1991 Profile: Greg Cadaret

"The Yankees' bullpen might be best known for its versatility and Greg Cadaret might best symbolize that all-around ability. Cadaret has demonstrated that he can pitch well in long relief, in short relief, as a closer and even as a starter.
'Every staff needs that type of pitcher, someone who can fill a number of roles,' says pitching coach Mark Connor. 'Greg has been a savior for us at times, by coming in and doing the job wherever and whenever he's been needed.'
In an era where the game has become highly specialized, Cadaret's main concern is throwing as often as possible. Quiet with the media, yet known by his teammates as the bullpen chatterbox, fireballer Greg Cadaret is making loud noises on the mound for the Yankees."

-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook

"Greg had a solid season in 1990, seeing action as a starter, middle reliever and closer. He finished the season with a 5-4 record and three saves (in four opportunities) and a 4.15 ERA in 54 games (six starts).
He made two short relief outings to start the season, then made six straight starts from April 15-May 13 in place of Chuck Cary (DL). He made five appearances (3 GS) in April and was 1-1 with a 7.90 ERA (13.2 IP).
In May, Greg made eight appearances (three starts followed by five relief outings) and was 0-3 with a 4.24 ERA (23.1 IP). Through May he was 1-4 with a 5.75 ERA and allowed at least one earned run in 14 of his 17 appearances. After his six starts, his final 46 games were all in relief.
Greg settled down in June, appearing in 10 games and going 1-0 with a 3.20 ERA (25.1 IP). He ended the month allowing two earned runs over his final 13.2 innings pitched and dropping his season ERA from 5.55 to 4.62.
July was his best month, with Greg going 1-0 with two saves (in three chances) and a 1.93 ERA (23.1 IP). For the season, he was 2-4 with no saves and a 4.35 ERA in 26 games at the break. From June 16-July 14, Greg posted a 1.26 ERA (28.2 IP, 4 ER). He allowed two earned runs in his first 15 innings pitched after the break.
On August 7 at Seattle he pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, dropping his ERA to a season low 3.56. He was 2-0 with a 3.22 ERA (22.1 IP) in August. Greg had a tough September, posting a 7.43 ERA (13.1 IP) over 10 appearances. After the break, he was 3-0 in 28 games with three saves and a 3.88 ERA.
In a starting role Greg made six starts and was 1-3 with a 6.11 ERA (28.0 IP, 19 ER) and allowed 31 hits (12 extra-base hits) and four home runs, a ratio of 1.3 homers every nine innings pitched. The Yankees were 2-4 in his six starts. As a reliever, he pitched in 48 games and was 4-1 with a 3.57 ERA (93.1 IP, 37 ER) and allowed 89 hits (23 extra-base hits) and four homers, a ratio of 0.4 homers every nine innings pitched.
Greg made 23 appearances of one inning or less and had a 10.38 ERA (13 IP, 15 ER). He made 26 outings of more than one inning and was 3-0 with two saves and a 2.46 ERA (80.1 IP, 22 ER). Greg's real strength was super-long relief, as he made four outings of five or more innings and posted a sparkling 0.36 ERA (24.2 IP, 1 ER) in that capacity.
He pitched 93.1 innings which was seventh best in the American League. Greg's longest outing of the season was on August 20 against Toronto (7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R), resulting in a win.
His first win of the year was on April 28 against California (fifth game, third game started) when he pitched six innings (3 H, 2  ER). He ended the season with a four-game winning streak, last losing on May 24 at Minnesota.
On July 29 at Cleveland, Greg saves both ends of a doubleheader, the first two non-Righetti Yankee saves of 1990. His three saves for the season matched his career total entering '90, with all three coming in 1988.
Greg allowed seven home runs through his first 45.0 innings pitched, through June 8, then only one over his final 76.1 innings. He had a string of 66.2 homerless innings snapped on September 1 at Boston on a Mike Greenwell inside-the-park homer; his last homer allowed before that was also an inside-the-parker, by Phil Bradley at Baltimore on June 8.
For the second straight season, Greg led Yankee pitchers in getting credit for runners caught stealing (10). Over the past two seasons he's gotten credit for 13 runners caught stealing.
He signed a contract for the 1991 season.
Greg was obtained by the Yankees on June 21,1989 along with pitcher Eric Plunk and outfielder Luis Polonia in exchange for outfielder Rickey Henderson. At the time of the trade he was 0-0 with a 2.28 ERA and a .214 batting average against. He had pitched 27.2 innings and allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 21 hits and 19 walks [1.45 WHIP] and had struck out 14, not allowing a homer. Greg made his Yankee debut the day he arrived (June 22) and was the winning pitcher, 10-7; he allowed two runs (one earned) over 2.2 innings, earning his first win since September 18, 1988.
His first four outings were in relief (7.1 IP, 6 ER) with Greg going 1-0 with a 7.36 ERA. On July 7 at Boston, he made his first major league start and first professionally since starting for the AA Huntsville Stars in 1986. He had a tough first inning (4 R, 5 H) but then settled down. He allowed six earned runs on nine hits (including his first homer of '89, to Mike Greenwell) over a then career-high 5.2 innings and was the losing pitcher. At the break Greg was 1-1 with an 8.31 ERA in five appearances.
Greg made three straight starts (July 7-21) and went 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA (18.2 IP, 9 ER). On July 16 he pitched a rain-shortened seven-inning complete game. He ended July by pitching two games out of the pen (3.2 IP, 1 ER).
After July, Greg made 11 appearances of which 10 were starts. He made six straight starts in August before ending with a relief appearance. On August 7 at Cleveland, he pitched a complete game 2-hitter (the Yankee low-hit game of 1989) in a 9-0 win. Greg had a no-hitter until Brook Jacoby led off the 8th with a single to left on a 2-2 pitch; he allowed a ninth-inning double to Luis Aguayo for the other hit. After a loss at Minnesota he had another strong outing, allowing one earned in seven-plus innings in a 2-1 win at Detroit; he left leading 2-0 as the Yankees had scored twice in the first inning on a two-run single by Mel Hall before the Tigers scored an eighth-inning run.
From July 16-August 17 (eight appearances) Greg was 3-2 with a 2.44 ERA (44.1 IP,12 ER), lowering his ERA from 8.31 to 3.77. For the month of August he was 2-2 in seven games with a 4.42 ERA (38.2 IP, 19 ER) and in four September games (all starts) was 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA (24 IP, 12 ER).
On September 2 Greg pitched a complete game 6-hitter in a 2-1 Yankee win over the Angels in New York; the lone run came on a sixth-inning Brian Downing home run. His final outing of the season came against the Brewers in New York and he lasted two innings, allowing six earned runs on five hits to take the loss and drop his record to 5-5.
In 13 starts Greg was 4-5 with a 4.02 ERA (80.2 IP, 36 ER). He pitched into the seventh inning in nine of his 13 starts, and in eight of his 13 starts was supported by three runs or less. The Yankees were 5-8 when he started. He fanned 59 batters (6.6/9 IP), walked 33 (3.79/9 P) and six of the seven homers he allowed were in starts. In seven relief outings Greg was 1-0 with no saves and posted an 8.49 ERA (11.2 IP, 11 ER). The Yankees were 2-5 when he pitched in relief.
He was 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA and a .345 batting average against in day games and 3-3, 4.50 with a .284 BA against in night games. He was 4-2 with a 4.64 ERA with a .273 batting average against in home games and 1-3, 4.50 with a .329 BA against in away games.
Greg was drafted by the A's in the 11th round of the June 1983 draft. He reported to Medford where he went 7-3 with a 4.36 ERA and struck out 51 in 64 innings. Greg moved to Modesto of the California League in 1984. He was 13-8 there with a 3.08 ERA, allowing just 162 hits in 171.1 innings while striking out 138. He made 26 appearances, all starts, and had six complete games.
He started at Modesto in 1985, then moved to AA Huntsville for the completion of the season. Greg was 3-9 at Modesto with a 5.87 ERA and had control problems, walking 54 in 61.1 innings but struck out 43. At Huntsville, he was 3-7 with a 6.12 ERA, appearing in 17 games, all starts. Greg spent the entire 1986 season at Huntsville and was 12-5 with a 5.41 ERA. He still had control problems, walking 98 in 141.1 innings but also struck out 113.
In 1987, Greg opened the year at Huntsville where he was switched to a relief role after being a starter for all but one game of his minor league career. He went 5-2 with nine saves in 24 games for the Stars with a 2.90 ERA and was named to the Southern League All-Star team. Greg was moved up to Tacoma on June 15 and was 1-2 with a save and a 3.46 ERA in seven games.
Selected by the A's on July 2, Greg made his major league debut on July 5 against Boston in the Coliseum- he came in to face Wade Boggs with the bases loaded and no one out. He wound up walking Boggs but came back on July 17 to record his first major league win over the same Red Sox at Fenway Park.
An injury to Matt Young enabled Greg to be a part of the A's staff on Opening Day of 1988 and he proved to be a very valuable member of the A's record-setting bullpen. He was just about on his way to Tacoma when Young developed elbow problems at the end of spring training. Used as a left-handed setup man, Greg's finest month was May when he pitched a total of nine innings and allowed just four hits and one earned run and had six strikeouts.
His longest stint of the season was four innings on June 11 at Texas; he allowed just one hit that night, walking two and striking out two, and earned his first win of the year. Greg picked up his first career major league save at Seattle on July 31.
He had a fine August, going 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA (15 IP,3 ER). For the season, he allowed just 10 of 57 inherited runners to score (18%).
In college, Greg was first-team all-conference in baseball at Grand Valley State. He graduated from Central Montcalm High School in Stanton, Michigan where he played golf, basketball and baseball- Greg was first-team all-conference and team MVP in both basketball and baseball. He played Little League and Babe Ruth League ball in Stanton, grew up a Tiger fan and his favorite player was Al Kaline.
Greg listens to Huey Lewis and enjoys golf, fishing and hunting and spending time with his family in the off-season."

-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide

1991 Profile: Tim Leary

"Leary must recover from a nightmarish 19-loss season that fell two defeats short of the Yankees record. He did not pitch after September 19 to keep matters from getting any worse. He endured a career high eight-game losing streak from May 28-July 8. A victim of terrible run support, Leary held the opposition to one run three times and wound up with two losses and a no-decision. Shoddy catching contributed to a club record 23 wild pitches, one shy of Jack Morris' American League mark.
Born in Santa Monica, Leary played an important role in the Dodgers' unexpected rise to the World Championship in 1988 by winning 17 games and pitching six shutouts. He was acquired by the Yankees from the Reds with Van Snider for Hal Morris and Rodney Imes before last season."

-John Shea and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1991 Edition

"Had he arrived a year or two earlier, Tim Leary just might have put up the big pitching numbers the Yankees were looking for. Instead, frustrated by a lack of run support in 1990, Leary struggled through a disappointing 9-19 season.
However, numbers can be deceiving. Despite the record, most baseball people recognized the quality of Leary's performance. A number of rival clubs even approached the Yankees about trading for Leary whose effort did not go unnoticed. His big problem last year was the fact that the Yankees scored an average of less than two runs a game in his 19 losses.
'When I go to the mound, my goal is to give my team a chance to win,' says Leary. 'For the most part, I feel I can accomplish that goal.' So do the Yankees, who gave Leary a raise this winter. And, with a little help from his friends, Tim Leary is looking to return the favor by raising his record this year."

-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook

"In 1990 Tim led Yankee starters in virtually every category despite posting a 9-19 record. He was a victim of minimal run support in many of his losses.
He made his return to the American League a winning one, posting a victory in his first Yankee start on April 17. Overall he made three starts in April and was 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA for the month.
Despite a losing record in May, Leary continued to pitch well, compiling a 2-4 record with a 2.44 ERA and four complete games in six starts. He started the month with a 2-0 loss at home to Oakland (9.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER). After another loss, he won his second game at Seattle 4-1 (9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER) but lost the shutout with two outs in the 9th inning on a Ken Griffey Jr. home run. Tim took the loss on May 18 against Kansas City, then beat the Twins on May 23 at the Metrodome throwing a complete game 4-hit shutout in a 12-0 win. He ended the month with a 2-1 complete game loss on May 28 at Chicago (8.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER).
Tim did not win a game in June, posting an 0-5 mark with a 4.75 ERA over six starts. He allowed 22 earned runs and was supported with 12 runs in six games.
He lost his first two July games heading into the break, and at the break was 3-12 with a 3.85 ERA in 17 starts. In his final nine starts heading into the break, starting on May 28, Leary was 0-8 with a 5.10 ERA. In his first start after the break he posted a no-decision, and on July 19 at Minnesota snapped a 10-game winless streak with a 2-1 win (7.1 IP, 8 H, 1 ER). For July, Leary was 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA.
August was his winningest month (3-3) during which he posted a 3.43 ERA. On August 19 against Seattle, Tim pitched seven innings of one-run ball in notching his first Yankee Stadium win of 1990.
Tim made four starts in September (1-3, 5.11). On September 3 he allowed a career high six walks in a 7-0 loss to California. His final 1990 win came on September 14 at Detroit (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) in a 5-2 Yankee victory. His final start was on September 19 at Toronto with Tim taking the loss in a 7-6 Yankee defeat. After the break he was 6-7 with a 4.44 ERA.
In his nine wins Leary had a 1.19 ERA (68.1 IP, 9 ER), throwing two complete games and a shutout. In his 19 losses, he had a 5.40 ERA (125.0 IP, 75 ER) and threw four complete games. In his three no-decisions, he had a 6.75 ERA (14.2 IP, 11 ER). Overall he was supported with 98 runs (3.2 per game) and allowed 105 runs.
Leary reached 200+ innings for the fourth straight season. He recorded 138 strikeouts, second only to a career best 180 in 1988. His 77 walks were a career high at any professional level as were his 19 losses.
He led the majors in throwing 23 wild pitches which also set a Yankee record, breaking the old mark of 14 set by Al Downing in 1964, and were the second most in American League history to Jack Morris' 24 in 1987. Leary allowed 11 home runs in his first seven starts and 50.2 innings (through May 23) and then had a string of 14 starts and 90.2 innings without allowing a home run. Overall he allowed seven homers in his final 157.1 innings pitched, an average of one every 22.1 innings pitched.
Tim pitched six-plus innings in 23 of 31 (74%) starts and allowed the opposition three earned runs or less in 16 of 31 (52%) of his starts. Right-handed hitters hit .255 against him, left-handers .260, yet he held opposing hitters to a .230 batting average (40-for-174) with men in scoring position. He was 1-9 with a 4.73 ERA at home, 8-10 and .3.69 on the road.
He signed a three-year contract in November of 1990. The contract runs through the 1993 season.
Leary started the 1989 season with Los Angeles with a win on April 6 at Cincinnati, tossing a complete game 5-hitter in a 4-1 Dodger win while notching a season best seven strikeouts. After a loss at San Francisco, he tossed his second and final complete game as a Dodger against Houston, allowing five hits and one run while fanning six. Leary ended the month with two straight losses, and for April was 2-2 in five starts with a 3.82 ERA in 33 innings pitched.
After a no-decision against St. Louis, Tim was shut out, 3-0, at Philadelphia. From April 22-May 18 he was 1-4 with a 4.18 ERA in five starts and was 1-2 in five May starts with a 2.55 ERA as the Dodgers scored eight runs in his four non-wins. He was 3-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 68.1 innings through May.
After a loss at Houston on June 3, Tim put together back-to-back wins on June 5 at Atlanta and on June 11 against Cincinnati (8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER). The win at Atlanta was one of his two relief outings of the season (3 IP, 0 ER). Tim was 3-1 with two no-decisions in June with a 3.03 ERA.
He was the winning pitcher in a 1-0 win against Pittsburgh on July 1, tossing eight scoreless innings. Leary was 6-6 at the break, allowing nine home runs in 116 innings. He made a relief appearance on July 17 at Chicago, taking the loss while going 1-1 innings (3 ER). Leary was 6-7 with a 3.38 ERA, including 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA against the Reds in '89 when he was traded along with infielder Mariano Duncan to Cincinnati on July 18 in exchange for outfielder Kal Daniels and infielder Lenny Harris.
Leary made his first start as a Red just four days later on July 21. He lost his debut, 3-1, at Montreal, going six innings. His first win as a Red came in his next outing, at Riverfront Stadium against the Padres, allowing one earned run over eight innings. On August 11, he earned his final win of the season, pitching 7.1 innings (1 ER) in a 6-1 win at Houston. Tim made six August starts and was 1-4 with a 5.71 ERA in 34.2 innings.
September/October was a month of frustration for Tim. He pitched six times, going 0-2 with four no-decisions. In his final five outings, Tim was 0-2 with a 1.88 ERA in 34 innings in three two-run games and two one-run games. He lost 2-1 against Atlanta (8.1 IP, 1 ER), 4-3 at San Francisco (7 IP, 3 ER), 3-1 against San Diego (6 IP, 0 ER), 5-3 at San Diego (5 IP, 2 ER) and 2-0 against Houston (8 IP, 2 ER).
Overall Tim finished 8-14 in 33 games (31 starts) with a 3.52 ERA. In his 13 losses as a starter, the Dodgers and Reds combined to score 17 runs; the two teams were 11-20 in his starts. He averaged just short of 6.2 innings per start and pitched six-plus innings in 21 of his 31 starts. Leary had his second straight 200-plus inning season. As a batter, he was 7-for-59 (.119) with four RBIs.
He was obtained by the Yankees from Cincinnati with outfielder Van Snider in exchange for first baseman Hal Morris and pitcher Rodney Imes.
Leary had his finest season as a major league pitcher in 1988, posting a 17-11 record in 35 games. He was named UPI National League Comeback Player of the Year, The Sporting News NL Comeback Player of the Year, and NL Silver Slugger. Leary had career highs in starts (34), ERA (2.91), complete games (9), shutouts (6), innings pitched (228.2) and strikeouts (180). He finished sixth in the NL in wins, sixth in strikeouts, fifth in complete games and second in shutouts.
He started four games in April and posted a 2-1 record with a 2.52 ERA. He struck out 11 Padres on April 18 while picking up his second win of the year. Tim struggled through the first part of May but went 2-1 in his last three games of the month. His one relief appearance of the year came on May 3 against Pittsburgh and he retired all eight batters he faced. He pitched a 1-hitter on May 25 at Philadelphia, one of 11 thrown by NL pitchers in '88.
From July 2-August 2, Tim was 5-2 with a 0.51 ERA in 55.2 innings with 40 strikeouts. He was voted National Player of the Week for July 18-24 when he went 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA with two complete games, a shutout, two walks and 13 strikeouts. For the month of July he was 4-2 with a 0.96 ERA, four complete games and 37 strikeouts. Leary pitched four straight complete games, over St. Louis (July 18), Pittsburgh (July 23), San Francisco (July 27) and Cincinnati (August 2), improving his record to 11-7 with a 2.24 ERA.
He would go on to post a 5-1 record for August, winning his last four decisions of the month and improving to 15-8 with a 2.44 ERA. He had a game-winning pinch-hit single against the Giants off Joe Price in the 11th inning on August 13, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 win. Tim struck out a career high 12 batters on August 21 against Montreal; he recorded four 10-or-more strikeout games on the year. He won his 17th game on September 12 against Atlanta, winning 4-3 in Los Angeles, then was 0-2 in his last four starts.
For the season, Leary allowed two or fewer runs in 20 of 34 starts, and in his 17 wins compiled a 1.68 ERA. Opponents batted .234 against him and his strikeout-to-walk ratio was better than three to one.
Overall Tim hit .269 to lead the Dodger pitching staff and had nine RBIs, three of which were game winners. He had 13 sacrifice bunts, fifth in the NL.
He allowed just 11 home runs in 177 innings before giving up four in one game to the Mets on September 2 at New York. He defeated every team in the NL except the Mets (0-2 against New York). 10 of Leary's 17 wins were in the second half. He was 0-1 in two games in the NLCS but was effective in his two appearances the World Series, allowing just one run with four strikeouts in 6.2 innings, all in relief.
Leary was selected by the New York Mets in the first round (second player taken) of the June 1979 free agent draft but was injured that season and did not pitch. 1980 was his first year with the Mets organization and Tim was 15-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 26 starts. He led the Texas League with six shutouts and completed 11 games, pitched 173 innings and struck out 138, and was named the Texas League MVP.
He started the 1981 season with the Mets, making the big leagues after one season in the minors, but strained a muscle in his right elbow in his major league debut at Chicago and was sidelined until August 1. Tim finished the season at Tidewater, going 1-3 for the Tides while experiencing shoulder problems. In 1982 He did not pitch after irritating a nerve in his right shoulder.
In 1983, recovered from a year off due to arm problems, he was a disappointing 8-16 with a 4.38 ERA for Tidewater, working 160.1 innings in 27 starts with eight complete games and one shutout. In his rookie season with the Mets, Leary went 1-1 in two starts, pitching 10.2 innings. His first major league win came on October 2 against Montreal, winning 5-4 in a complete game victory.
Leary started the 1984 season with the Mets and was 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 20 games, starting seven. He appeared in 10 games for Tidewater, all as a starter, and was 4-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 53 innings.
Traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in January 1985 as part of a six-player, four-team deal, Tim joined the Brewers on September 11 from Vancouver. He defeated Boston, 6-3, in his American League debut at Fenway Park, then lost his next four decision as the Brewers scored just four runs. He was 1-4 on the season with a 4.05 ERA.
1986 was his last season with the Brewers and he was 12-12 with a 4.21 ERA in 33 games, 30 as a starter. Tim won six of his last eight decisions and was 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA after the All-Star Game. Leary's longest winning streak was three games, he had no record and a 0.90 ERA in three relief appearances, and he allowed 20 home runs.
Traded to Los Angeles with pitcher Tim Crews for first baseman Greg Brock in December 1986,  Leary was 3-11 overall for the Dodgers in 1987: he was 2-8 with a 5.04 ERA in 12 starts and was 1-3 with a save and a 4.36 ERA in 27 relief outings.
His first win as a Dodger came in his second start, defeating the Braves, 5-3, on June 9 in Atlanta. His best outing was on August 12 against Cincinnati, pitching 7.1 innings and allowing just five hits in a 1-0 win. Tim then posted a 9-0 winter league record for Tijuana, establishing a new record for most wins, and had a 1.24 ERA.
Tim attended UCLA where he lettered three years on the Bruin baseball team. He was an All-Pac 10 performer while leading the Bruins to the conference title. He was also All-District Eight, All-American, was the right-handed pitcher on the Sporting News All-America baseball team, and also earned Academic All-America honors.
He graduated in 1976 from Santa Monica High School, where he earned all-league and all-star honors in baseball. Tim likes all sports."

-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide

Named right-handed pitcher on The Sporting News College Baseball All-America Team, 1979.
Led Texas League in shutouts (6), 1980.
Named Texas League Most Valuable Player, 1980.
Named National League Comeback Player by The Sporting News, 1988.
Named pitcher on the National League Silver Slugger Team, 1988.

-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide

1991 Profile: Randy Velarde

"Infielder Randy Velarde is in a catch-22. By proving he can be ready when he is needed, Velarde has earned himself a spot with the Yankees in a backup role. At the same time, he wants to play every day. At age 28, moving closer to becoming a utility infielder, Velarde must step to the front if he wants to become the team's regular third baseman.
The Yankees have talked about filling that position by trading for a left-handed hitter or by letting Velarde and Mike Blowers vie for the position.
'The only thing I can do is to play my game and make their decision a tough one,' says Velarde, who's been there before. In 1988 he was recalled from Columbus five different times. In August 1989 he suffered a rib cage injury just when he seemed ready to become a starter. And last year no one permanently seized the Yankees' third base job. If he wants to become a starter, the time is now for Randy Velarde."

-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook

"Randy spent the entire 1990 season with the Yankees, his first full season in the major leagues.
His season started out slowly, as he hit .125 (2-for-16) over 10 games (5 starts) in April. He went hitless in his first 10 at-bats through eight-plus games before notching his first hit on April 29 against California, going 2-for-3.
He hit .191 (9-for-47) in May, raising his average 50 points to .175. On May 11 in Seattle he made his first ever start in left field and on May 19 against Kansas City had his only three-hit game of 1990.
Velarde began June with a season best five-game hitting streak, batting .389 (7-for-18) and raising his average 47 points to .222. His first of five 1990 home runs was an 8th inning two-run shot on June 5 at Boston off Jeff Reardon to tie the score 8-8 in a 9-8 Yankee loss. Velarde hit .224 in June and as he did in May started 14 games  (3B-11, SS-2, LF-1).
At the break he was hitting .193 with a home run and five RBIs over 46 games (33 starts). Randy appeared in 13 games in July and made only six starts (3B-5, SS-1), hitting .190 (4-for-21) for the month.
August proved to be Randy's strongest month as he hit .250 (7-for-28), 60 points higher than July. He hit two home runs that month, August 28 at Baltimore off Jose Mesa and on August 31 at Boston off Greg A. Harris.
Randy finished off the season by seeing more action in September/October than in any other month. He appeared in 24 games while starting 19, his most of any month, and hit .235 (16-for-68) with eight RBIs. He hit .227 (25-for-110) with four homers and 14 RBIs over 49 games (31 starts) after the break.
Overall in 1990, Velarde played in 95 games including 64 starts (3B-52, SS-8, LF-3, 2B-1). Along with Jim Leyritz, he was one of two Yankees to start at four positions. He hit .210 with career highs in hits (48) and RBIs (19). He had 12 multi-hit games and his five home runs accounted for 12 of his 19 RBIs. He hit .277 against left-handed pitchers as opposed to .183 against right-handers and hit .229 on grass and .122 on artificial surfaces. Velarde had 229 at-bats in 1990 after having a career major league total of 237 over parts of three seasons in the major leagues.
He signed a contract for the 1991 season.
Velarde was recalled from Columbus on July 28 and remained with the Yankees through the rest of the 1989 season. At the time of his recall he was hitting .266 with 26 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 53 RBIs over 103 games. Velarde made his '89 debut on July 28, coming in for Tom Brookens (who was injured swinging at a pitch) and went 2-for-4.
From July 28-August 7 he made 11 appearances, including starts in the last four games of that stretch, hitting .258. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on August 9 with a pulled rib cage muscle. Randy was activated on August 29 and was an impact player through the end of the season. He played in 22 games and hit .406 (28-for-69) with seven multi-hit games.
Randy hit in a career best 10 straight games from August 30-September 13 (16-for-34, .471) to raise his average from .258 to .355. He then hit safely in eight of 11 games through the end of the season (10-for-35, .286) to give him a season-ending average of .340.
On September 1 against California, Velarde homered off Mike Fetters, his first major league circuit clout since October 1, 1988. He hit his second and final home run of the 1989 campaign on September 22 at Baltimore off Dave Johnson.
Velarde made 25 starts, all at third base. He had 10 multi-hit games on the season and hit .450 (9-for-20) with men in scoring position.
Velarde broke into professional baseball in 1985, the 19th round selection of the White Sox in that year's June draft. He played 67 games at Niagara Falls, batting .220 with a home run and 16 RBIs. Randy was used as an outfielder and at second base in addition to his normal shortstop position.
He began the 1986 season playing for the White Sox 'A' affiliate in Appleton, batting .252 in 124 games with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs. He was promoted to Buffalo (AAA American Association) and hit .200 (4-for-20) in nine games there.
He originally was acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago White Sox along with pitcher Pete Filson in exchange for pitcher Scott Nielsen and infielder Mike Soper in January of 1987. Velarde began the '87 season at Albany-Colonie (AA Eastern League) and in 71 games there batted .316 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs. He was promoted to Columbus on June 29 and hit .319 in 49 games there with five home runs and 33 RBIs.
His contract was purchased by the Yankees on August 20 and he made his major league debut that night in Seattle, starting at shortstop and going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. In his next game on August 21 at Oakland, Velarde went 2-for-3 with an RBI, getting his first major league hit, a single off Steve Ontiveros. He was the 29th shortstop to play alongside Willie Randolph in Randolph's career [1976-88] with the Yankees. He had another two-hit game, on August 24 at California, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Randy played in six games with the Yankees, batting .190 (4-for-21) with no homers and an RBI before being optioned to Prince William ('A' Carolina League) on August 29. Randy never reported to that club, remaining with the Yankees, and was recalled by the Yankees three days later, on September 1.
He was 0-for-1 in two games after rejoining the Yankees to finish with a .182 batting average (4-for-22) overall in his two stints with New York. Velarde struck out six times in 22 at-bats and committed two errors at shortstop, both coming on August 21 at Oakland.
Velarde spent the 1988 season shuttling between the Yankees and the Columbus Clippers. He was recalled to New York five different times.
He began the year with the Clippers and was hitting .264 in 68 games with four home runs and 31 RBIs, along with 22 errors. He was recalled to the Yankees for the first time on June 20 when Wayne Tolleson was placed on the disabled list. Velarde made his first appearance with the Yankees at Detroit that day, going 0-for-1. The next day he hit his first major league home run, a solo shot off the Tigers' Jack Morris. He played in five games, going 2-for-12 (.167) before being optioned back to Columbus on June 25 when Willie Randolph was activated.
Randy played ten games with the Clippers before being recalled back to New York on July 8. It was the last time he actually played a game for Columbus (he was optioned there three more times before the end of the season but never appeared in another game there), and he finished with an average of .270 in 78 games at Columbus with 23 doubles, five home runs, 37 RBIs, 25 walks, 71 strikeouts and 24 errors. Randy was later named as the shortstop on the postseason International League All-Star team.
In his first game back with the Yankees on July 9 against Kansas City, he made his first major league start at third base and went 1-for-3 with an RBI, which proved to be the game-winner, his first major league game-winning RBI. He hit his second home run of the season on July 14 against Chicago, a solo blast off Bill Long. After playing four games with the Yankees, Velarde was optioned back to Columbus on July 16 following the acquisition of Luis Aguayo but was recalled by New York the next day when Tolleson was placed back on the DL.
Velarde established his major league high with three RBIs on July 27 against Milwaukee, going 2-for-5 (two doubles) with a run scored. He matched that RBI high on August 2 at Milwaukee, hitting a three-run homer off Juan Nieves, his third home run of the year. He hit safely in four of five games (all starts) from August 5-10, going 6-for-18 (.333) with three runs scored and two doubles. He played in 25 games for the Yankees before being optioned back to Columbus when Tolleson was activated. Randy did not play a game for the Clippers before being recalled on August 14 when Tolleson was placed back on the DL.
He hit his fourth home run of the season on August 16 against California, a solo clout off Willie Fraser, and made eight consecutive starts from August 20-27 (the first seven at second base and the last at shortstop) with Randolph on the 15-day DL. Velarde was optioned back to Columbus for the fourth time on August 28 following Randolph's activation but remained with the Yanks, never actually reporting to Columbus, and was recalled to New York for the fifth and final time on September 2.
Randy hit his fifth homer on October 1 at Detroit, a two-run round tripper off Doyle Alexander, and stole a base on September 27 at Baltimore. Overall in his five stints with the Yankees, he played in 48 games, batting .174 (20-for-115) with five homers, 12 RBIs and seven errors while playing third base, shortstop and second base.
Velarde graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in Midland, Texas in 1981. He was a three-time NAIA All-American at Lubbock (TX) Christian College.
He played Little League ball in Midland. His favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds and his favorite player was Johnny Bench.
Randy's hobbies are all outdoor sports, and his favorite spectator sport is basketball. His favorite ballpark is the Oakland Coliseum. His favorite entertainer is Eddie Murphy."

-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide

Led Midwest League shortstops in errors (52), 1986.

-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide

1991 Profile: Pascual Perez

"For a guy who had only three starts in 1990, Pascual Perez sure has people anticipating a lot of excitement. That tells you something about his talent. Surgery on the shoulder that kept Perez out of the rotation for most of last season will delay his start in 1991. The Yankees hope for a number of reasons that it's a short delay.
On the mound this right-hander from the Dominican Republic was spectacular in his three starts before his injury in 1990. And let's not forget the entertainment value- especially in New York- of a guy who has a pickoff move between his legs. But considering his pitching skills and his flare on the mound, it's no wonder why everyone is anxiously awaiting the return of Pascual Perez."

-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook

"1990 was a season marred by injury for the right-hander. After making three strong April starts, Pascual spent the remainder of the season on the disabled list.
He was the winning pitcher in his Yankee and American League debut on April 13 at Texas. He pitched five full innings and allowed just a second-inning single to Ruben Sierra, walking two and fanning five batters in a 3-0 victory. In his next start on April 19 at Cleveland, he was the tough-luck losing pitcher in a 1-0 Yankee defeat. Over 6.0 innings, Pascual allowed four hits including a sixth-inning triple by Tom Brookens; Brookens scored the only run on a passed ball.
Perez made his final start on April 25 against Seattle. He allowed his first earned run of the season (after 13.0 innings pitched) when a third-inning double by Mike Brumley drove in a Seattle run. He left the game after three innings (3 H, 2 ER) with muscle spasms in his right shoulder after allowing a fourth-inning leadoff single by Alvin Davis. Perez was placed on the 15-day disabled list on April 26 with a muscle strain in his right shoulder.
On June 1 he was transferred to the 21-day DL and on June 22 decided to defer surgery after conferring with doctors. June 22 commenced a six-week rest and rehabilitation program monitored by Yankee team physician Dr. Stuart Hershon. Perez was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 16 and on August 9 underwent successful right shoulder surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews of Healthsouth Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The surgery was to repair a partially torn labrum, remove a bone spur from the back of his shoulder and shave down a partially torn rotator cuff.
Overall, Pascual missed 150 games in 1990, the most he has missed in a season since sitting out the entire year in 1986. At the time of the injury he was 1-2 with a 1.29 ERA (14 IP, 2 ER). He allowed eight hits, walked three and fanned 12 batters. When his brother Melido no-hit the Yankees on July 12, Pascual and Melido became the second set of brothers to each throw a no-hitter. They joined Bob Forsch (1978 and 1983 with St. Louis) and Ken Forsch (1979 with Houston).
Perez was signed by the Yankees as a free agent to a three-year contract in November of 1989. The contract extends through the 1992 season.
He was 9-13 with a 3.31 ERA with the Expos in 1989. He appeared in 33 games (28 starts) and allowed 178 hits, 45 walks and 152 strikeouts over 198.1 innings pitched [1.12 WHIP].
The season did not start out as planned for Pascual, as he was 0-7, 4.87 (57.1 IP) through his first 11 appearances (April 6-May 27). Prior to 1989 he had not lost consecutive decisions since 1985.
He made five April starts and was 0-2 with a 3.48 ERA. In his three no-decisions Perez had a 1.71 ERA (21.0 IP) and the Expos were 2-1 in those games. From April 26-May 20, he lost six consecutive games (five starts), compiling a 6.60 ERA (30.0 IP) in that span.
Pascual made four straight relief appearances to end May and notched his first win on May 29 at Los Angeles, pitching two hitless innings in relief. The win came in the club's 50th game of the season. Through May, he was 1-7 with a 5.10 ERA (60.0 IP).
From June on Perez became a consistent pitcher. He made five June appearances and was 3-1 in four starts with a 2.03 ERA, lowering his overall ERA from 5.10 to 4.05, and walked only five batters in 31.0 innings pitched during the month. He notched his first win as a starter on June 6 against St. Louis (6.0 IP, 1 ER) and won against Philadelphia in his next outing (8.0 IP, 2 ER). On June 26, Pascual threw his first complete game of the season, beating the Mets with a 5-hitter and a season best 11 strikeouts.
Pascual was 1-2 with a 3.25 ERA for July in five starts and threw six-plus innings in all nine of his June and July starts. He pitched eight innings of shutout ball on August 2 at Pittsburgh and pitched his second complete game of the season on August 18 against San Diego (6H, 2 ER) for his two wins in August. Overall for the month, Pascual was 2-2 in six starts with a 2.27 ERA, lowering his season ERA to 3.43.
He again pitched well in September, going 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA. Pascual was impressive in his final seven starts, compiling a 3-1 record with a 1.95 ERA (50.2 IP); he averaged 7.2 innings per start in that span and did not allow more than three earned runs in any one game. He pitched the final two games of the season against the Mets, winning on September 16 at home (7.0 IP, 1 ER) and getting a no-decision on September 22 at Shea (6.0 IP, 2 ER).
Perez went 9-6 with a 2.86 ERA (141.0 IP) after his 0-7 start and really turned it on after the break, going 5-4 with a 2.19 ERA (94.0 IP) in 13 starts as compared to 4-9 with a 4.33 ERA (104.0 IP) before the break.
For the season he averaged just under seven innings per start. He ranked sixth in the National League for fewest walks per nine innings (2.0) and averaged 3.4 strikeouts/one walk. Of the 30 NL pitchers with at least 190.0 innings pitched in 1989, Perez had the best strikeout-to-walk ratio. He allowed 15 home runs, or one every 13.2 innings pitched and had a .237 batting average against, second among Expo starters. As a batter, Perez hit .204 (11-for-54) with a staff best three doubles and eight RBIs.
Perez was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a free agent in January 1976. In 1980, he was 12-10 with a 4.05 ERA in 24 starts at AAA Portland. He made his major league debut with a start against the Dodgers on May 7. Overall, Pascual was 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts for the Pirates.
He started the 1981 season at Portland (1-2 with a 4.94 ERA in five starts) yet spent a majority of the season with the Pirates. He appeared in 17 games (13 starts) for Pittsburgh, compiling a 2-7 record with a 3.98 ERA over 86 innings. Pascual notched his first major league win on May 22 pitching a complete game against Philadelphia.
Pascual began 1982 at Portland but was traded with a player to named later (shortstop Carlos Rios) to the Braves at the end of June for pitcher Larry McWilliams. He won all five of his starts at AAA Richmond before being promoted to the Braves for the drive to the divisional title, which they eventually won. Perez helped solidify the Atlanta staff in the second half of the '82 season.
A large part of the Perez mystique revolves around an incident on the day of a game against the Expos on August 19, 1982. The Braves, losers of 19 of 21, had scheduled him to start in Atlanta that day. Pascual, fresh from passing his driver exam that morning, attempted the drive to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium by himself for the first time. He became lost and circled Atlanta three times on the interstate (I-285) which runs around the city before running out of gas. By the time Pascual entered the ballpark, Phil Niekro, the substitute starter, was well on his way to beating the Expos and snapping the Braves' slump.
In 1983 Pascual was 15-8 and tied for the club lead in wins and was second in the league in winning percentage (.652) behind John Denny. He established personal highs in wins, starts (33), complete games (7) and innings pitched (215.1) and was named to the All-Star Game. In 1984, he led the Braves in wins despite missing the first month of the schedule and had a career high 145 strikeouts.
Pascual was 1-13 in 1985, a season which saw him on the disabled list three times as well as on the restricted list once, for missing a team flight to Montreal on July 21. Prior to his injury-plagued 1985 season, he was 33-20 in three seasons with the Braves for a .623 winning percentage.
He was released by the Braves in the April 1, 1986 purge which also saw the release of veterans Len Barker, Rick Camp and Terry Forster. Perez did not pitch during the 1986 season but reported to Dominican Republic winter baseball where he posted a 4-3 record in 11 starts for Aguilas with a 3.36 ERA.
Perez was signed to a minor league contract by the Expos in February 1987 while at the Caribbean World Series in Mexico. He arrived on May 1 due to visa problems, reported to AAA Indianapolis on May 12 and then reported to the Expos on August 19.
At Indianapolis, Perez was twice named American Association Player of the Week: June 8-14 (2-0, 1.00 ERA) and June 22-28 (2-0, 1.50 ERA). His June stats at Indy were an impressive 6-0, 1.40 ERA, with five complete games and two shutouts. He won Indy's Player of the Month award as well as the AA's, along with the Expos organization Pitcher of the Month honors. Perez finished at 9-7 with a 3.79 ERA in 19 starts and earned the nod as the American Association's Pitcher of the Year.
Perez was 7-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 10 starts following his recall to Montreal. Counting two contests in which he pinch-ran and scored key runs, the Expos were 11-1 in games in which he appeared. He warmed to the task with two no-decision starts in August before reeling off a 7-0 mark with a 2.28 ERA in September, establishing a club record along the way. He was named National League Pitcher of the Month for September and Expos Player of the Month.
A stopper in all definitions of the word, Perez posted six of his seven wins following an Expos loss: on August 28 he had worked a 3-hitter through nine but left that game without a decision; on September 2 at San Francisco he won his first game in the majors since July 14, 1985; he tossed consecutive complete games on September 12 and 17- the first against the Cubs (9/12) was his first such effort since September 12, 1984. Pascual struck out 11 Cubs in that game for a career high- his previous best was 10 on September 12, 1983; on September 17 against the Mets, he tossed a 4-hitter, tying his career best for a complete game.
In 1988 Perez was 12-8 with a 2.44 ERA in 27 starts surrounding 44 days on the disabled list with a broken middle fingertip. He had career bests in ERA and shutouts and was sixth in the NL in ERA. His season went from the sublime (a five-inning no-hitter at Philadelphia) to the ridiculous (a league leading 14 pinch-running assignments).
Pascual threw a 2-hitter in a 1-0 win against the Reds on April 27. He was attempting bunt a Nolan Ryan fastball on May 7 when the injury occurred, causing him to miss eight starts. Pascual was sent to Indianapolis on rehab option on June 13, pitching twice with no decisions before returning to the ranks of the active on June 21.
He had a streak of 22 scoreless innings from May 7 to July 1- six before and 16 after his injury. Before his injury, Pascual was 3-3 with a 1.87 ERA, with his losses being by scores of 3-0, 2-0 and 3-2. Immediately upon his return, he was 3-0, 1.77 in his first five starts back.
After the game of July 14, Perez led the league with a 1.58 ERA. He suffered a seven-start one-month dip from July 19 to August 18 with a 4.43 ERA (42.2 IP).
He made the Pascual Pitch (a version of the Eephus) part of his repertoire. Throwing it an average of two or three times per start, Pascual allowed just one extra-base hit on this, the paragon of parabolic pelotes- a towering blast by former slo-pitch softball player Glenn Davis of the Astros on July 19 at Olympic Stadium.
Pascual was ejected from the August 28 game against the Giants for one of his 10 balk calls for the season. The sixth-inning balk had broken a 1-1 tie. He went 361 days and 51 at-bats between hits, collecting a line-drive single to right against Don Robinson of the Giants on September 3. His previous hit had been on September 7, 1987 against Danny Cox of the Cardinals.
His no-hitter, a rain-shortened 1-0 win on September 24, was the first no-hitter in Philadelphia since Bill Stoneman turned the trick in 1969. Pascual walked one and struck out eight of the last 11 batters he faced. He followed with a combined 2-hitter with Andy McGaffigan on September 30 in a 2-1 loss to the Cubs.
With 133 hits, 44 walks [0.94 WHIP] and seven hit batters, he allowed 184 baserunners in 188 innings, the best runners per nine innings pitched ratio in the NL. Perez was the only pitcher to allow fewer runners than innings pitched; second and third in this category were Mike Scott of the Astros and Bob Ojeda of the Mets. Opponents managed just a .196 average against Perez, second to Sid Fernandez of the Mets (.191) and ahead of Scott (.204).
In games where the Expos scored four or more runs, Perez was 10-1 with three no-decisions. In eight starts with zero or one run, he was an amazing 2-3 with two no-decisions. In two of his starts, he pitched eight shutout innings and got no decision. The Expos scored a total of 13 runs in his eight losses.
Pascual was 6-3 with a 1.68 ERA at Olympic Stadium and is 9-3 at home in an Expo uniform. He did not lose more than one straight game in 1988. The last time he had lost as many as two games in a row was during the 1985 season.
His younger brother Melido pitched for the White Sox in 1988. Pascual (12) and Melido (12) combined for more wins than any brothers in the majors."

-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide

Tied for Carolina League lead in shutouts (5), 1978.
Tied for American Association lead in shutouts (2), 1987.
Named American Association Pitcher of the Year, 1987.
Pitched five-inning, no-hit victory against Philadelphia, September 24, 1988.

-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide

R.I.P. Harding Peterson