"Steve Balboni heard the boos before as a New York Yankee in the early '80s. The demanding New York fans became disenchanted when the power hitter could not produce a home run with each at-bat. His return to Pinstripes and his ensuing 1989 performance had the same diehards applauding his outstanding effort. Used primarily as a designated hitter, Balboni's .502 slugging percentage ranked him first among designated hitters.
'I think 1989 went pretty well,' he says. 'I had some home runs and RBI and would've been happier if I hit .250, but I'm pretty pleased with what I did.' And so are Yankee fans who have turned their boos to cheers."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Balboni was acquired by the Yankees from Seattle on March 27, 1989 in exchange for pitcher Dana Ridenour. He spent the season platooning in the DH spot and at first base.
He started out slowly in 17 April games, hitting .154 (8-for-52) with a home run and eight RBIs, yet struck out only five times (1/10.4 AB) and four of his eight hits were for extra bases. He hit his first home run on April 14 against Minnesota, a grand slam off Frank Viola, the fourth of his career and first since September 20, 1985, also against the Twins, while playing for the Royals.
In May, Steve appeared in 18 games and hit .304 with four home runs and 11 RBIs, averaging an RBI every 4.2 at-bats, and six of his 14 hits were for extra bases. He raised his average 70 points to .224. On May 4 and 5 Steve homered in consecutive games in Texas (off Drew Hall) and in Chicago (off Donn Pall). He hit in three straight (5-for-11) from May 12-16 and in another three straight (3-for-8) from May 20-24.
Balboni had a strong June as he hit .302 with five home runs and 13 RBIs, raising his average another 28 points to .252. Seven of his 16 hits were for extra bases and he averaged an RBI every 4.1 at-bats. Steve hit in four straight games (6-for-10) from June 3-6 and through the All-Star break was hitting .247 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs; 17 of his 42 hits were for extra bases and he averaged an RBI every 5.1 at-bats.
After the All-Star break, Steve hit in a season high five straight games (7-for-15) with seven RBIs, raising his batting average from .247 to a season high of .266 on July 22. He ended July by hitting in three straight (3-for-10) and for the month hit .255 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. He averaged an RBI every 4.7 at-bats and five of his 12 hits were for extra bases.
Balboni appeared in 13 games in August and hit .175 (7-for-40) with three homers and 10 RBIs; four of his seven hits came in two-hit games on August 11 and August 30. In the August 11 game against Minnesota, Balboni hit two home runs off Shane Rawley and tied his season high with four RBIs. On August 30 against Oakland, he also had four RBIs, including a home run off Mike Moore.
He played in 20 games in September and October and hit .226 (14-for-62) with two homers and seven RBIs; four times he hit in consecutive games but never in more than two straight. In the final game of the season, October 1 in New York, Steve hit his 17th homer off Detroit's Frank Tanana.
Steve signed a two-year contract in November 1989. The contract extends through the 1991 season.
Originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the June 1978 free agent draft, he was the Florida State League MVP in 1979 after leading the circuit in home runs and RBIs. In 1980, Steve was advanced to the double-A level and was named Southern League Player of the Year. He set a league record with 122 RBIs.
Balboni began the 1981 campaign at triple-A Columbus before being recalled by the Yankees on April 21. He made his major league debut the next day against Detroit and tripled in his first at-bat. He was optioned back to Columbus on April 28 and finished the season as an International League All-Star. Balboni split the 1982 season between Columbus and New York and hit his first major league home run on May 13 off Oakland's Tom Underwood.
During his minor league career, Steve averaged 30 home runs and 96 RBIs per season. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals in December 1983 along with pitcher Roger Erickson for pitcher Mike Armstrong and catcher Duane Dewey.
1984 was Steve's first full season in the major leagues. He hit in a career high 13 straight games from September 10-23 (17-for-48, .354) and led the club in home runs and RBIs.
In 1985, Steve established career highs in almost every offensive category and also set a Kansas City record with 36 home runs. He was named American League Player of the Week for April 15-21 (.385, 3 HR, 8 RBI) and was the Royals' Player of the Month for April. Steve swiped the only stolen base of his career on July 23 against the Yankees. He hit .320 (8-for-25) in the World Series with three RBIs.
He led Kansas City in home runs for the third consecutive year in 1986 and his 88 RBIs ranked second on the club. He hit his 100th major league home run at Texas on September 5. Steve homered once in every 16.08 at-bats in 1987 and eight of his last 16 hits were home runs.
In 1988, Steve was released by the Royals on May 27 but led the Mariners in home runs (21) and finished third on the club in RBIs (61) despite not joining Seattle until June 1. He smashed a 442-foot home run in Seattle off Cleveland's John Farrell on July 5, becoming only the fifth player ever to reach the Kingdome's second deck in left field.
He had an 11-game hitting streak from July 1-15 (17-for-48, .354). He hit an 11th inning three-run homer off Dennis Eckersley to beat Oakland on July 29. Balboni batted .280 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs in July and was named Seattle's Player of the Month. He finished the season strong, hitting .304 with 20 RBIs in September/October. He had a .994 fielding percentage with Seattle, committing just two errors in 40 games at first base.
Balboni was a three-sport standout at Memorial High in Manchester, New Hampshire where he was voted the school's Athlete of the Year his senior year. He attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida and was named their MVP in 1977 after leading them to a second place finish in the Division II College World Series. Balboni hit 26 home runs and collected 77 RBIs in just 43 games as a senior and was the only Division II player named to the Sporting News All-American squad (first team)."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Florida State League MVP, 1979.
Southern League Player of the Year, 1980.
Named to International League All-Star team, 1981.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Saturday, December 23, 2017
Saturday, December 16, 2017
1990 Profile: Steve Sax
1990 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"This free agent far exceeded expectations in his first year with the Yankees. Sax tied for second in the AL with 205 hits, produced 55 multi-hit games and tied for fourth with 43 steals, the most by a Yankee second baseman since Snuffy Stirnweiss swiped 55 in 1944. A very intelligent, aggressive player, he has made himself into a fine second baseman, overcoming his throwing phobia of a few seasons back. He led all American League players at his position with a .987 fielding percentage.
Born in Sacramento, California, Sax was the Dodgers' ninth selection in the 1978 draft. He's a clubhouse cut-up who does an impression of comedian Andrew Dice Clay."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1990 Edition
"It really is a lot of fun watching Steve Sax play baseball. To watch the Yankees' star second baseman in action is to truly see how the game is meant to be played. He is scrappy, determined and exciting; a throwback to the players who loved to get their uniforms dirty.
'Saxsie is like fire in a bottle,' says Dave Righetti. 'He can make you laugh and get you pumped at the same time, which makes him a lot of fun for fans to watch.'
But don't make the mistake of thinking the former Dodger is Hollywood in his approach. What Sax brings to New York is something the Yankees have been lacking- genuine emotion. The team has leaders, but Sax is more than that. He is visibly enthusiastic, a characteristic that rubs off. 'I play with a lot of enthusiasm because I love the game,' Sax says. 'I play hard and with a lot of energy because for me, that's having fun. And that's what it's all about.'
And when you consider he can also hit, run and play stellar defense, having Steve Sax around is a whole lot of fun."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Steve opened the 1989 season slowly, hitting .200 (7-for-35) through nine games. His first homer came on April 8 against Cleveland (Greg Swindell), the Yankees' first home run of the season and Steve's first American League homer.
He then hit in 10 straight games from April 14-25, going 17-for-43 (.395) and raising his average to .308. He stole his first base on April 18. Steve hit .289 for the month with a home run and 13 RBIs.
From May 9-17, Steve hit in seven straight games, going 9-for-28 (.321), and from May 19-25 hit in five straight, going 7-for-21 (.333). He went 2-for-3 against Seattle on May 31, putting his average above .300 to stay. In May, Steve hit .314 to bring his season average to .302. In the first two months, he was 6-for-7 in stolen base attempts and made three errors.
Steve flourished with the bat in June, hitting .383. He hit in four straight from June 5-10 (8-for-20, .400) and then hit in 11 straight from June 17-30 (24-for-51, .471) to close out the month and raise his average to .331. Included in the second streak was a 10-for-20 run from June 17-22. On June 27 Steve went 5-for-5 in Detroit, his second career five-hit game and the only one by a Yankee in 1989. Through the first three months of the season, Steve did not go hitless in consecutive games.
He started July by going hitless in three straight games for the only time all season and was hitting .322 at the break with 26 steals in 34 attempts. After the break, Steve hit in six straight from July 13-19 (9-for-25, .400), and in five straight from July 24-29 (11-for-24, .375). For the month of July, he hit .284 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. He hit his only Yankee Stadium home run on July 31 off Toronto's Mike Flanagan.
August was another good hitting month for Steve (.344), as he hit in eight straight from August 3-11 (15-for-32, .469) and then in a season best 17 straight from August 20-September 5, raising his average from .318 to .326. On September 5 he had a season high three RBIs at Seattle. September/October was his worst month, with Steve hitting .264.
Last year Steve hit exclusively in the No. 2 spot in the batting order until June 20 (the day before the Rickey Henderson trade), then hit leadoff in all but three games through the end of the season. He hit No. 2 in 70 games (.303) and leadoff in 88 games (.324). Leading off a game, Steve hit .301 (25-for-83) with a home run, 10 runs, four walks and one hit-by-pitcher.
Steve led the club with a .315 batting average (33 points above his career average entering 1989), at-bats (651), runs (88), hits (205) and stolen bases (43). He tied with Joe Carter for the American League lead in at-bats. He tied for the club lead in games (158) with Don Mattingly, his fourth year with 155+ games, and had career highs in average, RBIs and at-bats. Steve had his second 200-hit season (210 in 1986).
He's one of three Yankee second basemen to notch 200 hits, with the most since Bobby Richardson had 209 in 1962 (Snuffy Stirnweiss had 205 in 1944). Steve led the American League in singles with 171 and also set the club record, breaking the previous record of 166 held by Earle Combs (1927) and Willie Keeler (1906). He had his fewest strikeouts (44) since 1985 (43) and ranked fifth in the league in hardest to fan (one K every 15.3 plate appearances).
Steve had his most stolen bases (43) since 1983 (58) and his fifth 40-plus stolen base season. He also had the most steals by a Yankee second baseman since Stirnweiss stole 55 in 1944. Teamed with Roberto Kelly last year, they became the first Yankee teammates to each steal thirty bases since 1976 when Mickey Rivers (43), Willie Randolph (37) and Roy White (31) accomplished the feat.
He hit .341 at night and .251 in day games, hit .381 against left-handed pitchers and .285 against right-handed pitchers, and hit .324 at Yankee Stadium and .306 on the road. Steve's road batting average was sixth best in the league. He hit .295 with men in scoring position and led the club with 56 multi-hit games.
Steve went hitless in consecutive games only three times all season and went hitless in three straight games only once. He spent 132 of 158 games above .300.
He finished first in the American League among second basemen with a .987 fielding percentage, the first Yankee to lead the league at that position since Sandy Alomar in 1975. Steve also led in double plays (117) and games (158) and was second in putouts (312), assists (460) and total chances (782). He committed only two errors after the break (73 games) and ended the season with 14 errorless games.
Steve missed only three games all season and ended the season by playing in 55 straight games.
Steve signed a three-year guaranteed contract as a free agent on November 23, 1988. The contract extends through the 1991 season.
Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the 9th round of the free agent draft in June 1978, Steve spent his first season of pro ball at Lethbridge, impressing many by hitting .328. He collected two hits in his first pro game, but the over-excited youngster was picked off both times. A one-time shortstop/third baseman, Steve was converted to the outfield and then to second base.
In 1979 at Clinton of the Midwest League, Steve hit .290 with 25 stolen bases. He earned Florida State League All-Star honors in 1980, hitting .283 with 61 RBIs and 33 stolen bases. He led FSL second basemen in fielding and putouts.
Steve was the 1981 Texas League Player of the Year, a Texas League All-Star and a Topps-National Association Class AA All-Star. After leading that league with a .346 batting average, Steve was recalled to Los Angeles on August 18 to replace the injured Davey Lopes. Steve collected his first major league hit off Chicago's Mike Griffin that day, and his first home run on August 23 off St. Louis' Bob Shirley. He hit .364 in his first eight games and finished at .277- good enough to earn a spot on the postseason roster. Steve had combined for 201 hits at San Antonio and Los Angeles. He played for Caracas (Venezuela) in the winter league.
In 1982, Steve earned the starting second base role, succeeding Lopes, and gathered National League Rookie of the Year honors- the fourth consecutive season a Dodger won the award. His 49 stolen bases ranked fifth in the league and was a Dodger rookie record, and his hit total (180) ranked seventh in the league. He missed 11 games after being hit on the right wrist at Atlanta by Rick Mahler on September 9. The only rookie named to the NL All-Star team, Steve was named to the UPI and Topps Rookie All-Star teams.
1983 was a mixed bag for Steve, as he excelled offensively but suffered the first half of the season with his throwing arm. His 56 stolen bases ranked third in the NL, his 94 runs ranked fifth and he was tied for ninth with 175 hits. The starting second baseman on the National League All-Star team, Steve committed a league high 30 errors, 24 of which came prior to the All-Star break. He did not commit an error over his final 38 games.
Less successful than desired in 1984, Steve started out fast, hitting .322 in April. He suffered a sore right elbow in late May which bothered him for the remainder of '84. He was still able to lead the club in at-bats and stolen bases and was second in runs. Steve began 1985 slowly but came on strong over the final three months. He suffered a strained lower right leg on April 7 when Angels second baseman Bobby Grich fell on him during a pickoff play at second base in the final game of the Freeway Series at Anaheim. Due to that injury, Steve did not play regularly until early May. His batting average was .226 as late as July 2, but he hit .311 over his last 84 games.
Steve enjoyed the finest year of his career in 1986. He finished second in the National League batting race to Montreal's Tim Raines (.334 to .332), and his average was the highest by a Dodger since Tommy Davis hit .346 in 1962. His 210 hits marked the first time he bettered the 200-hit plateau and matched Steve Garvey's 1975 total as the most by a Dodger since Davis' 230 in '62. His 43 doubles were the most by a Dodger since Wes Parker's Los Angeles record of 47 in 1970. Steve's 40 stolen bases ranked seventh in the league and he combined with teammate Mariano Duncan for 88 stolen bases, the most by a Dodger duo since Davey Lopes (63) and Bill Buckner (28) combined for 91 in 1976.
He was selected the Silver Bat winner for NL second basemen by major league managers and coaches. He earned National League Player Month honors for September, hitting in 25 straight from September 1 through September 27- it was the longest hitting streak in the majors and longest by a Dodger since Willie Davis hit in 25 straight in 1971. As the season came to a close, Steve hit safely in 31 of the last 32 games, with a .398 batting average for the period.
Steve also had three six-game hitting streaks, a seven, two eights, a nine and a ten. His longest hitless streak was three games, once. He had six hits in a row over two games, September 3 at Montreal and September 5 at Philadelphia. Steve's 64 multi-hit games ranked second in the NL, while his .390 on-base percentage was third and his 91 runs tied for eighth.
His 53 extra-base hits were a career high as were his six home runs. Steve hit his first career grand slam on May 7 at Chicago off Jay Baller and posted a career high five RBIs in that game. Defensively, his total of 16 errors was a career low, those coming in 815 total chances.
Steve struggled through the first month of 1987, partly due to a strained groin muscle suffered on April 14 against Houston. He had four hits and three RBI on June 18 at Houston and appeared in left field in a 16-2 loss to San Francisco on July 29. Steve recorded his 1,000th career hit on August 29 off Houston's Jeff Parrett.
Steve had a strong finish to the 1987 season. He had a team high 19-game hitting streak from September 5-27. He hit in 24 of the last 26 games and 30 of the last 34 to raise his average to a season high of .280 at season's end. He also had a 13-game hitting streak (May 10-25) and an 11-game streak (August 9-21).
He led the Dodgers in games (157) and at-bats (610), triples (7), stolen bases (37), game-winning runs scored (14) and games started (151). He was second on the club with 84 runs and 171 hits and matched his 1986 career high of six home runs. He was a better hitter on the road and at night.
Steve homered in the 1988 season opener at San Francisco on April 4 but started the season slowly, hitting only .150 through his first 10 games. From April 16 through April 30, he hit in 10 straight (the first of three season-long 10-game hitting streaks), going 11-for-39 (.282), raising his overall batting average to .215 by the end of April. From April 16 through May 10, Steve hit safely in 17 of 18 games, going 24-for-69 (.348) and raised his overall batting average to .284.
He swiped three bases against Pittsburgh on May 4, and from May 2 to May 10 hit in seven straight, going 14-for-26 (.538) with a double, a triple, two homers and eight RBIs; from May 2 through May 15 Steve hit in 11 of 12 games, going 20-for-48 (.417) with three doubles, a triple, two homers and 10 RBIs.
He homered twice off Shane Rawley at Philadelphia on May 26, his first career two-homer game, going 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. Steve's four RBIs that day were his single-game high for the season. For May, Steve hit .321 with four home runs and 16 RBIs, and overall through May was hitting .277.
From May 26 through June 9, Steve hit safely in 12 of 13 games, going 25-for-60 (.417) with 10 runs, four doubles, a triple, two home runs and nine RBIs. He had his second 10-game hitting streak of the year from May 30-June 9, going 17-for-44 (.386). He recorded a career high five hits on June 3 against Cincinnati, also matching the National League's game high for 1988.
Steve played in his 1,000th career game on June 22 against Atlanta. He hit safely in 12 of the last 16 games in June to finish that month with an overall batting average of .287.
He was red hot in July, hitting safely in 25 of 29 games, including his third 10-game hitting streak from July 14-21, going 17-for-46 (.370). In the first game of a July 26 doubleheader at San Francisco, Steve went 4-for-5 with two runs, a double, a triple and two RBIs- at the conclusion of that game his batting average reached .310, his 1988 season high. In four games from July 23-26, he went 11-for-16 (.668). For July Steve hit .341 with 12 runs, five doubles, two triples and eight RBIs, and overall for the season was hitting .303 at the end of the month.
August was as cold a month for Steve as July was hot. From August 2 through August 11 he went 8-for-37 (.216) in nine games, and in the final 20 games of August went 15-for-74 (.203) to hit .219 for August with just one extra-base hit (a double on August 21 against Montreal) and 11 RBIs. Steve's overall batting average dropped to .285 due to his August performance.
September/October was not much better for the veteran: .232 with eight runs, five doubles, no triples or homers and five RBIs. His overall batting average dipped from .285 to .277 at season's end. From August 2 through October 2 Steve hit .219 with 17 runs, six doubles, no triples or homers and 16 RBIs in his final 55 games.
Steve hit .267 in the National League Championship Series, starting all seven games against the Mets. His eight hits tied for the team high, while he led the Dodgers with seven runs, five stolen bases and 30 at-bats. He hit safely in all but Game 6 and went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in the seventh and deciding game. Steve played an errorless second base.
In the World Series against Oakland, he batted .300 in five games, led the club with 20 at-bats and was second in average and hits (6). He hit safely in all five games and went 2-for-4 in the clinching Game 5. Steve again played an errorless second base.
For the season, Steve batted .358 (39-for-109) with runners in scoring position. He hit .303 during the day, .265 at night; hit .279 on grass, .272 on artificial turf; and hit .289 in the first half, .264 in the second. Steve was 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter, getting a hit and an RBI on May 7 at St. Louis, and a double and three RBIs (including the game-winning RBI) on June 26 at Cincinnati.
Steve led the National League with 632 at-bats (third in the majors) and a .321 road batting average. He also led the league's second basemen with 158 games, tying Seattle's Harold Reynolds for most in the majors. Steve also had two additional appearances, ranking second with 160 games played overall, fifth in the majors. He placed fourth in the league with 50 multi-hit games, fourth with 175 hits and fourth with a .981 fielding percentage. Steve was the sixth-toughest batter in the league to strike out, averaging one strikeout per 12.4 at-bats, and ranked seventh with 42 stolen bases. His .277 batting average was 19th in the league. Coming into 1989, Steve ranked sixth on the all-time Los Angeles Dodger list with 1,218 hits and eighth with 575 runs.
Signed by scout Ronnie King, Steve is a 1978 graduate of James Marshall High School in West Sacramento. In 1977, his junior year, he earned All-American, All-California, all-city, all-league and league MVP honors. His senior year, 1978, found him repeating as league MVP, along with All-California and all-city honors, while setting four school baseball records.
Steve plays the drums and is a Pete Rose fan, and the Bay Area prep star was a fan of Willie Mays and the San Francisco Giants while growing up. His brother Dave is a one-time Dodger farmhand who now plays in the Yankee organization."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Texas League Most Valuable Player, 1981.
National League Rookie of the Year BBWAA, 1982.
Led National League in caught stealing (30), 1983.
The Sporting News National League All-Star team, 1986.
The Sporting News Silver Slugger team, 1986.
Led American League and set Yankee single-season record with 171 singles, 1989.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
"This free agent far exceeded expectations in his first year with the Yankees. Sax tied for second in the AL with 205 hits, produced 55 multi-hit games and tied for fourth with 43 steals, the most by a Yankee second baseman since Snuffy Stirnweiss swiped 55 in 1944. A very intelligent, aggressive player, he has made himself into a fine second baseman, overcoming his throwing phobia of a few seasons back. He led all American League players at his position with a .987 fielding percentage.
Born in Sacramento, California, Sax was the Dodgers' ninth selection in the 1978 draft. He's a clubhouse cut-up who does an impression of comedian Andrew Dice Clay."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1990 Edition
"It really is a lot of fun watching Steve Sax play baseball. To watch the Yankees' star second baseman in action is to truly see how the game is meant to be played. He is scrappy, determined and exciting; a throwback to the players who loved to get their uniforms dirty.
'Saxsie is like fire in a bottle,' says Dave Righetti. 'He can make you laugh and get you pumped at the same time, which makes him a lot of fun for fans to watch.'
But don't make the mistake of thinking the former Dodger is Hollywood in his approach. What Sax brings to New York is something the Yankees have been lacking- genuine emotion. The team has leaders, but Sax is more than that. He is visibly enthusiastic, a characteristic that rubs off. 'I play with a lot of enthusiasm because I love the game,' Sax says. 'I play hard and with a lot of energy because for me, that's having fun. And that's what it's all about.'
And when you consider he can also hit, run and play stellar defense, having Steve Sax around is a whole lot of fun."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Steve opened the 1989 season slowly, hitting .200 (7-for-35) through nine games. His first homer came on April 8 against Cleveland (Greg Swindell), the Yankees' first home run of the season and Steve's first American League homer.
He then hit in 10 straight games from April 14-25, going 17-for-43 (.395) and raising his average to .308. He stole his first base on April 18. Steve hit .289 for the month with a home run and 13 RBIs.
From May 9-17, Steve hit in seven straight games, going 9-for-28 (.321), and from May 19-25 hit in five straight, going 7-for-21 (.333). He went 2-for-3 against Seattle on May 31, putting his average above .300 to stay. In May, Steve hit .314 to bring his season average to .302. In the first two months, he was 6-for-7 in stolen base attempts and made three errors.
Steve flourished with the bat in June, hitting .383. He hit in four straight from June 5-10 (8-for-20, .400) and then hit in 11 straight from June 17-30 (24-for-51, .471) to close out the month and raise his average to .331. Included in the second streak was a 10-for-20 run from June 17-22. On June 27 Steve went 5-for-5 in Detroit, his second career five-hit game and the only one by a Yankee in 1989. Through the first three months of the season, Steve did not go hitless in consecutive games.
He started July by going hitless in three straight games for the only time all season and was hitting .322 at the break with 26 steals in 34 attempts. After the break, Steve hit in six straight from July 13-19 (9-for-25, .400), and in five straight from July 24-29 (11-for-24, .375). For the month of July, he hit .284 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. He hit his only Yankee Stadium home run on July 31 off Toronto's Mike Flanagan.
August was another good hitting month for Steve (.344), as he hit in eight straight from August 3-11 (15-for-32, .469) and then in a season best 17 straight from August 20-September 5, raising his average from .318 to .326. On September 5 he had a season high three RBIs at Seattle. September/October was his worst month, with Steve hitting .264.
Last year Steve hit exclusively in the No. 2 spot in the batting order until June 20 (the day before the Rickey Henderson trade), then hit leadoff in all but three games through the end of the season. He hit No. 2 in 70 games (.303) and leadoff in 88 games (.324). Leading off a game, Steve hit .301 (25-for-83) with a home run, 10 runs, four walks and one hit-by-pitcher.
Steve led the club with a .315 batting average (33 points above his career average entering 1989), at-bats (651), runs (88), hits (205) and stolen bases (43). He tied with Joe Carter for the American League lead in at-bats. He tied for the club lead in games (158) with Don Mattingly, his fourth year with 155+ games, and had career highs in average, RBIs and at-bats. Steve had his second 200-hit season (210 in 1986).
He's one of three Yankee second basemen to notch 200 hits, with the most since Bobby Richardson had 209 in 1962 (Snuffy Stirnweiss had 205 in 1944). Steve led the American League in singles with 171 and also set the club record, breaking the previous record of 166 held by Earle Combs (1927) and Willie Keeler (1906). He had his fewest strikeouts (44) since 1985 (43) and ranked fifth in the league in hardest to fan (one K every 15.3 plate appearances).
Steve had his most stolen bases (43) since 1983 (58) and his fifth 40-plus stolen base season. He also had the most steals by a Yankee second baseman since Stirnweiss stole 55 in 1944. Teamed with Roberto Kelly last year, they became the first Yankee teammates to each steal thirty bases since 1976 when Mickey Rivers (43), Willie Randolph (37) and Roy White (31) accomplished the feat.
He hit .341 at night and .251 in day games, hit .381 against left-handed pitchers and .285 against right-handed pitchers, and hit .324 at Yankee Stadium and .306 on the road. Steve's road batting average was sixth best in the league. He hit .295 with men in scoring position and led the club with 56 multi-hit games.
Steve went hitless in consecutive games only three times all season and went hitless in three straight games only once. He spent 132 of 158 games above .300.
He finished first in the American League among second basemen with a .987 fielding percentage, the first Yankee to lead the league at that position since Sandy Alomar in 1975. Steve also led in double plays (117) and games (158) and was second in putouts (312), assists (460) and total chances (782). He committed only two errors after the break (73 games) and ended the season with 14 errorless games.
Steve missed only three games all season and ended the season by playing in 55 straight games.
Steve signed a three-year guaranteed contract as a free agent on November 23, 1988. The contract extends through the 1991 season.
Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in the 9th round of the free agent draft in June 1978, Steve spent his first season of pro ball at Lethbridge, impressing many by hitting .328. He collected two hits in his first pro game, but the over-excited youngster was picked off both times. A one-time shortstop/third baseman, Steve was converted to the outfield and then to second base.
In 1979 at Clinton of the Midwest League, Steve hit .290 with 25 stolen bases. He earned Florida State League All-Star honors in 1980, hitting .283 with 61 RBIs and 33 stolen bases. He led FSL second basemen in fielding and putouts.
Steve was the 1981 Texas League Player of the Year, a Texas League All-Star and a Topps-National Association Class AA All-Star. After leading that league with a .346 batting average, Steve was recalled to Los Angeles on August 18 to replace the injured Davey Lopes. Steve collected his first major league hit off Chicago's Mike Griffin that day, and his first home run on August 23 off St. Louis' Bob Shirley. He hit .364 in his first eight games and finished at .277- good enough to earn a spot on the postseason roster. Steve had combined for 201 hits at San Antonio and Los Angeles. He played for Caracas (Venezuela) in the winter league.
In 1982, Steve earned the starting second base role, succeeding Lopes, and gathered National League Rookie of the Year honors- the fourth consecutive season a Dodger won the award. His 49 stolen bases ranked fifth in the league and was a Dodger rookie record, and his hit total (180) ranked seventh in the league. He missed 11 games after being hit on the right wrist at Atlanta by Rick Mahler on September 9. The only rookie named to the NL All-Star team, Steve was named to the UPI and Topps Rookie All-Star teams.
1983 was a mixed bag for Steve, as he excelled offensively but suffered the first half of the season with his throwing arm. His 56 stolen bases ranked third in the NL, his 94 runs ranked fifth and he was tied for ninth with 175 hits. The starting second baseman on the National League All-Star team, Steve committed a league high 30 errors, 24 of which came prior to the All-Star break. He did not commit an error over his final 38 games.
Less successful than desired in 1984, Steve started out fast, hitting .322 in April. He suffered a sore right elbow in late May which bothered him for the remainder of '84. He was still able to lead the club in at-bats and stolen bases and was second in runs. Steve began 1985 slowly but came on strong over the final three months. He suffered a strained lower right leg on April 7 when Angels second baseman Bobby Grich fell on him during a pickoff play at second base in the final game of the Freeway Series at Anaheim. Due to that injury, Steve did not play regularly until early May. His batting average was .226 as late as July 2, but he hit .311 over his last 84 games.
Steve enjoyed the finest year of his career in 1986. He finished second in the National League batting race to Montreal's Tim Raines (.334 to .332), and his average was the highest by a Dodger since Tommy Davis hit .346 in 1962. His 210 hits marked the first time he bettered the 200-hit plateau and matched Steve Garvey's 1975 total as the most by a Dodger since Davis' 230 in '62. His 43 doubles were the most by a Dodger since Wes Parker's Los Angeles record of 47 in 1970. Steve's 40 stolen bases ranked seventh in the league and he combined with teammate Mariano Duncan for 88 stolen bases, the most by a Dodger duo since Davey Lopes (63) and Bill Buckner (28) combined for 91 in 1976.
He was selected the Silver Bat winner for NL second basemen by major league managers and coaches. He earned National League Player Month honors for September, hitting in 25 straight from September 1 through September 27- it was the longest hitting streak in the majors and longest by a Dodger since Willie Davis hit in 25 straight in 1971. As the season came to a close, Steve hit safely in 31 of the last 32 games, with a .398 batting average for the period.
Steve also had three six-game hitting streaks, a seven, two eights, a nine and a ten. His longest hitless streak was three games, once. He had six hits in a row over two games, September 3 at Montreal and September 5 at Philadelphia. Steve's 64 multi-hit games ranked second in the NL, while his .390 on-base percentage was third and his 91 runs tied for eighth.
His 53 extra-base hits were a career high as were his six home runs. Steve hit his first career grand slam on May 7 at Chicago off Jay Baller and posted a career high five RBIs in that game. Defensively, his total of 16 errors was a career low, those coming in 815 total chances.
Steve struggled through the first month of 1987, partly due to a strained groin muscle suffered on April 14 against Houston. He had four hits and three RBI on June 18 at Houston and appeared in left field in a 16-2 loss to San Francisco on July 29. Steve recorded his 1,000th career hit on August 29 off Houston's Jeff Parrett.
Steve had a strong finish to the 1987 season. He had a team high 19-game hitting streak from September 5-27. He hit in 24 of the last 26 games and 30 of the last 34 to raise his average to a season high of .280 at season's end. He also had a 13-game hitting streak (May 10-25) and an 11-game streak (August 9-21).
He led the Dodgers in games (157) and at-bats (610), triples (7), stolen bases (37), game-winning runs scored (14) and games started (151). He was second on the club with 84 runs and 171 hits and matched his 1986 career high of six home runs. He was a better hitter on the road and at night.
Steve homered in the 1988 season opener at San Francisco on April 4 but started the season slowly, hitting only .150 through his first 10 games. From April 16 through April 30, he hit in 10 straight (the first of three season-long 10-game hitting streaks), going 11-for-39 (.282), raising his overall batting average to .215 by the end of April. From April 16 through May 10, Steve hit safely in 17 of 18 games, going 24-for-69 (.348) and raised his overall batting average to .284.
He swiped three bases against Pittsburgh on May 4, and from May 2 to May 10 hit in seven straight, going 14-for-26 (.538) with a double, a triple, two homers and eight RBIs; from May 2 through May 15 Steve hit in 11 of 12 games, going 20-for-48 (.417) with three doubles, a triple, two homers and 10 RBIs.
He homered twice off Shane Rawley at Philadelphia on May 26, his first career two-homer game, going 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. Steve's four RBIs that day were his single-game high for the season. For May, Steve hit .321 with four home runs and 16 RBIs, and overall through May was hitting .277.
From May 26 through June 9, Steve hit safely in 12 of 13 games, going 25-for-60 (.417) with 10 runs, four doubles, a triple, two home runs and nine RBIs. He had his second 10-game hitting streak of the year from May 30-June 9, going 17-for-44 (.386). He recorded a career high five hits on June 3 against Cincinnati, also matching the National League's game high for 1988.
Steve played in his 1,000th career game on June 22 against Atlanta. He hit safely in 12 of the last 16 games in June to finish that month with an overall batting average of .287.
He was red hot in July, hitting safely in 25 of 29 games, including his third 10-game hitting streak from July 14-21, going 17-for-46 (.370). In the first game of a July 26 doubleheader at San Francisco, Steve went 4-for-5 with two runs, a double, a triple and two RBIs- at the conclusion of that game his batting average reached .310, his 1988 season high. In four games from July 23-26, he went 11-for-16 (.668). For July Steve hit .341 with 12 runs, five doubles, two triples and eight RBIs, and overall for the season was hitting .303 at the end of the month.
August was as cold a month for Steve as July was hot. From August 2 through August 11 he went 8-for-37 (.216) in nine games, and in the final 20 games of August went 15-for-74 (.203) to hit .219 for August with just one extra-base hit (a double on August 21 against Montreal) and 11 RBIs. Steve's overall batting average dropped to .285 due to his August performance.
September/October was not much better for the veteran: .232 with eight runs, five doubles, no triples or homers and five RBIs. His overall batting average dipped from .285 to .277 at season's end. From August 2 through October 2 Steve hit .219 with 17 runs, six doubles, no triples or homers and 16 RBIs in his final 55 games.
Steve hit .267 in the National League Championship Series, starting all seven games against the Mets. His eight hits tied for the team high, while he led the Dodgers with seven runs, five stolen bases and 30 at-bats. He hit safely in all but Game 6 and went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in the seventh and deciding game. Steve played an errorless second base.
In the World Series against Oakland, he batted .300 in five games, led the club with 20 at-bats and was second in average and hits (6). He hit safely in all five games and went 2-for-4 in the clinching Game 5. Steve again played an errorless second base.
For the season, Steve batted .358 (39-for-109) with runners in scoring position. He hit .303 during the day, .265 at night; hit .279 on grass, .272 on artificial turf; and hit .289 in the first half, .264 in the second. Steve was 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter, getting a hit and an RBI on May 7 at St. Louis, and a double and three RBIs (including the game-winning RBI) on June 26 at Cincinnati.
Steve led the National League with 632 at-bats (third in the majors) and a .321 road batting average. He also led the league's second basemen with 158 games, tying Seattle's Harold Reynolds for most in the majors. Steve also had two additional appearances, ranking second with 160 games played overall, fifth in the majors. He placed fourth in the league with 50 multi-hit games, fourth with 175 hits and fourth with a .981 fielding percentage. Steve was the sixth-toughest batter in the league to strike out, averaging one strikeout per 12.4 at-bats, and ranked seventh with 42 stolen bases. His .277 batting average was 19th in the league. Coming into 1989, Steve ranked sixth on the all-time Los Angeles Dodger list with 1,218 hits and eighth with 575 runs.
Signed by scout Ronnie King, Steve is a 1978 graduate of James Marshall High School in West Sacramento. In 1977, his junior year, he earned All-American, All-California, all-city, all-league and league MVP honors. His senior year, 1978, found him repeating as league MVP, along with All-California and all-city honors, while setting four school baseball records.
Steve plays the drums and is a Pete Rose fan, and the Bay Area prep star was a fan of Willie Mays and the San Francisco Giants while growing up. His brother Dave is a one-time Dodger farmhand who now plays in the Yankee organization."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Texas League Most Valuable Player, 1981.
National League Rookie of the Year BBWAA, 1982.
Led National League in caught stealing (30), 1983.
The Sporting News National League All-Star team, 1986.
The Sporting News Silver Slugger team, 1986.
Led American League and set Yankee single-season record with 171 singles, 1989.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Monday, December 4, 2017
1990 New York Yankees Manager and Coaches Profiles
BUCKY DENT (Manager)
"Enters first full season facing overwhelming odds he won't complete it. Regarded as a stopgap measure for ever-shuffling owner George Steinbrenner, Dent must show he's in charge of the club.
Named Yankee manager on August 18, replacing Dallas Green, he took over a 56-65 club and went 18-22 the rest of the way. He gained a contract extension through 1990 with a season high nine-game winning streak from August 30 through September 8.
Dent managed in the Yankees' minor league system for five seasons and never finished lower than third. His highlight was a Governor's Cup triumph with Columbus (AAA) in the International League playoffs in 1987.
He played for 13 seasons in the majors, including five-plus seasons with the Yankees from 1977-82, appearing in four American League Championship Series and three World Series. Dent will be remembered for his decisive three-run home run off Boston's Mike Torrez in the AL East Playoff in 1978. He hit .417 in the Yankees' World Series triumph over Los Angeles to gain MVP honors that season."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1990 Edition
"We'd like to introduce you to the manager of the New York Yankees, Bucky Dent. What is that you say? Bucky's a man who needs no introduction to Yankee fans? Well, let's just see about that.
'I'm not just the quiet guy that people think I am,' explains the Yankee skipper. 'True, I'm not the loud type, but underneath I'm a very fiery competitor.'
Does that mean as a manager, we might see Bucky Dent get tossed out of a game for arguing a call?
'This might surprise some people, but yes, I just might. I'll do whatever it takes for this team to win.'
As a player, Dent was a quiet but steady contributor on two New York World Champions. Today he's the manager. He's out of the trenches, leading the troops on a different mission. His job is to bring a championship back to New York.
'I've been around this organization long enough to know the bottom line,' says Dent. 'If you don't win, you don't last.'
Still, Dent seems at ease as the team's manager. It could be because, as a Yankee from 1977-82, he became familiar with pressures, internal and external. Or as a manager in the organization from 1985-89, he helped develop many of the players that are Yankees today.
Then again, he might be relaxed because he's not the same guy who hit the dramatic home run that beat the Red Sox in 1978 [sic]. His style is the same- consistent, not flashy. But this time around he offers even more. 'I really am a fiery guy with a desire to win.'"
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Bucky was named Yankee manager on August 18, 1989 in Detroit, replacing Dallas Green. He became the 28th individual ever to manage the Yankees and is one of 17 who also played for the club.
When he took over, the Yankees had a 56-65 record and were in sixth place, 7.5 games behind the Orioles. Dent managed the Yankees to an 18-22 record through the remainder of the 1989 season, bringing their final season mark to 74-87.
After losing three straight in Detroit, the Yankees returned to New York where Dent earned his first major league managerial win with a 6-4 victory over the Red Sox. From August 30 through September 8, he led the club to a season-best nine-game winning streak, and on September 8 he was rewarded with a contract extension through the 1990 season.
Prior to joining the Yankees as manager, Bucky managed for five seasons in the Yankee farm system. He spent the 1985 and 1986 seasons with the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees ('A' affiliate in the Florida State League) where he compiled a 77-63 finish (1st place) in 1985 and an 80-59 record (2nd place) in 1986. From 1987 until he was named Yankee manager, Dent managed the Yankees 'AAA' affiliate, Columbus of the International League. In his two-plus seasons as manager of the Clippers, he compiled a 210-202 record, good for a second place finish and two third-place finishes. In 1987, the Clippers defeated the Rochester Red Wings and the Tidewater Tides to win the Governor's Cup.
Bucky played 13 seasons in the major leagues, coming up through the White Sox' system and making the parent club in 1973, until his career ended with the Royals in 1984. He played five-plus seasons with the Yankees (1977-82) and hit .239 (518-for-2163) with 27 home runs and 209 RBI. The shortstop appeared in four Championship Series and three World Series as a Yankee (did not appear in the 1981 postseason due to an injury).
1978 is the year the people remember Dent for, as he won the AL East playoff game with a three-run home run off Boston's Mike Torrez and then hit .417 in the Yankees' World Series win over the Dodgers, notching the prestigious World Series MVP award [Babe Ruth Award].
Bucky grew up in the Miami area and played Little League, Babe Ruth, and American Legion ball in Hialeah. He earned All-State honors as a halfback at Hialeah High School and attended Miami Dade North Junior College where he was an All-American infielder."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MEET THE MANAGER: AN UNEXPECTED HERO
"It has often been called the greatest game played in baseball history- October 2, 1978, the Yankees and the Red Sox, Fenway Park, a one-game playoff to decide the Eastern Division. And on a team of Yankee sluggers- Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Graig Nettles, to name a few- it was Bucky Dent, the unexpected hero, who stepped forward and hit the deciding three-run, seventh-inning home run that helped propel the Yankees to their second consecutive World Championship.
Ironically, manager Dent finds himself in a similar position today. The Yankees, with Dent at shortstop, opened the '80s on a strong note. Who would have thought that after a division title and a pennant in the first two years, the Yankees would not win a world title in the decade? It was the first decade without a World Series victory since the early 1900s.
'I'm looking forward to the challenge and to having a good year,' says Dent. 'The Yankees started the '80s well and then faltered at the end. Now I hope that we can put the organization back on track in the '90s.'
In his first full season as a big league manager, Dent is again looking to be the unexpected hero. He is being called on in 1990 to do what such big-name managers as Dick Howser, Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, Lou Piniella and Dallas Green weren't able to do in the previous seasons- bring the World Series trophy back to the Bronx.
'I know what it takes to win,' says Dent. 'I'm not a loud type, but underneath I'm a fiery guy who wants to bring that attitude back to this organization. I have a tremendous desire to win.'
Cool, calm, collected and consistent. This is perhaps the best way to describe Bucky Dent. He has worked hard and patiently awaited the right opportunity. His perseverance enabled him to climb the Yankees' organizational latter.
Drafted by the White Sox in 1970, Dent made his major league debut for Chicago in 1973. Following four seasons with the Sox, he joined the Yankees before the 1977 season. It would be the start of a long and successful career in the organization.
And talk about pressure. Dent joined a team that won a pennant the year before and, not resting on its laurels, was determined to win it all in 1977. So there was a lot of attention when the team traded for Dent, who in 1975 was already an All-Star shortstop with the Sox. And the spotlight seemed even brighter when the Yankees' other move that winter was the signing of Reggie Jackson.
Yet, throughout the notoriety and expectations, Dent held his composure and displayed the attributes that made him successful. Despite his boyish good looks (which led to more than one poster deal) and charismatic personality, Dent left the headlines to Martin, Jackson and Munson. He remained obscure, yet vital, in the overall scheme of things.
Dent epitomized the shortstop position. In the field he wasn't flashy but he was consistent. At the plate he wasn't overpowering, but he was clutch. He was the missing piece that helped solidify a strong Yankee infield. And there's no denying his importance to those Yankee teams.
As expected, Dent helped the Yankees win that year and the next. He was more than just a part of the last team in baseball to win back-to-back World Championships. Every baseball fan can tell you that Dent hit the shot heard 'round the world' to beat the Red Sox in 1978. But how many will remember that he went on to hit .417 in the Yankees' win over the Dodgers in the World Series, earning the coveted MVP [Babe Ruth Award] for the 1978 Series?
All told, Dent helped the Yankees to four divisional titles, three pennants, and two world titles from 1977-81. And the trading of Dent to the Rangers in 1982 created a hole the Yankees had trouble filling until 1989, with Alvaro Espinoza. And it's no coincidence that Espinoza was a pupil of Dent's.
After another year in Texas (1983) and brief stints with Columbus and then the Royals in 1984, Dent retired as a player. It was then that he began his managerial career with the Yankees.
Dent began his career with a bang. In 1985 he led the Yankees' Class-A Ft. Lauderdale team to a first-place finish in the Southern Division of the Florida State League. The squad won the first round of the playoffs before losing the championship series. The following year the team finished a strong second in the Southern Division and Dent, as all good minor league prospects go, was given a promotion.
In 1987 he was boosted to Triple-A Columbus and proved he could more than handle the competition. The Clippers, in Dent's first year at Columbus, finished the International League regular season in second place. They swept through the playoffs, going 3-0 in both rounds, to capture the Governor's Cup.
Despite finishing a disappointing 1988 season in third place, Dent had made his mark. In four-plus seasons in the Yankee minor league system, Dent amassed an impressive 367-324 (.531) record, with a 9-4 (.692) mark in postseason play. So when the Yankees made a managerial change on August 18, 1989, they went to the minors and promoted an up-and-coming prospect by the name of Bucky Dent.
'The time I spent in the minors helped me to a point, as far as managing,' says Dent. 'And it allowed me to get a good look at a lot of the guys coming up who are now here in New York.'
But the best experience Dent could get was the six weeks he spent as the Yankee manager at the end of the season. 'Getting used to the other teams, the managers and how they do things takes a couple of times around the league,' says Dent. 'Having been here for six weeks allowed me to do that. It also gave me the opportunity to see what our players are capable of doing, and to see what we have to work on. So being here really helped a lot.'
Dent said that one of his first changes last year was to get his players to relax and have fun. It was tough to accomplish with a team demoralized by losing and a change of managers and coaches. The result, a 2-11 record in Dent's first 13 games.
It became a lot easier to talk about having fun when, the next day, the Yankees went on a nine-game winning streak- their longest since 1987. Dent's contract was extended for 1990, baseball had become fun, and there was a renewed optimism for this year.
'That helped put the team in the right frame of mind,' says Dent. 'Now this year I want to come out and continue to bring an aggressive attitude. We have to feel positive about ourselves, and we must believe that we can win.'
As a manager in the organization and having played here in New York before, Dent knows the players, the media and what it's like in the big leagues. During his tenure in the organization, he also has learned the bottom line. 'It's the same as it was for everyone before me. I understand that you win, or you won't be here very long.'"
-Charles J. Alfaro, Yankees Magazine (1990 New York Yankees Scorebook & Souvenir Program)
STUMP MERRILL (Manager)
"Stump played solely in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system during his six-year professional career. He earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Maine, Orono. [Prior to the beginning of his professional coaching and managing career, he spent time at his alma mater as assistant baseball coach under the late Jack Butterfield.]
He began his Yankee coaching career as pitching coach at West Haven in 1977 and has remained with the organization ever since. Stump won five championships as a minor league skipper from 1978-85 before serving on the major league staff in 1986 and 1987. [Stump started the 1985 campaign as the Yankee first coach, then switched positions with Doug Holmquist on May 7, going to Columbus when Billy Martin returned as manager.] Named Minor League Coordinator in 1988, he then stepped in as Albany-Colonie manager on June 6 and led the club to the Eastern title. Virtually the same scenario took place in 1989 as Stump took over the Prince William club on May 21 and again guided his charges to a championship.
Stump returns to Columbus for his third stint with the Clippers."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MEET THE COACHES: THE RIGHT COMBINATION
"In speaking with Yankee Manager Bucky Dent, it is obvious what he likes most about his 1990 coaching staff of Mark Connor, Billy Connors, Mike Ferraro, Buck Showalter, Joe Sparks and Champ Summers. Each offers not only talent but the rare ability to share what they know with the Yankees of today.
'We've got a good staff that brings a little bit of everything- a wide variety of backgrounds, a number of different skills, and a lot of experience,' says the manager. 'But even more important, is their good sense of communication. All these coaches have the ability to teach, to get their message across.'
Connors returns this year as the Yankee pitching coach, which in itself is a reflection of his ability. In fact, Connors, who became the 15th different pitching coach in a 17-year span when he was hired in October 1988, was only the fifth to last a full season.
Before joining the Yankees, Connors was a coach with the Mets (1973-76), Phillies (1977-78), Royals (1980-81), Cubs (1982-86) and Mariners (1987-88). He was the pitching coach on two championship teams, the Royals in 1980 and the 1984 Cubs.
'I was impressed with the job last year,' adds Dent. 'He's a real professional who did the best job he could with the staff that we had.'
Connors' ability to handle pitchers may stem from the fact that at one time this former big league pitcher was a catcher. In fact, after starting his pro career in 1961, he played four positions: catcher, second base, outfield and pitcher. In 1963 he pitched exclusively and is now having a fine career as a coach.
Ferraro, another of the three returnees from last year, will again handle the duties as first base coach in 1990. It will mark the longtime Yankee's seventh term as a field coach. He joined the staff in August 1989 when Dent was named manager. Previously he served as a coach in 1987-88 and from 1979-82, including the Yankees' pennant-winning team in 1981 and division winner in 1980.
Before joining the club, Ferraro had five successful seasons as a manager in the Yankee farm system. During that stretch he posted a 331-221 (.600) record; he never had a losing season and he had three first-place finishes. Couple this with the fact that Ferraro played parts of two his four major league seasons in Pinstripes (1966 and 1968); he managed two big league teams (Indians and Royals); was a coach with the Royals' division winner in 1984 and World Championship club in 1985; and it's no wonder whey Dent wanted Mike Ferraro on his staff this year.
The third coach coming back is Summers, who made his major league coaching debut last August as the Yankees' hitting instructor. Being new to Pinstripes won't be a problem for this coach. [From 1987-89] he was Dent's hitting instructor in Columbus, where he worked with many present-day Yankees as well as the current manager.
Summers gained his hitting experience during 11 seasons in the majors, starting in 1974. He played for the A's, Cubs, Reds and Tigers before finishing his career in 1984 after making it to the World Series with the Padres.
'People haven't yet heard of Champ, as far as his teaching skills, but he does a great job,' praises Dent. 'He really emphasizes the mental aspect of hitting.'
Returning to the Yankees as bullpen coach is Connor, who was the pitching coach for the team on two different occasions- June 1984 to early 1985 and from May 1986 through 1987. Head baseball coach for the University of Tennessee in 1988-89, he returns to the pro ranks with a team he is very familiar with.
In addition to his work at the major league level, Connor has spent a number of years as a Yankee minor league pitching instructor. After joining the organization as a scout in 1979, he was the pitching coach at Greensboro (1980-82), Columbus (1983-84) and Ft. Lauderdale (1985) and began the '86 campaign as the minor league roving pitching instructor.
The success and experience of Showalter are what led Dent to bring back the 'eye in the sky' position to the coaching staff. The first-year Yankee coach will handle the duties of positioning the defense and working with the outfielders.
While Showalter is making his debut on the big league coaching staff, he is certainly no stranger to the organization. He played in the Yankee farm system from 1977-83, leading the Southern League with 152 hits in 1982, and became a coach at Ft. Lauderdale in 1984. The following year he began a five-year stint as a Yankee minor league manager, winning championships in three of those seasons.
Rounding out the staff is Sparks, a newcomer to the Yankee organization. Coaching and hitting, however, are nothing new to the Yankees' third base coach for 1990.
A veteran baseball man, Sparks began his career as a minor league infielder for 13 seasons- most of those in the Giants' system. In four of those, he was a player-coach. In 1970 he began a minor league managerial career that lasted through 1988, during which time he amassed 1,121 victories with clubs operated by the Expos, White Sox, Astros, Royals and Indians. His big league coaching experience includes jobs with the White Sox (1979) and Reds (1984), and last year as the hitting coach with the Expos. And he has another important qualification. From 1971-73 he managed a young minor leaguer by the name of Bucky Dent.
'Having played for Joe I can tell you that he is a super guy, and a real winner,' says the former pupil turned manager. 'He has a lot of experience and knows what it takes to get the job done. I'm looking forward to working with him.
'The thing about the 1990 coaching staff is that all of these guys are willing to work, to get out there and do what it takes to win,' says Dent. 'This group has experienced winning, and will hopefully bring a winning attitude to the Yankees this season.'"
-Charles J. Alfaro, Yankees Magazine (1990 New York Yankees Scorebook & Souvenir Program)
BILLY CONNORS (Coach)
"The fact that Billy Connors is still the Yankee pitching coach is a testament to what he has accomplished here. He's the Yankees' 15th pitching coach in 17 years. The reason Connors has lasted isn't that he's been the pitching coach on two championship clubs- the 1980 Royals and 1984 Cubs. It's because he's a teacher. He has taken the cards he's been dealt and is trying to find some aces on the Yankee staff.
'He's a professional, and a real teacher,' praises Buckey Dent. 'He brings a proven track record as a good pitching coach.'
Connors is working with a group of pitchers who need to succeed if the Yankees are to succeed. His job is to get them to listen and repeat, as Connors tries to mold this year's pitching corps into a group of championship quality hurlers."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Connors spent the entire 1989 season as Yankee pitching coach. [Joining the coaching staff] on October 17, 1988, he became the 15th different pitching coach during the last 17 years and only the fifth to last an entire season in that span.
After working in the Mets front office (1971-72), Billy began his coaching career by serving six years as a minor league pitching instructor (four with the Mets from 1973-76 and two with the Phillies from 1977-78) before joining the Kansas City Royals' major league staff under Jim Frey in 1980. After two seasons with the Royals, he joined the Cubs' staff (managed by Lee Elia) in 1982. Billy served as the Cubs' pitching coach for five seasons before being named as the Mariners' pitching coach in November of 1986. He remained with the Mariners for two seasons before joining the Yankees. He worked with championship teams in 1980 (Kansas City) and 1984 (Chicago).
His 10-year playing career began in 1961 in Wenatchee, Washington (Cubs affiliate in the Northwest League). In 1963, Connors enjoyed his finest pro season (12-11, 3.22 ERA in 30 appearances) in a return to Wenatchee. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 1966, going 0-1 with a 7.31 ERA in 11 games, all in relief. He pitched two seasons in Tacoma (Pacific Coast League) before being sold to the Mets in August 1967, and in two brief stays with the Mets (1967-68) went 0-1 in 15 games. Connors overall pitched in 26 major league games, going 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA. Prior to 1963, he played four different positions (catcher, second base, outfield and pitcher) before pitching exclusively in his final eight seasons.
Born in Schenectady, New York, Billy played in the Little League World Series in 1953 and 1954 (Schenectady won the title in 1954). He attended Linton High School in Schenectady and was named Player of the Year in both baseball and basketball in 1959. He was a two-sport star at Syracuse University (baseball and basketball).
Billy underwent a successful hip replacement surgery during the 1986-87 off-season. His hobbies are golf and training his pet parrot, Lucy."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MIKE FERRARO (Coach)
"If you come out to Yankee Stadium not knowing who the team coaches are this season, and you had to take a guess, odds are you'd be right if you went with Mike Ferraro. This year the longtime Yankee is handling the chores as the first base coach.
This season, though, his seventh stint as a [major league] field coach, Ferraro may be more valuable than ever. Last year he served as an advance scout before Dent named him to the coaching staff. So you can bet he knows the league and is providing the rookie manager with information on every team they face. 'He knows the talent in this league,' says Dent. 'That'll give us a head start against many of the teams we're facing.' Ferraro has played for the Yankees, has coached here, has managed in the organization, has scouted for the Yankees, and yet this year may be his most important.
Some guys just look good in Pinstripes."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Named as Yankee first base coach on August 18, 1989, Mike begins his 21st season in the organization. He previously coached the Yankees for six seasons; during the 1987 and 1988 campaigns and from 1979-82. In 1988 he was the first base coach and in 1987 he was the third base coach.
He was named manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1983 and posted a record of 40-60 with the Tribe through July 31, 1983 before being relieved of his duties. Mike spent two and a half seasons as Dick Howser's third base coach with the Kansas City Royals until being named their interim manager on July 17, 1986. He continued in that role through the completion of the 1986 season, posting a 36-38 mark.
He managed five seasons (1974-78) in the Yankee farm system, compiling a 331-221 (.600) record and earning manager of the year accolades in three of those seasons (1974, 1977, 1978). He never had a losing season and netted first place finishes in three of the five seasons. Mike led Oneonta (Class-A) to the New York-Penn League title in 1974 and concluded his minor league managing career with a Pacific Coast League championship at Tacoma in 1978.
Mike was the 1964 Player of the Year in the Florida State League (.317, 158 hits, 77 RBIs in 139 games). He played four seasons in the majors, including parts of the 1966 and 1968 seasons with the Yankees. He had a career .232 batting average with a pair of home runs and 30 RBIs in 162 games. Playing for the Yankees on September 14, 1968, Mike tied a major league record for most assists by a third baseman, 11. He retired in 1972 following a season with Milwaukee.
A standout high school athlete, Mike scored a school record 53 points, shooting 24-for-30 from the floor, for the Kingston (NY) High School basketball team in 1961."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Named Player of the Year, Florida State League, 1964.
Tied major league record for most assists by a third baseman, game (11), September 14, 1968.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
CHAMP SUMMERS (Coach)
"You know that feeling of excitement that you get when you come out to the ballpark? Well, Yankee batting coach Champ Summers shares the same feeling. This is Champ's first full year as a major league coach, having come up with Bucky Dent in 1989, and he's just thrilled to be here.
'Champ focuses on the mental approach to hitting,' says Dent, who had Summers as his hitting coach the three years he managed in Columbus. 'He teaches our guys to really think, and concentrate at the plate.'
Champ knows hitting, in that he played parts of 11 seasons in the majors. In 1979 he hit .313 with the Tigers, blasting 20 homers in only 246 at-bats. And thanks to his years with the Clippers, he really knows the tendencies of today's Yankees.
But the most important thing is that he comes to the park every day with genuine enthusiasm, a state of mind the manager hopes will be contagious to Yankee bats."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Champ was named to the Yankee coaching staff on August 18, 1989. Prior to joining the Yankees, he had been the hitting coach with the Yankees' AAA club, the Columbus Clippers, since 1987.
He played in the majors for parts of 12 seasons, breaking in with the Oakland A's in 1974. Champ played in only 20 games that year and hit .125, but became the first player ever to pinch-hit for Reggie Jackson. After three seasons (1975-77) with the Cubs and Reds, he played for Indianapolis (AAA) where he hit .368 with 34 home runs and 124 RBIs in 1978 and was named American Association Player of the Year.
In 1979, he played the final 90 games of the season with the Detroit Tigers, posting a career best .313 average and hitting 20 homers in only 246 at-bats (1 HR every 12.3 at-bats). Champ played five more seasons, ending his career in 1984 with the San Diego Padres and getting an at-bat in that year's World Series.
Champ was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and the Memphis Tams of the now-defunct ABA. He earned 14 letters at Madison (IL) High School, none in baseball. Champ played Little League in Granite, California and his favorite players growing up were Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial.
Champ's hobbies include fishing and golf."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
BUCK SHOWALTER (Coach)
"As this year's 'eye in the sky,' Buck Showalter isn't a coach that's seen during games, but you'll sure know he's there. If you really want to find the first-year Yankee coach, look up at the press box.
From 1985-89, he was a manager in the Yankee organization, winning championships in three of five seasons. His teams set team and league records for wins in a season while compiling a 14-4 (.778) record in postseason play.
'He's someone who proves that hard work leads to success,' says Dent. 'That's why I want him on my staff.'
His main duty is to position the Yankee defense which he does through constant communication with Dent from his upstairs vantage point."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Named as Yankee 'eye-in-the-sky' on October 26, 1989, Buck begins his 14th season in the organization.
In 1989 Buck managed the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA Eastern League) to a 92-48 first place finish and eventual league championship, earning the Eastern League Manager of the Year award [and the Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year award]. The 92 wins were the most by a Yankee AA team since the 1980 Nashville Sounds of the Southern League (a team Buck played for) went 97-46.
1989 was his fifth season as a manager in the Yankee system. He managed Ft. Lauderdale (Class-A) during the 1987 and 1988 seasons, with the 1987 team going 85-53 to win the Southern Division of the Florida State League while posting the best record in the league. Buck also posted the best record in the New York-Penn League in both 1986 (59-18) and 1985 (55-23) while leading Oneonta to Northern Division Championships. The 55 wins in 1985 and then the 59 wins in 1986 set league marks for wins in a season.
Buck won League Championships in 1985, 1987 and 1989 and has a postseason managerial record of 14-4 (.778 winning percentage). In regular season play, he has compiled a 360-207 mark (.635). He coached at Ft. Lauderdale in 1984.
Buck played in the Yankee system from 1977-83. He led the Southern League with 152 hits for Nashville in 1982 and hit .324 (second in the league) for the 1980 Nashville team."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MARK CONNOR (Coach)
"A lot has been said about the zaniness of a big league bullpen. And why does a bullpen have such a reputation? Maybe it's because, unlike starters, relievers are out there almost every day. Get knocked out one day, you better get zany, not mad, because you just might be out there again tomorrow.
To balance all this takes a special kind of person, and this year the perfect man for the job is Mark Connor. With the starting rotation still a question mark, Connor is the guy who must lead the bullpen through the dog days of summer. And to do that, he'll need all the teaching skills he displayed as a college pitching coach. 'He knows a lot of these guys, and he's a good communicator,' says Bucky Dent. 'Mark's the perfect guy to have down in the bullpen.'
Twice a pitching coach with the Yankees, Connor knows what it takes to get the job done. So when things heat up and start to get crazy, Mark Connor is the man to balance it out and make it all work."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Named as Yankee bullpen coach on October 26, 1989, Connor most recently served as the head baseball coach at the University of Tennessee for the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
He has had two prior stints with the Yankees, both as pitching coach: from May 17, 1986 through the entire 1987 season, and from June 18, 1984 to early May of 1985. At the time of his appointment in 1986 he was the club's minor league pitching coach; and prior to his appointment in 1984, Connor was in his second year as the club's pitching coach for their AAA affiliate in Columbus. He also served as pitching coach at Greensboro for three seasons (1980-82), as a Yankee scout in 1979 and as pitching coach at Paintsville in 1978, his first year in the Yankee organization.
Mark graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York in 1967. He attended Belmont Abbey College and graduated from Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1972. At Manhattan, he received the Topps Award as a college All-Star in 1970, and in 1971 struck out 20 Columbia University batters in one game.
He spent two seasons in the Twins' minor league system. Mark attended graduate school for a Master's degree at the University of Tennessee in 1974-75, beginning his coaching career as the Volunteers' pitching coach from 1974-78."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
JOE SPARKS (Coach)
"Joe Sparks- now there is a great name for a baseball coach. Especially for a third base coach. And it's funny that Dent wants this guy to light some sparks under these Yankees.
'I really like working with him, and it's interesting seeing him interact with the guys,' laughs Dent, somewhat mischievously. If you think it's because he knows something we don't, well it is. Dent played for Sparks as a minor leaguer from 1971-73. They've been friends ever since, which is one reason why Sparks is in Pinstripes today.
At age 52, he is the elder statesman of the Yankee coaching staff. He played 13 years in the minors, has managed in the minors since 1970, and coached in the majors. Sparks has had his share of awards and honors, so he doesn't have to be here today. Joe Sparks is here because Dent feels he brings a winning attitude, which he hopes will spark his team this year."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Joe was named to the Yankee coaching staff on October 1, 1989 and named third base coach on October 28. He spent the 1989 season as the Expos' hitting instructor.
From 1985-1988, Joe managed the Expos' AAA club, the Indianapolis Indians (American Association). In 1988 he led the Indians to a first place finish with an 89-53 mark. He then led them to a League Championship (defeating Omaha), then the triple-A Championship with a six-game triumph over the Rochester Red Wings. Sparks won the Casey Stengel Trophy as the American Association Manager of the Year for the third straight year and for an unprecedented fifth time in his career [and was Baseball America's Minor League Manager of the Year]. He led Indianapolis to three straight American Association triumphs from 1986-1988.
Overall, he has managed for 16 years in the minor leagues for farm teams operated by the Expos, White Sox, Royals, Astros and Indians and has amassed 1,121 managerial victories. He has major league coaching experience with the White Sox (1979) and Reds (1984). Signed in 1956 by the Giants, Sparks spent 13 seasons as a minor league infielder, primarily in the New York/San Francisco Giants' system. Four of those seasons were spent as a player-coach.
In the off-season, Joe works as a salesman for the Coulter Cadillac dealership in Phoenix. He enjoys fishing, golf, woodworking, and growing roses and desert plants in his spare time."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MARC HILL (bullpen catcher)
"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 second year with the Yankee organization. He will be their roving catching instructor for the minor leagues again in 1990."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
"Enters first full season facing overwhelming odds he won't complete it. Regarded as a stopgap measure for ever-shuffling owner George Steinbrenner, Dent must show he's in charge of the club.
Named Yankee manager on August 18, replacing Dallas Green, he took over a 56-65 club and went 18-22 the rest of the way. He gained a contract extension through 1990 with a season high nine-game winning streak from August 30 through September 8.
Dent managed in the Yankees' minor league system for five seasons and never finished lower than third. His highlight was a Governor's Cup triumph with Columbus (AAA) in the International League playoffs in 1987.
He played for 13 seasons in the majors, including five-plus seasons with the Yankees from 1977-82, appearing in four American League Championship Series and three World Series. Dent will be remembered for his decisive three-run home run off Boston's Mike Torrez in the AL East Playoff in 1978. He hit .417 in the Yankees' World Series triumph over Los Angeles to gain MVP honors that season."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1990 Edition
"We'd like to introduce you to the manager of the New York Yankees, Bucky Dent. What is that you say? Bucky's a man who needs no introduction to Yankee fans? Well, let's just see about that.
'I'm not just the quiet guy that people think I am,' explains the Yankee skipper. 'True, I'm not the loud type, but underneath I'm a very fiery competitor.'
Does that mean as a manager, we might see Bucky Dent get tossed out of a game for arguing a call?
'This might surprise some people, but yes, I just might. I'll do whatever it takes for this team to win.'
As a player, Dent was a quiet but steady contributor on two New York World Champions. Today he's the manager. He's out of the trenches, leading the troops on a different mission. His job is to bring a championship back to New York.
'I've been around this organization long enough to know the bottom line,' says Dent. 'If you don't win, you don't last.'
Still, Dent seems at ease as the team's manager. It could be because, as a Yankee from 1977-82, he became familiar with pressures, internal and external. Or as a manager in the organization from 1985-89, he helped develop many of the players that are Yankees today.
Then again, he might be relaxed because he's not the same guy who hit the dramatic home run that beat the Red Sox in 1978 [sic]. His style is the same- consistent, not flashy. But this time around he offers even more. 'I really am a fiery guy with a desire to win.'"
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Bucky was named Yankee manager on August 18, 1989 in Detroit, replacing Dallas Green. He became the 28th individual ever to manage the Yankees and is one of 17 who also played for the club.
When he took over, the Yankees had a 56-65 record and were in sixth place, 7.5 games behind the Orioles. Dent managed the Yankees to an 18-22 record through the remainder of the 1989 season, bringing their final season mark to 74-87.
After losing three straight in Detroit, the Yankees returned to New York where Dent earned his first major league managerial win with a 6-4 victory over the Red Sox. From August 30 through September 8, he led the club to a season-best nine-game winning streak, and on September 8 he was rewarded with a contract extension through the 1990 season.
Prior to joining the Yankees as manager, Bucky managed for five seasons in the Yankee farm system. He spent the 1985 and 1986 seasons with the Ft. Lauderdale Yankees ('A' affiliate in the Florida State League) where he compiled a 77-63 finish (1st place) in 1985 and an 80-59 record (2nd place) in 1986. From 1987 until he was named Yankee manager, Dent managed the Yankees 'AAA' affiliate, Columbus of the International League. In his two-plus seasons as manager of the Clippers, he compiled a 210-202 record, good for a second place finish and two third-place finishes. In 1987, the Clippers defeated the Rochester Red Wings and the Tidewater Tides to win the Governor's Cup.
Bucky played 13 seasons in the major leagues, coming up through the White Sox' system and making the parent club in 1973, until his career ended with the Royals in 1984. He played five-plus seasons with the Yankees (1977-82) and hit .239 (518-for-2163) with 27 home runs and 209 RBI. The shortstop appeared in four Championship Series and three World Series as a Yankee (did not appear in the 1981 postseason due to an injury).
1978 is the year the people remember Dent for, as he won the AL East playoff game with a three-run home run off Boston's Mike Torrez and then hit .417 in the Yankees' World Series win over the Dodgers, notching the prestigious World Series MVP award [Babe Ruth Award].
Bucky grew up in the Miami area and played Little League, Babe Ruth, and American Legion ball in Hialeah. He earned All-State honors as a halfback at Hialeah High School and attended Miami Dade North Junior College where he was an All-American infielder."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MEET THE MANAGER: AN UNEXPECTED HERO
"It has often been called the greatest game played in baseball history- October 2, 1978, the Yankees and the Red Sox, Fenway Park, a one-game playoff to decide the Eastern Division. And on a team of Yankee sluggers- Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Graig Nettles, to name a few- it was Bucky Dent, the unexpected hero, who stepped forward and hit the deciding three-run, seventh-inning home run that helped propel the Yankees to their second consecutive World Championship.
Ironically, manager Dent finds himself in a similar position today. The Yankees, with Dent at shortstop, opened the '80s on a strong note. Who would have thought that after a division title and a pennant in the first two years, the Yankees would not win a world title in the decade? It was the first decade without a World Series victory since the early 1900s.
'I'm looking forward to the challenge and to having a good year,' says Dent. 'The Yankees started the '80s well and then faltered at the end. Now I hope that we can put the organization back on track in the '90s.'
In his first full season as a big league manager, Dent is again looking to be the unexpected hero. He is being called on in 1990 to do what such big-name managers as Dick Howser, Billy Martin, Yogi Berra, Lou Piniella and Dallas Green weren't able to do in the previous seasons- bring the World Series trophy back to the Bronx.
'I know what it takes to win,' says Dent. 'I'm not a loud type, but underneath I'm a fiery guy who wants to bring that attitude back to this organization. I have a tremendous desire to win.'
Cool, calm, collected and consistent. This is perhaps the best way to describe Bucky Dent. He has worked hard and patiently awaited the right opportunity. His perseverance enabled him to climb the Yankees' organizational latter.
Drafted by the White Sox in 1970, Dent made his major league debut for Chicago in 1973. Following four seasons with the Sox, he joined the Yankees before the 1977 season. It would be the start of a long and successful career in the organization.
And talk about pressure. Dent joined a team that won a pennant the year before and, not resting on its laurels, was determined to win it all in 1977. So there was a lot of attention when the team traded for Dent, who in 1975 was already an All-Star shortstop with the Sox. And the spotlight seemed even brighter when the Yankees' other move that winter was the signing of Reggie Jackson.
Yet, throughout the notoriety and expectations, Dent held his composure and displayed the attributes that made him successful. Despite his boyish good looks (which led to more than one poster deal) and charismatic personality, Dent left the headlines to Martin, Jackson and Munson. He remained obscure, yet vital, in the overall scheme of things.
Dent epitomized the shortstop position. In the field he wasn't flashy but he was consistent. At the plate he wasn't overpowering, but he was clutch. He was the missing piece that helped solidify a strong Yankee infield. And there's no denying his importance to those Yankee teams.
As expected, Dent helped the Yankees win that year and the next. He was more than just a part of the last team in baseball to win back-to-back World Championships. Every baseball fan can tell you that Dent hit the shot heard 'round the world' to beat the Red Sox in 1978. But how many will remember that he went on to hit .417 in the Yankees' win over the Dodgers in the World Series, earning the coveted MVP [Babe Ruth Award] for the 1978 Series?
All told, Dent helped the Yankees to four divisional titles, three pennants, and two world titles from 1977-81. And the trading of Dent to the Rangers in 1982 created a hole the Yankees had trouble filling until 1989, with Alvaro Espinoza. And it's no coincidence that Espinoza was a pupil of Dent's.
After another year in Texas (1983) and brief stints with Columbus and then the Royals in 1984, Dent retired as a player. It was then that he began his managerial career with the Yankees.
Dent began his career with a bang. In 1985 he led the Yankees' Class-A Ft. Lauderdale team to a first-place finish in the Southern Division of the Florida State League. The squad won the first round of the playoffs before losing the championship series. The following year the team finished a strong second in the Southern Division and Dent, as all good minor league prospects go, was given a promotion.
In 1987 he was boosted to Triple-A Columbus and proved he could more than handle the competition. The Clippers, in Dent's first year at Columbus, finished the International League regular season in second place. They swept through the playoffs, going 3-0 in both rounds, to capture the Governor's Cup.
Despite finishing a disappointing 1988 season in third place, Dent had made his mark. In four-plus seasons in the Yankee minor league system, Dent amassed an impressive 367-324 (.531) record, with a 9-4 (.692) mark in postseason play. So when the Yankees made a managerial change on August 18, 1989, they went to the minors and promoted an up-and-coming prospect by the name of Bucky Dent.
'The time I spent in the minors helped me to a point, as far as managing,' says Dent. 'And it allowed me to get a good look at a lot of the guys coming up who are now here in New York.'
But the best experience Dent could get was the six weeks he spent as the Yankee manager at the end of the season. 'Getting used to the other teams, the managers and how they do things takes a couple of times around the league,' says Dent. 'Having been here for six weeks allowed me to do that. It also gave me the opportunity to see what our players are capable of doing, and to see what we have to work on. So being here really helped a lot.'
Dent said that one of his first changes last year was to get his players to relax and have fun. It was tough to accomplish with a team demoralized by losing and a change of managers and coaches. The result, a 2-11 record in Dent's first 13 games.
It became a lot easier to talk about having fun when, the next day, the Yankees went on a nine-game winning streak- their longest since 1987. Dent's contract was extended for 1990, baseball had become fun, and there was a renewed optimism for this year.
'That helped put the team in the right frame of mind,' says Dent. 'Now this year I want to come out and continue to bring an aggressive attitude. We have to feel positive about ourselves, and we must believe that we can win.'
As a manager in the organization and having played here in New York before, Dent knows the players, the media and what it's like in the big leagues. During his tenure in the organization, he also has learned the bottom line. 'It's the same as it was for everyone before me. I understand that you win, or you won't be here very long.'"
-Charles J. Alfaro, Yankees Magazine (1990 New York Yankees Scorebook & Souvenir Program)
STUMP MERRILL (Manager)
"Stump played solely in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system during his six-year professional career. He earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Maine, Orono. [Prior to the beginning of his professional coaching and managing career, he spent time at his alma mater as assistant baseball coach under the late Jack Butterfield.]
He began his Yankee coaching career as pitching coach at West Haven in 1977 and has remained with the organization ever since. Stump won five championships as a minor league skipper from 1978-85 before serving on the major league staff in 1986 and 1987. [Stump started the 1985 campaign as the Yankee first coach, then switched positions with Doug Holmquist on May 7, going to Columbus when Billy Martin returned as manager.] Named Minor League Coordinator in 1988, he then stepped in as Albany-Colonie manager on June 6 and led the club to the Eastern title. Virtually the same scenario took place in 1989 as Stump took over the Prince William club on May 21 and again guided his charges to a championship.
Stump returns to Columbus for his third stint with the Clippers."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MEET THE COACHES: THE RIGHT COMBINATION
"In speaking with Yankee Manager Bucky Dent, it is obvious what he likes most about his 1990 coaching staff of Mark Connor, Billy Connors, Mike Ferraro, Buck Showalter, Joe Sparks and Champ Summers. Each offers not only talent but the rare ability to share what they know with the Yankees of today.
'We've got a good staff that brings a little bit of everything- a wide variety of backgrounds, a number of different skills, and a lot of experience,' says the manager. 'But even more important, is their good sense of communication. All these coaches have the ability to teach, to get their message across.'
Connors returns this year as the Yankee pitching coach, which in itself is a reflection of his ability. In fact, Connors, who became the 15th different pitching coach in a 17-year span when he was hired in October 1988, was only the fifth to last a full season.
Before joining the Yankees, Connors was a coach with the Mets (1973-76), Phillies (1977-78), Royals (1980-81), Cubs (1982-86) and Mariners (1987-88). He was the pitching coach on two championship teams, the Royals in 1980 and the 1984 Cubs.
'I was impressed with the job last year,' adds Dent. 'He's a real professional who did the best job he could with the staff that we had.'
Connors' ability to handle pitchers may stem from the fact that at one time this former big league pitcher was a catcher. In fact, after starting his pro career in 1961, he played four positions: catcher, second base, outfield and pitcher. In 1963 he pitched exclusively and is now having a fine career as a coach.
Ferraro, another of the three returnees from last year, will again handle the duties as first base coach in 1990. It will mark the longtime Yankee's seventh term as a field coach. He joined the staff in August 1989 when Dent was named manager. Previously he served as a coach in 1987-88 and from 1979-82, including the Yankees' pennant-winning team in 1981 and division winner in 1980.
Before joining the club, Ferraro had five successful seasons as a manager in the Yankee farm system. During that stretch he posted a 331-221 (.600) record; he never had a losing season and he had three first-place finishes. Couple this with the fact that Ferraro played parts of two his four major league seasons in Pinstripes (1966 and 1968); he managed two big league teams (Indians and Royals); was a coach with the Royals' division winner in 1984 and World Championship club in 1985; and it's no wonder whey Dent wanted Mike Ferraro on his staff this year.
The third coach coming back is Summers, who made his major league coaching debut last August as the Yankees' hitting instructor. Being new to Pinstripes won't be a problem for this coach. [From 1987-89] he was Dent's hitting instructor in Columbus, where he worked with many present-day Yankees as well as the current manager.
Summers gained his hitting experience during 11 seasons in the majors, starting in 1974. He played for the A's, Cubs, Reds and Tigers before finishing his career in 1984 after making it to the World Series with the Padres.
'People haven't yet heard of Champ, as far as his teaching skills, but he does a great job,' praises Dent. 'He really emphasizes the mental aspect of hitting.'
Returning to the Yankees as bullpen coach is Connor, who was the pitching coach for the team on two different occasions- June 1984 to early 1985 and from May 1986 through 1987. Head baseball coach for the University of Tennessee in 1988-89, he returns to the pro ranks with a team he is very familiar with.
In addition to his work at the major league level, Connor has spent a number of years as a Yankee minor league pitching instructor. After joining the organization as a scout in 1979, he was the pitching coach at Greensboro (1980-82), Columbus (1983-84) and Ft. Lauderdale (1985) and began the '86 campaign as the minor league roving pitching instructor.
The success and experience of Showalter are what led Dent to bring back the 'eye in the sky' position to the coaching staff. The first-year Yankee coach will handle the duties of positioning the defense and working with the outfielders.
While Showalter is making his debut on the big league coaching staff, he is certainly no stranger to the organization. He played in the Yankee farm system from 1977-83, leading the Southern League with 152 hits in 1982, and became a coach at Ft. Lauderdale in 1984. The following year he began a five-year stint as a Yankee minor league manager, winning championships in three of those seasons.
Rounding out the staff is Sparks, a newcomer to the Yankee organization. Coaching and hitting, however, are nothing new to the Yankees' third base coach for 1990.
A veteran baseball man, Sparks began his career as a minor league infielder for 13 seasons- most of those in the Giants' system. In four of those, he was a player-coach. In 1970 he began a minor league managerial career that lasted through 1988, during which time he amassed 1,121 victories with clubs operated by the Expos, White Sox, Astros, Royals and Indians. His big league coaching experience includes jobs with the White Sox (1979) and Reds (1984), and last year as the hitting coach with the Expos. And he has another important qualification. From 1971-73 he managed a young minor leaguer by the name of Bucky Dent.
'Having played for Joe I can tell you that he is a super guy, and a real winner,' says the former pupil turned manager. 'He has a lot of experience and knows what it takes to get the job done. I'm looking forward to working with him.
'The thing about the 1990 coaching staff is that all of these guys are willing to work, to get out there and do what it takes to win,' says Dent. 'This group has experienced winning, and will hopefully bring a winning attitude to the Yankees this season.'"
-Charles J. Alfaro, Yankees Magazine (1990 New York Yankees Scorebook & Souvenir Program)
BILLY CONNORS (Coach)
"The fact that Billy Connors is still the Yankee pitching coach is a testament to what he has accomplished here. He's the Yankees' 15th pitching coach in 17 years. The reason Connors has lasted isn't that he's been the pitching coach on two championship clubs- the 1980 Royals and 1984 Cubs. It's because he's a teacher. He has taken the cards he's been dealt and is trying to find some aces on the Yankee staff.
'He's a professional, and a real teacher,' praises Buckey Dent. 'He brings a proven track record as a good pitching coach.'
Connors is working with a group of pitchers who need to succeed if the Yankees are to succeed. His job is to get them to listen and repeat, as Connors tries to mold this year's pitching corps into a group of championship quality hurlers."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Connors spent the entire 1989 season as Yankee pitching coach. [Joining the coaching staff] on October 17, 1988, he became the 15th different pitching coach during the last 17 years and only the fifth to last an entire season in that span.
After working in the Mets front office (1971-72), Billy began his coaching career by serving six years as a minor league pitching instructor (four with the Mets from 1973-76 and two with the Phillies from 1977-78) before joining the Kansas City Royals' major league staff under Jim Frey in 1980. After two seasons with the Royals, he joined the Cubs' staff (managed by Lee Elia) in 1982. Billy served as the Cubs' pitching coach for five seasons before being named as the Mariners' pitching coach in November of 1986. He remained with the Mariners for two seasons before joining the Yankees. He worked with championship teams in 1980 (Kansas City) and 1984 (Chicago).
His 10-year playing career began in 1961 in Wenatchee, Washington (Cubs affiliate in the Northwest League). In 1963, Connors enjoyed his finest pro season (12-11, 3.22 ERA in 30 appearances) in a return to Wenatchee. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 1966, going 0-1 with a 7.31 ERA in 11 games, all in relief. He pitched two seasons in Tacoma (Pacific Coast League) before being sold to the Mets in August 1967, and in two brief stays with the Mets (1967-68) went 0-1 in 15 games. Connors overall pitched in 26 major league games, going 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA. Prior to 1963, he played four different positions (catcher, second base, outfield and pitcher) before pitching exclusively in his final eight seasons.
Born in Schenectady, New York, Billy played in the Little League World Series in 1953 and 1954 (Schenectady won the title in 1954). He attended Linton High School in Schenectady and was named Player of the Year in both baseball and basketball in 1959. He was a two-sport star at Syracuse University (baseball and basketball).
Billy underwent a successful hip replacement surgery during the 1986-87 off-season. His hobbies are golf and training his pet parrot, Lucy."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MIKE FERRARO (Coach)
"If you come out to Yankee Stadium not knowing who the team coaches are this season, and you had to take a guess, odds are you'd be right if you went with Mike Ferraro. This year the longtime Yankee is handling the chores as the first base coach.
This season, though, his seventh stint as a [major league] field coach, Ferraro may be more valuable than ever. Last year he served as an advance scout before Dent named him to the coaching staff. So you can bet he knows the league and is providing the rookie manager with information on every team they face. 'He knows the talent in this league,' says Dent. 'That'll give us a head start against many of the teams we're facing.' Ferraro has played for the Yankees, has coached here, has managed in the organization, has scouted for the Yankees, and yet this year may be his most important.
Some guys just look good in Pinstripes."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Named as Yankee first base coach on August 18, 1989, Mike begins his 21st season in the organization. He previously coached the Yankees for six seasons; during the 1987 and 1988 campaigns and from 1979-82. In 1988 he was the first base coach and in 1987 he was the third base coach.
He was named manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1983 and posted a record of 40-60 with the Tribe through July 31, 1983 before being relieved of his duties. Mike spent two and a half seasons as Dick Howser's third base coach with the Kansas City Royals until being named their interim manager on July 17, 1986. He continued in that role through the completion of the 1986 season, posting a 36-38 mark.
He managed five seasons (1974-78) in the Yankee farm system, compiling a 331-221 (.600) record and earning manager of the year accolades in three of those seasons (1974, 1977, 1978). He never had a losing season and netted first place finishes in three of the five seasons. Mike led Oneonta (Class-A) to the New York-Penn League title in 1974 and concluded his minor league managing career with a Pacific Coast League championship at Tacoma in 1978.
Mike was the 1964 Player of the Year in the Florida State League (.317, 158 hits, 77 RBIs in 139 games). He played four seasons in the majors, including parts of the 1966 and 1968 seasons with the Yankees. He had a career .232 batting average with a pair of home runs and 30 RBIs in 162 games. Playing for the Yankees on September 14, 1968, Mike tied a major league record for most assists by a third baseman, 11. He retired in 1972 following a season with Milwaukee.
A standout high school athlete, Mike scored a school record 53 points, shooting 24-for-30 from the floor, for the Kingston (NY) High School basketball team in 1961."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Named Player of the Year, Florida State League, 1964.
Tied major league record for most assists by a third baseman, game (11), September 14, 1968.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
CHAMP SUMMERS (Coach)
"You know that feeling of excitement that you get when you come out to the ballpark? Well, Yankee batting coach Champ Summers shares the same feeling. This is Champ's first full year as a major league coach, having come up with Bucky Dent in 1989, and he's just thrilled to be here.
'Champ focuses on the mental approach to hitting,' says Dent, who had Summers as his hitting coach the three years he managed in Columbus. 'He teaches our guys to really think, and concentrate at the plate.'
Champ knows hitting, in that he played parts of 11 seasons in the majors. In 1979 he hit .313 with the Tigers, blasting 20 homers in only 246 at-bats. And thanks to his years with the Clippers, he really knows the tendencies of today's Yankees.
But the most important thing is that he comes to the park every day with genuine enthusiasm, a state of mind the manager hopes will be contagious to Yankee bats."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Champ was named to the Yankee coaching staff on August 18, 1989. Prior to joining the Yankees, he had been the hitting coach with the Yankees' AAA club, the Columbus Clippers, since 1987.
He played in the majors for parts of 12 seasons, breaking in with the Oakland A's in 1974. Champ played in only 20 games that year and hit .125, but became the first player ever to pinch-hit for Reggie Jackson. After three seasons (1975-77) with the Cubs and Reds, he played for Indianapolis (AAA) where he hit .368 with 34 home runs and 124 RBIs in 1978 and was named American Association Player of the Year.
In 1979, he played the final 90 games of the season with the Detroit Tigers, posting a career best .313 average and hitting 20 homers in only 246 at-bats (1 HR every 12.3 at-bats). Champ played five more seasons, ending his career in 1984 with the San Diego Padres and getting an at-bat in that year's World Series.
Champ was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and the Memphis Tams of the now-defunct ABA. He earned 14 letters at Madison (IL) High School, none in baseball. Champ played Little League in Granite, California and his favorite players growing up were Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial.
Champ's hobbies include fishing and golf."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
BUCK SHOWALTER (Coach)
"As this year's 'eye in the sky,' Buck Showalter isn't a coach that's seen during games, but you'll sure know he's there. If you really want to find the first-year Yankee coach, look up at the press box.
From 1985-89, he was a manager in the Yankee organization, winning championships in three of five seasons. His teams set team and league records for wins in a season while compiling a 14-4 (.778) record in postseason play.
'He's someone who proves that hard work leads to success,' says Dent. 'That's why I want him on my staff.'
His main duty is to position the Yankee defense which he does through constant communication with Dent from his upstairs vantage point."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Named as Yankee 'eye-in-the-sky' on October 26, 1989, Buck begins his 14th season in the organization.
In 1989 Buck managed the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA Eastern League) to a 92-48 first place finish and eventual league championship, earning the Eastern League Manager of the Year award [and the Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year award]. The 92 wins were the most by a Yankee AA team since the 1980 Nashville Sounds of the Southern League (a team Buck played for) went 97-46.
1989 was his fifth season as a manager in the Yankee system. He managed Ft. Lauderdale (Class-A) during the 1987 and 1988 seasons, with the 1987 team going 85-53 to win the Southern Division of the Florida State League while posting the best record in the league. Buck also posted the best record in the New York-Penn League in both 1986 (59-18) and 1985 (55-23) while leading Oneonta to Northern Division Championships. The 55 wins in 1985 and then the 59 wins in 1986 set league marks for wins in a season.
Buck won League Championships in 1985, 1987 and 1989 and has a postseason managerial record of 14-4 (.778 winning percentage). In regular season play, he has compiled a 360-207 mark (.635). He coached at Ft. Lauderdale in 1984.
Buck played in the Yankee system from 1977-83. He led the Southern League with 152 hits for Nashville in 1982 and hit .324 (second in the league) for the 1980 Nashville team."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MARK CONNOR (Coach)
"A lot has been said about the zaniness of a big league bullpen. And why does a bullpen have such a reputation? Maybe it's because, unlike starters, relievers are out there almost every day. Get knocked out one day, you better get zany, not mad, because you just might be out there again tomorrow.
To balance all this takes a special kind of person, and this year the perfect man for the job is Mark Connor. With the starting rotation still a question mark, Connor is the guy who must lead the bullpen through the dog days of summer. And to do that, he'll need all the teaching skills he displayed as a college pitching coach. 'He knows a lot of these guys, and he's a good communicator,' says Bucky Dent. 'Mark's the perfect guy to have down in the bullpen.'
Twice a pitching coach with the Yankees, Connor knows what it takes to get the job done. So when things heat up and start to get crazy, Mark Connor is the man to balance it out and make it all work."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Named as Yankee bullpen coach on October 26, 1989, Connor most recently served as the head baseball coach at the University of Tennessee for the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
He has had two prior stints with the Yankees, both as pitching coach: from May 17, 1986 through the entire 1987 season, and from June 18, 1984 to early May of 1985. At the time of his appointment in 1986 he was the club's minor league pitching coach; and prior to his appointment in 1984, Connor was in his second year as the club's pitching coach for their AAA affiliate in Columbus. He also served as pitching coach at Greensboro for three seasons (1980-82), as a Yankee scout in 1979 and as pitching coach at Paintsville in 1978, his first year in the Yankee organization.
Mark graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York in 1967. He attended Belmont Abbey College and graduated from Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1972. At Manhattan, he received the Topps Award as a college All-Star in 1970, and in 1971 struck out 20 Columbia University batters in one game.
He spent two seasons in the Twins' minor league system. Mark attended graduate school for a Master's degree at the University of Tennessee in 1974-75, beginning his coaching career as the Volunteers' pitching coach from 1974-78."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
JOE SPARKS (Coach)
"Joe Sparks- now there is a great name for a baseball coach. Especially for a third base coach. And it's funny that Dent wants this guy to light some sparks under these Yankees.
'I really like working with him, and it's interesting seeing him interact with the guys,' laughs Dent, somewhat mischievously. If you think it's because he knows something we don't, well it is. Dent played for Sparks as a minor leaguer from 1971-73. They've been friends ever since, which is one reason why Sparks is in Pinstripes today.
At age 52, he is the elder statesman of the Yankee coaching staff. He played 13 years in the minors, has managed in the minors since 1970, and coached in the majors. Sparks has had his share of awards and honors, so he doesn't have to be here today. Joe Sparks is here because Dent feels he brings a winning attitude, which he hopes will spark his team this year."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Joe was named to the Yankee coaching staff on October 1, 1989 and named third base coach on October 28. He spent the 1989 season as the Expos' hitting instructor.
From 1985-1988, Joe managed the Expos' AAA club, the Indianapolis Indians (American Association). In 1988 he led the Indians to a first place finish with an 89-53 mark. He then led them to a League Championship (defeating Omaha), then the triple-A Championship with a six-game triumph over the Rochester Red Wings. Sparks won the Casey Stengel Trophy as the American Association Manager of the Year for the third straight year and for an unprecedented fifth time in his career [and was Baseball America's Minor League Manager of the Year]. He led Indianapolis to three straight American Association triumphs from 1986-1988.
Overall, he has managed for 16 years in the minor leagues for farm teams operated by the Expos, White Sox, Royals, Astros and Indians and has amassed 1,121 managerial victories. He has major league coaching experience with the White Sox (1979) and Reds (1984). Signed in 1956 by the Giants, Sparks spent 13 seasons as a minor league infielder, primarily in the New York/San Francisco Giants' system. Four of those seasons were spent as a player-coach.
In the off-season, Joe works as a salesman for the Coulter Cadillac dealership in Phoenix. He enjoys fishing, golf, woodworking, and growing roses and desert plants in his spare time."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
MARC HILL (bullpen catcher)
"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 second year with the Yankee organization. He will be their roving catching instructor for the minor leagues again in 1990."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
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