"Youngster Jim Leyritz gives new meaning to the terms 'player development' and 'home-grown prospect.' Signed by the Yankees in 1986, Leyritz has steadily moved up the organizational ladder. He hit .363 at [short season] Class-A Oneonta in 1986, .307 at [Class-A] Ft. Lauderdale in 1987 and .315 in 1989 during his second year at Double-A Albany. After a short stint at [Triple-A] Columbus last year, Leyritz moved up to the big leagues where he got an RBI single in his first major league at-bat. He went on to hit .343 through his first 20 games.
'Jim has been successful because he gives himself a chance to hit,' says Manager Stump Merrill. 'He swings at strikes and is very selective.'
He's cocky and confident. He can hit for average and can play third base, catcher and the outfield. His versatile skills will again make him a valuable Yankee in 1991."
-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook
"A versatile player for the 1990 Yankees, Jim played third base, outfield and caught while hitting .257 with five home runs and 25 RBIs.
Jim started the season with the Clippers and had his contract purchased on June 8. At the time of his promotion he was hitting .280 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs over 59 games. With the Clippers he saw action at first base (5 G), second base (9 G), third base (51 G), in the outfield (4 G) and at catcher (2G).
He made an immediate impact, making his major league debut as a pinch hitter on June 8 at Baltimore- he had a two-out 9th inning RBI single off Gregg Olson to tie the score at 4-4. Jim's first start came on June 10, also at Baltimore, going 2-for-3 with a double. His second pinch-hit at-bat came on June 13 against Boston, resulting in a single off Roger Clemens.
From June 18-27 Jim hit in nine straight games (.412, 14-for-34) including the first of five three-hit games on June 26 against Milwaukee. On June 30 at Chicago, he went 3-for-5 with his first two major league home runs (off Melido Perez and Ken Patterson).
From June 19-July 2, Jim hit .400 (20-for-50) over a 13-game period, raising his average from .250 to .351. He hit .343 in June and started 17 games (3B-15, LF-2). At the break he was hitting .313 with two homers and eight RBIs.
Jim's batting average tailed off after the break as he hit .220 (13-for-59) through the rest of July. Included was a home run off Clay Parker of Detroit on the final day of the month. Overall for July, Jim hit .227 with a homer and four RBIs while starting 26 games (3B-21, C-2, LF-2, RF-1). From July 12-August 27 he started 42 of the clubs 47 games at third base.
He hit .262 in August with a home run and four RBIs as his overall average dropped five points to .272. From August 11-15 he hit in four straight games (4-for-14), getting his fourth home on August 14 off Jim Abbott at California. Leyritz hit in five straight games from August 22-27 (8-for-21) before spraining his ankle running out a ground ball on August 27 at Baltimore. He did not start the next six games before starting on September 3. He started 24 games in August, all at third.
On September 6 against California, Leyritz was ejected after hitting an apparent first-inning two-run homer down the right-field line off Mark Langston. The ball was initially called fair by first base umpire Evans and then reversed by third base umpire Welke. Jim was ejected by home plate umpire Coble, with Mike Ferraro (Evans) and Stump Merrill (Welke) also getting thrown out.
His fifth home run came on September 19 at Toronto, a three-run shot off Jim Acker. Leyritz had a slow September with the bat, hitting .203 (13-for-64) and dropping his average 15 points. He made 18 starts over September/October (C-8, 3B-7, LF-3), bringing his season total to 85 starts. After the break he hit .232, with three home runs and 17 RBIs.
For the season, Jim made 13 errors (3B-11, C-1, LF-1). His error in left field came on July 1 at Chicago, allowing the winning run to score in Andy Hawkins' no-hitter. The ERA of the Yankee pitching staff was 3.77 (74.0 IP, 31 ER) with Jim behind the plate. He threw out two of four base stealers and allowed four passed balls.
12 of his 25 RBIs came with two out. He hit .291 (30-for-103) against left-handed pitchers, .240 (48-for-200) against righties; .271 (23-for-85) in day games, .252 (55-for-218) at night, and .283 (13-for-46) on turf.
Jim signed a contract for the 1990 season.
Jim spent the 1989 season with Albany (AA) of the Eastern League. He led the league in hitting (.315) and on-base percentage (.423), tied for the league lead in hit by pitches (9), ranked second on the team in hits (118) and RBIs (66) and had 10 home runs and 18 doubles. Jim had a five-hit game and was named to the Eastern League All-Star team (as a utility man). He played 67 of his 114 games as a catcher.
Jim was signed by the Yankee organization as a free agent by scout Bill Livesey on August 24, 1985. He began his pro career in 1986 with the Oneonta Yankees [short-season A New York-Penn League] and batted .363 in 23 games. Jim was promoted to Ft. Lauderdale where he batted .294 in 12 games with a double and a triple.
He spent the 1987 season at Ft. Lauderdale and batted .307 in 102 games with 22 doubles, six homers and 51 RBIs. He played in the Florida State League All-Star Game and led FSL catchers in assists (76), double plays (7) and passed balls (25). Jim spent the 1988 season at Albany where he batted .241 in 112 games with 18 doubles and 49 RBIs."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
MIKE BLOWERS
"From his third base position, Mike Blowers throws across the diamond with velocity few major leaguers can match. At the plate, he can hit a ball beyond any fence at any ballpark. Putting the two together on a consistent basis is the goal for the 26-year-old infielder.
Acquired from the Montreal Expos in 1989, Blowers has the ability and opportunity to play the hot corner for the Yankees for many years to come.
Splitting his time between New York and Columbus in 1990 gave the second-year Yankee ample chance to hone his skills and take advantage of playing time. Last season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, Blowers hit .339, smacked six home runs and collected 50 RBI in 62 games. Certainly numbers that would make any manager smile.
'I'm confident at this level,' says Blowers, 'but I know mistakes will come. It's going to take time so I won't put undue pressure on myself. I just have to learn what it's like to be a big league player over a whole season.' "
-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook
"In 1990 Blowers had three stints with the Yankees and two with the Clippers. For the Yankees, he hit .188 with five home runs and 21 RBIs over 48 games (44 starts) and with the Clippers, he hit .339 with six home runs and 50 RBIs over 62 games.
Blowers' first and longest stint in New York commenced on Opening Day and lasted through June 7 before he was optioned to Columbus on June 8. In that span he hit .204 with three home runs and 14 RBIs over 31 games (29 starts). He started 12 of the club's 17 April games and for the month hit .257 with two home runs and six RBIs.
Through the first seven games Mike was hitting .300 (6-for-20) with two home runs and six RBIs. His first major league home run came on April 21 at Texas, a solo shot off Charlie Hough, one of two he hit that day (along with a three-run blast off Kenny Rogers).
He ended the month hitting in three straight games (3-for-9). In April he struck out 15 times and hit .450 (9-for-20) when putting the ball in play.
Mike started 18 of the club's 27 games in May, hitting .179 with a home run and eight RBIs for the month. He had a forgettable game on May 3 against Cleveland when he committed four errors, tying the American League record for third basemen, in a 10-5 loss. From May 5-7, Mike hit in three straight (4-for-12) including a home run off Mike Moore at Oakland, breaking up an A's shutout. From May 11-17 he hit in a season-best four straight games (5-for-15). From May 20-June 7 he started just three games before being optioned to Columbus on June 8.
He stayed with the Clippers for 12 days, getting recalled on June 20. In nine games with Columbus, Blowers hit .343 (12-for-35) with five doubles, two home runs, nine RBIs and three strikeouts, slugging .657 along the way.
In his second stint with the Yanks, Blowers saw action in seven games (six starts) before being optioned again on July 12, just after the break. In those seven games he went 5-for-25. On June 22 at Toronto, Mike had a game-winning two-run single in the 15th inning. In his last game, July 8 against Minnesota, he was 2-for-4 with a solo home run off David West.
His second stint at Columbus resulted in a 53-game period in which Mike hit .338 with 15 doubles, six triples, four home runs and 41 RBIs. He earned International League Batter of the Week honors for the week of August 5-11 when he hit .640 (16-for-25) with four doubles and five RBIs.
Mike was recalled on September 9 and made 10 appearances (nine starts) through the rest of the season, going 3-for-26 in that span while not committing an error. On September 15 at Detroit he hit his fifth homer of the season, a solo shot off Frank Tanana. On September 20, Mike had to leave the game in the 3rd inning with a bruised right hand- he suffered the injury diving back into second base on an attempted pickoff. He missed the next nine games, getting a final at-bat for the season on October 1 against Detroit.
For the season, Blowers hit .286 (14-for-49) with two home runs and nine RBIs against left-handed pitching and .137 (13-for-95) with three homers and 12 RBIs against right-handers. He hit .194 (12-for-62) with a home run at home and .183 (15-for-82) with four homers on the road. 11 of his 21 RBIs came with two out.
Blowers committed eight errors in 50 games as a third baseman at Columbus and 10 errors in 43 starts at third for the Yankees.
He signed a one-year contract in January 1991.
Blowers started the 1989 season with the Indianapolis Indians, the Montreal Expos' AAA affiliate in the American Association. He was acquired as the player to be named later by the Yankees on August 31 in a trade that sent pitcher John Candelaria to Montreal on August 29. At the time of the trade he was hitting .267 with 29 doubles, 14 home runs and 56 RBIs over 131 games.
He made his major league debut on September 1 against California as a pinch hitter and lined out to first base. He then came in to play third base, the seventh Yankee to play third in 1989. Blowers made three straight starts against the Mariners (September 5-7) in Seattle. He was 3-for-10 in the series, getting a pair of hits in his starting debut on September 5. His first major league hit was a single off Jerry Reed.
Mike did not play again until starting three games against the Mariners in New York (September 15-17). He went 3-for-9 in that series with his first two major league RBIs. Mike ended the season going 2-for-12 in his last four games.
Overall in '89, he played in 13 games and had 10 hits, all singles. He made 11 starts, made four errors and hit .286 (10-for-35). Mike was 6-for-19 (.316) against the Mariners and 4-for-19 (.211) against the rest of the league. He hit .500 (3-for-6) in day games and .219 (7-for-32) in night games; hit .375 (3-for-8) against left-handed pitchers and .233 (7-for-30) against right-handers; and hit .500 (3-for-6) with men in scoring position.
Blowers was selected by the Expos in the 10th round of the June 1986 free agent draft. He was signed by Expos scout Whitey DeHart on June 13. That year he hit a combined .233 at Jamestown and Bradenton.
At West Palm Beach in 1987, Mike was shifted from shortstop to third base and responded by leading Florida State League third basemen in fielding (.944). He finished second in home runs (16) and game-winning RBIs (13), was third in total bases (208) and fourth home run/at-bat ratio (1/30.7).
With Jacksonville in 1988, Mike led Southern League third basemen in games (137), putouts (125) and double plays (27). He hit two home runs on June 12 at Greenville and hit .281 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs after July 1.
While attending the University of Washington, he once hit two home runs in one inning. Mike is a 1983 graduate of Bethel (WA) High School where he copped All-League and team MVP honors in baseball his last two seasons. He is an avid golfer."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
STEVE BALBONI
"In his two stints in Pinstripes, Steve Balboni has been known as 'Bye-Bye.' In his first go-around with the Yankees he was called Bye-Bye because of his numerous trips to Columbus. Now it seems the name has more to do with the fact that every time he hits the ball it goes Bye-Bye. Balboni's penchant for long-distance home runs is not lost on Yankee fans. Last year he led the team in homers versus lefties and averaged nearly one RBI every eight at-bats. But finding a regular spot in the lineup for the slugger has not been easy.
'It's a difficult transition for me,' says Balboni. 'I'm a power hitter and to hit homers and drive in runs you need at-bats.' His consistency was off, as a result of his irregular playing time. As a backup first baseman, part-time designated hitter and occasional pinch hitter, Steve Balboni's job is to produce when he's called on."
-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook
"In 1990, Balboni appeared in 10 games in April, six as a starter (all as a DH) and hit .192 (5-for-26) with two RBIs. Both RBIs came in an April 24 game against Seattle on a first-inning single off Matt Young. His one extra-base hit for the month was a double against off Chuck Finley. His only multi-hit game came on April 18 at Detroit.
Balboni played in 16 games in May (eight starts, all as a DH) and hit .212 with four home runs and seven RBIs. He was just 1-for-18 in his first 11 appearances of the month before exploding over the last five games, going 6-for-15 with four home runs and six RBIs, ending May with an overall batting average of .203.
In June, Steve hit .232 with three home runs and nine RBIs, his best average and RBI totals for any month, raising his overall average to .217. He started 13 games (DH-11, 1B-2) including his first start at first base on June 15. He was 2-for-18 over his first nine games of the month but hit .289 (11-for-38) with two homers and six RBIs over his final 13 games. He was hitting .206 (28-for-136) at the break with seven home runs and 18 RBIs over 32 starts (55 games).
Steve hit .207 (6-for-29) over the rest of July with four homers and at the end of the month was hitting .204 for the season. He appeared in 21 August games, hitting .162 (6-for-37) with two home runs while starting nine games, but did not hit safely in consecutive games all month.
He hit safely in four of the first five games he started in September (4-for-18). He started 16 games in September/October and hit .172 (11-for-64) with four home runs and eight RBIs. His numbers after the break were .177 (23-for-130) with 10 homers and 16 RBIs while starting 32 games (61 played).
His .192 batting average in 1990 was forty points below his .232 career average heading entering the season. His 266 at-bats were his lowest since his 86 in 1983. However, Steve's 17 home runs matched his 1989 total; he averaged one home run every 15.6 at-bats, tying his career best for a season (1984). He averaged an RBI every 7.8 at-bats last year compared to one every 5.1 at-bats in 1989. He was 2-for-6 with four RBIs with the bases loaded.
Steve started 64 games, 44 as a designated hitter and 20 at first base. On July 7 against Minnesota, he made his first career sacrifice bunt in his 3,280th career plate appearance.
He signed a two-year contract in November 1989. The contract extends through the 1991 season.
Balboni was acquired by the Yankees from Seattle on March 27, 1989 in exchange for pitcher Dana Ridenour. He spent the season platooning in the DH spot and at first base.
He started out slowly in 17 April games, hitting .154 (8-for-52) with a home run and eight RBIs, yet struck out only five times (1/10.4 AB) and four of his eight hits were for extra bases. He hit his first home run on April 14 against Minnesota, a grand slam off Frank Viola, the fourth of his career and first since September 20, 1985, also against the Twins, while playing for the Royals.
In May, Steve appeared in 18 games and hit .304 with four home runs and 11 RBIs, averaging an RBI every 4.2 at-bats, and six of his 14 hits were for extra bases. He raised his average 70 points to .224. On May 4 and 5 Steve homered in consecutive games in Texas (off Drew Hall) and in Chicago (off Donn Pall). He hit in three straight (5-for-11) from May 12-16 and in another three straight (3-for-8) from May 20-24.
Balboni had a strong June as he hit .302 with five home runs and 13 RBIs, raising his average another 28 points to .252. Seven of his 16 hits were for extra bases and he averaged an RBI every 4.1 at-bats. Steve hit in four straight games (6-for-10) from June 3-6 and through the All-Star break was hitting .247 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs; 17 of his 42 hits were for extra bases and he averaged an RBI every 5.1 at-bats.
After the All-Star break, Steve hit in a season high five straight games (7-for-15) with seven RBIs, raising his batting average from .247 to a season high of .266 on July 22. He ended July by hitting in three straight (3-for-10) and for the month hit .255 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. He averaged an RBI every 4.7 at-bats and five of his 12 hits were for extra bases.
Balboni appeared in 13 games in August and hit .175 (7-for-40) with three homers and 10 RBIs; four of his seven hits came in two-hit games on August 11 and August 30. In the August 11 game against Minnesota, Balboni hit two home runs off Shane Rawley and tied his season high with four RBIs. On August 30 against Oakland, he also had four RBIs, including a home run off Mike Moore.
He played in 20 games in September and October and hit .226 (14-for-62) with two homers and seven RBIs; four times he hit in consecutive games but never in more than two straight. In the final game of the season, October 1 in New York, Steve hit his 17th homer off Detroit's Frank Tanana.
The Yankees were 13-3 in games Steve hit a home run (one multi-homer game) and 31 of his 71 hits went for extra bases. His .502 slugging percentage ranked first among designated hitters and he hit .240 (6-for-25) as a pinch hitter, 10th best in the league.
Steve appeared in 20 games at first base and compiled a .994 fielding percentage, committing one error in 158 total chances.
Originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the June 1978 free agent draft, he was the Florida State League MVP in 1979 after leading the circuit in home runs and RBIs. In 1980, Steve was advanced to the double-A level and was named Southern League Player of the Year. He set a league record with 122 RBIs.
Balboni began the 1981 campaign at triple-A Columbus before being recalled by the Yankees on April 21. He made his major league debut the next day against Detroit and tripled in his first at-bat. He was optioned back to Columbus on April 28 and finished the season as an International League All-Star. Balboni split the 1982 season between Columbus and New York and hit his first major league home run on May 13 off Oakland's Tom Underwood.
During his minor league career, Steve averaged 30 home runs and 96 RBIs per season. He was traded to the Kansas City Royals in December 1983 along with pitcher Roger Erickson for pitcher Mike Armstrong and catcher Duane Dewey.
1984 was Steve's first full season in the major leagues. He hit in a career high 13 straight games from September 10-23 (17-for-48, .354) and led the club in home runs and RBIs.
In 1985, Steve established career highs in almost every offensive category and also set a Kansas City record with 36 home runs. He was named American League Player of the Week for April 15-21 (.385, 3 HR, 8 RBI) and was the Royals' Player of the Month for April. Steve swiped the only stolen base of his career on July 23 against the Yankees. He hit .320 (8-for-25) in the World Series with three RBIs.
He led Kansas City in home runs for the third consecutive year in 1986 and his 88 RBIs ranked second on the club. He hit his 100th major league home run at Texas on September 5. Steve homered once in every 16.08 at-bats in 1987 and eight of his last 16 hits were home runs.
In 1988, Steve was released by the Royals on May 27 but led the Mariners in home runs (21) and finished third on the club in RBIs (61) despite not joining Seattle until June 1. He smashed a 442-foot home run in Seattle off Cleveland's John Farrell on July 5, becoming only the fifth player ever to reach the Kingdome's second deck in left field.
He had an 11-game hitting streak from July 1-15 (17-for-48, .354). He hit an 11th inning three-run homer off Dennis Eckersley to beat Oakland on July 29. Balboni batted .280 with 10 home runs and 25 RBIs in July and was named Seattle's Player of the Month. He finished the season strong, hitting .304 with 20 RBIs in September/October. He had a .994 fielding percentage with Seattle, committing just two errors in 40 games at first base.
Balboni was a three-sport standout at Memorial High in Manchester, New Hampshire where he was voted the school's Athlete of the Year his senior year. He attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida and was named their MVP in 1977 after leading them to a second-place finish in the Division II College World Series. Balboni hit 26 home runs and collected 77 RBIs in just 43 games as a senior and was the only Division II player named to the Sporting News All-American squad (first team)."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
PAT SHERIDAN
"The future of Pat Sheridan's baseball career lies squarely on his shoulders. Or more to the point, with his left-handed swing. Yankee General Manager desperately wants to add more left-handed firepower to the Yankee offense, and Sheridan could fill that role.
Last year Sheridan, 33, played only part of the season with the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa team. For this season the outfielder has signed a contract with the Yankees' Triple-A team at Columbus. The rest is up to Sheridan.
With more than six years of major league experience, Sheridan knows what it takes to get the job done. And with the Yankees in need of a strong left-handed bat, there's a job for the taking."
-The New York Yankees Official 1991 Yearbook
"In 1990, Sheridan was signed by the Kansas City Royals on February 15 to a AA contract with the AA Memphis Chicks of the Southern League. He was released and signed as a free agent by the AAA Iowa Cubs of the International League in mid-April and was with Iowa from April 27 through June 18. Sheridan played in 23 games and hit .329 (23-for-70) with 16 runs, three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. He left the Cubs after June 18 due to a lack of projected playing time with the Chicago Cubs. He signed to a Columbus contract as a six-year minor league free agent in January 1991.
Pat was originally selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 36th round of the 1976 June free agent draft but did not sign. He was selected by the Royals in the 3rd round of the 1979 June free agent draft and began with Ft. Myers that year, hitting .281 over 67 games.
He started 1980 at Ft. Myers and hit .405 over 20 games. He finished the season at Jacksonville where he hit .305 in 97 games, finishing fifth in the Southern League in batting average. In his first stint at the AAA level in 1981, Pat hit .298 in 86 games at Omaha, earning a September promotion to the parent club. He made his major league debut on September 16 at California and his first major league at-bat came on September 21 against Minnesota. In 1982, he hit .282 over 41 games for Omaha.
Sheridan started the 1983 season at Omaha and was recalled on May 13; at the time of his promotion he was hitting .307 after 20 games. His first major league hit came on May 15 when he homered off Detroit's Milt Wilcox. Pat also had a nine-game hitting streak in August.
In 1984, Pat hit .283 with eight home runs and 53 RBIs in 138 games for the Royals. He led the club with 13 game-winning RBIs and stole a career high 18 bases.
He had his first of three grand slams on May 18 off Charlie Hough of Texas and had a career best 13-game hitting streak from June 24-July 12. He had a .329 batting average before the break, tops on the club. Sheridan appeared in all three games of the ALCS against Detroit, going hitless in six at-bats.
Sheridan played almost the entire 1985 season with the Royals (with eight games at Omaha) and was platooned in right field with Daryl Motley and Dane Iorg. He had his big game on May 12 against the Yankees, hitting two home runs off Phil Niekro (including one inside the park) to fuel a 6-5 win.
He hit .150 (3-for-20) in the ALCS against Toronto but two of his hits were homers, including a game-tying pinch-hit home run in Game One at Exhibition Stadium. In the World Series against St. Louis, he was 4-for-18 with two doubles.
Pat was released by the Royals during spring training in 1986 and was signed by the Tigers on April 4. He started the season at AAA Nashville and played in just nine games before getting called up by the Tigers on April 23. In 1987, his best month was May when he hit .306 (26-for-85). That year Pat had a game-winning 7th inning home run off Al Nipper at Boston on June 5.
For the Tigers in 1988, he hit .254 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs. The 11 homers were a career high and included a pinch-hit grand slam on May 6 off Mike Jackson at Seattle.
Pat hit five home runs in an eight-game span from May 28-June 8. He capped it with a big game on June 8 at Baltimore when he had two homers, four hits and six RBIs, including his second grand slam of the season, off Don Aase. Pat was selected American League Player of the Week for June 29-July 5 when he hit .500 (13-for-26) with three doubles, two triples, three homers and 11 RBIs. He hit .286 with 11 homers and 36 RBIs before the break.
He split the 1989 season between Detroit (50 games) and San Francisco (70 games). He opened the season with the Tigers and hit .242 while getting time at all three outfield positions and as a designated hitter. He hit home runs in back-to-back games against Oakland on April 29 and 30 and recorded three three-hit games, including his last game as a Tiger on June 14 at Boston.
Pat was traded to the Giants on June 18 in exchange for outfielder Tracy Jones and hit .205 for the National League champions. He hit his first NL homer on July 4th at Pittsburgh off Randy Kramer, and on August 21 at New York broke up a Ron Darling shutout with an 8th inning homer. In the NLCS against Chicago he hit .154 (2-for-13) in five games. In the World Series against Oakland he saw action in one game and was 0-for-2.
Pat played three years of collegiate ball at Eastern Michigan University, hitting better than .300 each season. He was named to The Sporting News College All-America second team in 1979 after batting .379.
His father, Arthur, pitched in the minor leagues from 1952-56."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
KEITH HUGHES
"Hughes spent the 1990 season in the New York Mets organization. He was acquired by the Mets along with pitcher Cesar Mejia in December of 1989 from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher John Mitchell and outfielder Joaquin Contreras. Hughes appeared in eight games with the Mets and was hitless in nine at-bats.
In 117 games at AAA Tidewater, he batted .309 (117-for-379) with 24 doubles, 10 home runs, 53 RBIs and 77 runs scored and stole seven bases in 11 attempts. His home run total was his highest since 1987, when he hit 12 for AAA Maine, and his average was his highest since 1983, when he hit .329 with Class-A Spartanburg. Keith split time between first base and the outfield.
This is Keith's second tour of duty with the Yankee organization (also 1984-87). He was signed by the Yankees as a six-year minor league free agent in January 1991.
He was signed out of a tryout camp by the Phillies on August 24, 1981. He made his pro debut in 1982 by batting .257 at Bend with three home runs and 26 RBIs. He enjoyed the best year of his pro career in 1983, setting highs in average (.329), hits (159), home runs (15) and RBIs (90) at Spartanburg and was named to the South Atlantic All-Star team as the designated hitter.
Keith was acquired by the Yankees along with pitcher Marty Bystrom on June 30, 1984 from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitcher Shane Rawley. Before the trade, he was hitting .261 at AA Reading. He was assigned to the Yankees' AA affiliate at Nashville and hit .180 in 21 games.
He spent most of 1985 with the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA Eastern League) where he hit .269 in 104 games and was an Eastern League All-Star. In 18 games at AAA Columbus, he batted .296 with three home runs.
Hughes spent the majority of the 1986 season at Albany and hit .307 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs. He was named to the Eastern League All-Star team for the second straight season. Hughes missed more than a month of the season with a broken right wrist injured on July 21. He was promoted to Columbus on August 31 and was 1-for-8 in two games.
In 1987 Hughes spent time with four teams in two organizations after winning the James P. Dawson Award as the Yankees' outstanding rookie in spring camp. He began the year at Columbus and was hitting .295 over 40 games when he was called up by the Yankees on May 18.
He was used exclusively as a pinch hitter by New York and went 0-for-4. His major league debut came on May 19 at Oakland, a fly out to left field off Jay Howell. On June 10 Keith was traded to the Phillies with shortstop Shane Turner for outfielder Mike Easler.
After the trade Keith was assigned to the Maine Guides before his recall by the Phillies on June 16. His first major league hit was a game-winning two-run double off the Pirates' Barry Jones. In 76 at-bats with the Phillies, he hit .263 with 10 RBIs; with Maine, he had a .263 average with 12 home runs in only 177 at-bats. Keith was acquired by the Orioles on March 21, 1988 along with infielder Rick Schu and outfielder Jeff Stone in exchange for outfielder Mike Young and a player to be named later (outfielder Frank Bellino).
Keith split the 1988 season between Rochester and Baltimore. With Baltimore he hit .194 (21-for-108) with two home runs and 14 RBIs- the at-bats, hits, home runs and RBIs were all major league career highs. He hit his only two big league homers within a five-game period: he hit his first on May 7 in Baltimore off Melido Perez of Chicago and his second on May 12 at Texas off Jose Guzman. For Rochester, Hughes batted .270 with seven homers and 49 RBIs and played in the AAA All-Star Game.
He spent the entire 1989 season at Rochester and was off to a quick start before suffering a season-ending injury on July 3 at Richmond. He collided at home plate with John Mizerock, separating his shoulder. At the time of the injury Hughes was hitting .274 with two home runs and was sixth in the International League with 43 RBIs. Named to the AAA All-Star Game for the second straight year, he did not play because of the injury.
Hughes graduated from Conestoga High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania in 1981 and played American Legion baseball. He attended Albright College in Reading, PA but did not play baseball. He enjoys skiing, tennis and golf."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
DION JAMES
"Dion spent the 1990 season with the Cleveland Indians, and over 87 games hit .274 with a home run and 22 RBIs. He had a career best 16-game hitting streak from July 17-August 13 which was the longest on the club last year and that year's fifth longest in the American League. His best month was July when he hit .303. Dion's home run came on August 4 at Yankee Stadium off Tim Leary.
He hit .325 at Cleveland Stadium and .327 with runners on base and struck out only once every 10.8 at-bats. He had 16 multi-hit games including two three-hit games: June 9 at Boston and August 9 at Texas.
Dion made 66 starts overall at first base (29), left field (19), designated hitter (10) and center field (8). He was ejected from an August 24 game at Baltimore by umpire John Shulock for arguing balls and strikes while playing first base.
He was released by the Indians on October 30, 1990 and invited to spring training by the Yankees in January of 1991, but is unsigned for the 1991 season.
Dion was acquired by the Indians on July 2, 1989 from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for outfielder Oddibe McDowell. At the time of the trade he was hitting .259 with a home run and 11 RBIs over 63 games. He was immediately pressed into service and responded by hitting safely in his first nine games (.338, 1 HR, 4 RBIs) with Cleveland. James had a big game on July 23 at Kansas City, getting a career high four hits and a career high five runs batted in.
DION JAMES
"Dion spent the 1990 season with the Cleveland Indians, and over 87 games hit .274 with a home run and 22 RBIs. He had a career best 16-game hitting streak from July 17-August 13 which was the longest on the club last year and that year's fifth longest in the American League. His best month was July when he hit .303. Dion's home run came on August 4 at Yankee Stadium off Tim Leary.
He hit .325 at Cleveland Stadium and .327 with runners on base and struck out only once every 10.8 at-bats. He had 16 multi-hit games including two three-hit games: June 9 at Boston and August 9 at Texas.
Dion made 66 starts overall at first base (29), left field (19), designated hitter (10) and center field (8). He was ejected from an August 24 game at Baltimore by umpire John Shulock for arguing balls and strikes while playing first base.
He was released by the Indians on October 30, 1990 and invited to spring training by the Yankees in January of 1991, but is unsigned for the 1991 season.
Dion was acquired by the Indians on July 2, 1989 from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for outfielder Oddibe McDowell. At the time of the trade he was hitting .259 with a home run and 11 RBIs over 63 games. He was immediately pressed into service and responded by hitting safely in his first nine games (.338, 1 HR, 4 RBIs) with Cleveland. James had a big game on July 23 at Kansas City, getting a career high four hits and a career high five runs batted in.
From August 2-20 he hit safely in 13 of 15 games with an average of .357 (20-for-56); in his first 39 games with the Indians (through August 20), James hit .331 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. He continued his solid hitting in September when from September 2-20, he hit .593 (16-for-27) with two homers and nine RBIs, raising his batting average from .292 to .333. From that point on, his bat cooled off as he concluded the season with a 10-for-50 skid over the final 15 games.
Dion's .306 average over the final three months was a club best for that period. He hit .262 (16-for-61, 20 RBIs) with men in scoring position and knocked in eight of 15 men from third base with less than two outs.
The Brewers' first selection in the June 1980 free agent draft, Dion spent his first season of professional baseball at Butte and hit .317. He was promoted to Burlington for their final three games of the season.
He stole 45 bases at Stockton in 1981 and led California League outfielders in fielding percentage (.988). In 1982, James hit .302 with nine home runs and 72 RBIs with AA El Paso of the Texas League.
James hit a career best .336 at AAA Vancouver in 1983 and set personal highs in games (129), at-bats (467), hits (157), doubles (29) and walks (63). He earned a September promotion to Milwaukee, making his major league debut on September 16 at Baltimore. He collected his first major league hit on September 18, along with an RBI.
The Milwaukee Brewers rookie of the year in 1984, Dion hit .295, second on the club, and .325 with men on base, tops on the club. He had 33 multi-hit games including three four-hit efforts. He hit .404 from May 27-June 15, reaching a season high of .319 on June 15, and hit .354 over the final two months.
Dion played in just 28 games in 1985 because of a right shoulder problem. The injury occurred on March 3- while playing the outfield in a spring training game at Sun City, he dove for the ball and crashed into the right-field fence dislocating his right shoulder. James had to have surgery to repair the separation and missed most of the season.
He spent the entire 1986 season at Vancouver. He led the club in games (130), runs (85), tied for the club lead in triples (6) and was sixth in the Pacific Coast League in steals (30). He helped Vancouver reach the PCL finals. James was acquired by the Braves in January 1987 in exchange for outfielder Brad Komminsk.
In 1987 James led the Braves with a .312 batting average, good for fifth in the National League. It was the highest by a Brave since Bob Horner hit .314 in 1979. James registered four four-hit games and never went more than two consecutive starts without a hit. He hit .321 (36-for-112) with 49 RBIs with men in scoring position. His .996 fielding average led all National League outfielders who played at least 100 games.
Dion had a strange ground-rule double at Shea Stadium on April 12: he led off the third inning with a towering fly ball to left field that struck a bird with both falling behind the shortstop. He clubbed his only career grand slam on May 2 in Atlanta off Houston's Julio Solano. Dion won National League Player of the Week honors for July 27-August 2 when he hit .517 (15-for-29) with eight RBIs. He had a 10-game hitting streak from September 7-17, hitting .450 (18-for-40) in that span. He finished the season on a strong note, hitting .381 (32-for-84) with 13 runs and 10 RBIs over his final 23 games.
In 1988, James hit .256 with three home runs and 30 RBIs. Although his overall batting average was low, he had outstanding averages against Cincinnati (.467), Pittsburgh (.368), Philadelphia (.368) and Montreal (.343). He hit .263 on the road and .250 at home. His 58 walks were second on the team to Dale Murphy's 74. From August 7-16, Dion hit in eight straight games at a .379 pace (11-for-26).
Dion is a 1980 graduate of McClatchy High [Sacramento, CA], where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball, getting named All-League, All-City and All-State in each. He was a member of championship teams with the Pony, Colt, High School and winter league clubs he played for- Dion drove in the decisive run to win the 1979 Colt League World Series. He was a pitcher and infielder prior to his professional baseball career."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
DAVE SAX
"Sax spent the entire 1990 season at Columbus as a catcher. After playing a combined 52 games in 1988 and 1989, he appeared in 73 games last year, including 52 behind the plate. Overall he batted .249 (51-for-205) with four home runs. When catching he hit .259 compared to .206 as a designated hitter; he hit .248 at home and .250 on the road. Sax drew 32 walks and had a .354 on-base percentage.
July was his best month offensively as he hit .306 (15-for-49) in 17 games. A good pinch hitter, Dave was 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs.
He signed a contract for the 1991 season.
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.
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."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
JOHN TOALE
"Toale spent the 1990 season with the Tigers' AAA affiliate London where he hit .257 with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs over 108 games. He caught 23 games and played one game at first and one in the outfield. John was signed by the Yankees as a six-year minor league free agent in January 1991.
The Red Sox third pick in the June 1983 draft, John played first base and third base before being converted into a catcher in 1989. He hit .233 in 36 games for Elmira in his first year of pro ball. In 1984, he spent eight games at Class-A Winter Haven and 50 games at Elmira. He hit .230 with eight home runs for Elmira in 1985, and in 1986 hit .278 at Greensboro with 11 homers and a career best 72 RBIs in 100 games.
Toale spent a majority of the 1987 season at Winter Haven where he hit a career high .300 with a career high 15 home runs, along with 58 RBIs, in 98 games. He hit .212 in 15 games at New Britain. He was traded from the Red Sox to the White Sox organization in December 1987, traded to the Mets on April 2, 1988 and traded to the Texas Rangers on July 28, 1988. At the time of the trade to Texas, Toale was hitting .091 over 11 games for Port Charlotte. He hit .212 in 55 games for the St. Lucie Mets.
Signed by the Tigers as a six-year minor league free agent in January 1989, Toale hit .244 with six home runs and 32 RBIs at London, the Tigers AA affiliate. He played 18 games at first base, 12 games at third and caught seven games.
John attended Florida State University."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
JIM WALEWANDER
"In 131 games for the Clippers in 1990, Jim hit .250 with a home run and 31 RBIs. A versatile player, he split time between first base (4 G), second base (76 G), third base (24 G) and shortstop (20 G). He had a league high 49 stolen bases, a career best, and was caught stealing 13 times, a 79% success rate. Jim drew a team leading 90 walks, also a career best, and was second on the club with a .408 on-base percentage.
He was out of the gate quickly, hitting .302 in April, his best for any month. Between Columbus and New York he played in 140 games, his highest total since playing a career high 143 games in 1985.
Jim was recalled from Columbus on September 9 and remained with the Yankees through the rest of the season. Overall, he played in nine games and saw action in two games at third base, two at second base and one at shortstop. He hit .200 (1-for-5) with an RBI and was 1-for-2 in stolen base attempts. His only start came in the final game of the season, against Detroit, with Jim going 1-for-3 with a double off Jack Morris in his final at-bat.
He was signed by Yankee Vice-President George Bradley as a six-year minor league free agent in December 1989.
Jim spent the 1989 season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the AAA affiliate of the 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 G), but also played shortstop (13 G) and third base (1 G) as well. Jim has good speed as his 32 stolen bases ranked third in the International League. He ranked third in at-bats (434).
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)."
-1991 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.
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
Dion's .306 average over the final three months was a club best for that period. He hit .262 (16-for-61, 20 RBIs) with men in scoring position and knocked in eight of 15 men from third base with less than two outs.
The Brewers' first selection in the June 1980 free agent draft, Dion spent his first season of professional baseball at Butte and hit .317. He was promoted to Burlington for their final three games of the season.
He stole 45 bases at Stockton in 1981 and led California League outfielders in fielding percentage (.988). In 1982, James hit .302 with nine home runs and 72 RBIs with AA El Paso of the Texas League.
James hit a career best .336 at AAA Vancouver in 1983 and set personal highs in games (129), at-bats (467), hits (157), doubles (29) and walks (63). He earned a September promotion to Milwaukee, making his major league debut on September 16 at Baltimore. He collected his first major league hit on September 18, along with an RBI.
The Milwaukee Brewers rookie of the year in 1984, Dion hit .295, second on the club, and .325 with men on base, tops on the club. He had 33 multi-hit games including three four-hit efforts. He hit .404 from May 27-June 15, reaching a season high of .319 on June 15, and hit .354 over the final two months.
Dion played in just 28 games in 1985 because of a right shoulder problem. The injury occurred on March 3- while playing the outfield in a spring training game at Sun City, he dove for the ball and crashed into the right-field fence dislocating his right shoulder. James had to have surgery to repair the separation and missed most of the season.
He spent the entire 1986 season at Vancouver. He led the club in games (130), runs (85), tied for the club lead in triples (6) and was sixth in the Pacific Coast League in steals (30). He helped Vancouver reach the PCL finals. James was acquired by the Braves in January 1987 in exchange for outfielder Brad Komminsk.
In 1987 James led the Braves with a .312 batting average, good for fifth in the National League. It was the highest by a Brave since Bob Horner hit .314 in 1979. James registered four four-hit games and never went more than two consecutive starts without a hit. He hit .321 (36-for-112) with 49 RBIs with men in scoring position. His .996 fielding average led all National League outfielders who played at least 100 games.
Dion had a strange ground-rule double at Shea Stadium on April 12: he led off the third inning with a towering fly ball to left field that struck a bird with both falling behind the shortstop. He clubbed his only career grand slam on May 2 in Atlanta off Houston's Julio Solano. Dion won National League Player of the Week honors for July 27-August 2 when he hit .517 (15-for-29) with eight RBIs. He had a 10-game hitting streak from September 7-17, hitting .450 (18-for-40) in that span. He finished the season on a strong note, hitting .381 (32-for-84) with 13 runs and 10 RBIs over his final 23 games.
In 1988, James hit .256 with three home runs and 30 RBIs. Although his overall batting average was low, he had outstanding averages against Cincinnati (.467), Pittsburgh (.368), Philadelphia (.368) and Montreal (.343). He hit .263 on the road and .250 at home. His 58 walks were second on the team to Dale Murphy's 74. From August 7-16, Dion hit in eight straight games at a .379 pace (11-for-26).
Dion is a 1980 graduate of McClatchy High [Sacramento, CA], where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball, getting named All-League, All-City and All-State in each. He was a member of championship teams with the Pony, Colt, High School and winter league clubs he played for- Dion drove in the decisive run to win the 1979 Colt League World Series. He was a pitcher and infielder prior to his professional baseball career."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
DAVE SAX
"Sax spent the entire 1990 season at Columbus as a catcher. After playing a combined 52 games in 1988 and 1989, he appeared in 73 games last year, including 52 behind the plate. Overall he batted .249 (51-for-205) with four home runs. When catching he hit .259 compared to .206 as a designated hitter; he hit .248 at home and .250 on the road. Sax drew 32 walks and had a .354 on-base percentage.
July was his best month offensively as he hit .306 (15-for-49) in 17 games. A good pinch hitter, Dave was 3-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs.
He signed a contract for the 1991 season.
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.
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."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
JOHN TOALE
"Toale spent the 1990 season with the Tigers' AAA affiliate London where he hit .257 with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs over 108 games. He caught 23 games and played one game at first and one in the outfield. John was signed by the Yankees as a six-year minor league free agent in January 1991.
The Red Sox third pick in the June 1983 draft, John played first base and third base before being converted into a catcher in 1989. He hit .233 in 36 games for Elmira in his first year of pro ball. In 1984, he spent eight games at Class-A Winter Haven and 50 games at Elmira. He hit .230 with eight home runs for Elmira in 1985, and in 1986 hit .278 at Greensboro with 11 homers and a career best 72 RBIs in 100 games.
Toale spent a majority of the 1987 season at Winter Haven where he hit a career high .300 with a career high 15 home runs, along with 58 RBIs, in 98 games. He hit .212 in 15 games at New Britain. He was traded from the Red Sox to the White Sox organization in December 1987, traded to the Mets on April 2, 1988 and traded to the Texas Rangers on July 28, 1988. At the time of the trade to Texas, Toale was hitting .091 over 11 games for Port Charlotte. He hit .212 in 55 games for the St. Lucie Mets.
Signed by the Tigers as a six-year minor league free agent in January 1989, Toale hit .244 with six home runs and 32 RBIs at London, the Tigers AA affiliate. He played 18 games at first base, 12 games at third and caught seven games.
John attended Florida State University."
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
JIM WALEWANDER
"In 131 games for the Clippers in 1990, Jim hit .250 with a home run and 31 RBIs. A versatile player, he split time between first base (4 G), second base (76 G), third base (24 G) and shortstop (20 G). He had a league high 49 stolen bases, a career best, and was caught stealing 13 times, a 79% success rate. Jim drew a team leading 90 walks, also a career best, and was second on the club with a .408 on-base percentage.
He was out of the gate quickly, hitting .302 in April, his best for any month. Between Columbus and New York he played in 140 games, his highest total since playing a career high 143 games in 1985.
Jim was recalled from Columbus on September 9 and remained with the Yankees through the rest of the season. Overall, he played in nine games and saw action in two games at third base, two at second base and one at shortstop. He hit .200 (1-for-5) with an RBI and was 1-for-2 in stolen base attempts. His only start came in the final game of the season, against Detroit, with Jim going 1-for-3 with a double off Jack Morris in his final at-bat.
He was signed by Yankee Vice-President George Bradley as a six-year minor league free agent in December 1989.
Jim spent the 1989 season with the Toledo Mud Hens, the AAA affiliate of the 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 G), but also played shortstop (13 G) and third base (1 G) as well. Jim has good speed as his 32 stolen bases ranked third in the International League. He ranked third in at-bats (434).
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)."
-1991 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.
-1991 New York Yankees Information Guide
