"Forced to miss entire 1989 season after undergoing major back surgery. Because of his layoff and his age, Winfield looms as a huge question mark for 1990. He may move from right field to left to accommodate Jesse Barfield.
Winfield was the major league RBI leader for 1979-1988 with 1,017 and was an All-Star 12 straight years before 1989. He's tied with Roger Maris for seventh place on the Yanks' all-time homer list with 203 and has hit 357 in his career. Winfield also ranks 11th on the team's all-time RBI list with 810.
The fourth player selected overall in the 1973 draft, by San Diego, Winfield signed with the Yankees as a free agent prior to 1981. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was also chosen in the NFL draft by the Vikings and in the NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks."
-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1990 Edition
"There is something different about this year's Yankee team, and there's no doubt why. It's because big Dave Winfield is back in action. It may be true that one player does not make a team, but the Yankees of '89 were like a football team without its quarterback or a hockey team without its enforcer. Make no mistake, Winfield's still a big gun here.
'Last year we lacked a big right-handed bat,' says Bucky Dent. 'It's something we've made up this year with the return of Winfield.' And then some.
In his nine-year tenure as a Yankee, he's played all three outfield positions and has displayed tremendous athletic ability in his hitting, running, fielding and throwing. Even after a year off, he is still an awesome presence at the plate and one of the most feared hitters in the game. It's why he makes the Yankees a different team today."
-The New York Yankees 1990 Official Yearbook
"After spending two stints spanning a total of 31 days on the disabled list over 16 seasons in the major leagues, Dave spent the entire 1989 season on the disabled list.
On March 13, during spring training, he was rested for soreness of the lower back. As the pain increased, Dave underwent diagnostic workups, including x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, and specialty consultation. On March 24, he underwent back surgery to remove fragments on a herniated disc.
The injury he suffered was a very large central disc herniation of the lumbar spine, resulting in total blockage of the spinal canal and intense pressure on the spinal nerves. He was discharged in excellent condition on March 28.
Though he spent the season on D.L., Winfield still ranks among the active leaders in several offensive categories, as well as in home runs and RBIs over the past 10 seasons (including 1989):
games (2,269), fifth
doubles (412), seventh
runs (1,314), fourth
home runs (357), fourth
hits (2,421), fifth
RBIs (1,438), second to Jim Rice [first before 1989]
home runs, last 10 years (223), ninth
RBIs, last ten years (899), fifth.
Winfield signed a 10-year contract with the Yankees in December 1980, with a club option for 1989 and 1990. On October 13, 1988 the club announced it would not buy out the final two years.
Torrid is the best way to describe the veteran's start in 1988. Winfield hit safely in his first nine games through April 14, going 17-for-34 (.500) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 16 RBIs; from April 17 through May 4, he followed with a season long 16-game hitting streak, during which he went 27-for-59 (.458). He thus hit safely in 25 of his first 27 games through May 4, while reaching base safely in each of his first 29 games played through May 6.
Dave ended April hitting .398 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs. The 29 RBIs broke Don Baylor's American League record for April set in 1979 and tied the major league mark set by Ron Cey in 1977 and tied by Dale Murphy in 1985. Winfield was named American League Player of the Month for April.
Through May 16, Winfield hit safely in his first 20 home games. His May stats were down some, going 32-for-95 (.337) with five doubles, five homers and 19 RBIs, his overall average dropping to .365. Through May 31, Dave reached base safely in 44 of his 48 games played.
Though his overall batting average continued to decline in June, Dave still reached base with regularity, failing to do so in just eight of the 74 games in which he played through June 30. In June he hit .309 (29-for-94) with three homers and 12 RBIs, lowering his overall batting average to .346 by the end of the month. It was also in June that his power numbers began to drop. Dave's 15th home run came on June 15 and his 16th did not come until July 23, 27 games and 97 at-bats between homers.
Winfield went 15-for-52 (.288) from July 1 through July 22 with no homers and just three extra-base hits, his overall average falling to .336; however, from July 23 through July 31 he hit in nine straight, going 16-for-37 (.432) with two doubles, five home runs and 13 RBIs. That spurt brought his season average back up to .346, the highest it would be for the remainder of 1988. For the month of July, Winfield went 31-for-89 (.348) with five home runs and 18 RBIs.
He ended July and began August with the longest 0-for of his career- 0-for-23, dropping his overall average to .327. That skein began with his final two at-bats on July 31 and ended with a fourth-inning single on August 10 against Toronto. From that hit through August 31 Winfield hit in 16 of the next 20 games, going 30-for-83 (.361) with seven doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs, bringing his batting average back up to .333. Due to his poor start at the beginning of August, however, his overall average for the month was .288 (30-for-104).
Dave hit just two home runs (none in New York) from August 19 through September 27- his final 148 at-bats. He kept pace at .333 through September 19, going 23-for-69 in that month's first 18 games but went 2-for-27 over his final six games to conclude his year at .322. Dave drove in just one run in his last nine games.
He played his last game on September 27, missing New York's last five games so that he could be with his ailing mother. Dave's mother, Arline Winfield, passed away on October 3, Dave's birthday.
In 1988 he went 4-for-13 (.308) in four games as a designated hitter, and as a pinch hitter went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He hit .347 with runners in scoring position. Winfield was voted to start for the American League All-Star team- his eighth All-Star start (including the last six years) and his 12th straight All-Star appearance.
Among AL and major league leaders in 1988: .322 batting average, fourth in the AL, fourth in the majors; 25 homers, tied for 10th in the AL, tied for 17th in the majors; 107 RBIs, fifth in the AL, seventh in the majors; 51 multi-hit games, 10th in the AL, 13th in the majors; 96 runs, tied for eighth in the AL, tied for 15th in the majors; 296 total bases, sixth in the AL, tied for 10th in the majors; .398 on-base percentage, fourth in the AL, fifth in the majors; .530 slugging percentage, sixth in the AL, eighth in the majors.
Dave's .322 batting average was the second highest of his career and 37 percentage points better than his career average coming into 1988 (.285). His total of 37 doubles was a career high. He hit 20+ homers for the fourth straight season, and for the 11th time in his career, and reached the 100-RBI plateau for the seventh time. Dave's .989 fielding percentage was fifth among outfielders with a minimum of 200 total chances and three or fewer errors.
He broke into the Yankee career top 20 in the following categories: 715 runs, 19th; 233 doubles, 17th; 203 home runs, tied for seventh (with Roger Maris); and 812 RBIs, 11th. His major league total of 357 homers ranks 38th on the all-time list (Yogi Berra and Johnny Mize are next with 358 and 359, respectively). Winfield also became the ninth to reach the 200-homer mark as a Yankee.
Winfield hit two home runs on April 8 against Milwaukee, his 20th career two-homer game, had his 21st such game on July 23 at Kansas City, and the 22nd on July 27 against Milwaukee. He also had five RBIs on both July 23 and July 27- his season high. Winfield homered in three straight games from August 16-18- the first time this was done by a Yankee since Don Mattingly homered in eight straight in July of 1987, and the first time done by Winfield since April 5-7, 1983.
In 1973, Dave was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 1st round (fourth player taken) of the free agent draft in June 1973. He went right to the majors off the University of Minnesota campus in 1973, hit safely in his first six games for San Diego and never played in the minors. He hit .284 in his eight-year career with the Padres and in 1976 led NL outfielders with 15 assists. He had his best season in the National League in 1979, leading the league with 118 RBIs and 333 total bases and finishing third with 34 homers. Winfield won his first Gold Glove in '79 in addition to placing third in the BBWAA MVP voting behind co-winners Keith Hernandez and Willie Stargell.
In 1981, his first season as a Yankee, Dave led the team in games, at-bats, hits, total bases, doubles, RBIs, game-winning RBIs and sacrifice flies. He hit his first home run as a Yankee on April 29 in Detroit off Jack Morris, and his first Yankee Stadium homer on May 23 off Rick Waits. Dave made his first appearance in postseason competition that year.
In 1982 he finished second in the AL with a .560 slugging percentage and third with 37 homers. He also led the Yankees with 106 RBI and his 37 home runs were a career high. Joe DiMaggio is the only right-handed Yankee batter to hit more homers in a season (46 in 1937, 39 in 1948). Winfield became the ninth player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season in both leagues. He was the American League Player of the Month for September (.294 BA, 11 HR, 22 RBI, .661 slugging percentage).
Winfield led the Yankees in 1983 in games, at-bats, runs, hits, triples, homers, RBI, game-winning RBI and walks. He finished second in the AL with 21 game-winning RBI, third with 116 RBI, fifth with 307 total bases, tied for fifth with 32 homers, tied for fifth with eight triples, seventh with a .513 slugging percentage and tied for eighth with 99 runs scored. Named to his seventh consecutive All-Star team, Dave contributed three hits in a rare American League win. He was selected as AL Player of the Week [for each of] the first two weeks of August. On August 4 at Toronto, he fatally beaned a seagull during between-innings warmups and was charged by Toronto Police with cruelty to animals- the charges were dropped the next day.
In 1984 Winfield finished second to Don Mattingly for the American League batting championship with a career high .340, fourth in the AL with 193 hits, fourth with a .393 on-base percentage, and sixth with 106 runs. He had a career high 20-game hitting streak from August 17-September 8. Dave had three five-hit games in June, tying a record held by Ty Cobb. He won his fourth straight Sporting News Silver Bat Award and was named to the AL, Sporting News and UPI All-Star teams.
He had an outstanding year in 1985 at the plate, with the glove and on the basepaths. He was second in the American League with 19 game-winning RBI, third with 114 RBI, tied for seventh with 66 extra base hits, ninth with 105 runs and 10th with 298 total bases. Dave recorded 100+ RBI for the fourth straight year, the first Yankee [to do this] since Yogi Berra (1953-56), was the first Yankee to score 100+ runs in consecutive seasons since Mickey Mantle (1960-61), and the first Yankee to record 100+ runs and 100 RBIs since Joe DiMaggio (1941-42). He scored his 1,000th career run on July 26 at Texas.
Winfield lost 17 spring training days, March 17 through April 2, with an infected left elbow which required a six-day hospital stay. He began the '85 regular season struggling at the plate, hitting .257 through April and dropping to a season low of .234 on May 18. At this point he began a season high 13-game hitting streak which lasted through June 1, raising his batting average 23 points (he also had a 10-game hitting streak from July 9-22). He had only five homers through June 6, yet went 36-for-105 (.343) in June, driving his average up to .289; it peaked at .300 on July 22, then from July 23 to August 18 he went 18-for-96 (.188), his overall average dropping to .280.
His 19 stolen bases were his most since 1980, and he stole home on September 7 against Oakland. He won his fourth straight AL Gold Glove (sixth overall) and appeared in his ninth consecutive All-Star Game.
In 1986 he had good numbers for most major leaguers, but slightly below Dave Winfield standards. He became the first Yankee to reach the 100 RBI mark for five consecutive seasons since Joe DiMaggio's seven straight from 1936-42. RBI No. 100 came on September 29 at Yankee Stadium against Toronto; his 104 RBIs in '86 ranked ninth in the American League.
His at-bat in the sixth inning on July 5 at Chicago was career at-bat No. 7,000. His RBI triple in the fifth inning on July 7 at Texas off Mickey Mahler was career hit No. 2,000. His two-run home run on August 20, a second-inning blast off Seattle's Mike Moore, was career home run No. 300, with Winfield becoming only the 54th player in history to reach that peak.
Winfield got off to a slow start, hitting just .228 (13-for-57) with one homer and eight RBIs after his first 15 games, with 10 walks and 12 strikeouts. He went 11-for-30 (.367) over his next nine games, raising his overall batting average to .276 on May 4. That hot streak was followed by another cold spell- a 10-game stretch from May 5-15, going 4-for-36 (.111). He had just three homers through his first 35 games.
He came around to hit in seven straight, May 16-24 (his longest hitting streak until September), going 10-for-29 (.345) with three homers and 10 RBIs, raising his batting average to .257. That streak included a 3-for-5, six-RBI performance against Seattle on May 17, with two runs, a double and his sixth career grand slam (New York's lone grand slam of '86). The six RBIs matched his career high, now accomplished four times, and were the team high for '86. From May 25-July 5, Dave went 23-for-127 (.181) in 36 games with four doubles, one triple, six homers, 19 RBIs, 20 walks and 30 strikeouts, with his overall batting average falling from .257 to .222, his lowest point of '86.
Dave hit a pair of homers on June 4 at California and scored four runs (matching the '86 team high) on June 23 at Boston. He appeared in his 10th straight All-Star Game. He went 17 games between homers No. 12 and 13, June 14-July 6, and hit just one homer in 28 games between June 15 and July 21.
From July 6-30, 18 games, Dave went 25-for-65 (.385) with 18 RBIs, raising his overall average from .222 to .253. He had just 13 RBIs in 28 August games, going 30-for-104 (.288) and ending the month at .261. Dave had just two hits in September's first seven games (2-for-23, .087 BA) with his average falling to .253, but from September 11 to season's end went 29-for-94 (.309) with four homers and 21 RBIs to end at .262.
His .262 batting average was the lowest of his professional career, and his total of 148 hits was his fewest in a full season since getting 139 in 1976. His 77 walks were the most since receiving 79 passes in 1980, yet he broke the 100 strikeout mark for the first time in his career- his previous high had been 96 in 1974 and 1985. Dave went hitless in five straight games on two occasions: May 25-30 (0-for-13) and September 3-9 (0-for-17, his longest 0-fer of '86).
Dave hit second in the batting order for the first time in his career on June 27 against Toronto. He appeared as a designated hitter in six games, going 2-for-18 (.111), and was 1-for-7 with a walk in eight pinch-hitting appearances (.143). Dave was 48-for-161 (.298) with runners in scoring position.
He led Yankee outfielders with nine assists. He went 104 games between his second and third errors of '86- he had two errors in his first nine games of the season, three in his last 42 games and none in between. He made his first career appearance at third base on July 2 at Detroit- he had no fielding chances.
In 1987, Winfield had an above average first half but a below average second half. It was the first full season since 1980 that he did not record 100 RBIs.
Winfield opened the season hitting safely in 12 of his first 14 games though April 21, going 20-for-50 (.400). In 12 games from April 22 through May 5, he went 8-for-42 (.190) with his overall average falling to .304. Dave had the first of two season-long 12-game hitting streaks from May 6 through May 19, going 15-for-48 (.313) with three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. Following the streak, he fell into a 16-for-80 (.200) skein, May 20-June 14, with his overall average falling from .307 to a season low of .268.
He was scalding hot the month prior to the All-Star break (June 15-July 12), going 35-for-99 (.354), including his second 12-game hitting streak from June 15 to June 27, hitting safely in 22 of 25 games with five doubles, eight homers and 26 RBIs. On June 29 in Toronto off Tom Henke, Dave hit his seventh career grand slam and drove in six runs to match his career high.
At the All-Star break, he was hitting .295 in 85 games with 20 homers and 68 RBIs. Winfield was voted to start the All-Star Game for the American League and played all 13 innings of that game.
Through the remainder of '87 his overall batting average fluctuated in the .275-.285 range, and he went 64-for-256 (.250) in 71 games after the All-Star break with just seven homers and 29 RBIs. Dave's longest 0-for of '87 came from August 15 (last at-bat) through August 22 (first at-bat). He went 16 games without a home run from August 5 through August 23. His sacrifice bunt on August 30 at Seattle was his first since September 12, 1982 and only the 12th of his career. He had four hits on September 7 at Boston.
Dave had four two-home run games: April 23 at Cleveland, May 18 at Oakland, June 16 against Baltimore and June 29 at Toronto. In 23 games with both Henderson and Mattingly out, he went 31-for-88 (.352) with seven homers and 25 RBIs. He was 2-for-4 with three RBIs as a pinch hitter but went 6-for-28 (.214) with no homers and four RBIs as a designated hitter. He hit .351 (53-for-151) with runners in scoring position. Dave had a .989 fielding percentage.
He played in 156 games in 1987, his highest total since appearing in 162 games for San Diego in 1980. His 27 home runs were his fourth-best season total, though his 22 doubles were the lowest he's recorded in a season since his 20 in 1975. His .275 batting average was up from .262 in 1986 but below his .286 career and .288 Yankee averages coming into '87. With 97 RBIs, he fell just three short of becoming the first Yankee since Joe DiMaggio to drive in 100 or more runs for the sixth straight season (DiMaggio had 100+ RBIs for seven straight years, 1936-42). Winfield won his fifth Rawlings Gold Glove in six years, and his seventh overall.
Prior to college, Winfield attended St. Paul Central High School. At the University of Minnesota, he was 13-1 on the mound in his senior year while batting over .400 [as an outfielder]. He was the Gophers team captain, named a first-team All-American and was MVP of the 1973 College World Series. He also played basketball for Minnesota and was drafted in three different sports: Padres in baseball, Vikings in football, and Utah (ABA) and Atlanta (NBA) in basketball.
Winfield established the David M. Winfield Foundation, receiving much acclaim for its work with youth groups and further contributions to the community. He serves on the board of directors of Hackensack (NJ) Hospital and the Morehouse School of Medicine School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. Winfield was named 1979 winner of the YMCA Brian Piccolo Award for humanitarian services.
He opened a restaurant in Manhattan called 'Border Cafe' in November of 1986, as well as multiple Burger King franchises in Virginia."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Selected by San Diego Padres in 1st round (fourth player selected) of 1973 MLB draft.
Selected by Minnesota Vikings in 17th round of 1973 NFL draft.
Selected by Atlanta Hawks in 5th round of 1973 NBA draft.
Selected by Utah Stars in 6th round of 1973 ABA draft.
Tied for National League lead for errors among outfielders (12), 1974.
Led National League outfielders in assists (15), 1976.
National League All-Star, 1977.
National League All-Star, 1978.
National League All-Star, 1979.
Led National League in total bases (333), 1979.
Led National League in intentional walks received (24), 1979.
Won National League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1979.
National League All-Star, 1980.
Won National League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1980.
American League All-Star, 1981.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1981.
American League All-Star, 1982.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1982.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1982.
American League All-Star, 1983.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1983.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1983.
American League All-Star, 1984.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1984.
Won American League Silver Bat as outfielder, 1984.
American League All-Star, 1985.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1985.
American League All-Star, 1986.
American League All-Star, 1987.
Won American League Gold Glove as outfielder, 1987.
American League All-Star, 1988.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
ALL-STAR GAME RECORDS
Tied All-Star Game record for most at-bats, nine-inning game (5), July 17, 1979.
Tied All-Star Game record for most consecutive games batted safely (7), 1982-1988.
Established All-Star Game record for most doubles, lifetime (7).
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
