DR. STUART J. HERSHON (Team Physician)
"Dr. Stuart J. Hershon is in his third season as Yankee team doctor. He is an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with St. Lukes-Roosevelt and North Shore Hospitals. He is a graduate of Harvard University and New York Medical College."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Dr. Stuart J. Hershon begins his third year as the Yankees team physician. He is an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with St. Lukes-Roosevelt and North Shore Hospitals, and previously was the team physician for Nassau Community College. He is a graduate of Harvard University and New York Medical College."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
GENE MONAHAN (Trainer)
"Gene Monahan is in his 19th season as the Yankees trainer. He has spent 28 years in professional baseball and is a certified member of NATA."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Gene was born in Rolla, Missouri and has a B.S. in physical education from Indiana University (1969). He is a certified member of NATA [National Athletic Trainers Association] and a member of PBATS [Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society], serving as chairman of the grants and scholarships committee. He has 28 years of service in professional baseball.
He started in 1962 at Ft. Lauderdale and is entering his 19th year at the helm of the Yankee training duties. Gene served as American League trainer at two All-Star Games (1977 at Yankee Stadium and 1986 at Houston's Astrodome). All three of his previous assistants during his Yankee tenure advanced to head training positions in the major leagues.
Gene resides in Little Ferry, New Jersey."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
STEVE DONOHUE (Assistant Trainer)
"Steve Donohue is in his fifth year as the Yankees assistant trainer. He has been in the Yankees organization since 1979. Steve graduated from the University of Louisville."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Steve was born in Bronxville, New York and has a B.S. in physical education from the University of Louisville. A certified member of NATA and a certified member of New York State EMT [Emergency Medical Technicians], he is in his fifth season as the Yankees' assistant trainer.
He has been a member of the Yankees organization since 1979, working at West Haven (1979), Nashville (1980-81) and Columbus (1982-85). Steve was also assistant trainer for the New York Jets (1974-78) and assistant trainer for the University of Louisville's NCAA Championship basketball team in 1980.
Steve resides in Yorktown Heights, New York."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
GARY WEIL (Strength and Conditioning Coach)
"Gary Weil is in his second year as the Yankees strength and conditioning coach. He formulates and supervises conditioning programs for the Yankees and their minor league affiliates."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Gary was born in the Bronx and has a B.A. in physical education from Arizona State University and a Masters in kinesiology and exercise physiology from ASU. He is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
He is in his second season as the Yankees' strength and conditioning coach. Gary spent the previous seven years at the University of Notre Dame, including six seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for all of the school's varsity sports teams. He also spent one year as an assistant professor in the physical education department before joining the Yankees. Gary is a former strength consultant with the Los Angeles Raiders.
His duties include formulating and supervising strength and conditioning for the Yankees and their minor league affiliates."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
LOU CUCUZZA (Visitors Clubhouse Manager)
"Lou Cucuzza is in his 15th season of hosting the visiting teams at Yankee Stadium."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Lou Cucuzza is in his 15th year running the visitor's clubhouse at the Stadium, and Lou will be assisted again this year by his son, Lou, Jr."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
LOU CUCUZZA, JR. (Assistant Visitors Clubhouse Manager)
"Lou Cucuzza, Jr. has assisted his father in the Yankee Stadium visitors clubhouse since 1976."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
ROB CUCUZZA (Assistant Clubhouse Manager)
"Rob Cucuzza is in his first season in the Yankee clubhouse. He previously worked in the visitors clubhouse."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
EDDIE LAYTON (Stadium Organist)
"Eddie Layton is the Yankee Stadium organist and has recorded more than 25 albums. He also records commercials, and plays at Radio City and other New York entertainment centers."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
BOB SHEPPARD (Public Address Announcer)
"Bob Sheppard has been the public address Voice of the Yankees [since 1951]. He also teaches speech at St. John's University."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
MARSH SAMUEL (Spring Training Coordinator)
"Marsh Samuel is the Yankees Spring Training Coordinator. He began his baseball career as a publicist with the 1946 White Sox, and also developed the first press guide."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
JIM OGLE (Yankees Alumni Association)
"Jim Ogle heads the Yankees Alumni Association and coordinates Old Timers' Day. He was a New York sportswriter for more than 20 years."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
CHRIS GUTH (Clubhouse Manager)
"Chris Guth is in his first season as the Yankees clubhouse manager. He previously worked in the Ft. Lauderdale and Sarasota clubhouses."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Chris Guth, who has worked in the Yankees' Ft. Lauderdale and Sarasota clubhouses, begins his first season in the Yankee clubhouse. He will be assisted by Rob Cucuzza, who is the son of Lou, Sr."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
BOB ADAMENKO (Yankees Photographer)
"Bob Adamenko has been the Yankees Photographer since 1984. He also photographs many other New York sporting events."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
STEVE CRANDALL (Yankees Photographer)
"Steve Crandall is in his fourth season as a Yankee photographer. He is also a photographer for the New Jersey Devils."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
STEVE GREGORY (Umpires' Room Attendant)
"Steve Gregory is in charge of the umpires locker room for the 12th season."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
JESSE WRIGHT (Video Coordinator and Batting Practice Pitcher)
"Jesse Wright is in his third season with the Yankees and will resume duties as the coordinator for videotape operations."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Jesse Wright begins his third season in the Yankee organization, and first as coordinator for videotape operations and as a batting pitcher. Wright was drafted by Oakland in 1976 and played in the Oakland, Cleveland and Atlanta organizations until 1980."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
FRANK ALBOHN (Stadium Superintendent)
"Frank Albohn is the Stadium superintendent. He has supervised the Yankees grounds crew for over 25 years."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
GARY TUCK (Bullpen Catcher and Batting Practice Pitcher)
"Gary Tuck begins his first season as the Yankees' bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher. He served in the same capacity for Columbus last season."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
CARL TAYLOR (Batting Practice Pitcher)
"Carl Taylor begins his first season with the Yankees and will chart defenses, man the radar gun and throw batting practice."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
GEORGE BAZOS (Batting Practice Pitcher)
"George Bazos is in his first season with the Yankees and will throw batting practice."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Other 1990 Yankee Profiles: Position Players
BRIAN DORSETT
"Making an impression in only eight major league games is a difficult chore for any player. Last season Yankee catcher made the most of his chances.
In 22 at-bats, the 29-year-old native of Terre Haute, Indiana collected eight hits for a .364 average. The departure of Columbus catcher Bob Geren to the parent club in May left Dorsett the main occupant of the home plate duties [in Columbus]. He responded admirably, hitting 17 home runs and adding 62 RBI.
Not that he's satisfied staying in the minors. The six-year minor leaguer will provide ample backup should Geren or Rick Cerone need assistance. You can be sure he'll make those opportunities count."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Dorsett played in 110 games for the Columbus Clippers in 1989, hitting .250 with 25 doubles, 17 home runs and 62 RBIs. He had his contract purchased by the Yankees on September 2.
He made eight appearances for the Yankees, all as a catcher. Brian did not make an error behind the plate and was 1-for-3 throwing out baserunners. The Yankees were 4-3 in the seven games he started; he caught a shutout, two one-run games and a two-run effort.
Brian made six starts and hit .444 (8-for-18) in that capacity. He hit .571 (4-for-7) with men in scoring position. He ended the season with a five-game hitting streak including three two-hit games.
He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Dorsett was Oakland's 10th round selection in the June 1983 free agent draft and began his pro career with Medford of the Northwest League. He spent just 14 games there, batting .271 and earning a promotion to Class-A Madison where he hit .255 in 58 games. Brian spent the entire 1984 season at Modesto, hitting .264 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs.
He began the 1985 season at Madison but was promoted to AA Huntsville and batted a combined .268 with 53 runs scored, 127 hits, 13 home runs and 73 RBIs in 128 games. He was on Oaklands' 40-man roster in 1986 and played his first year of AAA ball at their PCL club at Tacoma, setting career highs in doubles (33) while hitting 10 home runs with 51 RBIs.
Dorsett began the 1987 season with Tacoma and batted .234 with six home runs and 39 RBIs in 74 games. He was acquired by Cleveland on July 15, along with pitcher Darrell Akerfelds in exchange for second baseman Tony Bernazard, and reported to AAA Buffalo where he batted .256 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 26 games. Dorsett was called up to Cleveland on September 4.
He appeared in his first major league game on September 8 against Seattle (flew out as a pinch hitter) and collected his first big league hit in his third at-bat, a pinch-hit RBI single off Gene Nelson of the A's on September 22 in Cleveland. Brian made his first start behind the plate on September 27 against California and went 2-for-3 including his only big league homer, a two-run blast off Don Sutton in the 8th inning. He was 0-for-4 throwing out runners attempting to steal.
Dorsett opened 1988 on Cleveland's 40-man roster but did not play in any games while recovering from arthroscopic surgery that was performed on his right elbow on March 23. He was acquired by the Angels organization on July 8 for a player to be named later and was assigned to the Edmonton Trappers, California's AAA Pacific Coast League affiliate. Brian batted .262 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 53 games at Edmonton.
He had his contract purchased by the Angels on September 1, and in seven games with California batted .091 (1-for-11) with two RBIs. His one hit and two RBIs came on September 6 at Kansas City on a two-run single off Mark Gubicza in his only at-bat. After that, he went 0-for-8 in his remaining five games. Brian registered five RBIs in his first 22 major league at-bats (11 with California and 11 with Cleveland in 1987).
Brian committed three passed balls in his seven games and did not appear after September 13. He was obtained by the Yankees from Edmonton in November 1988 in exchange for pitcher Eric Schmidt.
Brian starred in baseball, basketball and football at Terre Haute (IN) North High School, where he graduated in 1979. He attended Indiana State University and was first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference in baseball in 1983 and second team in 1982.
Brian played Little League and American Legion ball as a youngster."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
BOB BROWER
"The key for Bob Brower is to be ready. He won't be in the starting outfield and may not even make the club. But he can still help the Yankees, as long as he's ready when he gets the call.
Brower is the type of player who can provide insurance for a team. He is a good outfielder, with an accurate arm. At the plate he has some power and can even steal a base for you.
Last year he was used as a fill-in, coming in for injured players. This year, at age 30, he will be called on to do the same."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Hampered by a right-side groin pull aggravated at the end of spring training, Bob began the 1989 season on the 15-day disabled list. He was activated on April 16 and started that day.
He went hitless in his first game but followed with a three-game hit streak in Toronto (April 17-19), going 5-for-10 including a go-ahead solo home run off Mike Flanagan in a 7-2 Yankee win on April 17. Over his next 14 games Bob hit .179 (5-for-28) dropping his average from .385 to .244. He broke his slump in Seattle (May 19-21) by hitting in three straight games (5-for-14), including a solo homer off Roger Hanson on May 19 in a 9-5 Yankee win. On May 21, he had a season-best three-hit effort including a double and an RBI.
Brower was optioned to Columbus on May 31. At the time he was hitting .231 (16-for-69) with three doubles, two home runs and three RBIs. He remained with the Clippers through the remainder of 1989, hitting .253 (24-for-95) in 26 games with three doubles, two homers, eight RBIs and 15 runs scored. Bob played every game after his option until his season ended on July 1 when he was placed on the disabled list with a chronic right elbow injury. On July 13 he had reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. The surgery consisted of having his ulnar nerve transplanted.
He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Brower was signed by the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 1982 by scout Joe Branzell after an outstanding career at Duke University where he graduated in 1982. He started 1983 at Burlington and had six hits on June 7 against Beloit, the only six-hit game in professional baseball that year. Bob was promoted to Tulsa on June 13. At Tulsa in 1984 he was second in the Texas League in steals (54) and was fourth in triples (9).
In 1985 Bob led the American Association in triples and tied for fourth in games (133). He hit for the cycle against Buffalo on May 27, including the game-winning triple in the 11th inning.
While playing for Oklahoma City in 1986, Bob was selected as the American Association 'Star of Stars' by the Howe News Bureau and as the Rangers overall Minor League Player of the Year. He led the A.A. in runs (130), at-bats (550) and walks (94), was tied for the top spot in games (140) and hits (158), tied for second in total bases (236) and was third in steals (53). His run total was an Oklahoma City club record and the highest in the American Association since 1953. Bob was also selected to the league's All-Star team and led the AA in putouts (366) and chances (382).
He was recalled by Texas on September 1 and made his big league debut as a pinch runner that night at Boston, scoring the winning run. He doubled off Minnesota's Bill Latham on September 13 for his first major league hit. Brower had an outstanding winter ball season at La Romana in the Dominican Republic, winning the league's MVP award while batting .316 with four homers and a league high 37 RBIs.
In 1987, his first full major league season, Brower placed second on the Rangers in sacrifice hits (9), fourth in stolen bases (15) and tied for fifth in home runs (14), the latter being his professional career high. He started a total of 80 games in the outfield, including 25 of the last 31 contests beginning on September 2. He was bothered at times by a jammed right wrist and a sore right shoulder.
Bob had a good start, batting .282 (11-for-39) in 16 games in April, but batted just .210 (13-for-62) in 38 contests over the next two months. He finished strong, batting .324 (25-for-77) in his last 26 games; included in that stretch was a career-high six-game hitting streak from September 6-11 when he batted .455 (10-for-22).
He had 22 multi-hit games in '87, with a career high of four hits on July 26 at Cleveland. His 14 home runs broke his previous pro high of 13 in 1986 at Oklahoma City.
Brower hit the first inside-the-park grand slam in Ranger history off Eric Plunk of the A's on June 21 (second game) at Oakland. He was the first American Leaguer to accomplish that feat since Minnesota's Tom Brunansky, also a rookie, on July 19, 1982. Brower also hit a two-run homer off Dennis Lamp in that game to give him a career high six RBIs, and the two homers and six RBIs both were one shy of the Texas single-game club records.
He had one other two-homer game, July 26 at Cleveland. He homered to lead off the Texas half of the first inning four times, including his first major league home run on April 28 off the Yankees' Dennis Rasmussen. In addition to his six-RBI game, Brower had four RBIs once and three in a game twice. He singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on August 5 against Boston.
He played in only 82 games for the Rangers in 1988 and batted .224 (45-for-201) with a home run and 11 RBIs. He did have 10 stolen bases in 15 attempts.
He underwent arthroscopic surgery before the start of the 1988 season, on January 6, to repair torn cartilage in his right shoulder. He was ready by spring training but began the regular season on the 15-day disabled list, having been placed on the DL on March 28 with a pulled right calf muscle.
Brower was activated on April 27 and made his first appearance that day as a designated hitter against Minnesota. He had a four-game hitting streak from May 3-7, his longest hitting streak of the year, batting .500 (6-for-12) in that span, including a 3-for-5 game on May 6 against the Yankees. That streak was broken when he was forced to leave the game of May 10 after the second inning with tightness in his right calf, having gone 0-for-1. In his first game back on May 14, Brower went 2-for-4 to raise his overall season average to .375 (9-for-24) after nine games, his high point of the year.
That three-hit game on May 6 was one of nine multiple-hit games in 1988, including four three-hit games, the other three coming on June 3 at Chicago, June 21 against Seattle on June 28 at Seattle. Bob had four multiple-hit games in an eight-game stretch from June 21 through July 3, batting .370 (10-for-27) in that span.
In the final game of that stretch, on July 3 against Baltimore, Bob hit his only home run of the season, a grand slam off Don Aase. It was his second career grand slam. In that game he also matched his career high with six RBIs (accounting for more than half of his 11 RBIs for the season) and it was the Ranger team high for 1988.
Bob finished the season by batting .091 (2-for-22) in his last 14 games to lower his average from .240 on September 5 to his final .224 mark.
He twice had two stolen bases in a game, on July 8 at Baltimore and on September 4 at Toronto. He was successful in six of his last seven stolen base attempts.
For the year, he started 15 games in left field, 26 games in center field, one in right field and six games as the designated hitter.
Bob was acquired by the Yankees from the Texas Rangers in December 1988 in exchange for shortstop Bobby Meacham.
Bob went to Duke on a football scholarship. He lettered four times in baseball and three times in football. In 1981 Bob led the nation in triples and was a first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He gained 130 yards rushing against North Carolina in 1979 to earn ACC 'Offensive Back of the Week' honors. In 1981 he caught 12 passes against Virginia, one shy of the school record. Bob also played a summer in the Alaskan Baseball League.
He played baseball, basketball, football and ran track at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia where he graduated in 1978. He earned all-regional honors in all four sports in his senior year. He participated in Little League, Babe Ruth League and Clark Griffith League programs.
Bob's hobbies are hunting, fishing and music."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led American Association in bases on balls (94), 1986.
Led American Association outfielders in total chances (382), 1986.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
LUIS POLONIA
"With the return of All-Star outfielder Dave Winfield, playing time for Luis Polonia may be hard to come by in 1990. But what Polonia offers the Yankees is a very exciting, productive contributor who can fill in when needed.
Since arriving from Oakland in the 1989 Rickey Henderson deal, Polonia has been frequently asked to spark a stagnant offense or make a sensational sliding catch in the outfield. Last year in Pinstripes, he hit .313 and drove in 29 runs in only 66 games. This year the Yankees know the little left-hander is ready when they are."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Polonia was hitting .286 with one home run and 17 RBIs for the Oakland A's in 1989, with nine walks, 15 strikeouts and 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts. On June 21 he was obtained from the Yankees with pitchers Eric Plunk and Greg Cadaret in exchange for outfielder Rickey Henderson.
He played his first game as a Yankee on June 23 in Kansas City and went 0-for-4 but then hit in six straight games (10-for-27, .370) with six RBIs. He hit .304 (7-for-23) in five games in June as a Yankee with two multi-hit efforts, hitting safely in four of five games.
In July, Luis hit in seven straight from July 9-19, going 11-for-33 (.333) and raising his average from .302 to .314. For the month he hit .290 (27-for-93) with two home runs and 12 RBIs, hitting safely in 19 of 25 games and ending July with a .293 average.
Luis hit for his highest average in August at .338 (22-for-65). From August 20-28 he hit in a season best eight straight games (10-for-24, .417), putting his average over .300 to stay. He played in 22 games in the month and hit safely in 14 games, with six games being multi-hit efforts.
He played sparingly in September-October, appearing in 14 games (12 starts) and hitting .326 (15-for-46) for the month. Polonia hit .357 (25-for-70) over his final 22 games (from August 20), raising his average from .292 to a season-ending .313.
He hit .298 before the break and .318 after, hit .344 (21-for-61) in day games and .301 (50-for-166) at night. Polonia hit .311 (14-for-45) against left-handed pitchers and .313 against righties, hit.376 (41-for-109) at Yankee Stadium and .254 (30-for-118) on the road. He started nine games as the designated hitter and hit .333 (11-for-33) with six runs scored; he hit two home runs as a Yankee.
Polonia made two errors in the outfield (113 chances) and had six assists, ranking 16th in the American League with a .985 fielding percentage. He was 9-for-13 stealing bases as a Yankee and 22-for-30 on the season. Luis is now 75-for-99 stealing bases in his career.
He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Signed as a free agent by the Oakland A's organization in January 1984, Luis stepped in and had a fine season for Class-A Modesto (Midwest League) in his first professional year. He hit .308 with eight homers and 65 RBIs for the Muskies. He stroked 163 hits in 135 games, stole 55 bases, struck out 95 times and drew 57 walks.
Luis had another fine year in 1985 as hit.289 in 130 games for Double-A Huntsville (Southern League). He hustled for 18 triples, one short of the league record set by Alvin Davis [who later starred with Seattle], stole 39 bases and had a .389 on-base percentage.
He enjoyed his third consecutive successful season in the Oakland organization in 1986, hitting .301 with Triple-A Tacoma. A steady performer, his average rarely deviated more than a few points off the .312 mark for the majority of the season. Polonia had 13 multi-hit games and struck out only 16 times in his first 191 at-bats and 24 times in his last 130 at-bats. He led the Pacific Coast League in at-bats and hits and was fourth in stolen bases (36).
Polonia was Oakland's leadoff hitter for 92 games in 1987 and in his other 10 starts was in the number nine spot of the order. He picked up his first major league hit at the Coliseum on April 25 off the Mariners' Scott Bankhead, and his first homer on April 28 off Boston's Calvin Schiraldi.
He put together a 1987 club high 17-game hitting streak from May 2-June 1. In the streak he hit .450 (27-for-60).
Luis topped the A's with 29 steals in 36 attempts and also led the club with 10 triples, the second-best total in A's history, exceeded only by Phil Garner's 12 in 1976. He tied for fourth on the A's with 33 multi-hit games and was one of the top hitters in the clutch, as his .343 average with men in scoring position led the team.
A member of the A's 40-man roster during spring training in 1988, Polonia opened the season in Tacoma. He hit .335 for the Tigers, which ended up being the highest average on the club for '88. He also had 31 steals in 46 attempts.
Polonia was recalled to Oakland on June 15 and found himself in the starting lineup the next day. He played in 82 of the club's next 89 games from that point on; the A's were 64-25 during that stretch.
He got off to a slow start after his recall, going 2-for-16, but rebounded with six hits in nine at-bats on June 24 and 26 against Minnesota. Luis wound up hitting .306 (11-for-36) during June and hit safely in 12 of 13 games from July 3-24. He hit his first homer of the season off Todd Stottlemyre in Oakland.
His average was at .315 after a 3-for-5 day against the Angels on August 13 but, after Luis went 15-for-73, dropped to .285 by September 8. He got his average back over .300 the next night with a 5-for-5 game against the Royals. He also scored five runs that night; the five runs and five hits each tied club records. Luis wen 16-for-62 to close the season, dropping his average to a season-ending .292.
For the season, he stole 24 bases in 33 attempts. Luis was a much better hitter in the Coliseum than on the road: in Oakland, he hit .322 (49-for-152) as opposed to .257 (35-for-136) on the road. He was Oakland's leadoff hitter in 54 games; he hit safely in 44 of those games (75-for-235) for a .319 average.
Luis hit .300 in the League Championship Series, going 2-for-5 in Game 2. He also stole a base that night. He appeared in Games 1 and 4 as a pinch runner and pinch hitter, respectively. Luis was 1-for-8 in the World Series and scored a run.
Luis attended San Francisco school in the Dominican Republic. He resides in Santiago City, D.R. during the off-season."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
JEFF DATZ
"Jeff spent the 1989 season in the Tiger organization after previously being in the Houston organization for seven seasons. He was signed by Detroit as a free agent in November 1988 and spent the season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' AAA affiliate. Datz batted .247 in 77 games with 13 doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs.
He made one tour of duty with Detroit (September 5-30), hitting .200 (2-for-10) in seven games. Jeff was hit by a pitch in his first major league at-bat against Kansas City (Jeff Montgomery). His first major league hit came on September 20 at Baltimore, a 9th inning single off Greg Olson. He was signed by the Yankees in November of 1989 as a six-year minor league free agent.
Datz was selected by the Astros in the 19th round of the June 1982 free agent draft. He was signed by Houston scout Clary Anderson. He played in 36 games with Class-A Auburn, where he hit .224 with 15 RBIs in his first professional season.
He began the 1983 season with Class-A Daytona Beach and batted .273 in 47 games with nine doubles and 19 RBIs. Jeff was promoted to AA Columbus (GA) where he appeared in 39 games, hitting .194 and driving in 11 runs. He split the 1984 season between Daytona Beach and Auburn and batted a combined .202 in 35 games with 13 RBIs.
Jeff spent 1985 with Columbus where he appeared in 53 games and batted .193 with 13 RBIs. He also spent the majority of the 1986 season with Columbus and batted .325 in 59 games with 26 runs and 13 doubles, then was promoted to AAA Tucson for two games.
He was back in Columbus in 1987, batting .248 in 121 games with career highs in doubles (21), homers (8) and RBIs (42). Jeff spent the entire 1989 season with Tucson and batted .223 in 60 games with seven of his 33 hits (21%) being doubles.
Jeff graduated from Glassboro State where he earned a B.A. in health and physical education. He was a Division III All-American in baseball and helped lead Glassboro to a 1979 Division III championship. Jeff attended Clearview Regional High School where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball and competed against current major leaguers Dan Pasqua and Jay Aldrich."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
DAMASO GARCIA
"Damaso spent the 1989 season with the Montreal Expos after being signed as a free agent on April 3. He appeared in 80 games and hit .271 (55-for-203) with three home runs and 18 RBIs. Damaso made 46 starts, all at second base.
He was 2-for-8 through his first four games, then hit in four straight to bring his average up to .385 (10-for-26). He then slumped through the remainder of April (3-for-25, .120) to bring his average for the month down to .255 (13-for-51) over 18 games (11 starts).
Garcia played in only eight games in May (3-for-17, .176) as he was on the 15-day disabled list from May 13-26 with a sore left heel. He hit .216 in June (8-for-37), starting seven games, and through the break was hitting .246 over 46 games.
He hit in a season best six straight games from July 21-29 (11-for-18, .611), raising his average from .238 to .285. Included was a 4-for-4 game on July 28 against Cincinnati, Garcia's high-hit game of the season, and it tied the Expos' individual high for the season, accomplished by five others. He hit .360 (18-for-50) in July while starting 13 games, the most he would start in a month.
Damaso continued to swing a hot bat in August, hitting safely in nine of 14 games at .294 (10-for-34). He appeared in just six games (five stars) in August, going 3-for-14 (.214).
His overall average (.271) was 15 points below his career average entering 1989. Garcia was signed by the Yankees as a free agent in December 1989 to a contract for the 1990 season.
Signed by Yankee scout Epy Guerrero in March 1975, Garcia began his pro career with Oneonta. In 1976, he led the Florida State League in double plays with 83 and in total chances with 647. He had his first taste of AA ball at West Haven in 1977, setting a personal high with 53 RBIs.
In 1978 Damaso made his major league debut on June 25 and went 2-for-4, scoring all three runs in a 4-3 Yankee loss. After starting the 1979 season at AAA Columbus, he hit into a triple play on September 21 at Toronto. In November of 1979 Garcia was traded with first baseman Chris Chambliss and pitcher Paul Mirabella to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Rick Cerone, pitcher Tom Underwood and outfielder Ted Wilborn.
1980 was his first full season in the majors. Garcia assisted in 112 of Toronto's AL record-tying total of double plays and was named Blue Jays' Rookie of the Year as selected by the local BBWAA. He spent most of [the post-strike second half] of the 1981 season on the DL as he broke the fifth bone in his right hand after being hit by an Ed Farmer pitch on August 21.
Garcia was Toronto's 1982 MVP as selected by the local BBWAA and was named the second baseman on The Sporting News AL Silver Slugger team. He went hitless in two successive games only once all year. He established the then-club mark of 89 runs scored. Garcia was second in the AL with 54 steals, sixth in hits (185, then the club record) and batting average (.310, then the club record) and 13th in the loop with 32 doubles (then the club record).
In 1983 he was among the league leaders in batting average (.307, 12th in the AL), stolen bases (31, 11th) and triples (6, 14th). Damaso set a Blue Jays record with a 21-game hitting streak from June 21-July 16. He was the only second baseman in the majors to have back-to-back .300 seasons in 1982 and '83.
Damaso was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time in 1984. He led the Blue Jays in multiple-hit games with 54 and was sixth in the AL with 46 steals. In 1985 he was named to both The Sporting News AL All-Star team and the publication's All-Latin team. Garcia was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award given annually to the player 'perpetuating the memory' of the first Latin Hall of Famer. He set a personal high with a six-RBI night on May 10 against Seattle, led the Blue Jays in hits and struck out just once every 14.8 at-bats.
In 1986, Garcia had a four-RBI night on May 18 at Cleveland, then enjoyed a 16-game hitting streak from June 15-July 8, batting .449 (31-for-89) with eight RBIs; he tied a major league record and set a Toronto club record with four doubles on June 27 at Yankee Stadium. On July 9 against Seattle, he fanned three times in one game for the first time since June 7, 1983.
Garcia reached the 1,000-hit plateau on July 10 against Oakland and became the first Blue Jay to collect 1,000 hits on July 29 at Kansas City. For the season, he had a fielding percentage of .985, the highest ever by a second baseman with at least 100 games, and by season's end became the Blue Jays' all-time leader in hits (1,028), at-bats (3,572) and stolen bases (194).
He was traded in February 1987 with pitcher Luis Leal to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitcher Craig McMurtry. He was sidelined for the entire '87 campaign with torn ligaments in his left knee.
Damaso was first placed on the 15-day disabled list on March 29, then transferred to the 21-day DL on April 13. He was placed on the 20-day rehab roster at AAA Richmond on June 29, and after just one at-bat was recalled from the rehab roster. Damaso was activated on September 1 but did not see any action.
He started the 1987 season with Atlanta, hitting .117 (7-for-60) over 21 games. He was released on May 17 and signed by the Dodgers on June 29, being immediately assigned to their AAA affiliate at Albuquerque. He appeared in three games and went 2-for-5 and was released on August 15."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Tied for New York-Penn League lead in double plays, second baseman (33), 1975.
Led Florida State League second basemen in double plays (83), 1976.
Named second baseman on The Sporting News American League All-Star team, 1982.
Named second baseman on The Sporting News American League Silver Slugger team, 1982.
Named second baseman on The Sporting News American League All-Star team, 1985.
Tied major league record, most doubles, game (4), June 27, 1986.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
DAVE SAX
"Sax started the 1989 season with Columbus as a non-active coach. He assisted in the bullpen and worked closely with the young catchers until he was activated as a player-coach on August 9. He remained on the active roster through the remainder of the season. Although he appeared in only 21 games, Dave helped the team by hitting .313 (20-for-64) with three doubles and five RBIs. He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Sax was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in June 1978 and batted .269 at Lethbridge in his first professional season. He batted .270 with Clinton in 1979 and was named to the Midwest League All-Star team. He split the 1980 season between Lodi, where he batted .171, and Vero Beach, where he hit .352.
In 1981, Sax was converted to catching after playing as an infielder and outfielder in his first three professional seasons. He earned All-Star honors in the Texas League with San Antonio. He set career highs in 1982 at Albuquerque in most offensive categories, batting .317 with 12 home runs and 75 RBIs in 117 games. He hit in 15 straight games from April 30-May 13 and made his major league debut with the Dodgers in September.
Dave was the catcher and designated hitter at Albuquerque in 1983 and spent two brief stints with the Dodgers that year, going 0-for-8 in seven games. In 1984, he saw action at first and second base, at catcher and in the outfield for Albuquerque, where he batted .259 in 106 games with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. Sax signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in January 1985 after seven years in the Dodger organization.
He started the 1985 season with Boston and played once with Boston before going to Pawtucket on April 28. He was recalled by the Red Sox on June 2, [remaining] for the rest of the year and making 11 starts behind the plate. Dave began the 1986 season with the Red Sox but was sent to Pawtucket on May 16 without appearing in any games. He finished third on the PawSox in RBIs (49) and fourth in home runs (9). He was recalled by Boston on September 2 and hit his first major league home run on September 21 at Toronto.
Sax started the season in Boston for the third straight year in 1987. He appeared in just two games for the Red Sox, going 0-for-3 before being outrighted to Pawtucket on April 27, where he finished the season.
He played 45 games at third base, 17 as a catcher and five at first base for the PawSox. He hit .240 in 85 games with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs, batting .273 in 18 games as a designated hitter. Beginning on August 7, Dave hit .378 with a home run and nine RBIs in his final 16 games to raise his average from .212 to .240.
Sax spent the entire 1988 season with the Buffalo Bisons of the American Association, the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had been signed by the Texas Rangers as a free agent on October 31, 1987 and assigned to Oklahoma City. Dave was assigned to Buffalo when he was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from the Rangers organization on April 6 in exchange for first baseman Bill Merrifield.
He batted .233 in 38 games with seven runs, three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs. He threw out seven of 56 runners attempting to steal (13%).
Dave had a five-game hitting streak from June 15-July 2, going 5-for-16 (.313) with three RBIs in that span. His one game-winning RBI of the season came on July 31 against Louisville.
He signed with the Yankees as a six-year minor league free agent in December 1988.
Dave played two seasons at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, CA. He was Sacramento area College Player of the Year in 1978. He participated in baseball and basketball at Sacramento's James Marshall High School where he graduated in 1976. Dave also played Little League, Babe Ruth League and American Legion ball. He is the brother of Yankee second baseman Steve Sax.
Dave's hobbies are hunting and fishing."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
JIM WALEWANDER
"Jim spent the 1989 season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. He hit .225 over 133 games with 15 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 38 RBIs. He played a majority of his games at second base (85 games), but also played shortstop (13) and third base (1) as well. Jim has good speed as his 32 stolen bases ranked third in the International League. He ranked third in at-bats (434). Jim was signed by Yankee Vice-President George Bradley as a six-year minor league free agent in December 1989.
He was selected by the Tigers in the 9th round of the June 1983 free agent draft. That year he led the Appalachian League in stolen bases (35) and hit .319. He was named to the Appalachian League All-Star team. Jim hit a grand slam against Elizabethton on July 29.
In 1984 Jim finished second in the Florida State League with 47 stolen bases for Lakeland and named to the FSL All-Star team. He spent most of the 1985 season with Lakeland, hitting .283 and being named to the FSL All-Star team.
At Glens Falls in 1986, Jim hit .243 over 124 games and had 26 multi-hit games. He went 22 consecutive games at second base (June 25-July 19) without committing an error. He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team, the fourth straight year he was named to a league All-Star team.
Jim started the 1987 season with Toledo, hitting .271 in 59 games, and was promoted to the parent club on May 30. He made his major league debut on May 31 in the first game of a doubleheader against Minnesota, going 1-for-2 with his first major league hit: a second-inning double off Bert Blyleven. He hit his first major league home run off the Angels' Willie Fraser at Tiger Stadium on July 26. Jim twice scored the winning run in extra-inning games: on September 27 at Toronto in the 13th inning and on October 3 against Toronto in the 12th inning.
Overall, he appeared in 53 games, 14 as a pinch runner; the Tigers were 17-6 when he scored a run. He made one error in 85 infield chances, a .988 fielding percentage.
Jim spent most of the 1988 season with the Tigers, making the club in spring training as a non-roster invitee. He saw action in 88 games, making 59 starts- 55 at second base and four at shortstop. He was successful in 11 of 15 stolen base attempts and tied for the club lead with 10 sacrifice hits. Jim had a brief stint at Toledo (August 29-September 1)."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led Appalachian League in stolen bases (35), 1983.
Named to Appalachian League All-Star team, 1983.
Named to Florida State League All-Star team, 1984.
Named to Florida State League All-Star team, 1985.
Named to Eastern League All-Star team, 1986.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
"Making an impression in only eight major league games is a difficult chore for any player. Last season Yankee catcher made the most of his chances.
In 22 at-bats, the 29-year-old native of Terre Haute, Indiana collected eight hits for a .364 average. The departure of Columbus catcher Bob Geren to the parent club in May left Dorsett the main occupant of the home plate duties [in Columbus]. He responded admirably, hitting 17 home runs and adding 62 RBI.
Not that he's satisfied staying in the minors. The six-year minor leaguer will provide ample backup should Geren or Rick Cerone need assistance. You can be sure he'll make those opportunities count."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Dorsett played in 110 games for the Columbus Clippers in 1989, hitting .250 with 25 doubles, 17 home runs and 62 RBIs. He had his contract purchased by the Yankees on September 2.
He made eight appearances for the Yankees, all as a catcher. Brian did not make an error behind the plate and was 1-for-3 throwing out baserunners. The Yankees were 4-3 in the seven games he started; he caught a shutout, two one-run games and a two-run effort.
Brian made six starts and hit .444 (8-for-18) in that capacity. He hit .571 (4-for-7) with men in scoring position. He ended the season with a five-game hitting streak including three two-hit games.
He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Dorsett was Oakland's 10th round selection in the June 1983 free agent draft and began his pro career with Medford of the Northwest League. He spent just 14 games there, batting .271 and earning a promotion to Class-A Madison where he hit .255 in 58 games. Brian spent the entire 1984 season at Modesto, hitting .264 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs.
He began the 1985 season at Madison but was promoted to AA Huntsville and batted a combined .268 with 53 runs scored, 127 hits, 13 home runs and 73 RBIs in 128 games. He was on Oaklands' 40-man roster in 1986 and played his first year of AAA ball at their PCL club at Tacoma, setting career highs in doubles (33) while hitting 10 home runs with 51 RBIs.
Dorsett began the 1987 season with Tacoma and batted .234 with six home runs and 39 RBIs in 74 games. He was acquired by Cleveland on July 15, along with pitcher Darrell Akerfelds in exchange for second baseman Tony Bernazard, and reported to AAA Buffalo where he batted .256 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 26 games. Dorsett was called up to Cleveland on September 4.
He appeared in his first major league game on September 8 against Seattle (flew out as a pinch hitter) and collected his first big league hit in his third at-bat, a pinch-hit RBI single off Gene Nelson of the A's on September 22 in Cleveland. Brian made his first start behind the plate on September 27 against California and went 2-for-3 including his only big league homer, a two-run blast off Don Sutton in the 8th inning. He was 0-for-4 throwing out runners attempting to steal.
Dorsett opened 1988 on Cleveland's 40-man roster but did not play in any games while recovering from arthroscopic surgery that was performed on his right elbow on March 23. He was acquired by the Angels organization on July 8 for a player to be named later and was assigned to the Edmonton Trappers, California's AAA Pacific Coast League affiliate. Brian batted .262 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 53 games at Edmonton.
He had his contract purchased by the Angels on September 1, and in seven games with California batted .091 (1-for-11) with two RBIs. His one hit and two RBIs came on September 6 at Kansas City on a two-run single off Mark Gubicza in his only at-bat. After that, he went 0-for-8 in his remaining five games. Brian registered five RBIs in his first 22 major league at-bats (11 with California and 11 with Cleveland in 1987).
Brian committed three passed balls in his seven games and did not appear after September 13. He was obtained by the Yankees from Edmonton in November 1988 in exchange for pitcher Eric Schmidt.
Brian starred in baseball, basketball and football at Terre Haute (IN) North High School, where he graduated in 1979. He attended Indiana State University and was first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference in baseball in 1983 and second team in 1982.
Brian played Little League and American Legion ball as a youngster."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
BOB BROWER
"The key for Bob Brower is to be ready. He won't be in the starting outfield and may not even make the club. But he can still help the Yankees, as long as he's ready when he gets the call.
Brower is the type of player who can provide insurance for a team. He is a good outfielder, with an accurate arm. At the plate he has some power and can even steal a base for you.
Last year he was used as a fill-in, coming in for injured players. This year, at age 30, he will be called on to do the same."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Hampered by a right-side groin pull aggravated at the end of spring training, Bob began the 1989 season on the 15-day disabled list. He was activated on April 16 and started that day.
He went hitless in his first game but followed with a three-game hit streak in Toronto (April 17-19), going 5-for-10 including a go-ahead solo home run off Mike Flanagan in a 7-2 Yankee win on April 17. Over his next 14 games Bob hit .179 (5-for-28) dropping his average from .385 to .244. He broke his slump in Seattle (May 19-21) by hitting in three straight games (5-for-14), including a solo homer off Roger Hanson on May 19 in a 9-5 Yankee win. On May 21, he had a season-best three-hit effort including a double and an RBI.
Brower was optioned to Columbus on May 31. At the time he was hitting .231 (16-for-69) with three doubles, two home runs and three RBIs. He remained with the Clippers through the remainder of 1989, hitting .253 (24-for-95) in 26 games with three doubles, two homers, eight RBIs and 15 runs scored. Bob played every game after his option until his season ended on July 1 when he was placed on the disabled list with a chronic right elbow injury. On July 13 he had reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. The surgery consisted of having his ulnar nerve transplanted.
He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Brower was signed by the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 1982 by scout Joe Branzell after an outstanding career at Duke University where he graduated in 1982. He started 1983 at Burlington and had six hits on June 7 against Beloit, the only six-hit game in professional baseball that year. Bob was promoted to Tulsa on June 13. At Tulsa in 1984 he was second in the Texas League in steals (54) and was fourth in triples (9).
In 1985 Bob led the American Association in triples and tied for fourth in games (133). He hit for the cycle against Buffalo on May 27, including the game-winning triple in the 11th inning.
While playing for Oklahoma City in 1986, Bob was selected as the American Association 'Star of Stars' by the Howe News Bureau and as the Rangers overall Minor League Player of the Year. He led the A.A. in runs (130), at-bats (550) and walks (94), was tied for the top spot in games (140) and hits (158), tied for second in total bases (236) and was third in steals (53). His run total was an Oklahoma City club record and the highest in the American Association since 1953. Bob was also selected to the league's All-Star team and led the AA in putouts (366) and chances (382).
He was recalled by Texas on September 1 and made his big league debut as a pinch runner that night at Boston, scoring the winning run. He doubled off Minnesota's Bill Latham on September 13 for his first major league hit. Brower had an outstanding winter ball season at La Romana in the Dominican Republic, winning the league's MVP award while batting .316 with four homers and a league high 37 RBIs.
In 1987, his first full major league season, Brower placed second on the Rangers in sacrifice hits (9), fourth in stolen bases (15) and tied for fifth in home runs (14), the latter being his professional career high. He started a total of 80 games in the outfield, including 25 of the last 31 contests beginning on September 2. He was bothered at times by a jammed right wrist and a sore right shoulder.
Bob had a good start, batting .282 (11-for-39) in 16 games in April, but batted just .210 (13-for-62) in 38 contests over the next two months. He finished strong, batting .324 (25-for-77) in his last 26 games; included in that stretch was a career-high six-game hitting streak from September 6-11 when he batted .455 (10-for-22).
He had 22 multi-hit games in '87, with a career high of four hits on July 26 at Cleveland. His 14 home runs broke his previous pro high of 13 in 1986 at Oklahoma City.
Brower hit the first inside-the-park grand slam in Ranger history off Eric Plunk of the A's on June 21 (second game) at Oakland. He was the first American Leaguer to accomplish that feat since Minnesota's Tom Brunansky, also a rookie, on July 19, 1982. Brower also hit a two-run homer off Dennis Lamp in that game to give him a career high six RBIs, and the two homers and six RBIs both were one shy of the Texas single-game club records.
He had one other two-homer game, July 26 at Cleveland. He homered to lead off the Texas half of the first inning four times, including his first major league home run on April 28 off the Yankees' Dennis Rasmussen. In addition to his six-RBI game, Brower had four RBIs once and three in a game twice. He singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning on August 5 against Boston.
He played in only 82 games for the Rangers in 1988 and batted .224 (45-for-201) with a home run and 11 RBIs. He did have 10 stolen bases in 15 attempts.
He underwent arthroscopic surgery before the start of the 1988 season, on January 6, to repair torn cartilage in his right shoulder. He was ready by spring training but began the regular season on the 15-day disabled list, having been placed on the DL on March 28 with a pulled right calf muscle.
Brower was activated on April 27 and made his first appearance that day as a designated hitter against Minnesota. He had a four-game hitting streak from May 3-7, his longest hitting streak of the year, batting .500 (6-for-12) in that span, including a 3-for-5 game on May 6 against the Yankees. That streak was broken when he was forced to leave the game of May 10 after the second inning with tightness in his right calf, having gone 0-for-1. In his first game back on May 14, Brower went 2-for-4 to raise his overall season average to .375 (9-for-24) after nine games, his high point of the year.
That three-hit game on May 6 was one of nine multiple-hit games in 1988, including four three-hit games, the other three coming on June 3 at Chicago, June 21 against Seattle on June 28 at Seattle. Bob had four multiple-hit games in an eight-game stretch from June 21 through July 3, batting .370 (10-for-27) in that span.
In the final game of that stretch, on July 3 against Baltimore, Bob hit his only home run of the season, a grand slam off Don Aase. It was his second career grand slam. In that game he also matched his career high with six RBIs (accounting for more than half of his 11 RBIs for the season) and it was the Ranger team high for 1988.
Bob finished the season by batting .091 (2-for-22) in his last 14 games to lower his average from .240 on September 5 to his final .224 mark.
He twice had two stolen bases in a game, on July 8 at Baltimore and on September 4 at Toronto. He was successful in six of his last seven stolen base attempts.
For the year, he started 15 games in left field, 26 games in center field, one in right field and six games as the designated hitter.
Bob was acquired by the Yankees from the Texas Rangers in December 1988 in exchange for shortstop Bobby Meacham.
Bob went to Duke on a football scholarship. He lettered four times in baseball and three times in football. In 1981 Bob led the nation in triples and was a first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He gained 130 yards rushing against North Carolina in 1979 to earn ACC 'Offensive Back of the Week' honors. In 1981 he caught 12 passes against Virginia, one shy of the school record. Bob also played a summer in the Alaskan Baseball League.
He played baseball, basketball, football and ran track at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia where he graduated in 1978. He earned all-regional honors in all four sports in his senior year. He participated in Little League, Babe Ruth League and Clark Griffith League programs.
Bob's hobbies are hunting, fishing and music."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led American Association in bases on balls (94), 1986.
Led American Association outfielders in total chances (382), 1986.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
LUIS POLONIA
"With the return of All-Star outfielder Dave Winfield, playing time for Luis Polonia may be hard to come by in 1990. But what Polonia offers the Yankees is a very exciting, productive contributor who can fill in when needed.
Since arriving from Oakland in the 1989 Rickey Henderson deal, Polonia has been frequently asked to spark a stagnant offense or make a sensational sliding catch in the outfield. Last year in Pinstripes, he hit .313 and drove in 29 runs in only 66 games. This year the Yankees know the little left-hander is ready when they are."
-The New York Yankees Official 1990 Yearbook
"Polonia was hitting .286 with one home run and 17 RBIs for the Oakland A's in 1989, with nine walks, 15 strikeouts and 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts. On June 21 he was obtained from the Yankees with pitchers Eric Plunk and Greg Cadaret in exchange for outfielder Rickey Henderson.
He played his first game as a Yankee on June 23 in Kansas City and went 0-for-4 but then hit in six straight games (10-for-27, .370) with six RBIs. He hit .304 (7-for-23) in five games in June as a Yankee with two multi-hit efforts, hitting safely in four of five games.
In July, Luis hit in seven straight from July 9-19, going 11-for-33 (.333) and raising his average from .302 to .314. For the month he hit .290 (27-for-93) with two home runs and 12 RBIs, hitting safely in 19 of 25 games and ending July with a .293 average.
Luis hit for his highest average in August at .338 (22-for-65). From August 20-28 he hit in a season best eight straight games (10-for-24, .417), putting his average over .300 to stay. He played in 22 games in the month and hit safely in 14 games, with six games being multi-hit efforts.
He played sparingly in September-October, appearing in 14 games (12 starts) and hitting .326 (15-for-46) for the month. Polonia hit .357 (25-for-70) over his final 22 games (from August 20), raising his average from .292 to a season-ending .313.
He hit .298 before the break and .318 after, hit .344 (21-for-61) in day games and .301 (50-for-166) at night. Polonia hit .311 (14-for-45) against left-handed pitchers and .313 against righties, hit.376 (41-for-109) at Yankee Stadium and .254 (30-for-118) on the road. He started nine games as the designated hitter and hit .333 (11-for-33) with six runs scored; he hit two home runs as a Yankee.
Polonia made two errors in the outfield (113 chances) and had six assists, ranking 16th in the American League with a .985 fielding percentage. He was 9-for-13 stealing bases as a Yankee and 22-for-30 on the season. Luis is now 75-for-99 stealing bases in his career.
He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Signed as a free agent by the Oakland A's organization in January 1984, Luis stepped in and had a fine season for Class-A Modesto (Midwest League) in his first professional year. He hit .308 with eight homers and 65 RBIs for the Muskies. He stroked 163 hits in 135 games, stole 55 bases, struck out 95 times and drew 57 walks.
Luis had another fine year in 1985 as hit.289 in 130 games for Double-A Huntsville (Southern League). He hustled for 18 triples, one short of the league record set by Alvin Davis [who later starred with Seattle], stole 39 bases and had a .389 on-base percentage.
He enjoyed his third consecutive successful season in the Oakland organization in 1986, hitting .301 with Triple-A Tacoma. A steady performer, his average rarely deviated more than a few points off the .312 mark for the majority of the season. Polonia had 13 multi-hit games and struck out only 16 times in his first 191 at-bats and 24 times in his last 130 at-bats. He led the Pacific Coast League in at-bats and hits and was fourth in stolen bases (36).
Polonia was Oakland's leadoff hitter for 92 games in 1987 and in his other 10 starts was in the number nine spot of the order. He picked up his first major league hit at the Coliseum on April 25 off the Mariners' Scott Bankhead, and his first homer on April 28 off Boston's Calvin Schiraldi.
He put together a 1987 club high 17-game hitting streak from May 2-June 1. In the streak he hit .450 (27-for-60).
Luis topped the A's with 29 steals in 36 attempts and also led the club with 10 triples, the second-best total in A's history, exceeded only by Phil Garner's 12 in 1976. He tied for fourth on the A's with 33 multi-hit games and was one of the top hitters in the clutch, as his .343 average with men in scoring position led the team.
A member of the A's 40-man roster during spring training in 1988, Polonia opened the season in Tacoma. He hit .335 for the Tigers, which ended up being the highest average on the club for '88. He also had 31 steals in 46 attempts.
Polonia was recalled to Oakland on June 15 and found himself in the starting lineup the next day. He played in 82 of the club's next 89 games from that point on; the A's were 64-25 during that stretch.
He got off to a slow start after his recall, going 2-for-16, but rebounded with six hits in nine at-bats on June 24 and 26 against Minnesota. Luis wound up hitting .306 (11-for-36) during June and hit safely in 12 of 13 games from July 3-24. He hit his first homer of the season off Todd Stottlemyre in Oakland.
His average was at .315 after a 3-for-5 day against the Angels on August 13 but, after Luis went 15-for-73, dropped to .285 by September 8. He got his average back over .300 the next night with a 5-for-5 game against the Royals. He also scored five runs that night; the five runs and five hits each tied club records. Luis wen 16-for-62 to close the season, dropping his average to a season-ending .292.
For the season, he stole 24 bases in 33 attempts. Luis was a much better hitter in the Coliseum than on the road: in Oakland, he hit .322 (49-for-152) as opposed to .257 (35-for-136) on the road. He was Oakland's leadoff hitter in 54 games; he hit safely in 44 of those games (75-for-235) for a .319 average.
Luis hit .300 in the League Championship Series, going 2-for-5 in Game 2. He also stole a base that night. He appeared in Games 1 and 4 as a pinch runner and pinch hitter, respectively. Luis was 1-for-8 in the World Series and scored a run.
Luis attended San Francisco school in the Dominican Republic. He resides in Santiago City, D.R. during the off-season."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
JEFF DATZ
"Jeff spent the 1989 season in the Tiger organization after previously being in the Houston organization for seven seasons. He was signed by Detroit as a free agent in November 1988 and spent the season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' AAA affiliate. Datz batted .247 in 77 games with 13 doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs.
He made one tour of duty with Detroit (September 5-30), hitting .200 (2-for-10) in seven games. Jeff was hit by a pitch in his first major league at-bat against Kansas City (Jeff Montgomery). His first major league hit came on September 20 at Baltimore, a 9th inning single off Greg Olson. He was signed by the Yankees in November of 1989 as a six-year minor league free agent.
Datz was selected by the Astros in the 19th round of the June 1982 free agent draft. He was signed by Houston scout Clary Anderson. He played in 36 games with Class-A Auburn, where he hit .224 with 15 RBIs in his first professional season.
He began the 1983 season with Class-A Daytona Beach and batted .273 in 47 games with nine doubles and 19 RBIs. Jeff was promoted to AA Columbus (GA) where he appeared in 39 games, hitting .194 and driving in 11 runs. He split the 1984 season between Daytona Beach and Auburn and batted a combined .202 in 35 games with 13 RBIs.
Jeff spent 1985 with Columbus where he appeared in 53 games and batted .193 with 13 RBIs. He also spent the majority of the 1986 season with Columbus and batted .325 in 59 games with 26 runs and 13 doubles, then was promoted to AAA Tucson for two games.
He was back in Columbus in 1987, batting .248 in 121 games with career highs in doubles (21), homers (8) and RBIs (42). Jeff spent the entire 1989 season with Tucson and batted .223 in 60 games with seven of his 33 hits (21%) being doubles.
Jeff graduated from Glassboro State where he earned a B.A. in health and physical education. He was a Division III All-American in baseball and helped lead Glassboro to a 1979 Division III championship. Jeff attended Clearview Regional High School where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball and competed against current major leaguers Dan Pasqua and Jay Aldrich."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
DAMASO GARCIA
"Damaso spent the 1989 season with the Montreal Expos after being signed as a free agent on April 3. He appeared in 80 games and hit .271 (55-for-203) with three home runs and 18 RBIs. Damaso made 46 starts, all at second base.
He was 2-for-8 through his first four games, then hit in four straight to bring his average up to .385 (10-for-26). He then slumped through the remainder of April (3-for-25, .120) to bring his average for the month down to .255 (13-for-51) over 18 games (11 starts).
Garcia played in only eight games in May (3-for-17, .176) as he was on the 15-day disabled list from May 13-26 with a sore left heel. He hit .216 in June (8-for-37), starting seven games, and through the break was hitting .246 over 46 games.
He hit in a season best six straight games from July 21-29 (11-for-18, .611), raising his average from .238 to .285. Included was a 4-for-4 game on July 28 against Cincinnati, Garcia's high-hit game of the season, and it tied the Expos' individual high for the season, accomplished by five others. He hit .360 (18-for-50) in July while starting 13 games, the most he would start in a month.
Damaso continued to swing a hot bat in August, hitting safely in nine of 14 games at .294 (10-for-34). He appeared in just six games (five stars) in August, going 3-for-14 (.214).
His overall average (.271) was 15 points below his career average entering 1989. Garcia was signed by the Yankees as a free agent in December 1989 to a contract for the 1990 season.
Signed by Yankee scout Epy Guerrero in March 1975, Garcia began his pro career with Oneonta. In 1976, he led the Florida State League in double plays with 83 and in total chances with 647. He had his first taste of AA ball at West Haven in 1977, setting a personal high with 53 RBIs.
In 1978 Damaso made his major league debut on June 25 and went 2-for-4, scoring all three runs in a 4-3 Yankee loss. After starting the 1979 season at AAA Columbus, he hit into a triple play on September 21 at Toronto. In November of 1979 Garcia was traded with first baseman Chris Chambliss and pitcher Paul Mirabella to the Toronto Blue Jays for catcher Rick Cerone, pitcher Tom Underwood and outfielder Ted Wilborn.
1980 was his first full season in the majors. Garcia assisted in 112 of Toronto's AL record-tying total of double plays and was named Blue Jays' Rookie of the Year as selected by the local BBWAA. He spent most of [the post-strike second half] of the 1981 season on the DL as he broke the fifth bone in his right hand after being hit by an Ed Farmer pitch on August 21.
Garcia was Toronto's 1982 MVP as selected by the local BBWAA and was named the second baseman on The Sporting News AL Silver Slugger team. He went hitless in two successive games only once all year. He established the then-club mark of 89 runs scored. Garcia was second in the AL with 54 steals, sixth in hits (185, then the club record) and batting average (.310, then the club record) and 13th in the loop with 32 doubles (then the club record).
In 1983 he was among the league leaders in batting average (.307, 12th in the AL), stolen bases (31, 11th) and triples (6, 14th). Damaso set a Blue Jays record with a 21-game hitting streak from June 21-July 16. He was the only second baseman in the majors to have back-to-back .300 seasons in 1982 and '83.
Damaso was named to the American League All-Star team for the first time in 1984. He led the Blue Jays in multiple-hit games with 54 and was sixth in the AL with 46 steals. In 1985 he was named to both The Sporting News AL All-Star team and the publication's All-Latin team. Garcia was also the winner of the Roberto Clemente Award given annually to the player 'perpetuating the memory' of the first Latin Hall of Famer. He set a personal high with a six-RBI night on May 10 against Seattle, led the Blue Jays in hits and struck out just once every 14.8 at-bats.
In 1986, Garcia had a four-RBI night on May 18 at Cleveland, then enjoyed a 16-game hitting streak from June 15-July 8, batting .449 (31-for-89) with eight RBIs; he tied a major league record and set a Toronto club record with four doubles on June 27 at Yankee Stadium. On July 9 against Seattle, he fanned three times in one game for the first time since June 7, 1983.
Garcia reached the 1,000-hit plateau on July 10 against Oakland and became the first Blue Jay to collect 1,000 hits on July 29 at Kansas City. For the season, he had a fielding percentage of .985, the highest ever by a second baseman with at least 100 games, and by season's end became the Blue Jays' all-time leader in hits (1,028), at-bats (3,572) and stolen bases (194).
He was traded in February 1987 with pitcher Luis Leal to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitcher Craig McMurtry. He was sidelined for the entire '87 campaign with torn ligaments in his left knee.
Damaso was first placed on the 15-day disabled list on March 29, then transferred to the 21-day DL on April 13. He was placed on the 20-day rehab roster at AAA Richmond on June 29, and after just one at-bat was recalled from the rehab roster. Damaso was activated on September 1 but did not see any action.
He started the 1987 season with Atlanta, hitting .117 (7-for-60) over 21 games. He was released on May 17 and signed by the Dodgers on June 29, being immediately assigned to their AAA affiliate at Albuquerque. He appeared in three games and went 2-for-5 and was released on August 15."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Tied for New York-Penn League lead in double plays, second baseman (33), 1975.
Led Florida State League second basemen in double plays (83), 1976.
Named second baseman on The Sporting News American League All-Star team, 1982.
Named second baseman on The Sporting News American League Silver Slugger team, 1982.
Named second baseman on The Sporting News American League All-Star team, 1985.
Tied major league record, most doubles, game (4), June 27, 1986.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
DAVE SAX
"Sax started the 1989 season with Columbus as a non-active coach. He assisted in the bullpen and worked closely with the young catchers until he was activated as a player-coach on August 9. He remained on the active roster through the remainder of the season. Although he appeared in only 21 games, Dave helped the team by hitting .313 (20-for-64) with three doubles and five RBIs. He signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Sax was originally signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in June 1978 and batted .269 at Lethbridge in his first professional season. He batted .270 with Clinton in 1979 and was named to the Midwest League All-Star team. He split the 1980 season between Lodi, where he batted .171, and Vero Beach, where he hit .352.
In 1981, Sax was converted to catching after playing as an infielder and outfielder in his first three professional seasons. He earned All-Star honors in the Texas League with San Antonio. He set career highs in 1982 at Albuquerque in most offensive categories, batting .317 with 12 home runs and 75 RBIs in 117 games. He hit in 15 straight games from April 30-May 13 and made his major league debut with the Dodgers in September.
Dave was the catcher and designated hitter at Albuquerque in 1983 and spent two brief stints with the Dodgers that year, going 0-for-8 in seven games. In 1984, he saw action at first and second base, at catcher and in the outfield for Albuquerque, where he batted .259 in 106 games with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. Sax signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in January 1985 after seven years in the Dodger organization.
He started the 1985 season with Boston and played once with Boston before going to Pawtucket on April 28. He was recalled by the Red Sox on June 2, [remaining] for the rest of the year and making 11 starts behind the plate. Dave began the 1986 season with the Red Sox but was sent to Pawtucket on May 16 without appearing in any games. He finished third on the PawSox in RBIs (49) and fourth in home runs (9). He was recalled by Boston on September 2 and hit his first major league home run on September 21 at Toronto.
Sax started the season in Boston for the third straight year in 1987. He appeared in just two games for the Red Sox, going 0-for-3 before being outrighted to Pawtucket on April 27, where he finished the season.
He played 45 games at third base, 17 as a catcher and five at first base for the PawSox. He hit .240 in 85 games with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs, batting .273 in 18 games as a designated hitter. Beginning on August 7, Dave hit .378 with a home run and nine RBIs in his final 16 games to raise his average from .212 to .240.
Sax spent the entire 1988 season with the Buffalo Bisons of the American Association, the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had been signed by the Texas Rangers as a free agent on October 31, 1987 and assigned to Oklahoma City. Dave was assigned to Buffalo when he was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from the Rangers organization on April 6 in exchange for first baseman Bill Merrifield.
He batted .233 in 38 games with seven runs, three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs. He threw out seven of 56 runners attempting to steal (13%).
Dave had a five-game hitting streak from June 15-July 2, going 5-for-16 (.313) with three RBIs in that span. His one game-winning RBI of the season came on July 31 against Louisville.
He signed with the Yankees as a six-year minor league free agent in December 1988.
Dave played two seasons at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, CA. He was Sacramento area College Player of the Year in 1978. He participated in baseball and basketball at Sacramento's James Marshall High School where he graduated in 1976. Dave also played Little League, Babe Ruth League and American Legion ball. He is the brother of Yankee second baseman Steve Sax.
Dave's hobbies are hunting and fishing."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
JIM WALEWANDER
"Jim spent the 1989 season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. He hit .225 over 133 games with 15 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 38 RBIs. He played a majority of his games at second base (85 games), but also played shortstop (13) and third base (1) as well. Jim has good speed as his 32 stolen bases ranked third in the International League. He ranked third in at-bats (434). Jim was signed by Yankee Vice-President George Bradley as a six-year minor league free agent in December 1989.
He was selected by the Tigers in the 9th round of the June 1983 free agent draft. That year he led the Appalachian League in stolen bases (35) and hit .319. He was named to the Appalachian League All-Star team. Jim hit a grand slam against Elizabethton on July 29.
In 1984 Jim finished second in the Florida State League with 47 stolen bases for Lakeland and named to the FSL All-Star team. He spent most of the 1985 season with Lakeland, hitting .283 and being named to the FSL All-Star team.
At Glens Falls in 1986, Jim hit .243 over 124 games and had 26 multi-hit games. He went 22 consecutive games at second base (June 25-July 19) without committing an error. He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team, the fourth straight year he was named to a league All-Star team.
Jim started the 1987 season with Toledo, hitting .271 in 59 games, and was promoted to the parent club on May 30. He made his major league debut on May 31 in the first game of a doubleheader against Minnesota, going 1-for-2 with his first major league hit: a second-inning double off Bert Blyleven. He hit his first major league home run off the Angels' Willie Fraser at Tiger Stadium on July 26. Jim twice scored the winning run in extra-inning games: on September 27 at Toronto in the 13th inning and on October 3 against Toronto in the 12th inning.
Overall, he appeared in 53 games, 14 as a pinch runner; the Tigers were 17-6 when he scored a run. He made one error in 85 infield chances, a .988 fielding percentage.
Jim spent most of the 1988 season with the Tigers, making the club in spring training as a non-roster invitee. He saw action in 88 games, making 59 starts- 55 at second base and four at shortstop. He was successful in 11 of 15 stolen base attempts and tied for the club lead with 10 sacrifice hits. Jim had a brief stint at Toledo (August 29-September 1)."
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Led Appalachian League in stolen bases (35), 1983.
Named to Appalachian League All-Star team, 1983.
Named to Florida State League All-Star team, 1984.
Named to Florida State League All-Star team, 1985.
Named to Eastern League All-Star team, 1986.
-1990 New York Yankees Information Guide
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)