1989 Yankees Yearbook Roster, Taxi Squad and Prospects

Manager - Dallas Green 46
Manager - Bucky Dent 30
First Base Coach - Pat Corrales 47
Third Base Coach - Lee Elia 43
Pitching Coach - Billy Connors 42
Batting/Outfield Coach - Frank Howard 48
Batting Coach - Champ Summers 59*
Bench Coach - Charlie Fox 52
Bullpen Coach - John Stearns 44

ROSTER
Catcher - Don Slaught 11, Joel Skinner 12
First Base - Don Mattingly 23
Second Base - Steve Sax 6, Wayne Tolleson 2 (SS)
Third Base - Mike Pagliarulo 13, Randy Velarde 18 (SS)
Shortstop - Alvaro Espinoza 20, Rafael Santana 17
Left Field - Rickey Henderson 24
Center Field - Roberto Kelly 39, Bob Brower 33
Right Field - Dave Winfield 31
Designated Hitter - Ken Phelps 21 (1B), Gary Ward 22 (OF)

Starting Pitchers:
Tommy John 25
John Candelaria 45
Andy Hawkins 40
Rich Dotson 36
Dave LaPoint 29
Jimmy Jones 38

Relief Pitchers:
Dave Righetti 19
Lance McCullers 50
Charles Hudson 41
Lee Guetterman 35


TAXI SQUAD 
Catcher - +Bob Geren 53, Jamie Quirk 27 (3B), +Dave Sax 65
Second Base - +Mike Woodard 68
Third Base - +Steve Kiefer 64 (2B), +Jeff Moronko 55*
Outfield - Stan Jefferson 26, Mel Hall 34*

Starting Pitchers:
Ron Guidry 49
Al Leiter 28
+Don Schulze 61*
Scott Nielsen 66
Chuck Cary 51

Relief Pitchers:
Dale Mohorcic 54
+Steve Shields 57
Hipolito Pena 60
Dickie Noles 56*
Luis Sanchez 75
+Dick Grapenthin 70


PROSPECTS
Catcher - Brian Dorsett 
First Base - Hal Morris, Kevin Maas (OF)
Third Base - Hensley Meulens
Outfield - Deion Sanders, Oscar Azocar, Bernie Williams, John Fishel

Starting Pitchers:
Clay Parker
Dave Eiland

Relief Pitchers:
Darrin Chapin
Dana Ridenour


* unofficial uniform number
+ six-year minor league free agent

1989 New York Yankees Player Development

Vice-President, Player Development and Scouting - George W. Bradley
Director of Scouting - Brian Sabean
Director of Minor League Operations - Mitch Lukevics
Controller, Minor Leagues and Scouting - Mike Macaluso
Assistant Director of Scouting - Kevin Elfering
Field Representative, Player Development/Office Manager - Les Parker
Head Trainer, Minor Leagues - Kevin Rand
Equipment Manager, Minor Leagues - David Hays
Director of Computer Services - Jon Cook
Secretary, Minor Leagues and Scouting - Jennifer Bauer
Receptionist - Barbara Skelly


YANKEE FARM CLUBS
AAA
Columbus, Ohio
International League
Manager - Bucky Dent
Coaches - Ken Rowe, Champ Summers
Trainer - Mike Heifferon

AA
Albany-Colonie, New York
Eastern League
Manager - Buck Showalter
Coaches - Russ Meyer, Bob Mariano
Trainer - Tim Weston

A
Prince William, Virginia
Carolina League
Manager - Mark Weidemaier
Coaches - Dave Jorn, Jack Hubbard
Trainer - Dave Krebs

A
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Florida State League
Manager - Clete Boyer
Coaches - Dave Schuler, Trey Hillman
Trainer - Tim Bechtold

A
Oneonta, New York
New York-Penn League
Manager - Brian Butterfield
Coaches - Jeff Taylor, Dave Kent
Trainer - Kelly Sharitt

Rookie
Sarasota, Florida
Gulf Coast League
Manager - Jack Gillis
Coaches - Hoyt Wilhelm, Ken Dominguez, Mark Wolever
Trainer - Darren London

Coordinator of Instruction, Spring Training -  Bill Livesey
Roving Hitting Instructor - Rick Down
Roving Pitching Coordinator - Tony Cloninger
Roving Catching Instructor - Marc Hill
Strength and Conditioning Coach - Hop Cassady


YANKEE SCOUTING
Major League Scouts:
Clyde King - Special Assignments and Advance by Assignment
Bob Lemon - Special Assignments
Eddie Lopat - National League
Stump Merrill - East and Midwest Advance
Gene Michael - American League East/National League East
Dick Tidrow - American League out of Kanas City
Stan Williams - American League West/National League West and West Coast Advance

Cross-Checkers:
Jack Gillis - East Coast Cross-Checker and  Florida (south of Gainesville)
Dick Groch - Coordinator of Canadian Scouting and Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio (north of I-70)
Don Lindeberg - West Coast Cross-Checker, Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, Alaska
Bill Livesey - National Cross-Checker and Special Assignments
Stan Saleski - Special Assignments and Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio (south of I-70)

Area Supervisors:
Mark Batchko - Arkansas, Texas (north of Waco), New Mexico, Oklahoma by assignment
Joe DiCarlo - New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Bill Haller - Southern Illinois, Indiana, St. Louis, Special Assignments
Bob Hartsfield - South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida (north of Gainesville)
Jim Naples - Upstate New York, special assignments
Greg Orr - Northern California, Nevada, Utah
Joe Robison - Texas (South of Waco), Louisiana, Mississippi
Rudy Santin - South Florida (West Palm Beach to Key West)
Bill Schmidt - Southern California (Bakersfield to San Diego)
Tim Schmidt - Southern California (San Bernadino and Riverside counties)
Jeff Taylor - Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina
Dick Tidrow - Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas
Paul Turco - New England, Florida by assignment
Mark Wolever - Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
Jeff Zimmerman - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana

Part-Time Scouts:
Hop Cassady - Big Ten and Mid-American Conferences
Tom Doyle - Greater Chicago
Dave Reich - Los Angeles (South Bay section)
Chris Smith - North and South Carolina
Bob Stead - New England

Latin American Scouting:
Fred Ferreira - Director of Latin American Scouting
Felipe Acevedo - Dominican Republic
Luis Arroyo - Puerto Rico
Danilo Calderon - Dominican Republic
Terrence Chinnery - Virgin Islands
Antonio Corpas - Columbia
Juan Davalillo - Venezuela
Arturo DeFreitas - Dominican Republic
Lazaro Del Orbe - Dominican Republic
Julio Division - Dominican Republic
Pedro Ithier - Puerto Rico
Leo Lacie - Aruba
Juan Loyola - Puerto Rico
Ramon Marquez - Venezuela
Manuel Medina - Dominican Republic
Tomas Morales - Mexico
Carlos Moreno - Venezuela
Enrique Moreno - Venezuela
Rene Picota - Panama
Roberto Rivera - Puerto Rico
Felix Rodriguez - Venezuela

1989 Yankee Scout Signings:
MARK BATCHKO: Ricky Rhodes (1988)

GEORGE BRADLEY: Dan McMurtrie (1988)

MURRAY COOK: Bill Fulton (1983)

WHITEY DEHART: Mitch Lyden (1983)

JOE DICARLO: Dan Arendas (1986), Arthur Canestro (1988), Bill Dacosta (1987), Matt Harrison (1984), Pat Kelly (1988), Al Leiter (1984), Moose Marris (1986), Frank Seminara (1988)

ATLEY DONALD: Ron Guidry (1971)

FRED FERREIRA: Carlos Acosta (1988), Oscar Azocar (1983), Antonio Baldiris (1987), Francisco Benitez (1987), Dennis Brow (1985), Jovino Caraval (1986), Manuel Castillo (1987), Frendy Castro (1988), Felipe Cespedes (1987), Rafael Conception (1988), Roberto Concepcion (1986), Prosculo Delossantos (1988), Antonio Drullard (1987), Luis Faccio (1986), Daniel Felipe (1988), Fernando Figueroa (1985), Rene Francisco (1987), Santos Garcia (1986), Narcisco Gonzalez (1987), Jose Guerrero (1988), Enrique Hernandez (1988), Jose Herrera (1986), Ramon Jimenez (1986), Kenneth Juarbe (1987), Roberto Kelly (1982), Jose Laboy (1983), Johnny Leon (1987), Temis Liendo (1986), Minguez Liriano (1988), Fidel Mane (1987), Reyes Manon (1985), Mariano Mendez (1987), Hensley Meulens (1985), Orlando Miller (1987), William Morales (1986), Pablo Moriso (1988), Errol Nelson (1988), Sherman Obando (1987), Carlos Padilla (1987), Mike Pagliarulo (1981), Angel Paulino (1988), Cesar Perez (1987), Laureano Persia (1987), Jesse Pickrell (1987), Jose Plasencia (1987), Rafael Quirico (1987), Cesar Rivera (1986), Carlos Rodriguez (1987), Gabriel Rodriguez (1984), Urena Rodriguez (1988), Ubaldo Rojas (1987), David Sabio (1988), Sandi Santiago (1988), Aris Tirado (1985), Miguel Torres (1987), Ricky Torres (1984), Hector Vargas (1985), Yovanny Veras (1986), Bernie Williams (1985), Pedro Williams (1987), Mauricio Zazueta (1988)

ORRIN FREEMAN: Luc Berube (1986), Art Calvert (1984), Steve Erickson (1987), Tim Layana (1986), Jason Maas (1985), Vince Phillips (1987), Dana Ridenour (1986), Andy Stankiewicz (1986)

JACK GILLIS: Tim Becker (1986), Rod Ehrhard (1987), Dave Eiland (1987), David Howell (1988), Dean Kelley (1987), Pop Popplewell (1987), Jerry Rub (1986), Turner Ward (1986)

DICK GROCH: John Brubaker (1988), Darrin Chapin (1986), Scott Chase (1988), Casey Close (1986), Doug Gogolewski (1987), Lew Hill (1987), Jeff Hoffman (1988), Mark Hutton (1988), Scott Kamieniecki (1986), Edward Martel (1987), Hal Morris (1986), Stevie Perry (1988), Bruce Prybylinski (1988), Danny Roman (1987), Bob Zeihen (1988)

JIM GRUZDIS: Mike Christopher (1985), Bob Davidson (1984), Freddie Hailey (1987), Red Morrison (1987), Darrell Tingle (1987)

EPPY GUERRERO: Rafael Santana (1976)

BOB HARTSFIELD: Jason Bridges (1988), Russ Davis (1988), Cullen Hartzog (1988), Jeff Livesey (1988), Jerry Nielsen (1988), Deion Sanders (1988), Don Stanford (1987), Leonard Thigpen (1988)

BOBBY HOFMAN: Mickey Tresh (1986)

DON LINDEBERG: Craig Brink (1988), Royal Clayton (1987), Tony Gwinn (1986), Jay Makemson (1987), Vince Phillips (1987), John Seeburger (1988), Tom Weeks (1987)

BILL LIVESEY: John Broxton (1988), Jim Leyritz (1985), Kevin Maas (1986), John Ramos (1986), David Turgeon (1987)

GREG ORR: Hernan Cortes (1987), Todd Malone (1988), Curtis Ralph (1988), John Ramos (1986), Brad Stoltenberg (1988)

MEADE PALMER: Steve Adkins (1986)

GUST POULOS: Don Mattingly (1979)

JAX ROBERTSON: Don Mattingly (1979)

JOE ROBISON: Bobby Dickerson (1987), Mike Eckert (1988), Herb Erhardt (1988), Jay Knoblauh (1988), Michael Rhodes (1988), Gerald Williams (1987)

BRIAN SABEAN: Kevin Crofton (1986), Bob Green (1985), Chris Howard (1986), Mark Leiter (1988), Laureano Persia (1987), Scott Shaw (1985), Bill Voeltz (1986)

STAN SALESKI: Andy Cook (1988), Ralph Kraus (1986), Matt Michael (1988)

RUDY SANTIN: Roberto Munoz (1988)

CHRIS SMITH: Bobby DeJardin (1988), Don Sparks (1988)

JEFF TAYLOR: Mike Draper (1988), Rodney Imes (1987), Jeff Johnson (1988), Billy Masse (1988), Skip Nelloms (1988)

DICK TIDROW: Todd Brill (1987), Mark Ohlms (1988), Mark Zeratsky (1988)

PAUL TURCO: Brad Ausmus (1987), Kenny Greer (1988)


1989 YANKEES YEARBOOK "ON THE WAY UP" YANKEES
Oscar Azocar (OF)
Darrin Chapin (RHP)
Brian Dorsett (C)
John Fishel (OF)
Bob Geren (C)
Steve Kiefer (3B)
Kevin Maas (1B-OF)
Hal Morris (1B)
Clay Parker (RHP)
Dana Ridenour (RHP)
Dave Sax (C)
Bernie Williams (OF)
Mike Woodard (2B)

1989 Yankee Minor League Manager and Coaches Profiles

CLETE BOYER (Manager, Ft. Lauderdale)
"Clete has spent 11 years as a coach, including six years as third base coach for the Oakland A's, joining Billy Martin's staff in 1980 after a three-year coaching stint with Atlanta. He played 16 years in the major leagues.
In 1958 Clete led International League shortstops in putouts with 222 and assists with 371. In 1961, he led American League third basemen in assists with 373, and in 1962 led AL third basemen in putouts with 187, assists with 396 and double plays with 41. In 1965, he led AL third basemen in assists with 354 and double plays with 46, and in 1967 and 1969 led National League third basemen in fielding percentage.
Clete played in five World Series for New York. In the '62 Series his seventh inning home run in the first game broke a 2-2 tie with San Francisco.
This will be Clete's first managerial position. He will be at Ft. Lauderdale in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


BRIAN BUTTERFIELD (Manager, Oneonta)
"Brian graduated from Florida Southern College with a B.S. in physical education in 1980. Signed as a free agent by the Yankees in June 1979, he coached at Florida Southern (1979) and Eckerd College (1980-81). He was named Most Valuable Player of the Ft. Lauderdale squad in 1981.
He is the son of the late Jack Butterfield, who was Yankees Vice-President of Player Development and Scouting. In 1988 Brian was named manager of the year in the Gulf Coast League. He led the Sarasota Yankees to the division title and the league championship, where they won a one-game playoff.
Brian will be the manager at Oneonta in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


TONY CLONINGER (roving pitching instructor)
"Tony spent over eight seasons in the Milwaukee-Atlanta Braves organization. He won 19 games for the Braves in 1964 and bettered that with 24 wins in 1965, the Braves' last season playing in Milwaukee. He was traded to Cincinnati along with Clay Carroll and Woody Woodward for Milt Pappas, Ted Davidson and Bob Johnson on June 11, 1968.
He conducted baseball camps and clinics in the years following his retirement in 1972. Tony will be the roving pitching instructor in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


BUCKY DENT (Manager, Columbus)
"Drafted by the White Sox in the 1st round of the secondary phase of the June 1970 draft, Bucky played in the first major league game he ever saw in 1973. After four years in Chicago, he was acquired by the Yankees just prior to the start of the 1977 World Championship season.
In 1978, Dent won the Eastern Division playoff game for the Yankees at Boston with a dramatic three-run homer off Mike Torrez, erasing a two-run Red Sox lead. He went on to lead the Yankees in their six-game World Series victory over the Dodgers, hitting .417 while earning the Most Valuable Player award [Babe Ruth Award] for the Series.
He was traded to the Texas Rangers in August 1982 and played there through 1983. In 1984, he had a short stint with the Columbus Clippers before joining the Kansas City Royals for their stretch drive to the AL West title.
Bucky managed Ft. Lauderdale from 1985-86 and his 1986 club narrowly missed the playoffs, by a .005 margin. His '87 Clippers swept through the International League playoffs (6-0) to capture the Governor's Cup.
1989 will be Dent's third consecutive season as manager of Columbus."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


KEN DOMINGUEZ (Coach, Sarasota)
"Ken attended Florida College in Temple Terrace and Southern Benedictine College in Cullman, Alabama, where he graduated with a B.S. in physical education. He obtained his Master's degree in physical education at Western Kentucky University. Ken played college baseball for four years.
He was a coach on the U.S. team that won the Silver Medal at the 1987 Pan-American Games. He guided the University of Tampa to two College World Series as a coach.
Ken will be a coach at Sarasota in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


RICK DOWN (roving hitting instructor)
"Drafted by the Montreal Expos in June of 1969, Rick spent seven years in the Expos organization. He launched his coaching career in 1976 with the West Palm Beach Expos of the Florida State League and in 1977 led Bellingham (Seattle) to the Northwest League championship. The following season, Rick managed Stockton in the California League.
He spent the next six seasons as a coach with the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He served as a minor league batting instructor and as a special assignments coach with the California organization through 1988.
Rick will be the Yankees' roving hitting instructor for the minor leagues in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


JACK GILLIS (Manager, Sarasota)
"Gillis did not play pro baseball but built a strong reputation as a college coach at two Florida schools- Eckerd and St. Leo. He joined the Yankees organization in 1980 as a coach at Oneonta. Jack managed the Sarasota Yankees in 1984. The East Coast Cross-Checker for the Yankee scouting department, Jack will be the manager at Sarasota in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


MARC HILL (roving catching instructor)
"Marc was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 10th round of the June 1970 free agent draft. He spent five years in the Cardinals' minor league system and played with four major league teams in parts of 14 seasons.
He was an All-Missouri choice as a prep star in both baseball and basketball. Marc was the first athlete in the history of Lincoln County (MO) High School to win letters in three sports (baseball, basketball, track) as a sophomore.
This will be Marc's first year with the Yankee organization. He will be their roving catching instructor for the minor leagues in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


TREY HILLMAN (Coach, Ft. Lauderdale)
"Trey attended the University of Texas at Arlington where he was an All-Southland Conference player for three years. He was signed by the Cleveland Indians as a free agent in June of 1985.
He played three years in the Indians' minor league system. In 1987 and 1988 he scouted for Cleveland in the Oklahoma-Texas area.
This will be Trey's first coaching position. He will be at Ft. Lauderdale in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


JACK HUBBARD (Coach, Prince William)
"Jack attended the University of Baltimore and graduated in 1971 with a B.S. in marketing. He was head coach of the school's baseball team from 1972 through 1975. He coached at the Community College of Baltimore in 1971 and Essex Community College in 1973.
He scouted for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1984 through 1986 and also for the Major League Scouting Bureau in 1987 as a South Florida area scout.
Jack will coach at Prince William in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


DAVE JORN (Pitching Coach, Prince William)
"Dave attended Southeast Missouri State University where he earned a B.S. in education. He was signed out of a tryout camp by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976. Dave was the pitching coach at the University of Arkansas from 1983 through 1988. He will be the pitching coach at Prince William in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


DAVE KENT (Coach, Oneonta)
"Dave attended Parsons College and the University of Tampa, where he graduated in 1972 with a B.S. in physical education. He was drafted by the Yankees in 1968.
After a six-year minor league career, he coached high school baseball in Tampa at Jesuit High from 1979-83 and Chamberlain High in 1987 and 1988. Dave will be a coach at Oneonta in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


BOB MARIANO (Coach, Albany-Colonie)
"Bob attended Gulf Coast Community College and Lousiana State University, where he graduated in 1980 with a B.A. in liberal arts. He signed with the Yankees as a free agent in August 1980.
He was a player-coach with the Charlotte Orioles in 1985. He rejoined the Yankee organization in June of 1988 as a coach with the Albany-Colonie Yankees. Bob will be back at Albany in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

"Bob Mariano returns for his second year of coaching with the Albany-Colonie Yankees. The Pittsburgh, PA native now makes his home in San Mateo, California.
He attended Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida and after two years attended Louisiana State University, graduating in 1980. He played varsity baseball at both colleges, earning All-South and All-SEC honors at third base while at LSU.
Mariano started his pro baseball career by signing with the Yankee organization in 1980 and played rookie ball at Bradenton and Paintsville, hitting over .300 at the latter.
In 1981 Bob spent time at both Class A Ft. Lauderdale and AA Nashville. In 1982 he had a fine season for Ft. Lauderdale, hitting .301 and winning the Rawlings Silver Glove Award for his play at third base. 1983 found Bob in the Oriole chain at double A Charlotte of the Southern League. He stayed with Charlotte through 1985 and was a player-coach there in '85.
1986 saw Bob go the international route, playing with Team Rome in the Italian League. In 1987, he was a player-manager in the same league, this time with Team Anzio. That year he traveled some more, and after the Italian season went to Australia and was the player-manager of the Newport entry.
In 1988, it was back to the Yankee organization, and fans will remember Bob as the A-C Yanks' first base coach."

-1989 Albany-Colonie Yankees Yearbook


RUSS MEYER (Pitching Coach, Albany-Colonie)
"Russ began his professional baseball career in 1942. He led 1946 Southern Association pitchers with 48 appearances. He made his major league debut in 1946 with the Cubs and played in the majors through 1959. Meyer was a member of the 1950 National League champion Philadelphia Phillies [and 1953 and 1955 NL champion Brooklyn Dodgers].
He coached at Illinois Valley Community College before joining the Yankees organization in 1981. Monk's 1985 Oneonta staff had a combined ERA of 1.87.
Monk will work with Buck Showalter for the fifth straight season in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

"With [manager] Buck Showalter comes his pitching coach of the last five seasons, former major league pitcher Russ Meyer. Meyer played 13 seasons in the big leagues compiling a 94-73 won-lost record, highlighted in 1949 with the Philadelphia Phillies when he was 17-8 and in 1953 with the Brooklyn Dodgers when he was 15-5. Russ also played for the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City A's. The Illinois native appeared in three World Series with Phillies and Dodgers.
Meyer has been with the Yankee organization since 1981."

-1989 Albany-Colonie Yankees Yearbook


KEN ROWE (Pitching Coach, Columbus)
"Ken signed with Detroit in 1953 and was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in December 1955. After two years in the Army stationed in Germany, he returned to win 28 games over the next two seasons.
In 1962, he was converted to a reliever. Ken won 16 games and led the PCL in appearances (88) at Spokane in 1964. He was purchased by Baltimore later that year and earned a victory on his first day in the majors. He set a professional baseball record for appearances that season with 94.
Ken earned All-Star honors six times in his career. He spent 15 years in the Oriole organization, the last one and a half as the big league pitching coach. Ken returns to Columbus in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


DAVE SCHULER (Pitching Coach, Ft. Lauderdale)
"Dave attended the University of New Haven (Connecticut) and graduated with a B.S. in business administration. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in June 1975.
He played professional baseball for 12 seasons and spent parts of three seasons in the major leagues: from 1979-80 with the California Angels and in 1985 with the Atlanta Braves.
In 1984, Dave was a coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He will be the pitching coach at Ft. Lauderdale in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


BUCK SHOWALTER (Manager, Albany-Colonie)
"Buck graduated from Central (Florida) High School in 1975. He attended Chipola J.C. in Marianna, FL and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1979. He was named an All-American at both Chipola and Mississippi State. In 1980, Buck led the Southern League in hits, finished second in batting and was named to the Southern League All-Star team. He also led the Southern League in hits with 152 in 1982.
He coached at Ft. Lauderdale in 1984, and in 1985 earned New York-Penn League Manager of the Year laurels in his inaugural campaign. His O-Yanks set a league mark for wins with 55 in 1985, only to better that with 59 in 1986. Buck's '87 Ft. Lauderdale club had the Florida State League's best record, marking the third straight season a club of his has achieved that distinction.
Buck will be the manager at Albany-Colonie in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

EASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPS NAME NEW MANAGER
"The New York Yankees have named William Nathaniel 'Buck' Showalter to be the 1989 Albany-Colonie Yankee manager. Showalter has managed Ft. Lauderdale, the Yankees' Florida State League entry, the past two seasons, winning the championship in 1987. Two years prior to his Florida stint, he managed Oneonta of the New York-Penn League, winning the overall title in 1985 and the Northern Division pennant in 1986. The 31-year-old Showalter played for seven years in the Yankee minor league system, finishing his career with Columbus of the International League. He is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he was an All-American in baseball. Buck is married and is the father of a two-year-old daughter and is an avid golfer."

-1989 Albany-Colonie Yankees Yearbook

"The new face in the Yankees' dugout this season is that of 31-year-old William Nathaniel Showalter III, or Buck if you will.
Showalter succeeds veteran organization man Stump Merrill who took over the Albany-Colonie club last June and guided the team to the Eastern League playoff championship.
Showalter is a proven winner in his short minor league managerial career, which began in 1985. That summer, he guided the Yankees' Oneonta affiliate in the New York-Penn League to a 55-23 (.705 percentage) record and first place in the league's Northern Division. The O-Yanks went on to win all three playoff games as well.
Hard as it seems, Showalter topped that performance by leading Oneonta to a 59-18 (.766) the following year, which included another Northern Division title. Newark ruined the O-Yanks hopes of a second straight New York-Penn League playoff chance with a win in the one-game opening round of the playoffs.
Showalter's success in Oneonta earned him a promotion to Fort Lauderdale, where his team won a Southern Division title with an 85-53 (.616) record in 1987 and then went 5-1 to win the Florida State League playoffs.
Showalter's involvement in the rookie and Class A leagues has allowed him to be in on the development of such future stars as Hensley 'Bam-Bam' Meulens, Dave Eiland, Andy Stankiewicz, Kevin Maas, Jim Leyritz, Oscar Azocar, Bernie Williams and Rodney Imes.
'The Double-A level represents a big stage in the development of a player,' says Showalter, himself a Triple-A player with Columbus in 1981 and 1983. 'It's where a player tries to gain the consistency to go along with his natural talent. It's the same for a manager. I'm always trying to gain that consistency.
'As a manager, I try to do things that come across as natural. I try to treat players like I always expected to get treated when I was a player, which was not that long ago.'
Showalter spent seven seasons in the Yankee organization as a player, with a total of 32 games at the Triple-A level. His manager for four seasons in the minors was Stump Merrill.
'I learned a lot from Stump,' says Showalter, an All-American at Mississippi State. 'But I'd like to think that I've absorbed a lot of things from different people in baseball, and I try to use what works for me.'
Managing at Albany-Colonie this summer will allow Showalter to renew acquaintances with players he hasn't seen for two years while managing some others for a second straight year.
Last year, Showalter's Fort Lauderdale club got off to a 39-29 start, only to lose top players to promotion.
'There's not much you can do about that,' Showalter says. 'But I think the Yankees are building a strong foundation, where they'll be able to replace players from within their organization. Mr. Bradley (Yankees' director of player development George Bradley) seems to be in favor of setting more continuity within the minor league system.'
Showalter is a 1975 graduate of Central High School (Florida) and a 1979 graduate of Mississippi State, where he was named an All-American. In 1980 he led the Southern League in hits (178) and was second in the SL with a .324 batting average while playing for Nashville. He was also named to the All-Star team.
His 152 hits again led the league in 1982, when he batted .294 in 132 games.
Showalter's playing career ended after the 1983 season, which he divided between Columbus and Nashville. He was a coach with Fort Lauderdale in 1984 before getting his first managerial job the next year in Oneonta."

-Bill Palmer, 1989 Albany-Colonie Yankees Yearbook


CHAMP SUMMERS (Hitting Instructor, Columbus)
"Champ graduated from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville with a B.S. degree in education in 1972. He played four years of college basketball but played only 35 games of college baseball in his senior year before signing with the Oakland A's in 1971. Champ did not play football but was offered a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys.
In 1974 he was the first player to pinch-hit for Reggie Jackson. Named American Association Player of the Year in 1978, Summers hit 20 homers in only 246 at-bats (1 HR every 12.3 at-bats) in 1979. He homered (career homer No. 50) in his first at-bat for San Francisco on April 14, 1982.
Champ will serve as the hitting instructor for Columbus again in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


JEFF TAYLOR (Pitching Coach, Oneonta)
"Taylor pitched in the Yankees' farm system for five seasons. He was pitching coach at the University of Delaware in 1983 and head coach at Wilmington College in 1986.
He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1983 with a Master's Degree in physical education. Jeff scouted Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina for the Yankees prior to joining the Oneonta club in June.
1989 will be Jeff's second season as pitching coach at Oneonta."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


MARK WEIDEMAIER (Manager, Prince William)
"Mark graduated from Union University (Tennessee) in 1978 with a B.A. in journalism and obtained a Master's degree from Ohio State in 1980. He was a coach at Ohio State in 1980 and at Montreal-Anderson Junior College (North Carolina) in 1981 and 1982.
In 1983 and 1984, Mark coached in the Kansas City Royals organization. He was a coach and Latin American Scouting Supervisor for the California Angels organization from 1985 to 1988.
Mark will be the manager of the Prince William Cannons in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


HOYT WILHELM (Pitching Coach, Sarasota)
"Hoyt began his pro career in 1942 for the independent Mooresville, North Carolina club near his hometown of Huntersville. He moved into the Giants' farm system in 1948 at Knoxville and reached the big leagues in 1952.
He remained in the majors for the next 21 years, retiring in 1972 at age 46 as baseball's all-time premier relief pitcher. He holds the following major league career records: most games pitched (1,070), most games in relief (1,018), most innings in relief (1,870), most games finished (651) and most wins in relief (124).
Hoyt was used as a starter in the middle of his career (1958-60) and hurled a no-hitter for the Orioles against the Yankees in 1958. He also holds the distinction of hitting a home run in his first major league at-bat (April 23, 1952). He participated in the 1954 World Series with the Giants and was named to the NL All-Star team in 1953 and 1970, and to the AL All-Star team in 1959, 1961 and 1962. Hoyt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


MARTI WOLEVER (Coach, Sarasota)
"Marti attended the University of Nebraska-Omaha and earned a B.S. in education. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the summer of 1975.
He was an assistant at Kansas State University in 1983 and 1984, and a scout for the Detroit Tigers from 1984 through 1988. Marti will be a coach at Sarasota in 1989."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

R.I.P. Gene Michael

Thank you, Stick, for making the Yankees great again.

1989 Yankee Prospect Profiles

HENSLEY MEULENS
"'Bam-Bam' is known for his power, but he remains a raw talent. He batted .245 with 13 home runs and 40 RBI for Albany-Colonie (AA) and continued to struggle after being promoted to Columbus (AAA), hitting .230 with six home runs and 22 RBI in 55 games. Meulens averaged close to one strikeout for every three at-bats at each stop. He's an unpolished defensive third baseman but led the Carolina League with 28 homers in 1987.
Born in Curacao, Meulens was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on October 31, 1985."

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

"Baseball terminology is quite simple. Take Yankee prospect Hensley Meulens, whose monicker is 'Bam-Bam.' In baseball lingo you get a name like that for two reasons: you're 6'3" and you can tear the cover off the ball. Well, Meulens answers the bell on both counts. When the Yankees traded Jay Buhner because of an abundance of strong right-handed hitters [sic], this is one of the big guns they were talking about.
This 21-year-old third baseman turned a lot of heads by hitting 13 homers in Double-A last year, and then six more after being promoted to Columbus. Credited with a strong arm, Meulens can also play the outfield and has also seen some action at first base. Besides playing three positions, this versatile youngster can also speak four languages: English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamento- spoken in his native Curacao.
Whatever the language, Hensley Meulens is waiting for the call that might bring him to the Yankees."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Meulens began the 1988 season at Albany-Colonie of the AA Eastern League and batted .245 in 79 games with nine doubles, 13 home runs and 40 RBIs with 96 strikeouts. He was named as the starter at third base in the Eastern League All-Star Game. He started all 79 games at third base and committed 23 errors but did tie for the Eastern League lead in double plays by a third baseman (18).
He was promoted to AAA Columbus on July 5 and played 55 games with the Clippers, batting .230 with nine doubles, six home runs and 22 RBIs with 61 strikeouts. Hensley played 54 games at third for the Clippers and committed 14 errors. He was added to the Yankees 40-man roster in November and signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Signed by the Yankees organization on October 31, 1985, Meulens played 59 games in 1986, his first professional season, at 'A' Sarasota and batted .233 with four home runs and 31 RBIs with 66 strikeouts. He led the Gulf Coast League in strikeouts while leading the league's third basemen in games (59), total chances (178), putouts (40) and assists (118). Meulens was named as the third baseman on the Gulf Coast League All-Star team.
He began the 1987 season at 'A' Prince William where he played 116 games and batted .300 (129-for-430) with 76 runs, 23 doubles, 28 home runs, 103 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 124 strikeouts. He led the Carolina League in home runs and led the league's third basemen in errors (37). Hensley was named to the 1987 Carolina League All-Star team as a utility infielder. He finished the season by playing 17 games at 'A' Ft. Lauderdale where he hit .172 (10-for-58) with two RBIs and 25 strikeouts.
Hensley is a native of Curacao (part of the Netherlands Antilles, located in the Caribbean Sea), where he still lives."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


DAVE EILAND
"With a large group of pitchers competing for jobs on the Yankee staff for 1989, Dave Eiland knew he was in a numbers game. But don't count out the youngster or his talent just yet. He showed the baseball world last year that anything's possible.
When the Yanks were in the midst of pitching problems, they reached down to Columbus on August 3 and made the rather curious selection of Eiland to come to their aid. Curious because the 22-year-old right-hander had made only one start for the Clippers after arriving from Double-A. Eiland pitched brilliantly in his major league debut.
He returned to Columbus after two less impressive outings but made a name for himself. He jumped two levels last year, so with a little more experience don't be surprised to see him in New York in 1989."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Eiland began the 1988 season with Albany-Colonie (AA Eastern League) where he was 9-5 with a 2.56 ERA in 18 games (all starts) with 22 walks and 66 strikeouts in 118.1 innings pitched. He was promoted to the Columbus Clippers (AAA International League) and made one appearance at that level, a start on July 29 in Columbus against Toledo, winning 5-3 and allowing two earned runs on five hits in seven innings.
He had his contract purchased by the Yankees on August 3 and made his major league debut that night in a start against the Brewers in Milwaukee. He got a no-decision in that game, a 6-5 Yankee loss. Eiland pitched seven innings and allowed three hits and one run with two walks and three strikeouts.
Eiland gave up a leadoff home run to Paul Molitor, the first batter he faced in the majors. After he walked the next batter, Jim Gantner, he allowed just three more Brewers to reach base through seven innings; after Molitor's homer, only one other Brewer was able to reach second. Eiland left the game with the Yankees leading 5-1, but Milwaukee came back with five runs off Dave Righetti in the final two innings to win.
His second start with the Yanks came on August 11 in New York against Toronto, when he lasted just 1.2 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, with all the runs coming on two solo home runs by Ernie Whitt and a solo shot by Rance Mullinicks, but Eiland got a no-decision in New York's 6-5 loss. His third and final start for the Yankees came on August 17 against California, when he gave up eight hits and five earned runs in four innings, including solo homers to Jack Howell and Wally Joyner, with a walk and two strikeouts and again got a no-decision in the Yankees' eventual 11-7 win.
Overall in his three starts, Eiland allowed nine earned runs in 12.2 innings (6.39 ERA), six of those earned runs coming on solo homers, with four walks, seven strikeouts and a batting average against of .294. He was optioned back to Columbus on August 18, where he finished the season. Overall with the Clippers, Eiland was 1-1 in four starts with a 2.59 ERA, six walks and 13 strikeouts. He signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Eiland was originally selected by the Yankees in the 7th round of the June 1987 free agent draft. He began his first professional season at Oneonta ('A' New York-Penn League) and went 4-0 with a 1.84 ERA in five games (all starts). He was promoted to Ft. Lauderdale ('A' Florida State League) where he was 5-3 with a 1.88 ERA in eight starts, including four complete games and a shutout.
Prior to being drafted, Eiland attended the University of Florida where he played football (defensive end) and baseball before transferring to the University of South Florida, where he was playing when drafted. He was signed by Yankee scout Jack Gillis."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


KEVIN MAAS (1988 Yankee Minor League Player of the Year)
"Selected by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the 1986 June draft, Kevin was named the Yankees 1988 Minor League Player of the Year after hitting 28 homers and driving in 90 runs for Albany-Colonie and Prince William. A .282 hitter through three years of pro ball, he may become a full-time outfielder."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Maas was named the 1988 Yankee Minor League Player of the Year.
He started the season with 'A' Prince William of the Carolina League and batted .296 in 29 games with seven doubles, 12 home runs and 35 RBIs. He was promoted to AA Albany-Colonie of the Eastern League on May 13, where he finished the season.
Kevin was named to play in the mid-season Eastern League All-Star Game and was selected as the first baseman on the postseason Eastern League All-Star team. He was named Topps Minor League Player of the Month in the Eastern League for August, when he batted .243 in 31 games with 20 runs scored, six home runs and 16 RBIs (including four game-winning RBIs).
He batted .263 in 108 games at Albany with 66 runs, 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 55 RBIs with 103 strikeouts. He finished third in the Eastern League in home runs and third in walks (64). His combined 28 home runs at Prince William and Albany led the Yankee farm system. Maas was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster in November. He signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Maas spent the 1987 season at 'A' Ft. Lauderdale of the Florida State League where he batted .278 (122-for-439) with 28 doubles, 11 home runs, 73 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 108 strikeouts. He played 76 of his 116 games at first base but was named as the designated hitter on the Florida State League All-Star team.
He was the Yankees' 22nd pick in the June 1986 free agent draft. He played 28 games with Oneonta, where he batted .356 with 10 doubles and 18 RBIs in his first professional season.
Kevin attended the University of California at Berkeley following his graduation from Bishop O'Dowd (CA) High School. He is the younger brother of Jason Maas, an outfielder in the Yankee organization."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


DANA RIDENOUR
"Selected by the Yankees in the 16th round of the 1986 June draft, Dana split 1988 between Columbus and Albany-Colonie and did a fine job in relief, winning six games and saving 14. He throws a very effective split-fingered fastball.
Dana was the Yankees Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 1987 when he saved 21 games. He has struck out 217 batters in 165 professional innings."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Ridenour began the 1988 season with AA Albany-Colonie of the Eastern League, where he was 5-4 in 30 games (all in relief) with 14 saves and a 3.92 ERA in 43.2 innings with 56 strikeouts. He ranked fifth in the Eastern League in saves and had the highest strikeouts per nine innings pitched ratio in the league (11.54 K).
Named as a pitcher for the mid-season Eastern League All-Star Game, Dana was promoted to AAA Columbus on July 24 and was 1-2 and no saves in 14 relief appearances for the Clippers with a 2.11 ERA in 21.1 innings and 24 strikeouts. He has appeared in 110 games in his three-year professional career, all in relief. He was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster in November and signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Ridenour was named the Yankees 1987 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He appeared in 43 games in relief for 'A' Ft. Lauderdale, going 5-4 with 21 saves, 90 strikeouts and a 1.77 ERA in 66 innings. He led Florida State League relievers in batting against (.168) and highest strikeout per nine innings ratio (12.27) while finishing third in saves. Dana was named to the Florida State League All-Star team as a reliever.
He was the Yankees' 16th round pick in the June 1986 free agent draft. He appeared in 23 games in relief at Oneonta in his first professional season, going 4-2 with eight saves, 47 strikeouts and a 1.56 ERA in 34.2 innings.
Dana attended UCLA after graduating from Sylmar (CA) High School in 1983."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


DARRIN CHAPIN
"Selected by the Yankees in the 6th round of the 1986 January draft, Darrin spent a majority of the '88 season at Fort Lauderdale where he went 6-4 in 38 relief appearances with 15 saves and a remarkable 0.86 ERA. He was converted into a reliever prior to the start of the '87 season."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Chapin spent most of the 1988 season at Ft. Lauderdale of the 'A' Florida State League but also pitched briefly at Albany-Colonie of the AA Eastern League.
He began the season at Ft. Lauderdale and on June 1 was promoted to Albany. Darrin pitched in three games at Albany (all in relief), going 0-0 with an 11.25 ERA in four innings with four strikeouts before returning to Ft. Lauderdale on June 18 where he finished the season.
Overall at Ft. Lauderdale, he was 6-4 in 38 games (all in relief) with 15 saves, 57 strikeouts and a 0.86 ERA in 63 innings pitched. His 15 saves ranked sixth in the Florida State League. Darrin was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster in November. He signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Darrin was converted into a reliever prior to the 1987 season. In 25 relief appearances with Oneonta, he went 1-1 with 12 saves, 26 strikeouts and a 0.68 ERA in 40 innings pitched.
Selected by the Yankees in the 6th round of the January 1986 free agent draft, Chapin was used exclusively as a starter in his first pro season, going 4-3 in 13 starts for Sarasota with 67 strikeouts and a 3.24 ERA in 83.1 innings pitched. He had two complete games, both shutouts, but led the league in runs allowed (42).
Darrin attended Cleveland State University and Cuyahoga Community College."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


HAL MORRIS
"Selected by the Yankees in the 8th round of the 1986 June draft, Hal is an excellent hitter who owns a .313 minor league batting average. He hit .296 in 121 games at Columbus in '88, was called to New York three times and saw action in 15 games.
In 1987 Hal led the Eastern League in hits (173) and at-bats (530). He has a great deal of experience as a first baseman."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Hal began the 1988 season with the Columbus Clippers and had his contract purchased by the Yankees on July 29. At that point, he was hitting .290 for the Clippers with 18 doubles, three home runs and 34 RBIs. He made his major league debut that day at Toronto in a pinch-hitting role in the ninth inning, hitting a single off Duane Ward. Hal appeared in two more games (going 0-for-1) before being optioned back to Columbus on August 5.
He was recalled by the Yankees a second time on August 18, hitting .301 with three homers and 36 RBIs with the Clippers at the time. After making two pinch-hit appearances with New York following that recall, Hal made his first major league start on August 21 against Seattle in left field, going 0-for-3. He played a total of three games with the Yankees before being optioned back on August 22. He remained with the Clippers through the conclusion of their season, finishing with a .296 batting average (134-for-452) in 121 games with 19 doubles, three home runs and 38 RBIs.
Hal was recalled by the Yankees for a third and final time on September 2 and notched his second and final hit of the year on September 7 against Cleveland, a pinch-hit single off Rod Nichols in the 7th inning (both his hits in 1988 were as a pinch hitter) and eventually came around to score, his only run of the year. After that hit, Hal went hitless in his final 11 at-bats (including five strikeouts), going 0-for-6 in six pinch-hitting appearances and then 0-for-5 on October 2 at Detroit, where he made his second start of the season, also in left field.
Overall in his three starts with the Yankees covering 15 games, Hal was 2-for-20 (.100) with a run scored and nine strikeouts. He signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Hal spent the entire 1987 season at Albany-Colonie (AA) where he hit .326 in 135 games with five home runs and 73 RBIs. He led the Eastern League in hits (173) and at-bats (530) and also led the league's first basemen in games played at that position (130).
Selected by the Yankees in the 8th round of the June 1986 free agent draft, Hal spent most of the '86 season at Oneonta ('A' New York-Penn League) where he hit .378 with three home runs and 30 RBIs in 36 games. He was named to the New York-Penn League All-Star team at first base and also was named the league's Rookie of the Year. He was promoted to Albany and hit .215 in 25 games there with four RBIs.
Hal graduated from Munster (Indiana) High School and attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


JOHN FISHEL
"Acquired from Houston last January, John appeared in 19 games with the Astros in '88, hitting .251. He played most of the season at Tucson where he hit .261 with 18 homers and 68 RBI in 102 games and was named to the Triple-A All-Star team."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"John began the 1988 season with the Houston Astros' AAA Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League, where he batted .261 in 102 games with 18 home runs and 68 RBIs. His homer total was tied for fourth place in the PCL and not only led the Toros but was the highest total by a Tucson player since Wes Clements hit 20 in 1983.
He hit .536 (15-for-28) during the week of June 15-21 with five home runs and 15 RBIs. He played in the first Triple-A All-Star Game in Buffalo, where he went 1-for-2. John was purchased by Houston from Tucson on July 14 and made his major league debut that night at Philadelphia, going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter.
In his next game, on July 16 at Philadelphia, he had a pinch-hit single off Bruce Ruffin for his first hit. John remained with the Astros from the time of his purchase through the end of the season, and in his 19 games with Houston batted .231 (6-for-26) with a home run and two RBIs.
John's home run came on September 3 in the Astrodome against St. Louis, a pinch-hit solo homer off Steve Peters. He went 2-for-4 on September 28 in his first start at Atlanta. Following the season he spent time with Houston's team in the Instructional League working on his catching. John was acquired by the Yankees from Houston along with pitchers Pedro De Leon and Mike Hook in January of 1989. He signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Originally selected by the Yankees in the 8th round of the June 1981 free agent draft, John was selected by the Astros in the 9th round of the June 1985 free agent draft. In his first year as a professional he hit .261 with nine homers and 42 RBIs at Auburn. In 1986, he led the Florida State League with 36 doubles at Osceola, hitting .269 with 12 homers and 83 RBIs.
John established career highs in 1987 with 24 home runs and 87 RBIs to lead Columbus of the AA Southern League. He surged to the team lead by homering in five straight games from August 24-28, a total of six home runs. He hit a pair of homers in one game three times during the year (April 20 against Knoxville, June 28 at Huntsville and August 27 at Charleston).
His longest hitting streak was a seven-game stretch from April 30-May 6. He twice had four hits in a game and finished with 29 multi-hit games and 23 multi-RBI games. John went to the Instructional League and hit .368 and led his team with 25 RBIs and a .684 slugging percentage in 22 games.
After graduating from Loara (CA) High School, John was the MVP of the 1984 Division I College World Series while leading Cal State Fullerton to the NCAA Championship. He tied a Series record with 13 hits and finished with a .520 average and 10 RBIs. He finished his career at Fullerton by setting a national record for at-bats (1,114) and school marks for games (295), hits (379), doubles (72) and RBIs (281)."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

Tied for Florida State League lead in sacrifice flies (10), 1986.
Tied for Florida State League lead among third basemen for total chances (418) and double plays (20), 1986.

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


OSCAR AZOCAR
"Signed by the Yankees in November 1983, Oscar was formerly a pitcher. He's now an outstanding outfield prospect in the organization.
Oscar played extremely well at Albany-Colonie in 1988. He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team and hit .273 with 66 RBI, 60 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. He led the league in games, at-bats and triples and was second in hits and stolen bases."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Azocar played the entire 1988 season with the AA Albany-Colonie Yankees of the Eastern League and batted .273 with six home runs, 66 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. He led the Eastern League in games (138), at-bats (543) and triples (9) and was second in hits (148) and total bases (206). He also led all outfielders in errors (15). Azocar was named as an outfielder on the postseason Eastern League All-Star team. He was added to the 40-man roster in November 1988 and signed a contract for the 1989 season.
After spending his professional career as a pitcher, he was converted to an outfielder prior to the 1987 season. In his initial campaign as an everyday player, Oscar batted .359 in 53 games for the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees of the 'A' Florida State League, with six home runs and 39 RBIs.
Signed by the Yankees as a free agent in November 1983, Oscar was 4-1 at Sarasota in 1984 in his first professional season, with a 1.28 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) with 60 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched. He spent time with both Sarasota and Oneonta in 1985. At Sarasota he was 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA in five games (four starts) with 36 strikeouts in 37.1 innings, and at Oneonta was 0-2 with a 4.86 ERA in 14 games (two starts).
In 1986, his final season as a pitcher, Azocar posted a record of 4-2 and a 3.25 ERA in six games at Sarasota (five starts) before being promoted to Oneonta, where he appeared in 10 games (one start) with a record of 2-0, a 2.86 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 22 innings.
Oscar resides in Caracas, Venezuela."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


BRIAN DORSETT
"Acquired from California in November 1988, Brian spent most of  '88 at Triple-A Edmonton where he hit .262 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 55 games. He also appeared in seven games with the Angels."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Dorsett opened 1988 on Cleveland's 40-man roster but did not play in any games while recovering from arthroscopic surgery that was performed on his right elbow on March 23. He was acquired by the Angels organization on July 8 for a player to be named later and was assigned to the Edmonton Trappers, California's AAA Pacific Coast League affiliate. Brian batted .262 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 53 games at Edmonton.
He had his contract purchased by the Angels on September 1, and in seven games with California batted .091 (1-for-11) with two RBIs. His one hit and two RBIs came on September 6 at Kansas City on a two-run single off Mark Gubicza in his only at-bat. After that he went 0-for-8 in his remaining five games, striking out three times in as many at-bats on September 9 at Cleveland. Brian committed three passed balls in his seven games and did not appear after September 13. He was obtained by the Yankees from Edmonton in November 1988 in exchange for pitcher Eric Schmidt and signed for the 1989 season.
Dorsett was Oakland's 10th round selection in the June 1983 free agent draft and began his pro career with Medford of the Northwest League. He spent just 14 games there, batting .271 and earning a promotion to Class-A Madison where he hit .255 in 58 games. Brian spent the entire 1984 season at Modesto, hitting .264 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs.
He began the 1985 season at Madison but was promoted to AA Huntsville and batted a combined .268 with 53 runs scored, 127 hits, 13 home runs and 73 RBIs in 128 games, all career highs. He was on Oaklands' 40-man roster in 1986 and played his first year of AAA ball at their PCL club at Tacoma, setting career highs in doubles (33) while hitting 10 home runs with 51 RBIs.
Dorsett began the 1987 season with Tacoma and batted .234 with six home runs and 39 RBIs in 74 games. He was acquired by Cleveland on July 15, along with pitcher Darrell Akerfelds in exchange for second baseman Tony Bernazard, and reported to AAA Buffalo where he batted .256 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 26 games. Dorsett was called up to Cleveland on September 4.
He appeared in his first major league game on September 8 against Seattle (flew out as a pinch hitter) and collected his first big league hit in his third at-bat, a pinch-hit RBI single off Gene Nelson of the A's on September 22 in Cleveland. Brian made his first start behind the plate on September 27 against California and went 2-for-3 including his only big league homer, a two-run blast off Don Sutton in the 8th inning. He was 0-for-4 throwing out runners attempting to steal.
Brian starred in baseball, basketball and football at Terre Haute (IN) North High School, where he graduated in 1979. He attended Indiana State University and was first team All-Missouri Valley Conference in baseball in 1983 and second team in 1982.
Brian played Little League and American Legion ball as a youngster."

1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


CLAY PARKER
"Acquired from Seattle in December 1987, Clay suffered an injury-plagued year in 1988. His season ended in late June because of a recurring groin injury. At the time he was 2-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 10 games.
Clay owns a minor league career record of 31-16 with a 2.72 ERA. He was formerly a punter for the LSU football team."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Parker was acquired by the Yankees from Seattle along with Lee Guetterman and Wade Taylor in December of 1987 in exchange for Steve Trout and Henry Cotto. He spent all of the 1988 season at AAA Columbus but suffered through an injury-plagued year. He had a recurring groin injury that caused him to be placed on the disabled list three times, from April 13-22, June 1-23 and June 28 through the end of the season. That injury limited him to 10 games, all starts.
In those 10 games, Clay was 2-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 49.2 innings and also allowed 49 hits and just nine walks [1.17 WHIP] while recording 51 strikeouts. Despite his curtailed season, he still finished seventh on the Clippers in strikeouts and was the only pitcher on the club with ten or more starts to register more strikeouts than innings pitched. Parker signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Parker began the 1987 season at the Mariners' AA Chattanooga affiliate and made 16 appearances (all starts), going 7-5 with a 2.73 ERA and five complete games along with 60 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched. He was promoted to AAA Calgary on July 5, and in 12 games with Calgary (all starts) was 8-1 with a 2.93 ERA and four complete games along with 44 strikeouts in 86 innings pitched. He was recalled from Calgary to the Mariners on September 12.
He made his major league debut in Seattle against Cleveland on September 14, pitching 2.1 innings of relief and giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts, and was not involved in a decision in the Mariners' 11-8 defeat. He made his second appearance on September 23 against Kansas City, finishing that game by pitching one inning of relief, giving up two runs (earned) on two hits with two walks and a strikeout, and did not figure in the Royals' 9-0 win.
Clay made his third and final appearance of the season, a start on October 2 at Texas, going 4.1 innings and giving up four runs (all earned) on eight hits (including a two-run homer by Ruben Sierra) with a walk and three strikeouts, and again was not involved in a decision in the Mariners' 5-4 victory. In his three major league outings, Clay pitched 7.2 innings without a decision, giving up 10 runs (nine earned) for a 10.56 ERA while allowing 15 hits (including two home runs) with four walks [2.48 WHIP] and eight strikeouts.
In 1986, Parker was Wausau's top starter with a 2.88 ERA (eighth in the 'A' Midwest League). He led the club in innings pitched and shared honors in starts, was second in complete games and strikeouts, and was fifth in the league with a 1.92 walks-per-nine-innings pitched ratio (38 BB, 178 IP). Parker was Seattle's 15th round pick (16th selection) in the 1985 June draft. He led all Northwest League ('A') pitchers with a 1.55 ERA and a .857 winning percentage (6-1 record) in his first year in pro ball.
Clay graduated from Caldwell Parish (Columbia, Louisiana) High School in 1981. He was named All-State in baseball, football and track, where he was the state javelin champion. He attended LSU on a football scholarship and was a three-year starter, playing in the 1983 Orange Bowl and the 1985 Sugar Bowl. He also played four years of baseball. Clay declined a free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys and signed with the Mariners.
His hobbies are hunting and fishing and his favorite spectator sport is football. His favorite team growing up was the Miami Dolphins and his favorite player was Larry Csonka. His most dramatic moments in sports were playing in the 1983 Orange Bowl and 1985 Sugar Bowl. His most humorous moment: 'Celebrating after tackling Willie Gault, not realizing he had returned my 48-yard punt 47 yards.'
Clay's favorite entertainer is Randy Travis."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


BERNIE WILLIAMS
"Signed as a free agent in November 1985, Bernie is an all-around talent with tremendous potential. He owns a .299 batting average in 202 minor league games.
A wrist injury cut short his season last July, but he still hit .338 with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 91 games. He also stole 29 bases, giving him 80 in three pro seasons."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Bernie played 91 games for 'A' Prince William in 1988 and batted .338 (113-for-334) with 72 runs, 16 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs, 45 RBIs and 29 stolen bases. His season ended on July 14 when he ran into an outfield wall at Hagerstown chasing a fly ball, suffering a right navicular (wrist) fracture. He was placed on the disabled list, where he remained for the rest of the season. Despite his curtailed season Williams led the Carolina League in hitting and finished tied for third in triples. He was added to the Yankee 40-man roster in November and signed a contract for the 1989 season.
In 1987 he split time between Ft. Lauderdale and Oneonta. Bernie started the season at Ft. Lauderdale, where he batted .155 (11-for-71) in 25 games with no home runs, four RBIs and nine stolen bases. He separated his shoulder on May 17, missing a month of the season. Upon his return he was assigned to Oneonta, where in 25 games he hit .344 (32-for-93) with no homers, 15 RBIs and nine stolen bases. He missed additional games later in the year with a groin pull.
Signed by the Yankees as a free agent on September 13, 1985, Williams spent 1986, his first professional season, at Sarasota, batting .270 in 61 games with two home runs, 25 RBIs and 33 stolen bases. He led the Gulf Coast League in runs (45) and caught stealing (12) and led GCL outfielders in total chances (123) and putouts (117). Bernie was named as an outfielder on the Gulf Coast League All-Star team."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide


DEION SANDERS
"The Yankees' 30th round pick in the June 1988 free agent draft, Deion was signed by Yankee scout Bob Hartsfield. He attended Florida State University where he played baseball, football and ran track.
Deion was named to Baseball America's 1988 preseason All-America team. He was the 1988 Jim Thorpe Award winner as best collegiate defensive back and a two-time consensus All-American in football (1987, 1988). He was named to the All-America team in track in 1988."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide