"Acquired from the Padres with Jimmy Jones and Stan Jefferson for Jack Clark and Pat Clements just weeks after the conclusion of last season, McCullers is a hard thrower who served as a set-up man for Goose Gossage and then Mark Davis in San Diego. He converted 10 of 16 save opportunities in 1988, boosting his career save total to 36, and allowed 15 of 35 inherited runners to score.
McCullers was the Phillies' second-round pick in the June 1982 draft but was dealt to the Padres in August 1983. He was a starter for most of his pro career before arriving in the majors in August 1985 as a replacement for the injured Gossage. He led National League relievers in innings with 123.1 in 1987 and his 60 appearances ranked second on the Padres' staff last season.
Born in Tampa, McCullers might wind up getting a chance to be a closer for Dallas Green this season."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition
"Where there's smoke there's fire, which is what any contending baseball team needs in the heat of a pennant race. And that's what the Yankees were looking for when they traded for Lance McCullers from the Padres last winter. As part of a plan to rebuild their pitching staff with strong young arms, the fireballing right-hander fits the blueprint.
At the age of 25, McCullers joins the Yankees with three-and-a-half years of major league experience already under his belt. As a starter, he won 10 games for the Padres in 1986, then had 16 saves for San Diego a year later.
His presence in Pinstripes opens the door to a number of possibilities. His overpowering fastball makes him an ideal stopper out of the pen, and while Dave Righetti filled that role for the last five seasons, imagine this fireballing lefty/righty combination closing the door on opponents in the late innings. However he's used, McCullers is young, strong, experienced and a welcomed addition."
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"McCullers went 3-6 with 10 saves and a 2.49 ERA in 60 relief appearances for the San Diego Padres in 1988. His 10 saves came in 16 save situations and he prevented 25 of 30 inherited runners from scoring. In 97.2 innings pitched he allowed 70 hits and 55 walks, along with his 81 strikeouts, but did allow eight home runs. His .205 batting average against was the second lowest on the Padres, behind Mark Davis.
Along with Davis, McCullers formed the heart of the Padres bullpen which had the fourth-best relief ERA (2.76) in the National League. Lance was one of only 15 NL relievers to record at least 10 saves, and of those, his 2.49 ERA ranked sixth. His 97.2 innings pitched ranked sixth among NL relievers and he finished 39 games.
Lance started the 1988 season slowly, including a rough outing on April 17 against San Francisco, giving up four earned runs in two innings pitched (including 9th inning home runs to Bob Melvin and Candy Maldonado, the only time Lance gave up more than one home run in a game), and was charged with the Padres' 9-4 loss. On May 24 at Montreal, he gave up a solo home run to Andres Gallaraga in the ninth inning (the first of two solo homers Galarraga would hit off McCullers in 1988) to allow the Expos to tie the score and win in 13 innings. Through June 1, McCullers was 0-4 with just three saves (in seven save opportunities) and a 3.82 ERA.
In his next five appearances, from June 4-17, he pitched 9.2 scoreless innings and went 1-0 with three saves. The win, his first of the year, came on June 10 against Los Angeles when he went 1.1 scoreless innings to gain credit for the Padres' 4-3 victory. Two of his three saves in that span came in back-to-back appearances, on June 14 against San Francisco and June 17 at Los Angeles.
In 20 appearances from July 7 through September 13, covering 32.2 innings pitched, Lance allowed just one earned run (Galarraga's second homer of the year off him on August 18) and went 2-1 with three saves and a 0.28 ERA in that span, lowering his overall ERA from 3.23 to 2.10. He had a season high five strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched on July 31 at Cincinnati. After September 13 he finished the season by allowing seven earned runs in his final six appearances covering 11 innings pitched, with no decisions and one save, to raise his final ERA to 2.49.
McCullers has a 21-28 lifetime record with 36 saves and a 2.96 ERA. He was acquired by the Yankees on October 24, 1988 along with Jimmy Jones and Stanley Jefferson from the Padres in exchange for Jack Clark and Pat Clements. McCullers signed a contract for the 1989 season.
He signed with the Phillies organization as a second-round pick in the June 1982 free agent draft. His first year of pro ball was with Helena in the Pioneer Rookie League, going 6-4 in 13 starts with a 3.72 ERA.
In 1983 Lance went 9-6 for Spartanburg, the Phillies 'A' South Atlantic League team, and started all but one of 22 games, with six complete games and two shutouts. He was traded with pitchers Marty Decker, Darren Burroughs and Ed Wojna to San Diego on September 20 for outfielder Sixto Lezcano and pitcher Steve Fireovid.
His first year in the Padres organization was split between Miami (A) of the Florida State League and Beaumont (AA) of the Texas League. With Miami, McCullers was 6-4 with a 2.54 ERA, splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation; 13 of his 22 appearances were starts, with five complete games. He was named as the second best major league prospect in the Florida State League. McCullers was used only as a starter at Beaumont, going 4-1 in eight starts with a 2.11 ERA, and allowed only four home runs in 161.2 innings pitched during the season, a ratio of one homer every 40.1 innings pitched.
While in Las Vegas in 1985, his lone year in AAA ball, he was used exclusively as a starter, appearing in 24 games and going 11-8 with a 3.98 ERA and three complete games, with 148 strikeouts in 149.1 innings pitched. A starter through most of his pro career, McCullers made his major league debut in the role of stopper with the Padres upon his recall from Las Vegas on August 11. He was forced into that situation when Rich Gossage was required to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery.
He was impressive immediately, earning saves in his first three big league outings, and all five of his saves came in his first eight outings. He did not allow an earned run in the first 11.1 innings pitched of his big league career; his first earned run allowed cost him his first decision, a 4-3 loss at Philadelphia on August 25. When Gossage returned in early September, McCullers was used mainly as a setup man for the remainder of the year. He was honored as the Padres' Rookie of the Year.
Lance appeared in 70 games in 1986, both as a starter and a reliever. He opened the year with 37 straight relief appearances before making seven starts at mid-season and wrapped up the year back in the bullpen with 24 more outings. He was 9-6 with five saves and a 2.13 ERA as a reliever but was 1-4 as a starter with a 4.19 ERA. Lance led the club in ERA (minimum 100 innings) at 2.78 and tied with Andy Hawkins for the top spot in victories with ten.
His first big league win came on April 15 against Los Angeles, winning 2-1 in a 12-inning game. He missed 10 games due to a pulled rib cage muscle before returning on April 29. After returning, Andy allowed only one earned run in 16.1 innings pitched in May for a 0.55 ERA (15 outings). His first major league start came on July 4 in Chicago, a 6.1-inning stint, getting a no-decision. He was named the Padres' Pitcher of the Month for both August and September.
In 1987 McCullers was used exclusively out of the bullpen and finished the season among the NL leaders in several categories. He ranked first among relievers in innings pitched (123.1), second in strikeouts (126), tied for fifth in wins (8) and was fifth overall in appearances (78) and ninth in saves (16).
He made good in nine of his first 12 save situations, subbing as the stopper for the injured Gossage, then hit a tailspin, failing in his next four save situations before finishing the year with seven saves in 12 chances. He had a three-game winning streak from July 16-August 6, during which he matched his career high with seven strikeouts in three innings pitched on July 25 against Pittsburgh. Lance finished the season strong, allowing only four earned runs in 24 innings pitched (1.50 ERA) in his last 18 outings. He compiled identical 4-5 marks in each half, but his second half ERA was 3.08 compared to 4.42 in the first half.
Lance attended Catholic High School in Tampa, a rival of Hillsborough High, alma mater of Dwight Gooden and Floyd Youmans. His favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds, his favorite player was Tom Seaver and his favorite ballpark is Jack Murphy Stadium. His hobbies are skiing, fishing, hunting and golf, and his favorite spectator sport is baseball.
Lance was involved in the San Diego community in several ventures, most actively with 'Pitchers for Pets,' a project with the Department of Animal Control to assist in responsible pet ownership."
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Saturday, May 20, 2017
1989 Profile: Rich Dotson
"Dotson failed to provide the consistency or the innings the Yankees hoped when they acquired him from the White Sox with Scott Nielsen for Dan Pasqua, Mark Salas and Steve Rosenberg following the 1987 season.
He got off to the best start of his career at 5-0 and did reach double figures in victories for the seventh time, yet suffered a five-game losing streak while posting a 7.84 ERA at a critical point in the season, from August 13 to September 9. He was very vulnerable to home runs, allowing 27 of them in 1988. Dotson may respond better to different handling.
Born in Cincinnati, the Angels made him the seventh player selected in the June 1977 draft. In 1983, Dotson became the youngest White Sox 20-game winner since Reb Russell in 1913."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition
"The best way to describe Richard Dotson's initial campaign with the Yankees is disappointing. He was acquired before the start of last year to bring some much needed consistency to the pitching staff. Simply stated, he didn't do it.
A veteran of nine years, Dotson rode a rollercoaster through 1988. His season started with five straight wins. Then he didn't gain a victory in over a month, had a trip to the disabled list with a pulled left groin, and then ended up in the bullpen.
Dotson never really recovered, but the Yankees haven't given up on him. The right-hander survived a realignment of the pitching staff because of the level of consistency he has demonstrated throughout his long career. 'When you have problems you have to back to the basics,' Dotson says, 'and that's what I'm going to do.'
Richard Dotson is not a superstar. Outside of his 22 wins with the White Sox in 1983, he's been a steady performer. With a quiet demeanor and a low-key approach, Dotson just seems to get the job done, which is why he's still in the Yankee rotation."
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Dotson was acquired from the White Sox along with pitcher Scott Nielsen in November 1987 in exchange for outfielder Dan Pasqua, catcher Mark Salas and left-handed pitcher Steve Rosenberg.
The right-hander made 32 appearances and 29 starts (third on the Yankees) in 1988. He posted a record of 12-9, and his 12 wins tied Rick Rhoden for second place on the Yankees, behind John Candelaria's club-leading 13; Dotson has reached double figures in victories in seven of his eight full major league seasons.
His 171 innings pitched was third on the team and he led the Yankees with 27 home runs given up, a career high. His 5.00 ERA was the second highest ERA of his career and his 77 strikeouts marked only the second time in his eight full seasons he failed to reach the 100-stikeout plateau. He had a .266 batting average against.
Rich made his Yankee debut, a start on April 8 against Milwaukee, a winning one, going 5.2 innings and allowing four hits and three runs (two earned) to gain credit for the Yankees' 6-4 victory. In his next outing, on April 13 at Toronto, he did not allow a run through the first eight innings, allowing just two hits, but tired in the ninth, giving up a run before being relieved and gaining credit for the Yankees' 5-1 win. His seven strikeouts on May 11 against Chicago were his 1988 high and his most since striking out seven against Oakland on June 29, 1987.
From the beginning of the season through May 11, Rich was 5-0 in his first eight games (seven starts) with a 3.10 ERA before having that streak broken on May 17, losing 6-2 to Seattle. Prior to 1988, he had never gotten off to a 5-0 start, and his five-game winning streak was his best since he won five from April 29-May 26, 1984. The last time Dotson won more than five straight games was the longest winning streak of his career, 10 games from August 19-October 2, 1983.
Through June 13, covering his first 14 games (12 starts), Dotson was 7-1 with a 3.24 ERA, and in his 12 starts the Yankees scored an average of 8.0 runs per game. In his 18 appearances (17 starts) after that, however, he went 5-8 with a 6.58 ERA, raising his overall ERA to 5.00. Included in that period was a five-game losing streak (covering five starts from August 13-September 4) when he posted a 9.12 ERA. It was his longest losing streak since he lost five games in five starts from July 9-August 1, 1986 with the White Sox. Dotson has never lost six games in a row.
He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 1 with a pulled left groin, an injury he suffered in his start on June 29 against Detroit. At the time of his injury, he was 7-3 with a 4.32 ERA. Rich missed his next two starts while injured before being activated from the DL on July 18. He made 15 appearances (13 starts) following his activation, going 5-6 with a 5.79 ERA.
Rich pitched out of the bullpen on April 20 at Minnesota, June 1 at Oakland and August 2 at Minnesota, combining to allow one run in 6.2 innings pitched. His April 20 outing was his first relief appearance since July 24, 1982 (with the White Sox), and he would have received the win had Minnesota not tied it in the ninth off Dave Righetti. Rich started 159 games between those two relief outings.
His last complete game win came on June 5 at Baltimore, tossing a 6-hitter in the Yankees' 9-2 win- it was his 100th career victory. His last complete game came in a 4-1 loss at Milwaukee on August 25, his fourth complete game of the year and 53rd career complete game.
Dotson was staked to a 7-0 first inning lead on July 24 at Kansas City but gave up seven runs (six earned) in 3.2 innings to wind up with a no-decision in the Yankees' eventual 10-8 win. He was ejected from his August 30 start at Seattle after hitting Henry Cotto with one out in the seventh inning. On September 9 against Detroit he committed two balks, his first balks since June 2, 1984, going 122 starts between balks.
The Yankees won 20 of the 32 games in which he appeared in 1988, including his first eight, and 19 of his 29 starts. In 1987 the White Sox averaged 3.97 runs per Dotson start, and in 1988 the Yankees averaged 5.66 runs in his starts. At Yankee Stadium he was 6-3 in 13 starts with a 4.00 ERA, and on the road, he was 6-6 with a 5.87 ERA in 19 games (16 starts); in his last 10 road appearances, he was 3-6 with an 8.00 ERA. Dotson's career record is 106-97 (.522 won-lost percentage) with a 4.20 ERA.
He is entering the second of two option years following a four-year contract.
Dotson finished with an 11-12 record in 31 games (all starts) with the White Sox in 1987. He posted a 4.17 ERA with 86 walks and 114 strikeouts [and a 1.358 WHIP] in 211.1 innings pitched (the third highest IP total of his career). His 114 strikeouts was the third highest single-season total of his career and the sixth time he recorded 100 or more strikeouts. He finished tied for second on the White Sox in wins, second in innings pitched and third in strikeouts. Rich had seven complete games, including two shutouts: a 5-hit 5-0 win against Texas on May 15 and a 6-hit 1-0 victory at Toronto on August 15. He missed three starts after suffering a sore right shoulder on September 9, but did make one start after that before the end of the season; they were the only three starts he had missed since his recovery from major surgery in July 1985.
He was Chicago's Opening Day pitcher in '87, defeating the Kansas City Royals, but then lost his next four decisions (the first of two four-game losing streaks he suffered in 1987) covering six starts from April 11 through May 10. He rebounded, however, to win six of his next seven decisions, covering 11 starts from May 15 through June 13, his longest winning streak of the year, to give him a 7-5 record in 18 starts with a 3.98 ERA at the All-Star break.
Rich then went 4-7 with a 4.48 ERA in 13 starts after the break. On July 26 he made a bid to pitch the first perfect game in Comiskey Park history, retiring the first 22 Yankees he faced before Mike Pagliarulo ended the no-hitter with a sharp single to right with one out in the eighth inning. After Mike Easler followed with a double, Dan Pasqua hit a three-run pinch-hit home run to lead the Yankees to an eventual 5-2 win, with Dotson getting the tough loss.
He had his second four-game losing streak from August 20 through September 4, covering four consecutive starts. In his next outing, on September 9 at Minnesota, he was forced to leave the game after one inning pitched because of stiffness in his right shoulder. After missing three starts Dotson came back to make one more start, on September 30 against California, pitching five innings and gaining credit for the White Sox' 5-2 victory.
He had a season high eight strikeouts on May 6 at California and had a season high six walks on July 9 at New York. At Comiskey Park he was 6-8 with a 4.35 ERA, while on the road he was 5-4 with a 3.99 ERA. Dotson had an overall batting average against of .249 and allowed 24 home runs.
Dotson was originally selected in the first round (the seventh player in the nation) by the California Angels in the June 1977 free agent draft and went 4-5 with Idaho Falls in his first professional season, with 83 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. He was traded by the Angels along with outfielders Bobby Bonds and Thad Bosley to the White Sox in December 1977 in exchange for catcher Brian Downing and pitchers Chris Knapp and Dave Frost. In 1978 he was 11-10 with AA Knoxville with 152 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched. Rich spent only two full seasons in the minors and never pitched higher than AA before his callup; he had 368 strikeouts in 326 minor league innings.
He made his major league debut on September 4, 1979 against California and recorded his first major league shutout in his second major league start on September 9, blanking Oakland 7-0 on six hits. The only right-hander in the Sox' 'kiddie corps' of young starters in 1980, his first complete season in the big leagues, Dotson was second on the staff to Britt Burns in wins (12), strikeouts (109) and complete games (6) and tied for second with 32 starts.
The Chisox' most effective starter in his sophomore big league season in 1981, Dotson enjoyed a string of 21 consecutive scoreless innings (May 3-15) with a pair of 4-hit shutouts. He finished tied for the American League lead with four shutouts, all during the season's first half, led the Sox staff with 24 starts and tied for the lead in complete games (5). After a dismal 3-10 first half in 1982, Rich won eight in a row in the second half to climb to 11-11 on September 8 with a win over California. He was named American Pitcher of the Month for August 1982 after going 6-0 with a 1.68 ERA in 48.1 innings.
In 1983 Dotson joined Cy Young Award-winning teammate Lamar Hoyt in posting a 20-win season and leading the White Sox to their AL West Division Championship. His 22-7 record led the American League in winning percentage (.759) and he was second in the league to Hoyt (24-10) in wins. Dotson and Hoyt became only the third Chisox pitching duo in 63 years to win 20 or more games in the same season and the first to turn the trick since Jim Katt (21-13) and Wilbur Wood (20-19) in 1974. They were also the first White Sox twosome to win at least 46 games in one year since 1919 when Ed Cicotte (29-7) and Lefty Williams (23-11) won 52. At age 24, Dotson was the youngest Sox pitcher to record a 20-win season since Reb Russell won 21 in 1913 (Russell was just four months younger). The Chisox were 27-8 in games Dot started and he was 12-3 at Comiskey Park.
On May 18, he pitched the first 1-hitter of his career at Baltimore, only to lose 1-0 on an eighth inning home run by Dan Ford just inside the right field foul pole. Dot won his last eight decisions and 16 of his last 18. From July 15 [through the American League Championship Series], he lost only twice- once in the regular season and once in the ALCS (both times to Baltimore). He joined Hoyt and Floyd Bannister to form the 'Big Three' and fashion a 42-5 won-lost record during the second half [of the season] with a collective ERA of 2.55 in 385 innings. Rich was the American League Pitcher of the Month for September when he was 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 51.1 innings.
Between the 1983 and the 1984 All-Star Games (he participated in the latter), Rich posted a composite 25-6 record with a 2.45 ERA in 272.1 innings. The White Sox' lone representative on the American League All-Star team in '84, he led Sox starters that year with a 3.59 ERA, 245.2 innings pitched and 14 complete games and tied for second on the staff with 14 victories. His 14 complete games ranked third in the AL and were just three shy of league leader Charlie Hough of Texas.
He registered two 3-hitters and three 4-hitters in '84 and established a personal single-game strikeout high with 10 against Texas on May 26 en route to a 4-hit 5-1 victory. His best effort came on June 13 in a 2-1 win at California when he 3-hit the Angels and was deprived of a shutout on an unearned run with two outs in the ninth; he also recorded his 500th career strikeout (Rob Wilfong) in that game. Rich was 11-4 and a 2.64 ERA prior to the All-Star break but lost four consecutive games after the break. 1985 circulatory surgery in his right shoulder probably explains his sub-par second half.
Rich made only a pair of game appearances in spring training of 1985 due to right arm tenderness later diagnosed as a circulatory problem - the problem was considered career threatening. He opened the season on the 15-day supplementary disabled list and his season came to an end in early June. He underwent surgery which corrected the problem in late July. Considered the ace of the Sox mound staff entering the season, his absence was a severe blow to Pale Hose title hopes. Rich managed just nine starts between April 22 and June 7 and fashioned a 3-4 record. He fired no complete games but lasted a full seven innings on three occasions.
He returned from his July 1985 surgery to pitch the entire 1986 season and was the only Sox starter not to miss a turn in the rotation, leading the club with 197 innings. He finished with a 10-17 mark and a 5.48 ERA, the most losses and highest ERA of his big league career, and allowed a team-high 24 homers. Rich managed just three complete games, two in the season's final month when his arm strength improved.
His only shutout was his 10th and last win of the season on September 5 against the Blue Jays at Comiskey Park; he limited the Blue Jays to just four hits in that outing. His first complete game was July 4th over the Yankees at Chicago, a 2-1 success. Rich suffered a five-game losing streak after the Independence Day win and did not earn another victory until winning 3-1 at Boston on August 5, and also endured a five-game losing streak at the end of the season. His longest winning streak was a three-gamer, capped by his July 4th win, that temporarily evened his record at 7-7. Rich twice matched his career single-game strikeout best with 10 whiffs at Milwaukee on August 10 (6.1 innings) and 10 against Texas on August 31 (7.1 innings).
Rich had a stellar prep career at Anderson High School in Cincinnati and signed a letter of intent to attend Miami University (Ohio) after graduating, but instead elected to turn professional after the 1977 draft. He met his wife, a Sarasota (FL) native, during spring training.
He served as Chicago's player representative his last three years there. His hobbies are hunting and fishing, his favorite spectator sport is football, and his favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds."
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
He got off to the best start of his career at 5-0 and did reach double figures in victories for the seventh time, yet suffered a five-game losing streak while posting a 7.84 ERA at a critical point in the season, from August 13 to September 9. He was very vulnerable to home runs, allowing 27 of them in 1988. Dotson may respond better to different handling.
Born in Cincinnati, the Angels made him the seventh player selected in the June 1977 draft. In 1983, Dotson became the youngest White Sox 20-game winner since Reb Russell in 1913."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition
"The best way to describe Richard Dotson's initial campaign with the Yankees is disappointing. He was acquired before the start of last year to bring some much needed consistency to the pitching staff. Simply stated, he didn't do it.
A veteran of nine years, Dotson rode a rollercoaster through 1988. His season started with five straight wins. Then he didn't gain a victory in over a month, had a trip to the disabled list with a pulled left groin, and then ended up in the bullpen.
Dotson never really recovered, but the Yankees haven't given up on him. The right-hander survived a realignment of the pitching staff because of the level of consistency he has demonstrated throughout his long career. 'When you have problems you have to back to the basics,' Dotson says, 'and that's what I'm going to do.'
Richard Dotson is not a superstar. Outside of his 22 wins with the White Sox in 1983, he's been a steady performer. With a quiet demeanor and a low-key approach, Dotson just seems to get the job done, which is why he's still in the Yankee rotation."
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Dotson was acquired from the White Sox along with pitcher Scott Nielsen in November 1987 in exchange for outfielder Dan Pasqua, catcher Mark Salas and left-handed pitcher Steve Rosenberg.
The right-hander made 32 appearances and 29 starts (third on the Yankees) in 1988. He posted a record of 12-9, and his 12 wins tied Rick Rhoden for second place on the Yankees, behind John Candelaria's club-leading 13; Dotson has reached double figures in victories in seven of his eight full major league seasons.
His 171 innings pitched was third on the team and he led the Yankees with 27 home runs given up, a career high. His 5.00 ERA was the second highest ERA of his career and his 77 strikeouts marked only the second time in his eight full seasons he failed to reach the 100-stikeout plateau. He had a .266 batting average against.
Rich made his Yankee debut, a start on April 8 against Milwaukee, a winning one, going 5.2 innings and allowing four hits and three runs (two earned) to gain credit for the Yankees' 6-4 victory. In his next outing, on April 13 at Toronto, he did not allow a run through the first eight innings, allowing just two hits, but tired in the ninth, giving up a run before being relieved and gaining credit for the Yankees' 5-1 win. His seven strikeouts on May 11 against Chicago were his 1988 high and his most since striking out seven against Oakland on June 29, 1987.
From the beginning of the season through May 11, Rich was 5-0 in his first eight games (seven starts) with a 3.10 ERA before having that streak broken on May 17, losing 6-2 to Seattle. Prior to 1988, he had never gotten off to a 5-0 start, and his five-game winning streak was his best since he won five from April 29-May 26, 1984. The last time Dotson won more than five straight games was the longest winning streak of his career, 10 games from August 19-October 2, 1983.
Through June 13, covering his first 14 games (12 starts), Dotson was 7-1 with a 3.24 ERA, and in his 12 starts the Yankees scored an average of 8.0 runs per game. In his 18 appearances (17 starts) after that, however, he went 5-8 with a 6.58 ERA, raising his overall ERA to 5.00. Included in that period was a five-game losing streak (covering five starts from August 13-September 4) when he posted a 9.12 ERA. It was his longest losing streak since he lost five games in five starts from July 9-August 1, 1986 with the White Sox. Dotson has never lost six games in a row.
He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 1 with a pulled left groin, an injury he suffered in his start on June 29 against Detroit. At the time of his injury, he was 7-3 with a 4.32 ERA. Rich missed his next two starts while injured before being activated from the DL on July 18. He made 15 appearances (13 starts) following his activation, going 5-6 with a 5.79 ERA.
Rich pitched out of the bullpen on April 20 at Minnesota, June 1 at Oakland and August 2 at Minnesota, combining to allow one run in 6.2 innings pitched. His April 20 outing was his first relief appearance since July 24, 1982 (with the White Sox), and he would have received the win had Minnesota not tied it in the ninth off Dave Righetti. Rich started 159 games between those two relief outings.
His last complete game win came on June 5 at Baltimore, tossing a 6-hitter in the Yankees' 9-2 win- it was his 100th career victory. His last complete game came in a 4-1 loss at Milwaukee on August 25, his fourth complete game of the year and 53rd career complete game.
Dotson was staked to a 7-0 first inning lead on July 24 at Kansas City but gave up seven runs (six earned) in 3.2 innings to wind up with a no-decision in the Yankees' eventual 10-8 win. He was ejected from his August 30 start at Seattle after hitting Henry Cotto with one out in the seventh inning. On September 9 against Detroit he committed two balks, his first balks since June 2, 1984, going 122 starts between balks.
The Yankees won 20 of the 32 games in which he appeared in 1988, including his first eight, and 19 of his 29 starts. In 1987 the White Sox averaged 3.97 runs per Dotson start, and in 1988 the Yankees averaged 5.66 runs in his starts. At Yankee Stadium he was 6-3 in 13 starts with a 4.00 ERA, and on the road, he was 6-6 with a 5.87 ERA in 19 games (16 starts); in his last 10 road appearances, he was 3-6 with an 8.00 ERA. Dotson's career record is 106-97 (.522 won-lost percentage) with a 4.20 ERA.
He is entering the second of two option years following a four-year contract.
Dotson finished with an 11-12 record in 31 games (all starts) with the White Sox in 1987. He posted a 4.17 ERA with 86 walks and 114 strikeouts [and a 1.358 WHIP] in 211.1 innings pitched (the third highest IP total of his career). His 114 strikeouts was the third highest single-season total of his career and the sixth time he recorded 100 or more strikeouts. He finished tied for second on the White Sox in wins, second in innings pitched and third in strikeouts. Rich had seven complete games, including two shutouts: a 5-hit 5-0 win against Texas on May 15 and a 6-hit 1-0 victory at Toronto on August 15. He missed three starts after suffering a sore right shoulder on September 9, but did make one start after that before the end of the season; they were the only three starts he had missed since his recovery from major surgery in July 1985.
He was Chicago's Opening Day pitcher in '87, defeating the Kansas City Royals, but then lost his next four decisions (the first of two four-game losing streaks he suffered in 1987) covering six starts from April 11 through May 10. He rebounded, however, to win six of his next seven decisions, covering 11 starts from May 15 through June 13, his longest winning streak of the year, to give him a 7-5 record in 18 starts with a 3.98 ERA at the All-Star break.
Rich then went 4-7 with a 4.48 ERA in 13 starts after the break. On July 26 he made a bid to pitch the first perfect game in Comiskey Park history, retiring the first 22 Yankees he faced before Mike Pagliarulo ended the no-hitter with a sharp single to right with one out in the eighth inning. After Mike Easler followed with a double, Dan Pasqua hit a three-run pinch-hit home run to lead the Yankees to an eventual 5-2 win, with Dotson getting the tough loss.
He had his second four-game losing streak from August 20 through September 4, covering four consecutive starts. In his next outing, on September 9 at Minnesota, he was forced to leave the game after one inning pitched because of stiffness in his right shoulder. After missing three starts Dotson came back to make one more start, on September 30 against California, pitching five innings and gaining credit for the White Sox' 5-2 victory.
He had a season high eight strikeouts on May 6 at California and had a season high six walks on July 9 at New York. At Comiskey Park he was 6-8 with a 4.35 ERA, while on the road he was 5-4 with a 3.99 ERA. Dotson had an overall batting average against of .249 and allowed 24 home runs.
Dotson was originally selected in the first round (the seventh player in the nation) by the California Angels in the June 1977 free agent draft and went 4-5 with Idaho Falls in his first professional season, with 83 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. He was traded by the Angels along with outfielders Bobby Bonds and Thad Bosley to the White Sox in December 1977 in exchange for catcher Brian Downing and pitchers Chris Knapp and Dave Frost. In 1978 he was 11-10 with AA Knoxville with 152 strikeouts in 145 innings pitched. Rich spent only two full seasons in the minors and never pitched higher than AA before his callup; he had 368 strikeouts in 326 minor league innings.
He made his major league debut on September 4, 1979 against California and recorded his first major league shutout in his second major league start on September 9, blanking Oakland 7-0 on six hits. The only right-hander in the Sox' 'kiddie corps' of young starters in 1980, his first complete season in the big leagues, Dotson was second on the staff to Britt Burns in wins (12), strikeouts (109) and complete games (6) and tied for second with 32 starts.
The Chisox' most effective starter in his sophomore big league season in 1981, Dotson enjoyed a string of 21 consecutive scoreless innings (May 3-15) with a pair of 4-hit shutouts. He finished tied for the American League lead with four shutouts, all during the season's first half, led the Sox staff with 24 starts and tied for the lead in complete games (5). After a dismal 3-10 first half in 1982, Rich won eight in a row in the second half to climb to 11-11 on September 8 with a win over California. He was named American Pitcher of the Month for August 1982 after going 6-0 with a 1.68 ERA in 48.1 innings.
In 1983 Dotson joined Cy Young Award-winning teammate Lamar Hoyt in posting a 20-win season and leading the White Sox to their AL West Division Championship. His 22-7 record led the American League in winning percentage (.759) and he was second in the league to Hoyt (24-10) in wins. Dotson and Hoyt became only the third Chisox pitching duo in 63 years to win 20 or more games in the same season and the first to turn the trick since Jim Katt (21-13) and Wilbur Wood (20-19) in 1974. They were also the first White Sox twosome to win at least 46 games in one year since 1919 when Ed Cicotte (29-7) and Lefty Williams (23-11) won 52. At age 24, Dotson was the youngest Sox pitcher to record a 20-win season since Reb Russell won 21 in 1913 (Russell was just four months younger). The Chisox were 27-8 in games Dot started and he was 12-3 at Comiskey Park.
On May 18, he pitched the first 1-hitter of his career at Baltimore, only to lose 1-0 on an eighth inning home run by Dan Ford just inside the right field foul pole. Dot won his last eight decisions and 16 of his last 18. From July 15 [through the American League Championship Series], he lost only twice- once in the regular season and once in the ALCS (both times to Baltimore). He joined Hoyt and Floyd Bannister to form the 'Big Three' and fashion a 42-5 won-lost record during the second half [of the season] with a collective ERA of 2.55 in 385 innings. Rich was the American League Pitcher of the Month for September when he was 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 51.1 innings.
Between the 1983 and the 1984 All-Star Games (he participated in the latter), Rich posted a composite 25-6 record with a 2.45 ERA in 272.1 innings. The White Sox' lone representative on the American League All-Star team in '84, he led Sox starters that year with a 3.59 ERA, 245.2 innings pitched and 14 complete games and tied for second on the staff with 14 victories. His 14 complete games ranked third in the AL and were just three shy of league leader Charlie Hough of Texas.
He registered two 3-hitters and three 4-hitters in '84 and established a personal single-game strikeout high with 10 against Texas on May 26 en route to a 4-hit 5-1 victory. His best effort came on June 13 in a 2-1 win at California when he 3-hit the Angels and was deprived of a shutout on an unearned run with two outs in the ninth; he also recorded his 500th career strikeout (Rob Wilfong) in that game. Rich was 11-4 and a 2.64 ERA prior to the All-Star break but lost four consecutive games after the break. 1985 circulatory surgery in his right shoulder probably explains his sub-par second half.
Rich made only a pair of game appearances in spring training of 1985 due to right arm tenderness later diagnosed as a circulatory problem - the problem was considered career threatening. He opened the season on the 15-day supplementary disabled list and his season came to an end in early June. He underwent surgery which corrected the problem in late July. Considered the ace of the Sox mound staff entering the season, his absence was a severe blow to Pale Hose title hopes. Rich managed just nine starts between April 22 and June 7 and fashioned a 3-4 record. He fired no complete games but lasted a full seven innings on three occasions.
He returned from his July 1985 surgery to pitch the entire 1986 season and was the only Sox starter not to miss a turn in the rotation, leading the club with 197 innings. He finished with a 10-17 mark and a 5.48 ERA, the most losses and highest ERA of his big league career, and allowed a team-high 24 homers. Rich managed just three complete games, two in the season's final month when his arm strength improved.
His only shutout was his 10th and last win of the season on September 5 against the Blue Jays at Comiskey Park; he limited the Blue Jays to just four hits in that outing. His first complete game was July 4th over the Yankees at Chicago, a 2-1 success. Rich suffered a five-game losing streak after the Independence Day win and did not earn another victory until winning 3-1 at Boston on August 5, and also endured a five-game losing streak at the end of the season. His longest winning streak was a three-gamer, capped by his July 4th win, that temporarily evened his record at 7-7. Rich twice matched his career single-game strikeout best with 10 whiffs at Milwaukee on August 10 (6.1 innings) and 10 against Texas on August 31 (7.1 innings).
Rich had a stellar prep career at Anderson High School in Cincinnati and signed a letter of intent to attend Miami University (Ohio) after graduating, but instead elected to turn professional after the 1977 draft. He met his wife, a Sarasota (FL) native, during spring training.
He served as Chicago's player representative his last three years there. His hobbies are hunting and fishing, his favorite spectator sport is football, and his favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds."
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Monday, May 8, 2017
1989 Profile: Dave Winfield
"Winfield responded to the off-the-field controversy with a brilliant season and was easily the MVP of this star-studded club in 1988. He was severely criticized by principal owner George Steinbrenner after the publication of his rather tame autobiography last spring and was forced to head off trade attempts.
Winfield drove in more than 100 runs for the seventh time in his career and sixth time in the last seven seasons. He reached base safely in 129 his 149 games played. He tied Roger Maris for seventh place on the all-time Yankee list with 203 homers and has hit 357 in his career. Winfield ranks 11th on the Yankees' all-time RBI list with 810. He has lost a step but is still a superior right fielder.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Winfield was chosen out of the University of Minnesota in the pro football draft by the Vikings and in the pro basketball draft by the Hawks. The Padres made him the fourth player taken overall in the June 1973 draft. He's known as the $23 million man because of the 10-year contract he signed with the Yankees as a free agent following the 1980 season."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition
"The man is athletic, talented, sometimes controversial, and last year he was very productive. Dave Winfield, showcased here in New York for the past eight seasons, continues to be among the game's greats.
Being one of baseball's all-around athletes may be the most overused expression in describing the Yankee slugger, but at age 37 it is still accurate. After nearly 16 years as a pro, Winfield may have enjoyed his best season last year. Sure, he hit 37 homers in 1982 and had a hefty .340 average in 1984, but in 1988 Big Dave put it all together. Proving that he is truly a complete player, he did it with the glove, the bat, on the bases and in the outfield. Winfield parlayed a Herculean start into some great numbers (.322, 25 homers, 107 RBI).
Teammate Don Mattingly said, 'He's been the most valuable player on our club.'"
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Torrid is the best way to describe the veteran's start in 1988. Winfield hit safely in his first nine games through April 14, going 17-for-34 (.500 batting average) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 16 RBIs; from April 17 through May 4, he followed with a season long 16-game hitting streak, during which he went 27-for-59 (.458). He thus hit safely in 25 of his first 27 games through May 4, while reaching base safely in each of his first 29 games played through May 6.
Dave ended April hitting .398 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs. The 29 RBIs broke Don Baylor's American League record for April set in 1979 and tied the major league mark set by Ron Cey in 1977 and tied by Dale Murphy in 1985. Winfield was named American League Player of the Month for April.
Through May 16, Winfield hit safely in his first 20 home games. His May stats were down some, going 32-for-95 (.337) with five doubles, five homers and 19 RBIs, his overall average dropping to .365. Through May 31, Dave reached base safely in 44 of his 48 games played.
Though his overall batting average continued to decline in June, Dave still reached base with regularity, failing to do so in just eight of the 74 games in which he played through June 30. In June he hit .309 (29-for-94) with three homers and 12 RBIs, lowering his overall batting average to .346 by the end of the month.
It was also in June that his power numbers began to drop. Dave's 15th home run came on June 15 and his 16th did not come until July 23, 27 games and 97 at-bats between homers. He averaged 24 RBIs per month in April and May but drove in just 12 in June- a 50% drop off.
Winfield went 15-for-52 (.288) from July 1 through July 22 with no homers and just three extra-base hits, his overall average falling to .336; however, from July 23 through July 31 he hit in nine straight, going 16-for-37 (.432) with two doubles, five home runs and 13 RBIs. That spurt brought his season average back up to .346, the highest it would be for the remainder of 1988. For the month of July, Winfield went 31-for-89 (.348) with five home runs and 18 RBIs.
He ended July and began August with the longest 0-for of his career- 0-for-23, dropping his overall average to .327. That skein began with his final two at-bats on July 31 and ended with a fourth inning single on August 10 against Toronto. From that hit through August 31 Winfield hit in 16 of the next 20 games, going 30-for-83 (.361) with seven doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs, bringing his batting average back up to .333. Due to his poor start at the beginning of August, however, his overall average for the month was .288 (30-for-104).
Dave hit just two home runs (none in New York) from August 19 through September 27- his final 148 at-bats. He kept pace at .333 through September 19, going 23-for-69 in that month's first 18 games but went 2-for-27 over his final six games to conclude his year at .322. Dave drove in just one run in his last nine games.
He played his last game on September 27, missing New York's last five games so that he could be with his ailing mother. Dave's mother, Arline Winfield, passed away on October 3, Dave's birthday.
In 1988 he went 4-for-13 (.308) in four games as a designated hitter, and as a pinch hitter went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He hit .347 with runners in scoring position. Winfield was voted to start for the American League All-Star team- his eighth All-Star start (including the last six years) and his 12th straight All-Star appearance.
Among AL and major league leaders in 1988: .322 batting average, fourth in the AL, fourth in the majors; 25 homers, tied for 10th in the AL, tied for 17th in the majors; 107 RBIs, fifth in the AL, seventh in the majors; 51 multi-hit games, 10th in the AL, 13th in the majors; 96 runs, tied for eighth in the AL, tied for 15th in the majors; 296 total bases, sixth in the AL, tied for 10th in the majors; .398 on-base percentage, fourth in the AL, fifth in the majors; .530 slugging percentage, sixth in the AL, eighth in the majors.
Dave's .322 batting average was the second highest of his career and 37 percentage points better than his career average coming into 1988 (.285). His total of 37 doubles was a career high. He hit 20+ homers for the fourth straight season, and for the 11th time in his career, and reached the 100-RBI plateau for the seventh time. Dave's .989 fielding percentage was fifth among outfielders with a minimum of 200 total chances and three or fewer errors.
He broke into the Yankee career top 20 in the following categories: 715 runs, 19th; 233 doubles, 17th; 203 home runs, tied for seventh (with Roger Maris); and 812 RBIs, 11th. His major league total of 357 homers ranks 38th on the all-time list (Yogi Berra and Johnny Mize are next with 358 and 359, respectively). Winfield also became the ninth to reach the 200-homer mark as a Yankee.
Winfield hit two home runs on April 8 against Milwaukee, his 20th career two-homer game, had his 21st such game on July 23 at Kansas City, and the 22nd on July 27 against Milwaukee. He also had five RBIs on both July 23 and July 27- his season high. Winfield homered in three straight games from August 16-18- the first time this was done by a Yankee since Don Mattingly homered in eight straight in July of 1987, and the first time done by Winfield since April 5-7, 1983.
Winfield signed a 10-year contract with the Yankees on December 15, 1980, with a club option for 1989 and 1990. On October 13, 1988 the club announced it would not buy out the final two years.
In 1987, Winfield had an above average first half but a below average second half. It was the first full season since 1980 that he did not record 100 RBIs.
Winfield opened the season hitting safely in 12 of his first 14 games through April 21, going 20-for-50 (.400). In 12 games from April 22 through May 5, he went 8-for-42 (.190) with his overall average falling to .304. Dave had the first of two season-long 12-game hitting streaks from May 6 through May 19, going 15-for-48 (.313) with three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. Following the streak, he fell into a 16-for-80 (.200) skein, May 20-June 14, with his overall average falling from .307 to a season low of .268.
He was scalding hot the month prior to the All-Star break (June 15-July 12), going 35-for-99 (.354), including his second 12-game hitting streak from June 15 to June 27, hitting safely in 22 of 25 games with five doubles, eight homers and 26 RBIs. On June 29 in Toronto off Tom Henke, Dave hit his seventh career grand slam and drove in six runs to match his career high.
At the All-Star break, he was hitting .295 in 85 games with 20 homers and 68 RBIs. Winfield was voted to start the All-Star Game for the American League and played all 13 innings of that game.
Through the remainder of '87 his overall batting average fluctuated in the .275-.285 range, and he went 64-for-256 (.250) in 71 games after the All-Star break with just seven homers and 29 RBIs. Dave's longest 0-for of '87 came from August 15 (last at-bat) through August 22 (first at-bat). He went 16 games without a home run from August 5 through August 23. His sacrifice bunt on August 30 at Seattle was his first since September 12, 1982 and only the 12th of his career. He had four hits on September 7 at Boston.
Dave had four two-home run games: April 23 at Cleveland, May 18 at Oakland, June 16 against Baltimore and June 29 at Toronto. In 23 games with both Henderson and Mattingly out, he went 31-for-88 (.352) with seven homers and 25 RBIs. He was 2-for-4 with three RBIs as a pinch hitter but went 6-for-28 (.214) with no homers and four RBIs as a designated hitter. He hit .351 (53-for-151) with runners in scoring position. Dave had a .989 fielding percentage.
He played in 156 games in 1987, his highest total since appearing in 162 games for San Diego in 1980. His 27 home runs were his fourth-best season total, though his 22 doubles were the lowest he's recorded in a season since his 20 in 1975. His .275 batting average was up from .262 in 1986 but below his .286 career and .288 Yankee averages coming into '87. With 97 RBIs, he fell just three short of becoming the first Yankee since Joe DiMaggio to drive in 100 or more runs for the sixth straight season (DiMaggio had 100+ RBIs for seven straight years, 1936-42). Winfield won his fifth Rawlings Gold Glove in six years, and his seventh overall.
In 1981, his first season as a Yankee, Dave led the team in games, at-bats, hits, total bases, doubles, RBI, game-winning RBI and sacrifice flies. He hit his first home run as a Yankee on April 29 in Detroit off Jack Morris, and his first Yankee Stadium homer on May 23 off Rick Waits. Dave made his first appearance in postseason competition.
In 1982 he finished second in the AL with a .560 slugging percentage and third with 37 homers. He also led the Yankees with 106 RBI and his 37 home runs were a career high. Joe DiMaggio is the only right-handed Yankee batter to hit more homers in a season (46 in 1937, 39 in 1948). Winfield became the ninth player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season in both leagues. He was the American League Player of the Month for September (.294 BA, 11 HR, 22 RBI, .661 slugging percentage).
Winfield led the Yankees in 1983 in games, at-bats, runs, hits, triples, homers, RBI, game-winning RBI and walks. He finished second in the AL with 21 game-winning RBI, third with 116 RBI, fifth with 307 total bases, tied for fifth with 32 homers, tied for fifth with eight triples, seventh with a .513 slugging percentage and tied for eighth with 99 runs scored. Named to his seventh consecutive All-Star team, Dave contributed three hits in a rare American League win. He was selected as AL Player of the Week [for each of] the first two weeks of August. On August 4 at Toronto, he fatally beaned a seagull during between-innings warmups and was charged by Toronto Police with cruelty to animals- the charges were dropped the next day.
In 1984 Winfield finished second to Don Mattingly for the American League batting championship with a career high .340, fourth in the AL with 193 hits, fourth with a .393 on-base percentage, and sixth with 106 runs. He had a career high 20-game hitting streak from August 17-September 8. Dave had three five-hit games in June, tying a record held by Ty Cobb. He won his fourth straight Sporting News Silver Bat Award and was named to the AL, Sporting News and UPI All-Star teams.
He had an outstanding year in 1985 at the plate, with the glove and on the basepaths. He was second in the American League with 19 game-winning RBI, third with 114 RBI, tied for seventh with 66 extra base hits, ninth with 105 runs and 10th with 298 total bases. Dave recorded 100+ RBI for the fourth straight year, the first Yankee [to do this] since Yogi Berra (1953-56), was the first Yankee to score 100+ runs in consecutive seasons since Mickey Mantle (1960-61), and the first Yankee to record 100+ runs and 100 RBIs since Joe DiMaggio (1941-42). He scored his 1,000th career run on July 26 at Texas.
Winfield lost 17 spring training days, March 17 through April 2, with an infected left elbow which required a six-day hospital stay. He began the '85 regular season struggling at the plate, hitting .257 through April and dropping to a season low of .234 on May 18. At this point he began a season high 13-game hitting streak which lasted through June 1, raising his batting average 23 points (he also had a 10-game hitting streak from July 9-22). He had only five homers through June 6, yet went 36-for-105 (.343) in June, driving his average up to .289; it peaked at .300 on July 22, then from July 23 to August 18 he went 18-for-96 (.188), his overall average dropping to .280.
His 19 stolen bases were his most since 1980, and he stole home on September 7 against Oakland. He won his fourth straight AL Gold Glove (sixth overall) and appeared in his ninth consecutive All-Star Game.
In 1986 he had good numbers for most major leaguers, but slightly below Dave Winfield standards. He became the first Yankee to reach the 100 RBI mark for five consecutive seasons since Joe DiMaggio's seven straight from 1936-42. RBI No. 100 came on September 29 at Yankee Stadium against Toronto; his 104 RBIs in '86 ranked ninth in the American League.
His at-bat in the sixth inning on July 5 at Chicago was career at-bat No. 7,000. His RBI triple in the fifth inning on July 7 at Texas off Mickey Mahler was career hit No. 2,000. His two-run home run on August 20, a second-inning blast off Seattle's Mike Moore, was career home run No. 300, with Winfield becoming only the 54th player in history to reach that peak.
Winfield got off to a slow start, hitting just .228 (13-for-57) with one homer and eight RBIs after his first 15 games, with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts. He went 11-for-30 (.367) over his next nine games, raising his overall batting average to .276 on May 4. That hot streak was followed by another cold spell- a 10-game stretch from May 5-15, going 4-for-36 (.111). He had just three homers through his first 35 games.
He came around to hit in seven straight, May 16-24 (his longest hitting streak until September), going 10-for-29 (.345) with three homers and 10 RBIs, raising his batting average to .257. That streak included a 3-for-5, six-RBI performance against Seattle on May 17, with two runs, a double and his sixth career grand slam (New York's lone grand slam of '86). The six RBIs matched his career high, now accomplished four times, and were the team high for '86. From May 25-July 5 Dave went 23-for-127 (.181) in 36 games with four doubles, one triple, six homers, 19 RBIs, 20 walks and 30 strikeouts, with his overall batting average falling from .257 to .222, his lowest point of '86. He went 17 games between homers No. 12 and 13, June 14-July 6, and hit just one homer in 28 games between June 15 and July 21.
From July 6-30, 18 games, Dave went 25-for-65 (.385) with 18 RBIs, raising his overall average from .222 to .253. He had just 13 RBIs in 28 August games, going 30-for-104 (.288) and ending the month at .261. Dave had just two hits in September's first seven games (2-for-23, .087 BA) with his average falling to .253, but from September 11 to season's end went 29-for-94 (.309) with four homers and 21 RBIs to end at .262.
His .262 batting average was the lowest of his professional career, and his total of 148 hits was his fewest in a full season since getting 139 in 1976. His 77 walks were the most since receiving 79 passes in 1980, yet he broke the 100 strikeout mark for the first time in his career- his previous high had been 96 in 1974 and 1985. Dave went hitless in five straight games on two occasions: May 25-30 (0-for-13) and September 3-9 (0-for-17, his longest 0-fer of '86).
Dave hit second in the batting order for the first time in his career on June 27 against Toronto. He appeared as a designated hitter in six games, going 2-for-18 (.111), and was 1-for-7 with a walk in eight pinch-hitting appearances (.143). Dave was 48-for-161 (.298) with runners in scoring position.
He led Yankee outfielders with nine assists. He went 104 games between his second and third errors of '86- he had two errors in his first nine games of the season, three in his last 42 games and none in between.
Dave hit a pair of homers on June 4 at California and scored four runs (matching the '86 team high) on June 23 at Boston. He appeared in his 10th straight All-Star Game.
In 1973, Dave was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 1st round (fourth player taken) of the free agent draft on June 5, 1973. He went right to the majors off the University of Minnesota campus in 1973, hit safely in his first six games for San Diego and never played in the minors. He hit .284 in his eight-year career in San Diego and in 1976 led NL outfielders with 15 assists. He had his best season in the National League in 1979, leading the league with 118 RBIs and 333 total bases and finishing third with 34 homers. Winfield won his first Gold Glove in '79 in addition to placing third in the BBWAA MVP voting behind co-winners Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell.
Prior to college, Winfield attended St. Paul Central High School. At the University of Minnesota, he was 13-1 on the mound in his senior year while batting over .400 [as an outfielder]. He was the Gophers team captain, named a first-team All-American and was MVP of the 1973 College World Series. He also played basketball for Minnesota and was drafted in three different sports: Padres in baseball, Vikings in football, and Utah (ABA) and Atlanta (NBA) in basketball.
Winfield established the David M. Winfield Foundation, receiving much acclaim for its work with youth groups and further contributions to the community. He serves on the board of directors of Hackensack (NJ) Hospital and the Morehouse School of Medicine School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Winfield was named 1979 winner of the YMCA Brian Piccolo Award for humanitarian services.
He opened a restaurant in Manhattan called 'Border Cafe' in November of 1986, as well as multiple Burger King franchises in Virginia."
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
Selected by San Diego Padres in 1st round (fourth player selected) of 1973 MLB draft.
Selected by Minnesota Vikings in 17th round of 1973 NFL draft.
Selected by Atlanta Hawks in 5th round of 1973 NBA draft.
Selected by Utah Stars in 6th round of 1973 ABA draft.
Tied for National League lead for errors among outfielders (12), 1974.
Led National League outfielders in assists (15), 1976.
National League All-Star, 1977.
National League All-Star, 1978.
National League All-Star, 1979.
Led National League in total bases (333), 1979.
Led National League in intentional walks received (24), 1979.
Won National League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1979.
National League All-Star, 1980.
Won National League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1980.
American League All-Star, 1981.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1981.
American League All-Star, 1982.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1982.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1982.
American League All-Star, 1983.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1983.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1983.
American League All-Star, 1984.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1984.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1984.
American League All-Star, 1985.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1985.
American League All-Star, 1986.
American League All-Star, 1987.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1987.
American League All-Star, 1988.
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
ALL-STAR GAME RECORDS
Tied All-Star Game record for most at-bats, nine-inning game (5), July 17, 1979.
Tied All-Star Game record for most consecutive games batted safely (7), 1982-1988.
Established All-Star Game record for most doubles, lifetime (7).
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
Winfield drove in more than 100 runs for the seventh time in his career and sixth time in the last seven seasons. He reached base safely in 129 his 149 games played. He tied Roger Maris for seventh place on the all-time Yankee list with 203 homers and has hit 357 in his career. Winfield ranks 11th on the Yankees' all-time RBI list with 810. He has lost a step but is still a superior right fielder.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Winfield was chosen out of the University of Minnesota in the pro football draft by the Vikings and in the pro basketball draft by the Hawks. The Padres made him the fourth player taken overall in the June 1973 draft. He's known as the $23 million man because of the 10-year contract he signed with the Yankees as a free agent following the 1980 season."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition
"The man is athletic, talented, sometimes controversial, and last year he was very productive. Dave Winfield, showcased here in New York for the past eight seasons, continues to be among the game's greats.
Being one of baseball's all-around athletes may be the most overused expression in describing the Yankee slugger, but at age 37 it is still accurate. After nearly 16 years as a pro, Winfield may have enjoyed his best season last year. Sure, he hit 37 homers in 1982 and had a hefty .340 average in 1984, but in 1988 Big Dave put it all together. Proving that he is truly a complete player, he did it with the glove, the bat, on the bases and in the outfield. Winfield parlayed a Herculean start into some great numbers (.322, 25 homers, 107 RBI).
Teammate Don Mattingly said, 'He's been the most valuable player on our club.'"
-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook
"Torrid is the best way to describe the veteran's start in 1988. Winfield hit safely in his first nine games through April 14, going 17-for-34 (.500 batting average) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 16 RBIs; from April 17 through May 4, he followed with a season long 16-game hitting streak, during which he went 27-for-59 (.458). He thus hit safely in 25 of his first 27 games through May 4, while reaching base safely in each of his first 29 games played through May 6.
Dave ended April hitting .398 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs. The 29 RBIs broke Don Baylor's American League record for April set in 1979 and tied the major league mark set by Ron Cey in 1977 and tied by Dale Murphy in 1985. Winfield was named American League Player of the Month for April.
Through May 16, Winfield hit safely in his first 20 home games. His May stats were down some, going 32-for-95 (.337) with five doubles, five homers and 19 RBIs, his overall average dropping to .365. Through May 31, Dave reached base safely in 44 of his 48 games played.
Though his overall batting average continued to decline in June, Dave still reached base with regularity, failing to do so in just eight of the 74 games in which he played through June 30. In June he hit .309 (29-for-94) with three homers and 12 RBIs, lowering his overall batting average to .346 by the end of the month.
It was also in June that his power numbers began to drop. Dave's 15th home run came on June 15 and his 16th did not come until July 23, 27 games and 97 at-bats between homers. He averaged 24 RBIs per month in April and May but drove in just 12 in June- a 50% drop off.
Winfield went 15-for-52 (.288) from July 1 through July 22 with no homers and just three extra-base hits, his overall average falling to .336; however, from July 23 through July 31 he hit in nine straight, going 16-for-37 (.432) with two doubles, five home runs and 13 RBIs. That spurt brought his season average back up to .346, the highest it would be for the remainder of 1988. For the month of July, Winfield went 31-for-89 (.348) with five home runs and 18 RBIs.
He ended July and began August with the longest 0-for of his career- 0-for-23, dropping his overall average to .327. That skein began with his final two at-bats on July 31 and ended with a fourth inning single on August 10 against Toronto. From that hit through August 31 Winfield hit in 16 of the next 20 games, going 30-for-83 (.361) with seven doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs, bringing his batting average back up to .333. Due to his poor start at the beginning of August, however, his overall average for the month was .288 (30-for-104).
Dave hit just two home runs (none in New York) from August 19 through September 27- his final 148 at-bats. He kept pace at .333 through September 19, going 23-for-69 in that month's first 18 games but went 2-for-27 over his final six games to conclude his year at .322. Dave drove in just one run in his last nine games.
He played his last game on September 27, missing New York's last five games so that he could be with his ailing mother. Dave's mother, Arline Winfield, passed away on October 3, Dave's birthday.
In 1988 he went 4-for-13 (.308) in four games as a designated hitter, and as a pinch hitter went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He hit .347 with runners in scoring position. Winfield was voted to start for the American League All-Star team- his eighth All-Star start (including the last six years) and his 12th straight All-Star appearance.
Among AL and major league leaders in 1988: .322 batting average, fourth in the AL, fourth in the majors; 25 homers, tied for 10th in the AL, tied for 17th in the majors; 107 RBIs, fifth in the AL, seventh in the majors; 51 multi-hit games, 10th in the AL, 13th in the majors; 96 runs, tied for eighth in the AL, tied for 15th in the majors; 296 total bases, sixth in the AL, tied for 10th in the majors; .398 on-base percentage, fourth in the AL, fifth in the majors; .530 slugging percentage, sixth in the AL, eighth in the majors.
Dave's .322 batting average was the second highest of his career and 37 percentage points better than his career average coming into 1988 (.285). His total of 37 doubles was a career high. He hit 20+ homers for the fourth straight season, and for the 11th time in his career, and reached the 100-RBI plateau for the seventh time. Dave's .989 fielding percentage was fifth among outfielders with a minimum of 200 total chances and three or fewer errors.
He broke into the Yankee career top 20 in the following categories: 715 runs, 19th; 233 doubles, 17th; 203 home runs, tied for seventh (with Roger Maris); and 812 RBIs, 11th. His major league total of 357 homers ranks 38th on the all-time list (Yogi Berra and Johnny Mize are next with 358 and 359, respectively). Winfield also became the ninth to reach the 200-homer mark as a Yankee.
Winfield hit two home runs on April 8 against Milwaukee, his 20th career two-homer game, had his 21st such game on July 23 at Kansas City, and the 22nd on July 27 against Milwaukee. He also had five RBIs on both July 23 and July 27- his season high. Winfield homered in three straight games from August 16-18- the first time this was done by a Yankee since Don Mattingly homered in eight straight in July of 1987, and the first time done by Winfield since April 5-7, 1983.
Winfield signed a 10-year contract with the Yankees on December 15, 1980, with a club option for 1989 and 1990. On October 13, 1988 the club announced it would not buy out the final two years.
In 1987, Winfield had an above average first half but a below average second half. It was the first full season since 1980 that he did not record 100 RBIs.
Winfield opened the season hitting safely in 12 of his first 14 games through April 21, going 20-for-50 (.400). In 12 games from April 22 through May 5, he went 8-for-42 (.190) with his overall average falling to .304. Dave had the first of two season-long 12-game hitting streaks from May 6 through May 19, going 15-for-48 (.313) with three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. Following the streak, he fell into a 16-for-80 (.200) skein, May 20-June 14, with his overall average falling from .307 to a season low of .268.
He was scalding hot the month prior to the All-Star break (June 15-July 12), going 35-for-99 (.354), including his second 12-game hitting streak from June 15 to June 27, hitting safely in 22 of 25 games with five doubles, eight homers and 26 RBIs. On June 29 in Toronto off Tom Henke, Dave hit his seventh career grand slam and drove in six runs to match his career high.
At the All-Star break, he was hitting .295 in 85 games with 20 homers and 68 RBIs. Winfield was voted to start the All-Star Game for the American League and played all 13 innings of that game.
Through the remainder of '87 his overall batting average fluctuated in the .275-.285 range, and he went 64-for-256 (.250) in 71 games after the All-Star break with just seven homers and 29 RBIs. Dave's longest 0-for of '87 came from August 15 (last at-bat) through August 22 (first at-bat). He went 16 games without a home run from August 5 through August 23. His sacrifice bunt on August 30 at Seattle was his first since September 12, 1982 and only the 12th of his career. He had four hits on September 7 at Boston.
Dave had four two-home run games: April 23 at Cleveland, May 18 at Oakland, June 16 against Baltimore and June 29 at Toronto. In 23 games with both Henderson and Mattingly out, he went 31-for-88 (.352) with seven homers and 25 RBIs. He was 2-for-4 with three RBIs as a pinch hitter but went 6-for-28 (.214) with no homers and four RBIs as a designated hitter. He hit .351 (53-for-151) with runners in scoring position. Dave had a .989 fielding percentage.
He played in 156 games in 1987, his highest total since appearing in 162 games for San Diego in 1980. His 27 home runs were his fourth-best season total, though his 22 doubles were the lowest he's recorded in a season since his 20 in 1975. His .275 batting average was up from .262 in 1986 but below his .286 career and .288 Yankee averages coming into '87. With 97 RBIs, he fell just three short of becoming the first Yankee since Joe DiMaggio to drive in 100 or more runs for the sixth straight season (DiMaggio had 100+ RBIs for seven straight years, 1936-42). Winfield won his fifth Rawlings Gold Glove in six years, and his seventh overall.
In 1981, his first season as a Yankee, Dave led the team in games, at-bats, hits, total bases, doubles, RBI, game-winning RBI and sacrifice flies. He hit his first home run as a Yankee on April 29 in Detroit off Jack Morris, and his first Yankee Stadium homer on May 23 off Rick Waits. Dave made his first appearance in postseason competition.
In 1982 he finished second in the AL with a .560 slugging percentage and third with 37 homers. He also led the Yankees with 106 RBI and his 37 home runs were a career high. Joe DiMaggio is the only right-handed Yankee batter to hit more homers in a season (46 in 1937, 39 in 1948). Winfield became the ninth player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season in both leagues. He was the American League Player of the Month for September (.294 BA, 11 HR, 22 RBI, .661 slugging percentage).
Winfield led the Yankees in 1983 in games, at-bats, runs, hits, triples, homers, RBI, game-winning RBI and walks. He finished second in the AL with 21 game-winning RBI, third with 116 RBI, fifth with 307 total bases, tied for fifth with 32 homers, tied for fifth with eight triples, seventh with a .513 slugging percentage and tied for eighth with 99 runs scored. Named to his seventh consecutive All-Star team, Dave contributed three hits in a rare American League win. He was selected as AL Player of the Week [for each of] the first two weeks of August. On August 4 at Toronto, he fatally beaned a seagull during between-innings warmups and was charged by Toronto Police with cruelty to animals- the charges were dropped the next day.
In 1984 Winfield finished second to Don Mattingly for the American League batting championship with a career high .340, fourth in the AL with 193 hits, fourth with a .393 on-base percentage, and sixth with 106 runs. He had a career high 20-game hitting streak from August 17-September 8. Dave had three five-hit games in June, tying a record held by Ty Cobb. He won his fourth straight Sporting News Silver Bat Award and was named to the AL, Sporting News and UPI All-Star teams.
He had an outstanding year in 1985 at the plate, with the glove and on the basepaths. He was second in the American League with 19 game-winning RBI, third with 114 RBI, tied for seventh with 66 extra base hits, ninth with 105 runs and 10th with 298 total bases. Dave recorded 100+ RBI for the fourth straight year, the first Yankee [to do this] since Yogi Berra (1953-56), was the first Yankee to score 100+ runs in consecutive seasons since Mickey Mantle (1960-61), and the first Yankee to record 100+ runs and 100 RBIs since Joe DiMaggio (1941-42). He scored his 1,000th career run on July 26 at Texas.
Winfield lost 17 spring training days, March 17 through April 2, with an infected left elbow which required a six-day hospital stay. He began the '85 regular season struggling at the plate, hitting .257 through April and dropping to a season low of .234 on May 18. At this point he began a season high 13-game hitting streak which lasted through June 1, raising his batting average 23 points (he also had a 10-game hitting streak from July 9-22). He had only five homers through June 6, yet went 36-for-105 (.343) in June, driving his average up to .289; it peaked at .300 on July 22, then from July 23 to August 18 he went 18-for-96 (.188), his overall average dropping to .280.
His 19 stolen bases were his most since 1980, and he stole home on September 7 against Oakland. He won his fourth straight AL Gold Glove (sixth overall) and appeared in his ninth consecutive All-Star Game.
In 1986 he had good numbers for most major leaguers, but slightly below Dave Winfield standards. He became the first Yankee to reach the 100 RBI mark for five consecutive seasons since Joe DiMaggio's seven straight from 1936-42. RBI No. 100 came on September 29 at Yankee Stadium against Toronto; his 104 RBIs in '86 ranked ninth in the American League.
His at-bat in the sixth inning on July 5 at Chicago was career at-bat No. 7,000. His RBI triple in the fifth inning on July 7 at Texas off Mickey Mahler was career hit No. 2,000. His two-run home run on August 20, a second-inning blast off Seattle's Mike Moore, was career home run No. 300, with Winfield becoming only the 54th player in history to reach that peak.
Winfield got off to a slow start, hitting just .228 (13-for-57) with one homer and eight RBIs after his first 15 games, with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts. He went 11-for-30 (.367) over his next nine games, raising his overall batting average to .276 on May 4. That hot streak was followed by another cold spell- a 10-game stretch from May 5-15, going 4-for-36 (.111). He had just three homers through his first 35 games.
He came around to hit in seven straight, May 16-24 (his longest hitting streak until September), going 10-for-29 (.345) with three homers and 10 RBIs, raising his batting average to .257. That streak included a 3-for-5, six-RBI performance against Seattle on May 17, with two runs, a double and his sixth career grand slam (New York's lone grand slam of '86). The six RBIs matched his career high, now accomplished four times, and were the team high for '86. From May 25-July 5 Dave went 23-for-127 (.181) in 36 games with four doubles, one triple, six homers, 19 RBIs, 20 walks and 30 strikeouts, with his overall batting average falling from .257 to .222, his lowest point of '86. He went 17 games between homers No. 12 and 13, June 14-July 6, and hit just one homer in 28 games between June 15 and July 21.
From July 6-30, 18 games, Dave went 25-for-65 (.385) with 18 RBIs, raising his overall average from .222 to .253. He had just 13 RBIs in 28 August games, going 30-for-104 (.288) and ending the month at .261. Dave had just two hits in September's first seven games (2-for-23, .087 BA) with his average falling to .253, but from September 11 to season's end went 29-for-94 (.309) with four homers and 21 RBIs to end at .262.
His .262 batting average was the lowest of his professional career, and his total of 148 hits was his fewest in a full season since getting 139 in 1976. His 77 walks were the most since receiving 79 passes in 1980, yet he broke the 100 strikeout mark for the first time in his career- his previous high had been 96 in 1974 and 1985. Dave went hitless in five straight games on two occasions: May 25-30 (0-for-13) and September 3-9 (0-for-17, his longest 0-fer of '86).
Dave hit second in the batting order for the first time in his career on June 27 against Toronto. He appeared as a designated hitter in six games, going 2-for-18 (.111), and was 1-for-7 with a walk in eight pinch-hitting appearances (.143). Dave was 48-for-161 (.298) with runners in scoring position.
He led Yankee outfielders with nine assists. He went 104 games between his second and third errors of '86- he had two errors in his first nine games of the season, three in his last 42 games and none in between.
Dave hit a pair of homers on June 4 at California and scored four runs (matching the '86 team high) on June 23 at Boston. He appeared in his 10th straight All-Star Game.
In 1973, Dave was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 1st round (fourth player taken) of the free agent draft on June 5, 1973. He went right to the majors off the University of Minnesota campus in 1973, hit safely in his first six games for San Diego and never played in the minors. He hit .284 in his eight-year career in San Diego and in 1976 led NL outfielders with 15 assists. He had his best season in the National League in 1979, leading the league with 118 RBIs and 333 total bases and finishing third with 34 homers. Winfield won his first Gold Glove in '79 in addition to placing third in the BBWAA MVP voting behind co-winners Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell.
Prior to college, Winfield attended St. Paul Central High School. At the University of Minnesota, he was 13-1 on the mound in his senior year while batting over .400 [as an outfielder]. He was the Gophers team captain, named a first-team All-American and was MVP of the 1973 College World Series. He also played basketball for Minnesota and was drafted in three different sports: Padres in baseball, Vikings in football, and Utah (ABA) and Atlanta (NBA) in basketball.
Winfield established the David M. Winfield Foundation, receiving much acclaim for its work with youth groups and further contributions to the community. He serves on the board of directors of Hackensack (NJ) Hospital and the Morehouse School of Medicine School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Winfield was named 1979 winner of the YMCA Brian Piccolo Award for humanitarian services.
He opened a restaurant in Manhattan called 'Border Cafe' in November of 1986, as well as multiple Burger King franchises in Virginia."
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
Selected by San Diego Padres in 1st round (fourth player selected) of 1973 MLB draft.
Selected by Minnesota Vikings in 17th round of 1973 NFL draft.
Selected by Atlanta Hawks in 5th round of 1973 NBA draft.
Selected by Utah Stars in 6th round of 1973 ABA draft.
Tied for National League lead for errors among outfielders (12), 1974.
Led National League outfielders in assists (15), 1976.
National League All-Star, 1977.
National League All-Star, 1978.
National League All-Star, 1979.
Led National League in total bases (333), 1979.
Led National League in intentional walks received (24), 1979.
Won National League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1979.
National League All-Star, 1980.
Won National League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1980.
American League All-Star, 1981.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1981.
American League All-Star, 1982.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1982.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1982.
American League All-Star, 1983.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1983.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1983.
American League All-Star, 1984.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1984.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1984.
American League All-Star, 1985.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1985.
American League All-Star, 1986.
American League All-Star, 1987.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1987.
American League All-Star, 1988.
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
ALL-STAR GAME RECORDS
Tied All-Star Game record for most at-bats, nine-inning game (5), July 17, 1979.
Tied All-Star Game record for most consecutive games batted safely (7), 1982-1988.
Established All-Star Game record for most doubles, lifetime (7).
-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide
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