wanted to go that way,' Steinbrenner says. 'He's a true leader. He could do anything in business. He could have run my shipping company. He's that good. He'll be as good as anyone the National League ever had in that position.'
For 18 years White and Rizzuto teamed together to bring fans the game on radio and television. There was much affection displayed and a lot of old-fashioned ballplayer humor.
When asked why he would leave the security of baseball broadcasting for the pressures of the National League executive suite, White explained, 'If you ever worked 18 years with Rizzuto you know my motivation. I sat next to that guy all those years and he still doesn't know my first name.'
White was kidding about that as everyone knew. In ball player parlance, no one ever has a first name. That was Rizzuto's way of calling White a teammate.
When the new president was installed at a lavish press conference, the reporters pressed the issue of race. They zeroed in on White's feeling about being the first black to hold the position.
'I don't know how I feel,' he laughed. 'I've been black all my life.'
Gibson is tired of that part of the story.
'The guy got the job because he was the best man the owners could find,' says the former fireballer. 'That should be the last time we have to listen to race questions.'
It is clear White got his new position because he is a solid, intelligent, experienced, dignified, popular baseball man. Color has as much bearing on his qualifications as the Yankees manager being Green or the AL's president being Brown.
The 55-year-old divorced father of five also recognized that there are different stages in a man's life. 'I wanted to get on with my life,' he explains. 'After 18 years of saying 'It's a groundball to second,' it was time for something a bit more definite.'
White had come a long way from those days when he was simply an ex-jock learning his new trade. He is clearly a professional broadcaster with all the skills and authority of some of his great predecessors- Mel Allen, Russ Hodges, Red Barber, Joe Garagiola, Curt Gowdy and Scooter.
'I hope to bring the job my experience as a player and a love of the game,' he says. 'I also hope to bring more harmony between the players and the owners.'
I have known Bill White for more than 30 years. He is an exceptional man. This may not be his final career move.
After all, a man named Ronald Reagan started his professional career as a baseball broadcaster."

-Maury Allen, The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

1989 Profile: Randy Velarde

"Randy Velarde is hoping to give up his frequent flyer bonus trips once and for all in 1989. The 26-year-old infielder is fighting for a spot on the big club as a utility player, knowing full well that the Yankees have a very good idea of what he can do.
Last year Velarde was recalled from Columbus five different times. The job stability may not have been there, but the need sure was. When players were injured or the team had a void to fill, there was Velarde.
He made the best of a tough situation and now hopes to parlay that experience into a spot on the 24-man roster. He can play third base, shortstop and second base. He is pesky at the plate and can offer occasional power. Randy Velarde is an ideal utility infielder who has put in the time, and miles, trying to make it with the Yankees."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Velarde spent the 1988 season between the Yankees and the Columbus Clippers. He was recalled to New York five different times.
He began the year with the Clippers and was hitting .264 (68-for-258) in 68 games with four home runs and 31 RBIs, along with 22 errors. He was recalled to the Yankees for the first time on June 20 when Wayne Tolleson was placed on the disabled list. Velarde made his first appearance with the Yankees that day, going 0-for-1. The next day he hit his first major league home run, a solo shot off the Tigers' Jack Morris. He played in five games, going 2-for-12 (.167) before being optioned back to Columbus on June 25 when Willie Randolph was activated.
Randy played ten games with the Clippers before being recalled back to New York on July 8. It was the last time he actually played a game for Columbus (he was optioned there three more times before the end of the season but never appeared in another game there), and he finished with an average of .270 (79-for-293) in 78 games at Columbus with 23 doubles, five home runs, 37 RBIs, 25 walks, 71 strikeouts and 24 errors. Randy was later named as the shortstop on the postseason International League All-Star team.
In his first game back with the Yankees on July 9 against Kansas City, he made his first major league start at third base and went 1-for-3 with an RBI, which proved to be the game-winner, his first major league game-winning RBI. He hit his second home run of the season on July 14 against Chicago, a solo blast off Bill Long. After playing four games with the Yankees, Velarde was optioned back to Columbus on July 16 following the acquisition of Luis Aguayo but was recalled by New York the next day when Tolleson was placed back on the DL.
Velarde established his major league high with three RBIs on July 27 against Milwaukee, going 2-for-5 (two doubles) with a run scored. He matched that RBI high on August 2 at Milwaukee, hitting a three-run homer off Juan Nieves, his third home run of the year. He hit safely in four of five games (all starts) from August 5-10, going 6-for-18 (.333) with three runs scored and two doubles. He played in 25 games for the Yankees before being optioned back to Columbus when Tolleson was activated. Randy did not play a game for the Clippers before being recalled on August 14 when Tolleson was placed back on the DL.
He hit his fourth home run of the season on August 16 against California, a solo clout off Willie Fraser, and made eight consecutive starts from August 20-27 (the first seven at second base and the last at shortstop) with Randolph on the 15-day DL. Velarde was optioned back to Columbus for the fourth time on August 28 following Randolph's activation but remained with the Yanks, never actually reporting to Columbus, and was recalled to New York for the fifth and final time on September 2.
Randy hit his fifth homer on October 1 at Detroit, a two-run round tripper off Doyle Alexander, and stole a base on September 27 at Baltimore. Overall in his five stints with the Yankees, he played in 48 games, batting .174 (20-for-115) with five homers, 12 RBIs and seven errors while playing third base, shortstop and second base. Randy signed a contract for the 1989 season.
He originally 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. Velarde 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. He 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 an RBI, getting his first major league hit, a single off Steve Ontiveros. He was 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 an 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.
Velarde broke into professional baseball in 1985, 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.
He 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.
Velarde graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas in 1981. He was a three-time NAIA All-American at Lubbock (TX) Christian College.
He played Little League ball in Midland. His favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds and his favorite player was Johnny Bench.
Randy's hobbies are all outdoor sports, and his favorite spectator sport is basketball. His favorite ballpark is the Oakland Coliseum. His favorite entertainer is Eddie Murphy."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

1989 Profile: Dave LaPoint

"The Yankees signed him to a three-year, $2.5 million pact as a free agent last winter and plan on using him in their rotation. LaPoint has done a lot of traveling since the Brewers made him their 10th round pick in the June 1977 draft. He has pitched for seven major league clubs, including the Cardinals twice.
Last season, LaPoint was 10-11 with a 3.40 ERA for the White Sox and 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA for the Pirates after being dealt back to the National League in September.
Born in Glens Falls, New York, he has been used as a starter and reliever. LaPoint's out pitch is his changeup, which is one of the best in the game. He describes himself as a 'years younger Tommy John.' LaPoint notched a career high 213.3 innings last year, easily more than any Yankee starter managed in 1988."

-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition

"Considered by many to be a journeyman, the Yankees are hoping Dave LaPoint has found a home in New York. Maybe the Yankees did take a chance signing LaPoint as a free agent this past winter. After all, when he puts on the Pinstripes it will mean eight different teams in seven years of major league service.
But it's not such a gamble when you consider that LaPoint has shown the potential to be a winner here. A strong left-handed starter is an important commodity in Yankee Stadium. LaPoint brings a nasty offspeed pitch which he uses to keep hitters off balance. With the dimensions of the Stadium behind him, and the Yankees' offense supporting him, Dave LaPoint is hoping to make this his last stop."'

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Dave began the 1988 season with the Chicago White Sox and had a record of 10-11 with a 3.40 ERA (61 ER, 161.1 IP) in 25 starts for Chicago. He was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 13 for pitcher Barry Jones. He posted a 4-2 record and a 2.77 ERA (16 ER, 52 IP) in eight starts with the Pirates. Overall with both clubs, LaPoint was 14-13 with a 3.25 ERA (77 ER, 213.1 IP).
He got off to a fast start with Chicago, posting a 3-1 record with a 0.94 ERA in five starts in April. LaPoint opened the season with a 2-1 win on April 7 against California, recording seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings. He was credited with the win on a combined 5-hit shutout with Bill Long in a 4-0 victory at Seattle on April 18, going seven scoreless innings and giving up four hits. In his last start that month, on April 28 against Boston, Dave notched his fourth career shutout, throwing a 4-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Red Sox- his only shutout and only complete game with Chicago in 1988.
Dave pitched eight scoreless innings at Cleveland on May 19, allowing just six hits, but received a no-decision in the Indians' eventual 1-0 victory on a Greg Swindell 2-hit shutout. At that point, he was 4-2 with a 1.64 ERA. From May 24 through June 14, however, he lost each of his next five starts, with a 5.59 ERA. Included in that streak was his worst performance of the year, on June 3 against Texas, lasting just 1.2 innings (his shortest outing of the season), giving up four runs (all earned) and being charged with the White Sox' 9-3 loss.
He broke that streak with a win on June 19 at Milwaukee, pitching seven scoreless innings and giving up three hits with a season high eight strikeouts to combine with Jeff Bittiger on a 3-hit 5-0 shutout. He duplicated that performance on July 10 at Boston, again pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing three hits to gain credit for Chicago's 4-1 win. LaPoint finished his tenure with the White Sox by winning his last three starts, from August 2-12, going 3-0 with a 3.32 ERA. He pitched at least six innings in 21 of his 25 starts with Chicago in 1988, including his first 11 starts.
LaPoint won his first four decisions with the Pirates, covering five starts from August 17-September 10, with a 1.19 ERA. By winning his last three games with the White Sox and his first four with the Pirates, with a 1.91 ERA in his eight games started in that span, he put together a seven-game winning streak from August 2 through September 10, the longest of his career.
Dave made his debut with the Pirates a winning one, going seven innings on August 17 against Atlanta and allowing three hits and one run (unearned) to gain credit for Pittsburgh's 2-1 victory. He followed that by pitching 7.2 scoreless innings on August 23 against Cincinnati, allowing just four hits, and was credited with the win on a combined 5-hit 2-0 shutout with Jim Gott. LaPoint finished that winning streak with his second complete game of the year (and first with the Pirates) on September 10 against Philadelphia, allowing one run (earned) on six hits in Pittsburgh's 5-1 victory. He went 0-2 in his final three starts of the season to finish with a 4-2 record and a 2.77 ERA with Pittsburgh. LaPoint pitched six or more innings in six of the eight starts he made for the Pirates. Covering his last 11 starts of 1988 (his last three with the White Sox and his eight with the Pirates), he was 7-2 with a 2.92 ERA.
Dave set career bests in 1988 with 14 wins (he won 12 games in 1983 and 1984 with the St. Louis Cardinals), 33 games started (he also started 33 with St. Louis in 1984), 213.1 innings pitched (surpassing his previous best of 206.2 innings pitched in 1985 as a member of the Giants) and a 3.25 ERA (bettering his previous low ERA of 3.42 set in 1982 with St. Louis). Dave pitched a shutout (April 28 against Boston) and combined on three others.
He signed as a free agent to a three-year contract with the Yankees in December 1988. The contract extends through the 1991 season. The Yankees are LaPoint's eighth major league team: in addition to the Pirates and White Sox, he previously pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals (two separate stints), San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers.
LaPoint was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers organization in the 10th round of the free agent of June 1977 and began his professional career at Class-A Newark. He struck out nine batters in a row in a game against Geneva. With Class-A Burlington in 1978, he tied for fifth in the Midwest League with five complete games. LaPoint pitched at Class-A Stockton of the California League in 1979 and led the loop in strikeouts with 208 in 180 innings pitched. He tied for the league with 11 complete games and three shutouts while posting a 3.15 ERA.
He opened the 1980 season at AAA Vancouver and was 7-4 with a 2.81 ERA in 17 starts. He was on the disabled list twice with elbow soreness. LaPoint was recalled by Milwaukee on September 6 and made his major league debut on September 10 at Minnesota with three shutout innings of relief to earn a save. He made his first big league start on September 20 against Seattle and won an 8-4 decision.
LaPoint was acquired by the Cardinals in December 1980 in a major trade that sent pitchers Pete Vukovich and Rollie Fingers and catcher Ted Simmons to Milwaukee. LaPoint, pitcher Lary Sorensen and outfielders Sixto Lezcano and David Green came to St. Louis.
During his time with AAA Springfield in 1981, LaPoiint led the American Association with 129 strikeouts and 24 starts and tied for the league lead with nine complete games. He appeared with the Cardinals in late September and went 1-0 with a save in three appearances (two starts). Dave became the second youngest pitcher (22) to win games in both the National and American Leagues when he recorded his first NL win on September 27 at Pittsburgh.
In 1982, Dave alternated between starting and relieving for the World Champion Cardinals, posting a 9-3 record and a 3.42 ERA. His 4-2 win over Montreal on September 27 clinched the Eastern Division title for the Cardinals. Dave did not appear in the National Championship Series against the Braves.
He had no decisions in a pair of appearances (one start) in the '82 World Series against Milwaukee. He relieved in the eighth inning of Game One and was touched for two earned runs on three hits in 1.2 innings in Milwaukee's 10-0 win.
LaPoint started Game Four and was not involved in the final decision in Milwaukee's come-from-behind 7-5 win at County Stadium. He worked 6.2 innings and allowed four runs (just one earned) on seven hits. LaPoint's error (dropping a throw while covering first) opened the door for Milwaukee's six-run seventh inning that decided the game.
He posted a 12-9 record in 1983 and tied for the staff lead in wins. In 1984, he was 12-10 with the Cardinals with a 3.96 ERA in 33 starts, a career high as were Dave's 130 strikeouts. He recorded his first big league shutout on June 3, blanking the Mets on six hits in a 1-0 win.
Dave went to San Francisco prior the 1985 season in a multi-player trade that sent slugger Jack Clark to St. Louis. He suffered through the first losing season of his pro career, going 7-17 with the last place Giants, but led the staff in starts (31) and innings (206.2). In his 17 losses, the Giants mustered a total of 29 runs, an average of 1.7 per game, and scored three runs or less in 20 of Dave's 31 starts. Highlighting his season was a 6-hit, 5-0 blanking of the Cardinals on May 5.
After being traded by the Giants following that season, Dave opened the 1986 season with Detroit where he was used in both starting and long relief roles. He earned his first Tiger win on May 17 against California with seven strong innings. He beat the Angels again on May 29, this time at Anaheim, and fired hitless ball for the first five frames. LaPoint was 3-6 with a 5.72 ERA with Detroit when he was traded to San Diego on July 9 for pitcher Mark Thurmond. He appeared in 24 games with the Padres, all but four in relief. He was not tendered a contract by the Padres after the season and signed as a free agent with the Cardinals in January of 1987.
Dave opened the season with St. Louis, spent time at AAA Louisville and finished the season with the White Sox after being traded for minor league reliever Brad Hulstrom on July 30.
He was 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two separate tours of duty with the Cardinals. He was optioned to Louisville on April 27 and returned to St. Louis on July 8. He remained with the Cardinals until traded to Chicago.
In his White Sox debut on August 1, LaPoint no-hit the Brewers in Milwaukee for six innings before yielding a seventh-inning leadoff single to Steve Kiefer. He did not finish the game but earned the win. He earned his second Sox win on August 17 over Boston, allowing just six hits and one earned run in seven innings.
His first Chicago loss came in his next start, at Texas on August 22. His final loss of the year came on September 7 at Minnesota, when he lasted just three batters and was forced to leave the game after being struck on his pitching hand by a hard Kirby Puckett grounder. Puckett eventually came around to score the go-ahead run to give LaPoint the loss.
On September 14 against Minnesota, LaPoint narrowly missed a complete game and allowed just two earned runs on four hits in 8.2 innings, with the two earned runs coming after he left the game.
LaPoint fired back-to-back complete-game victories in his final two starts. The first was a career-best 2-hit shutout at Oakland on September 27, the third shutout of his career and first since his May 1985 shutout with San Francisco. He followed that with a complete game in a 17-1 Sox win over Oakland on October 3 at Comiskey Park.
He was 4-1 in September/October with a 1.51 ERA. He finished 6-3 with the Sox with a 2.94 ERA in 14 appearances (12 starts).
A native of Glens Falls, New York, Dave still makes his home there. He is a 1977 graduate of Glens Falls High School and was named New York State Pitcher of the Year as a senior. Dave also was named an all-conference defensive end and lettered in bowling."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

Tied for Midwest League lead in home runs allowed (20), 1978.
Pitched 4-0 no-hit victory against Reno (California League), July 25, 1979.
Tied for California League lead in shutouts (3) and complete games (11), 1979.
Tied for American Association lead in complete games (9), 1981.
Led National League in wild pitches (15), 1984.

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

1989 Profile: Steve Sax

1989 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"Left the Dodgers as a free agent and signed a three-year, $4 million deal with the Yankees. Sax has finally evolved into a steady second baseman, having overcome the erratic play that characterized the early years of his career. He committed just 14 errors in 1988, played in a career high 160 games, was fourth in the NL with 175 hits and his total of 42 stolen bases was seven short of his career high. Sax had eight hits and three RBI against the Mets in the NLCS and batted .300 against Oakland in the World Series.
Born in Sacramento, CA, he was the Dodgers' ninth selection in June 1978 draft. Sax finished second to the Expos' Tim Raines in the NL batting race in 1986. A mainstay for the Dodgers at second base since 1982, he will replace Yankee fixture Willie Randolph in 1989."

-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition

"Leaving the [team you have always played for] might be a difficult thing unless, of course, you are joining the winningest organization in the history of the game. That's exactly what Steve Sax did when he left the Los Angeles Dodgers to sign with the New York Yankees as a free agent last winter.
While difficult to let go of the popular Willie Randolph, making Sax their new second baseman has several advantages for the Yankees. At age 29, Sax already brings over seven years of big league experience to the Bronx. An excellent contact hitter, he's an ideal number two man in the lineup behind Rickey Henderson. He hits for average, and his 42 stolen bases last year shows how he stirs things up offensively. In the field, his defense has improved greatly. Most importantly, he played 160 games in 1988, while the Yankees struggled with six different second basemen.
'The Yankees,' Sax says, 'treated me as someone they greatly respected, which makes me want to be here and help this team win a championship.'"

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Steve homered in the 1988 season opener at San Francisco, yet on April 15 was hitting only .150 through his first 10 games. From April 16 through April 30, he hit in 10 straight (the first of three season-long 10-game hitting streaks), going 11-for-39 (.282), raising his overall batting average to .215 by the end of April. From April 16 through May 10, Steve hit safely in 17 of 18 games, going 24-for-69 (.348) and raised his overall batting average to .284.
He swiped three bases against Pittsburgh on May 4, and from May 2 to May 10 hit in seven straight, going 14-for-26 (.538) with a double, a triple, two homers and eight RBIs; from May 2 through May 15 Steve hit in 11 of 12 games, going 20-for-48 (.417) with three doubles, a triple, two homers and 10 RBIs.
He homered twice off Shane Rawley at Philadelphia on May 26, his first career two-homer game, going 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. Steve's four RBIs that day were his single-game high for the season. For May, Steve hit .321 with four home runs and 16 RBIs, and overall through May was hitting .277.
From May 26 through June 9, Steve hit safely in 12 of 13 games, going 25-for-60 (.417) with 10 runs, four doubles, a triple, two home runs and nine RBIs. He had his second 10-game hitting streak of the year from May 30-June 9, going 17-for-44 (.386). He recorded a career high five hits on June 3 against Cincinnati, also matching the National League's game high for 1988.
Steve played in his 1,000th career game on June 22 against Atlanta. He hit safely in 12 of the last 16 games in June to finish that month with an overall batting average of .287.
He was red hot in July, hitting safely in 25 of 29 games, including his third 10-game hitting streak from July 14-21, going 17-for-46 (.370). In the first game of a July 26 doubleheader at San Francisco, Steve went 4-for-5 with two runs, a double, a triple and two RBIs- at the conclusion of that game his batting average reached .310, his 1988 season high. In four games from July 23-26, he went 11-for-16 (.668). For July Steve hit .341 (43-for-126) with 12 runs, five doubles, two triples and eight RBIs, and overall for the season was hitting .303 at the end of the month.
August was as cold a month for Steve as July was hot. From August 2 through August 11 he went 8-for-37 (.216) in nine games, and in the final 20 games of August went 15-for-74 (.203) to hit .219 (25-for-114) for August with just one extra-base hit (a double on August 21 against Montreal) and 11 RBIs. Steve's overall batting average dropped from .303 to .285 due to his August performance.
September/October was not much better for the veteran: .232 (23-for-99) with eight runs, five doubles, no triples or homers and five RBIs. His overall batting average dipped from .285 to .277 at season's end. From August 2 through October 2 Steve hit .219 (46-for-210) with 17 runs, six doubles, no triples or homers and 16 RBIs in his final 55 games.
Steve hit .267 in the National League Championship Series, starting all seven games against the Mets. His eight hits tied for the team high, while he led the Dodgers with seven runs, five stolen bases and 30 at-bats. He hit safely in all but Game 6 and went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in the seventh and deciding game. Steve played an errorless second base.
In the World Series against Oakland, he batted .300 in five games, led the club with 20 at-bats and was second in average and hits. He hit safely in all five games and went 2-for-4 in the clinching Game 5. Steve again played an errorless second base.
For the season, Steve batted .358 (39-for-109) with runners in scoring position. He hit .303 during the day, .265 at night; hit .279 on grass, .272 on artificial turf; and hit .289 in the first half, .264 in the second. Steve was 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter, getting a hit and an RBI on May 7 at St. Louis, and a double and three RBIs (including the game-winning RBI) on June 26 at Cincinnati.
Steve led the National League with 632 at-bats (third in the majors) and with a .321 road batting average. He also led the league's second basemen with 158 games, tying Seattle's Harold Reynolds for most in the majors at second. Steve also had two additional appearances, ranking second with 160 games played overall, fifth in the majors. He placed fourth in the league with 50 multi-hit games, fourth with 175 hits and fourth with a .981 fielding percentage. Steve was the sixth-toughest batter in the league to strike out, averaging one strikeout per 12.4 at-bats, and ranked seventh with 42 stolen bases. His .277 batting average was 19th in the league. Coming into 1989, Steve ranks sixth on the all-time Los Angeles Dodger hit list with 1,218 and eighth with 575 runs.
Steve (42 SB) and new teammate Rickey Henderson (93 SB) combined to swipe 135 bases in 1988- the only American League clubs, as a team, to steal more in 1988 than a Henderson/Sax combination were Milwaukee (159) and Kansas City (137). As far as a prolific pair of base stealing teammates in 1988, only St. Louis' Vince Coleman (81) and Ozzie Smith (57) stole more bases (138).
Steve signed a three-year guaranteed contract as a free agent on November 23, 1988. The contract extends through the 1991 season.
Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the 9th round of the free agent draft on June 6, 1978, Steve spent his first season of pro ball at Lethbridge, impressing many by hitting .328. He collected two hits in his first pro game, but the over-excited youngster was picked off both times. A one-time shortstop/third baseman, Steve was converted to the outfield and then to second base.
In 1979 at Clinton of the Midwest League, Steve hit .290 with 25 stolen bases. He earned Florida State League All-Star honors in 1980, hitting .283 with 61 RBIs and 33 stolen bases. He led FSL second basemen in fielding and putouts.
Steve was the 1981 Texas League Player of the Year, a Texas League All-Star and a Topps-National Association Class AA All-Star. After leading that league with a .346 batting average, Steve was recalled to Los Angeles on August 18 to replace the injured Davey Lopes. Steve collected his first major league hit off Chicago's Mike Griffin that day, and his first home run on August 23 off St. Louis' Bob Shirley. He hit .364 in his first eight games and finished at .277- good enough to earn a spot on the postseason roster. Steve had combined for 201 hits at San Antonio and Los Angeles. He played for Caracas (Venezuela) in the winter league.
In 1982, Steve earned the starting second base role, succeeding Lopes, and gathered National League Rookie of the Year honors- the fourth consecutive season a Dodger won the award. His 49 stolen bases ranked fifth in the league and was a Dodger rookie record, and his hit total (180) ranked seventh in the league. He missed 11 games after being hit on the right wrist at Atlanta by Rick Mahler on September 9. The only rookie named to the NL All-Star team, Steve was named to the UPI and Topps Rookie All-Star teams.
1983 was a mixed bag for Steve, as he excelled offensively but suffered the first half of the season with his throwing arm. His 56 stolen bases ranked third in the NL, his 94 runs ranked fifth and he was tied for ninth with 175 hits. The starting second baseman on the National League All-Star team, Steve committed a league high 30 errors, 24 of which came prior to the All-Star break. He did not commit an error over his final 38 games.
Less successful than desired in 1984, Steve started out fast, hitting .322 in April. He suffered a sore right elbow in late May which bothered him for the remainder of '84. He was still able to lead the club in at-bats and stolen bases and was second in runs. Steve began 1985 slowly but came on strong over the final three months. He suffered a strained lower right leg on April 7 when Angels second baseman Bobby Grich fell on him during a pickoff play at second base in the final game of the Freeway Series at Anaheim. Due to that injury, Steve did not play regularly until early May. His batting average was .226 as late as July 2, but he hit .311 over his last 84 games.
Steve enjoyed the finest year of his career in 1986. He finished second in the National League batting race to Montreal's Tim Raines (.334 to .332), and his average was the highest by a Dodger since Tommy Davis hit .346 in 1962. His 210 hits matched Steve Garvey's 1975 total as the most by a Dodger since Davis' 230 in '62. His 43 doubles were the most by a Dodger since Wes Parker's Los Angeles record of 47 in 1970. Steve's 40 stolen bases ranked seventh in the league and he combined with teammate Mariano Duncan for 88 stolen bases, the most by a Dodger duo since Davey Lopes (63) and Bill Buckner (28) combined for 91 in 1976.
He was selected the Silver Bat winner for NL second basemen by major league managers and coaches. He earned National League Player Month honors for September, hitting in 25 straight from September 1 through September 27- it was the longest hitting streak in the majors and longest by a Dodger since Willie Davis hit in 25 straight in 1971. As the season came to a close, Steve hit safely in 31 of the last 32 games, with a .398 batting average for the period.
Steve also had three six-game hitting streaks, a seven, two eights, a nine and a ten. His longest hitless streak was three games, once.  He had six hits in a row over two games, September 3 at Montreal and September 5 at Philadelphia. Steve's 64 multi-hit games ranked second in the NL, while his .390 on-base percentage was third and his 91 runs tied for eighth.
His 53 extra-base hits were a career high as were his six home runs. Steve hit his first career grand slam on May 7 at Chicago off Jay Baller and posted a career high five RBIs in that game. Defensively, his total of 16 errors was a career low, those coming in 815 total chances.
Steve struggled through the first month of 1987, partly due to a strained groin muscle suffered on April 14 against Houston. He had four hits and three RBI on June 18 at Houston and appeared in left field in a 16-2 loss to San Francisco on July 29. Steve recorded his 1,000th career hit on August 29 off Houston's Jeff Parrett.
Steve had a strong finish to the 1987 season. He had a team high 19-game hitting streak from September 5-27. He hit in 24 of the last 26 games and 30 of the last 34  to finish the year at .280, his season high. He also had a 13-game hitting streak (May 10-25) and an 11-game streak (August 9-21).
Steve led the Dodgers in games (157) and at-bats (610), triples (7), stolen bases (37), game-winning runs scored (14) and games started (151). He was second on the club with 84 runs and 171 hits and matched his 1986 career high of six home runs. He was a better hitter on the road and at night.
Signed by scout Ronnie King, Steve is a 1978 graduate of James Marshall High School in West Sacramento. In 1977, his junior year, he earned All-American, All-California, all-city, all-league and league MVP honors. His senior year, 1978, found him repeating as league MVP, along with All-California and all-city honors, while setting four school baseball records.
Steve plays the drums and is a Pete Rose fan, and the Bay Area prep star was a fan of Willie Mays and the San Francisco Giants while growing up. His brother Dave is a one-time Dodger farmhand who now plays in the Yankee organization."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

Texas League Most Valuable Player, 1981.
National League Rookie of the Year BBWAA, 1982.
Led National League in caught stealing with 30, 1983.
The Sporting News National League All-Star team, 1986.
The Sporting News Silver Slugger team, 1986.

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

1989 Profile: Ken Phelps

"What a difference a year makes. Before the 1988 season, Ken Phelps was getting ready for another 162 games with the Seattle Mariners, a team which has struggled since its inception. In July he was rescued, traded to the Yankees, a team with a winning tradition.
Phelps found himself in the unfamiliar role of a platoon player. Now with the departure of Jack Clark, the power-hitting Phelps enters the 1989 campaign with a whole different outlook. A veteran of almost seven seasons in the bigs, he will see a lot of action as the designated hitter for a contending club.
For his part, Phelps is a major reason the Yankees will be tough to beat this year. New York had been interested in Phelps for years, and his arrival here seems like a perfect marriage. Phelps brings his power to Yankee Stadium, a park tailor-made for his left swing.
'Everybody here expects to win,' says Phelps. 'I've got to do what I can to help us win.'
The slugger entered the 1988 season with an amazing career ratio of one home run to every 13.4 at-bats, but averages one home run every 7.8 at-bats at Yankee Stadium!"

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Phelps began the 1988 season with the Seattle Mariners and was obtained by the Yankees on July 21 in exchange for outfielder Jay Buhner, pitcher Rick Balabon and a player to be named later. At the time of the trade he had played in 72 games with the Mariners and had hit .284 (54-for-190) with 14 home runs and 32 RBIs, averaging a home run every 13.6 at-bats. His 14 homers were tied for the club lead and he had a .547 slugging percentage. Phelps was Seattle's all-time career leader with 105 home runs (since surpassed by Alvin Davis).
He hit .375 (21-for-56) in April with five homers and 12 RBIs and had a career high 10-game hitting streak from April 12-26, going 17-for-33 (.515) in that span. Ken homered in consecutive games three times for the Mariners, on April 16-17, May 11-13 and May 17-20. He made four appearances at first base for Seattle.
In 45 games for New York, Ken batted .224 (24-for-107) with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs. He got off to a slow start with the Yankees, getting only two hits in his first 11 at-bats, covering his first six games.
Ken hit his first home run as a Yankee on August 3 at Milwaukee off the Brewers' Chuck Crim. On August 18 against Seattle (Game 1) his two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning off Mike Schooler gave the Yankees a 5-3 win. On August 24 against Oakland, Ken hit a three-run homer off Dennis Eckersley in the ninth inning to rally the Yankees from a 6-2 deficit to within one run at 6-5 as the Yankees eventually won 7-6 with a total with a total of five runs in the ninth. His final home run of the season, off the Tigers' Paul Gibson on October 1 at Detroit, was his only round-tripper off a left-hander after joining the Yankees.
Ken averaged a home run every 10.7 at-bats with the Yankees. His ratio of one home run every 12.4 at-bats (24 HR, 297 AB) led the major leagues, and he homered once every 12.0 at-bats against right-handed pitchers (23 HR, 277 AB). His 10 home runs after his acquisition matched the team lead in that span (Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield also had 10 home runs apiece from July 21 through the end of the season) and his .551 slugging percentage was also tops on the club.
Five of his 22 RBIs were game-winners and he had eight multi-hit games, including a three-hit game on August 24 against Oakland. He was 0-for-11 as a pinch hitter for the Yankees before hitting a pinch-hit double on September 26. He made his only on-field appearance with the Yankees as a first baseman on August 2.
Combined with the Mariners and the Yankees, Phelps hit .263 (78-for-297) with 24 home runs and 54 RBIs. It was his third straight season hitting 20 or more homers and his batting average was a career high. Phelps also had an overall slugging percentage of .549 which ranked fourth in the major leagues (behind only American Leaguers Jose Canseco, Fred McGriff and Gary Gaetti) among players with 350 or more plate appearances. As a designated hitter with Seattle and New York he batted .255 (69-for-271) with 23 homers and 48 RBIs in 92 games; his 23 homers ranked second among designated hitters, trailing only Brian Downing's 25.
Phelps has homered once every 13.4 at-bats during his major league career. Lifetime at Yankee Stadium he is 26-for-109 (.239) with 14 home runs and 32 RBIs, averaging a home run every 7.8 at-bats. He has a career average of one home run per 12.5 at-bats against right-handers (108 HR, 1,346 AB), the highest rate in the major leagues over the last 14 seasons (minimum 50 HR). He has a career total of nine two-homer games.
Phelps signed a contract through the 1988 season with an option for 1989. The Yankees exercised that option on October 2, 1988.
Originally selected by Kansas City in the 15th round of the 1976 June draft, Digger was previously drafted by Atlanta ( June 1972), the Yankees (January 1974) and Philadelphia (June 1974) before signing with Kansas City. He saw major league action with the Royals in parts of the 1980 and 1981 seasons as a pinch hitter.  [In the minors] he led his league in walks three different years. He was traded to Montreal for Grant Jackson in January 1982.
At Wichita in 1982 Ken led the American Association in home runs (46), RBIs (141), total bases (320), walks (108), slugging percentage (.706), on-base percentage (.471) and at-bats (453). He was the Expos organization Player of the Month in May and Co-Player of the Month in August.
Seattle purchased his contract from Montreal on March 29, 1983. Ken spent the majority of that season at Salt Lake City, where he hit .341 with 24 home runs and 92 RBIs in 74 games. In 50 games with the Mariners he hit .236 with seven homers and 16 RBIs.
In 1984 Digger spent most of the season in the majors and averaged a home run every 12.1 at-bats, the best ratio in baseball. He began the year as the Mariners' starting first baseman, collecting two homers in his first two games. He was hit by a Jerry Augustine pitch on April 6 against Milwaukee, breaking his right little finger, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Ken went on a 20-day rehabilitation option on May 6 to Salt Lake City, where he hit .311 with three homers and 13 RBIs. He was activated from the DL on May 18.
Phelps spent the entire 1985 season with the Mariners, primarily as a pinch hitter in home run situations. Five of his first seven hits were homers, including a grand slam off the Yankees' Phil Niekro on May 23 at the Kingdome. He had four home runs and nine RBIs, two game winning, in a six-game stretch from May 5-23. He shared club pinch-hit RBI honors (6) with Barry Bonnell and batted .250 (5-for-20) as a pinch hitter. Ken hit a pinch-hit home run on September 25 against Kansas City, a three-run 9th inning blast. He completed his second full season with the Mariners in 1986 and collected a career high four triples; he had 88 walks in 442 plate appearances.
Platooned at designated hitter against right-handed pitchers in 1987, Phelps topped the Mariners with 104 DH starts. He set career highs in average (.259, surpassed in '88), hits (86), home runs (27) and RBIs (68) and led Seattle in slugging percentage (.548) and on-base percentage (.410). His 26 homers tied him with Texas' Larry Parrish for the DH lead. Ken homered once every 12.3 at-bats and eight of his last 19 hits in '87 were home runs.
Ken played Little League and Babe Ruth League ball in Seattle and graduated from Ingraham High School in Seattle. He attended Washington State (1973), Mesa (AZ) Community College where he was named a Junior College All-American in 1974 and Arizona State (1975-76). Ken batted .351 as a senior at Arizona State, with 11 homers and 66 RBIs in 70 games, and played in consecutive College World Series in 1975-76.
Ken's hobbies are golf, fishing and bike riding and his favorite spectator sports are baseball and football. His favorite team growing up was the Yankees and his favorite player was Roberto Clemente. His favorite ballparks are Anaheim Stadium and Fenway Park."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide