1992 Profile: Randy Velarde

"Randy Velarde is a major-leaguer. And he'll do what it takes to stay that way. Velarde, after struggling to find a role for three seasons, has made the transition to utility infielder. And his value has been demonstrated during his tenure with the Yankees.
From 1987 to 1989, Velarde spent three seasons shuttling between New York and Columbus, including five trips to Triple-A in an unsettling 1988. Since then, Velarde has awaited his chances and played outstanding baseball when given playing time. The 29-year-old has remained with the Yankees and avoided the minors by being ready when the bell rings.
He plays third base and shortstop, and at the plate is a steady hitter with a keen eye. 'I always come to the field prepared to play,' says Velarde. "I believe in hard work and feel that good things are achieved through good work habits.' "

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"In 1991 Randy spent his second consecutive season exclusively at the major league level.
He had only 12 at-bats in April, starting three of the club's first 17 games. Both of his hits came on April 10 at Detroit, while starting at shortstop. He made 11 starts in May and hit .200 (7-for-35). He had a big game on May 13 against Oakland, going 3-for-4 to raise his seasonal batting average above .200.
Randy hit .316 (6-for-19) in June. On June 16 at Texas, he hit his only home run of the year, a 3rd inning solo shot off Nolan Ryan- it was the 300th career homer allowed by Ryan. Hitting .222 with a home run and four RBIs at the break, Velarde hit .194 in July while starting nine games.
August was his best month, with Velarde starting 12 games and hitting .354 (17-for-48) with eight RBIs. Over his first nine games in August, he hit .480 (12-for-25) raising his batting average from .216 to a season best .268. Randy hit .176 (6-for-34) over September/October; he hit .259 (29-for-112) with 11 RBIs after the break.
Randy started 50 games in 1991, 33 at third base and 17 at shortstop. He made his sixth career appearance in left field on August 11 (game 2) against Detroit.
He hit .297 at home, .207 on the road and .279 in day games. He was 3-for-8 with five RBIs with the bases loaded. Randy drove home the runner from third base eight of 26 times, including six of 18 times with two out and two of eight times with less than two out.
He signed a one-year contract in January of 1992, avoiding arbitration.
Randy spent his first full season in the major leagues in 1990. He had 229 at-bats in that year after having a career major league total of 237 over parts of three prior seasons.
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). 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. At the break he was hitting .193 with a home run and five RBIs over 46 games (33 starts).
August proved to be Randy's strongest month as he hit .250 (7-for-28). 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 out 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 with eight RBIs. He hit .227 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 had 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.
In 1989, Velarde was recalled from Columbus on July 28 and remained with the Yankees through the rest of the 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.
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 led Midwest League shortstops with 52 errors. He was promoted to Buffalo (AAA American Association) and hit .200 (4-for-20) in nine games there.
He was acquired by the Yankees from Chicago 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.
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 and 37 RBIs. 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. He played in 25 games for the Yankees before being optioned back to Columbus on August 11 when Tolleson was activated. Randy was 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. Overall in his five stints with the Yankees, he played in 48 games, batting .174 with five homers, 12 RBIs 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. Over 294 college games, he hit .358 with 39 home runs and 246 RBIs while playing second base, shortstop and center field. Velarde holds NAIA career records for games, at-bats (1,027), hits (368) and assists (658). He played against Roger Clemens and Greg Swindell and alongside Keith Miller.

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 include all outdoor sports, and his favorite spectator sport is basketball. His favorite ballpark is the Oakland Coliseum. His favorite entertainer is Eddie Murphy."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

R.I.P. Jimmy Wynn

1992 Profile: Lee Guetterman

"Ask Lee Guetterman about his '91 performance and you may receive a muddled answer. Though the lanky left-hander appeared in 64 games last season, third on the team, his role coming out of the bullpen was not well defined. The addition of relievers Steve Farr, Steve Howe and John Habyan took a bite out of Guetterman's quality outings, but the 32-year-old is looking to come back strong.
The southpaw worked on a change-up in the off-season to set up his fastball which lost some velocity because of his workload.
'I need to solidify that,' he says on throwing the change-up. 'I've been looking for one that was comfortable for me. I think I've found one that will be good for me. When I establish that and establish I can throw it, it will be a big benefit to me.'
In '89 Guetterman started the season pitching 30 and two-thirds scoreless innings, and the following year he led the team with 11 wins.
But Yankee fans can rest assured the 6-8, 230-pounder from Chattanooga, TN, is prepared to come out firing once again and become a major force in relief."

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Per usual, Lee was, in 1991, one of the most frequently used pitchers for the Yankees. Over 64 appearances he was 3-4 with six saves and a 3.68 ERA.
Lee appeared in six games in April, posting a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 innings. He made his season debut in the club's third game, on April 11 at Detroit. From April 12-May 5 he had a string of eight consecutive scoreless appearances (10.1 IP), lowering his ERA from 13.50 to a season low 0.82.
He sparkled in May, going 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA (12.2 IP) over 12 games while posting three saves in as many opportunities. Guetterman earned his first save on May 13 against Oakland, pitching a scoreless inning, and picked up the win in his final appearance of the month, on May 27 against Boston.
Guetterman appeared in 10 games in June, posting a 1-1 record and a 3.60 ERA (10.0 IP). For the second consecutive month his win came in his final appearance, on June 29 at Milwaukee in a 9-8 New York triumph (1.0 IP). Lee had saves in his first two July appearances: on July 1 at Cleveland, pitching a season high four innings, and on July 4th at Baltimore (1.0 IP).
His toughest month was August, going 0-1 with a save in two opportunities and posting an 8.27 ERA (16.1 IP) over 13 games. Lee rebounded in September, going 1-2 with a 2.50 ERA (18.0 IP) over 11 games and dropping his ERA to 3.56, and pitched three times in October (8.0 IP, 4 ER). After the break, he was 1-3 with a save in four opportunities and a 4.99 ERA over 33 appearances.
Guetterman finished third on the staff and second among relievers (to John Habyan) with 64 appearances. He had led the club in games pitched in each of the previous two seasons, his 64 appearances matching his 1990 total. He was part of a quartet of relievers (along with Habyan, Greg Cadaret and Steve Farr) who each appeared in 60+ games. It was the first time in club history that more than two relievers had made more than 60 appearances.
His 88 innings ranked 16th in the AL (among relievers). Lee had a .269 opponents batting average against, .175 against left-handed hitters, .305 against right-handers. He had a 4.18 ERA at home, 2.97 on the road, 2.39 in day games.
Lee had six saves in nine opportunities. He retired the first hitter upon entering the game 42 of 64 times (66%) and stranded 23 of 33 (70%) inherited baserunners. Lee came in with the bases loaded once and allowed a grand slam to Ken Griffey, Jr. Over the past three seasons he has stranded the bases full six of nine times while allowing six of 27 runners to score.
In 1991, Lee yielded six home runs for the third consecutive season, four to right-handed batters and two left-handed batters (Griffey, Jr. and Alvin Davis). The homer by Davis on May 19 was his first to a left-hander since September 26, 1989 (Mike Greenwell). Lee has allowed 40 career home runs, only five to left-handed hitters: Griffey, Jr. and Davis (1991), Greenwell (1989), Lou Whitaker and Wade Boggs (1986).
Lee pitched three-plus innings five times and posted a 2.41 ERA (18.2 IP, 5 ER) in that capacity. Over the past three seasons, he has pitched three-plus innings 18 times and posted a 1.81 ERA (64.2 IP, 45 H, 13 ER).
He signed a contract for the 1992 season.
1990 was Lee's second straight season as the most consistent of Yankee relievers. He was 11-7 with two saves and a 3.39 ERA over 64 games.
On April 25 against Seattle, over 3.1 innings, he fanned a career high seven batters but allowed two runs. He picked up his first win on April 27 against California. That game started a string of nine straight scoreless outings (13.1 IP), and Guetterman allowed one earned run over 22 outings (20.2 IP) from April 27-June 14.
May was his finest month- he pitched in 11 games, going 1-1 with a 0.63 ERA (14.1 IP). Lee did not allow an earned run through his first nine appearances in June and then allowed five in his final 16.1 innings. His final scoreless game came on June 14 against Boston (1.0 IP, 1 H), reducing his ERA to a season low 1.80. For the month, Lee was 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA (24.0 IP).
July was a month of inconsistency as his ERA rose from 2.10 to a month-ending 2.76 and he was 1-2 with a blown save. At the break he was 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA and in his final appearance of the month on July 18 strained a muscle in his right rib cage. Lee was on the 15-day disabled list from July 19-August 3.
His first game back was August 3, with Lee picking up a win against Cleveland. On August 9 at Seattle, he picked up the first of two saves in 1990, pitching 0.2 scoreless innings. The other save was on August 21 against Toronto. For the month he posted a 3-0 record and had a 2.60 ERA (17.1 IP).
He had an ERA of 2.72 through August, but a September/October ERA of 7.24 raised his season mark to a final 3.39. He picked up the Yankees' final 1990 win on October 2 at Detroit (0.1 IP).
Guetterman led Yankee pitchers in games (64) for the second straight year and his 93.0 relief innings were eighth in the league. He led the club in wins (11), becoming the first pure reliever in Yankee history to lead the team in wins. After getting saves in 13 of 14 opportunities in 1989, Guetterman was 2-for-7 in such situations in '90. He pitched at least three innings seven times (26.2 IP) and posted a 2.03 ERA. Among full-time Yankee relievers, he stranded a team-leading 50 of 67 (75%) of inherited baserunners and got the first batter out upon entering a game 48 of 64 (75%) times.
The most consistent of Yankee relievers in 1989, Lee had an outstanding season. He was 5-5 with 13 saves and a 2.45 ERA over 70 games.
Lee started the season on fire, going 20 outings before allowing a run. On April 12 at Toronto he pitched one inning in a 5-3 Yankee win for his first major league save. He registered his second save his next time out. Guetterman pitched 10 times in April, allowing 12 hits and no runs over 14.2 innings. He pitched nine more scoreless games (15.0 innings) in May with four more saves before allowing a run; on May 24 against the Angels, he pitched a scoreless inning before allowing a leadoff home run to Chilli Davis in the ninth inning to break his scoreless inning streak at 30.2. He pitched in 22 games through May and was 0-0 with seven saves and a 1.24 ERA.
Through June, Lee had a 2.01 ERA. He picked up a save on July 4 at Detroit with two scoreless innings, and through the break was 1-1 with 10 saves and a 2.05 ERA.
Lee had a rocky beginning after the break but got back on track on July 30 against Toronto, pitching a season high 3.2 innings and picking up the win. He pitched in 16 games in August with a 1.31 ERA (20.2 IP) and had a string of nine consecutive scoreless outings (10.0 IP) from August 8-23. In September, he had a 1.10 ERA (16.1 IP), with a span of eight straight scoreless outings (12.0 IP) from August 27-September 16. From August 8 through the end of the season, he compiled a 0.86 ERA (31.2 IP, 3 ER), dropping his ERA from 3.15 to a season-ending 2.45.
With 30.2 scoreless innings at the start of the season, Lee now holds the major league record for scoreless innings at the beginning of a season by a relief pitcher. It was also the longest scoreless innings streak by any pitcher since Harry 'The Cat' Brecheen started the 1948 season with 32.0 scoreless innings for the Cardinals.
Lee had a team low 2.45 ERA and a team high 70 appearances, the most by a Yankee pitcher since Dave Righetti pitched in 74 in 1986. He was fifth in the American League (10th in the majors) in games and his 103.0 innings were seventh among AL relievers. He had 13 saves in 14 opportunities.
He prevented a club best 52 inherited runners from scoring. Guetterman entered the game with the bases loaded six times and four times left them full (15 of 18 runners stranded overall in such situations). He pitched at least three innings six times and allowed two runs on 11 hits over 19.1 innings (0.93 ERA) in such situations.

Guetterman was acquired by the Yankees in December 1987 from the Seattle Mariners along with pitchers Clay Parker and Wade Taylor in exchange for pitcher Steve Trout and outfielder Henry Cotto. He made two starts in 20 appearances in 1988, finishing with a record of 1-2 and a 4.65 ERA. In his 18 relief appearances Guetterman retired the first batter he faced 11 times and prevented 12 of 16 inherited runners from scoring.
He came north with the Yankees at the beginning of the season, making his Yankee debut in a relief outing on April 8 against Milwaukee, giving up a solo homer by Robin Yount. In his first stint with the Yankees, Lee made eight relief appearances without a decision with a 2.45 ERA (14.2 IP) before being optioned to Columbus for the first time on May 13.
Lee was named Yankee Minor League Pitcher of the Month for July, going 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA (6 G, 6 GS, 4 CG, 47.1 IP, 27 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 12 BB, 23 K [0.82 WHIP]). He was recalled to New York on August 5. In the second game of a doubleheader that day against Minnesota, Lee made the first of two starts as a Yankee and taking the loss while giving up a solo homer to Greg Gagne, the second of the two home runs he allowed all year. After that start, he made five relief appearances, going 0-0 with a 7.36 ERA (11.0 IP) before being optioned again on August 21.
Overall in his two stints at Columbus, he posted a combined record of 9-6 with a 2.76 ERA and a .237 batting average against while averaging just one homer every 53.1 innings pitched. Guetterman finished sixth in the International League in ERA.
He was recalled a second time by the Yankees on September 5. On September 24 against Boston, Lee pitched a scoreless inning of relief and was credited with his only win of the year in the Yankees' 5-4 victory. It was his first major league win since October 3, 1987, when he was a member of the Seattle Mariners. In his next appearance, September 28 at Baltimore, he made his second start of the year and was charged with the Yankees' 2-0 loss. Lee made one outing after that, a relief appearance on October 1 at Detroit, when he registered his only blown save of the year, going one inning in relief of Tommy John.
He was originally selected by the Mariners in the fourth round (second selection) of the June 1981 free agent draft (with a choice from California as compensation for the signing of outfielder Juan Beniquez). In his first professional season, Guetterman ranked fifth in the [short-season] class-A Northwest League with a 2.68 ERA at Bellingham and posted a record of 6-4. In his first season at Bakersfield (Class-A California League) in 1982, he was 7-11 in 26 starts with a 4.44 ERA. His 3.22 ERA at Bakersfield in 1983 ranked him 10th in the league (and second among left-handers) and he finished with a 12-6 record in 25 starts.
Lee spent the 1984 season at AA Chattanooga, where he went 11-7 with a 3.38 ERA. He was recalled to Seattle after the minor league season on September 7 and made his major league debut on September 12 in relief (his first career appearance in relief) against Texas in the Mariners' 8-1 loss, receiving a  no-decision. He made two more relief outings for the Mariners that month.
He was assigned to Calgary from spring training in 1985 and spent the entire season there. He recorded a 5-8 record with a 5.79 ERA. 18 of his 20 appearances were starts and he tossed two complete games. Lee spent most of the 1986 season with the Mariners, going 0-4 with a 7.34 ERA in 41 games (four starts). He made his first major league start on June 7 (second game) at Texas, going the distance in the Mariners' 3-2 loss. He finished third on the club in appearances and also was 1-0 in Calgary in four starts with a 5.59 ERA.
He was the third leading winner on the Mariner staff in 1987 with a record of 11-4 in 25 games (17 starts) and posted a 3.81 earned run average, the best ERA among the club's starters. His winning percentage of .733 tied for first in the major leagues (among pitchers with 15 or more decisions) with Toronto's John Cerutti and Montreal's Dennis Martinez, who also were 11-4.
He was not on the Mariners' 40-man winter roster and did not attend major league spring training in 1987, and opened the season at Calgary, Seattle's AAA affiliate. He was purchased by the Mariners on May 21 when Edwin Nunez was placed on the 15-day disabled list. At that point, Lee was 5-1 at Calgary with a save in 16 appearances (two starts) with a 2.86 ERA.
Lee won his first appearance after his recall to Seattle, a relief outing on May 27 against the Yankees in New York. He was moved into the rotation after that, and in his first five starts, from May 31 to June 21, he went 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA. Lee concluded that streak on June 21 at Cleveland, pitching a 3-hit shutout against the Indians in the Mariners' 5-0 victory; it was his first major league shutout and his second big league complete game.
At that point, his overall record was 5-0 with a 2.65 ERA in six appearances (five starts), and his five-game winning streak was the longest by a Mariner in '87. Guetterman pitched his second complete game of the season in his next start, on July 2 against Detroit, recording a season-high five strikeouts in Seattle's 5-2 victory. That started a three-game winning streak in three consecutive starts to raise his first-half record to 8-1 in 10 games (nine starts) with a 3.36 ERA (64.1 IP).
In his first six starts after the All-Star break through August 15, however, Lee went 1-3 with a 6.29 ERA (24.1 IP) and was moved back to the bullpen. He made seven appearances in relief without a decision or a save with a 1.69 ERA (10.2 IP) before being moved back into the rotation. Lee finished the season by making two starts and winning both to raise his final record to 11-4 with a 3.81 ERA. Overall in 17 games started he was 10-3 with a 4.05 ERA.
Lee graduated from Oceanside (California) High School in 1977, where he earned All-County honors as a first baseman. He graduated from Liberty Baptist College in Lynchburg, Virginia where one of his teammates was Sid Bream, and also pitched for La Romana (Dominican Republic) in winter ball.
His favorite team growing up was the San Diego Padres, his favorite ballpark is Texas Stadium and his most memorable moment in sports was 'throwing a 3-hit shutout against Cleveland on Father's Day' in 1987. His favorite entertainer is Bill Cosby."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

1992 Profile: Kevin Maas

"The real Kevin Maas will be asked to stand up this season.
The second-year Yankee quickly learned the harsh realities of a grueling 162-game schedule and facing pitchers the second time around. After clouting home runs at a record pace his rookie season in '90, Maas was mired in a season-long slump in '91. His .220 BA, 23 HRs and 63 RBI fell short of expected production, and that same burden will again rear its ugly head this year.
The left-handed hitter has a tailor-made swing for Yankee Stadium's right-field porch and will be aiming for the seats again.
'One or two guys I talked to said every player who's played the game had a bad streak or a bad season when things don't click,' Maas says. 'I've seen what I can do before.' "

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Maas showed signs that his power in 1990 was no fluke, spending his first full season in the majors in 1991.
He started out the season by hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two home runs and six RBIs over his first seven games but went 6-for-34 with two RBIs for the rest of April. Maas hit .231 for the month with 23 walks while starting all 17 games. He hit both of his home runs in his first 17 at-bats. He hit his first homer in his second plate appearances on April 8 off Frank Tanana at Detroit, the Yankees' first homer of 1991. On April 12 at Kansas City, he hit his first major league triple in his 264th big league at-bat.
Kevin had perhaps his most consistent month in May, hitting .300 with seven homers, 11 RBIs, 18 bases on balls and 20 runs scored. His home runs came in bunches, as he hit the first four in 25 at-bats and the last three in 25 at-bats. Kevin had his first career four-hit game on May 8 at California, pushing his batting average to .300. He led the AL in bases on balls as late as May 25. He hit fourth in the batting order in the club's first 31 games of the season (through May 16) and in 40 of the first 41 games.
He hit .210 in June, dropping his average from .276 to .250, with four home runs. He had a six-game hitting streak from June 12-18 (9-for-25), raising his average 12 points to .271. Hitting .252 with 14 homers and 34 RBIs at the break, Kevin went into a career worst slump after the break; he had a streak of six games when he went 0-for-29. The string was snapped on July 25 against Seattle with a single off Bill Krueger. For July, he hit .151 (13-for-86) with a home run and five RBIs, including .109 (7-for-64) with three RBIs after the break.
Maas hit .158 in August with four home runs and 14 RBIs. He hit .250 (18-for-72) with three homers in September and had a season best eight-game hitting streak from September 20-27 (11-for-27), raising average 11 points to .220. He stole home on September 22 at Boston on the back end of a delayed double steal with Matt Nokes. Kevin was 4-for-14 with a pair of homers in October; he hit the club's last homer of the season in the last game on October 6 at the Stadium off Jeff Shaw of the Indians.
Over his final 13 games, he hit .333 (15-for-45) with four home runs and six RBIs. He hit .191 with nine homers and 29 RBIs after the break.
For the 1990 season, he hit 23 homers and now has 44 in 754 major league at-bats. Maas became the first Yankee to hit 20+ homers in his first two major league seasons since Tom Tresh (20 & 25) in 1962 and 1963. He hit nine homers off left-handers, 14 off righties; he hit eight homers at home, 15 on the road; he hit six in day games, 17 at night, and he hit 15 solo homers, four two-run homers and four three-run homers.
Kevin's longest homerless drought was 90 at-bats. With his May 29 home run off Tom Bolton of Boston, he has hit at least one homer against every American League opponent. Kevin has homered in every AL city except Boston and Chicago. Last year he was the only left-handed hitter to hit a home run off Cleveland's Greg Swindell. He homered in consecutive games three times and had a multi-homer game, October 6 against Cleveland, off Charles Nagy and Jeff Shaw.
In '91 Kevin hit .221 against left-handers, .219 against righties; .178 at home, .258 on the road and hit .271 (23-for-85) on artificial turf. He was 2-for-9 as a pinch hitter, hit .180 with runners in scoring position and was 2-for-8 with seven RBIs with the bases loaded. Kevin ranked fourth in the American League for the ratio of fewest grounded into double plays, hitting into one every 125 at-bats. He tied Mel Hall for the club lead in two-out RBIs (27).
He played 36 games at first base and made six errors, a .983 fielding percentage. He was the designated hitter in 109 games and his 370 DH at-bats ranked ninth in the league. Maas has been the Yankee DH for 127 games over two seasons to rank eighth on the club's all-time list behind Reggie Jackson (135).
Maas played winter ball in Venezuela, hitting .367 with two homers and 12 RBIs over 18 games. He signed a contract for the 1992 season.
In 1990, Maas established his mark as having a swing built for Yankee Stadium. He finished a brilliant rookie season with a .252 batting average, 21 home runs and 41 RBIs.
He started the season in Tampa on injury rehabilitation for 1989 knee surgery, then reported to Columbus on April 29. Maas was with the Clippers until he had his contract purchased by the Yankees on  June 28. At the time of his promotion he was hitting .284 with 15 doubles, 13 home runs and 38 RBIs. He had a .390 on-base percentage and a .582 slugging average.
Kevin was put into the lineup immediately, making his debut as a starter (designated hitter) on June 29 at Chicago. He went 1-for-3 getting his first major league hit, a single off Jack McDowell in the 4th inning. He hit safely in his first three games (3-for-10) and hit his first home run on July 4th at Kansas City off Bret Saberhagen. Kevin hit home runs in three consecutive games (July 23-25 at Texas) to become the first Yankee rookie to do so since Steve Whitaker from August 26-28, 1966.
He had four home runs over the final 12 games of July. He hit .270 in for the month with eight home runs and 15 RBIs (1 HR every 7.9 AB).
Kevin had another productive month in August, hitting .260 with eight home runs and 15 RBIs. He hit in five straight from July 31-August 4, going 9-for-20 (.450) and raising his batting average from .242 to .293. He hit his 12th homer on August 7 in Seattle off Erik Hanson, becoming the 21st player in Kingdome history to hit a ball into the upper deck. The ball traveled an estimated 448 feet. He went 2-for-4 on August 11 to bring his average to .282 but hit .238 (15-for-63) over the remainder of the month.
Reaching a number of major league records with his home run power, Maas set the MAJOR LEAGUE record for fewest at-bats (77) to reach 10 home runs- the old record was held by George Scott who hit 10 in 79 at-bats for the Red Sox in 1966. He set the MAJOR LEAGUE record for fewest at-bats (110) to reach 13 home runs- the old record was held by Sam Horn who hit 13 in 123 at-bats for Boston in 1987. He set the MAJOR LEAGUE record for fewest at-bats (133) to reach 15 home runs- the old record was held by Wally Berger who hit 15 in 135 at-bats for the Boston Braves in 1930. Maas tied the MAJOR LEAGUE record for most home runs (12) in his first 100 at-bats with Dave Hostetler, who hit 12 in his first 100 for the Texas Rangers in 1982. He finished first in the American League and second in the majors for most home runs by a rookie, behind David Justice of Atlanta who hit 28.
Maas and Mattingly started together 18 times and in those games combined to hit .331 (45-for-136) with seven homers and 22 RBIs. Maas hit .359 (23-for-64) and Mattingly hit .306 (22-for-72). For the year, Maas started 70 games (1B-53, DH-17).
The Yankees' 22nd pick in the June 1986 free agent draft, Kevin was signed by Bill Livesey and recommended by Greg Orr. He played 28 games with Oneonta, where he batted .356 (36-for-101) with 10 doubles and 18 RBIs in his first professional season.
He spent the 1987 season at 'A' Ft. Lauderdale of the Florida State League where he batted .278 with 28 doubles, 11 home runs, 73 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 108 strikeouts. He played 76 of his 116 games at first base but was named as the designated hitter on the Florida State League All-Star team.
Maas was named the 1988 Yankee Minor League Player of the Year.
He started the season with 'A' Prince William of the Carolina League and batted .296 in 29 games with seven doubles, 12 home runs and 35 RBIs. He was promoted to AA Albany-Colonie of the Eastern League on May 13, where he finished the season.
Kevin was named to play in the mid-season Eastern League All-Star Game and was selected as the first baseman on the postseason Eastern League All-Star team. He was named Topps Minor League Player of the Month in the Eastern League for August, when he batted .243 (27-for-111) in 31 games with 20 runs scored, six home runs and 16 RBIs (including four game-winning RBIs).
He batted .263 (98-for-372) in 108 games at Albany with 66 runs, 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 55 RBIs. He finished third in the Eastern League in home runs and third in walks (64). Kevin's combined 28 home runs at Prince William and Albany led the Yankee farm system. He was added to the Yankees' 40-man roster in November of 1988.
Maas spent the entire 1989 season at Columbus. He hit .320 in 83 games (third best on the club) with 23 doubles, six home runs and 45 RBIs. 31 of his 93 hits (33%) went for extra bases and his .474 slugging percentage ranked second on the team. He played 43 of 83 games as an outfielder but was named to the International League All-Star team as a designated hitter.
He was on the disabled list twice in 1989: from April 18-May 1 with the chicken pox, and from July 28 through the end of the season as he underwent arthroscopic surgery on August 16 to have ligaments in his right knee repaired. He injured his right knee rounding first base on July 26.
Kevin graduated from Bishop O'Dowd (CA) High School and earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He was voted the 1991 'Good Guy' award by the New York Press photographers."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide

1992 Profile: Roberto Kelly

1992 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"Has a chance for stardom if he can stay healthy. Kelly joined Jose Canseco and Joe Carter as the only American Leaguers to record at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
He set career highs in home runs (20) and RBI (69), despite being disabled from July 6-August 13 with a sprained right wrist. Kelly piled up 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 51 games after returning from the injury. He led the club with 32 stolen bases. He was shifted to left field because rookie Bernie Williams replaced him in center during his injury.
Kelly has power to the opposite field, although he remains essentially a line-drive hitter. He has blossomed offensively in the big leagues- he compiled only a .260 average in the minors.
Born in Panama City, Panama, Kelly was signed as a free agent by the Yankees in February 1982."

-Tony DeMarco and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition

"Roberto Kelly's statistics last season would have satisfied most major-leaguers: .267 BA, 20 HRs, 69 RBI and 32 stolen bases. And considering the 28-year-old outfielder missed six weeks of the season, his performance becomes even more impressive.
After spraining his wrist crashing into the Stadium's centerfield wall in early July last season, Kelly returned to the Yankee lineup as their left fielder, giving way to rookie center fielder Bernie Williams. The change in positions caused some friction initially, but the fifth-year Yankee will play where needed most.
The Panama native is clearly on the brink of stardom. He became only one of three American League players (along with Jose Canseco and Joe Carter) to join the 20-20 club (steals and HRs) in 1991. Kelly was the first Yankee to accomplish the feat since Rickey Henderson in 1986. Roberto is quickly moving to the upper echelon of the AL talent pool. With time on his side, the sky appears to be the limit as to how bright his star will shine.
'People look at me like I've got eight or nine years in the big leagues,' he says. 'I'm still young. I'm going to get better.' "

-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook

"Despite missing six weeks because of injuries, Kelly posted outstanding numbers in 1991. He hit .267 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.
Kelly hit .279 with two homers and 11 RBIs in April, starting 16 of the club's 17 games in center field. He started with eight hits in his first 39 at-bats and finished with nine hits in 22 at-bats, raising his batting average from .225. Despite hitting in 21 of 25 games in May his average tailed off to .245, with three homers and nine RBIs in the month. The three homers came in the first 11 games (44 at-bats).
He had a tough June, hitting .241 with four home runs and 13 RBIs but finished the month strong, batting .324 (12-for-37) over the final nine games and raising his average from .240 to .251. Roberto carried the momentum into July, hitting .444 (8-for-18) with a homer and three RBIs in five games before getting hurt.
Roberto was injured on July 5 when he sprained his right wrist crashing into the centerfield wall chasing a Cal Ripken double. He was placed on the disabled list on July 7 and remained there until activated on August 13. He missed 33 games, with the Yankees going 13-20 in his absence. Roberto was hitting .263 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs when the injury occurred. He returned to action as the Yankees left fielder.
In August, Roberto hit only .197 with three home runs and nine RBIs. He started slow again in September, hitting .220 (9-for-41), yet from September 13 through the remainder of the season (23 games), Roberto was unstoppable, hitting .356 (31-for-87) with seven home runs, 20 RBIs, 15 runs, 12 walks and eight stolen bases. He ended the season by hitting .457 (16-for-35) in the second of two season-long nine-game hitting streaks, with six doubles, two homers and seven RBIs. Kelly hit .275 (52-for-189) with 10 homers and 33 RBIs after the break.
Kelly was one of three American League players (with Jose Canseco and Joe Carter) and one of eight in the majors (Howard Johnson, Ron Gant, Ryne Sandberg, Barry Larkin, Barry Bonds in the NL) to join the 20-20 club (home runs and stolen bases) in 1991. He was the first Yankee to accomplish this since Rickey Henderson in 1985 and 1986 and the fifth Yankee overall (Bobby Bonds 1975, Roy White 1970, Mickey Mantle 1959).
He set career highs in home runs (20) and RBIs (69) and a major league high in walks (45). His strikeout total (77) and strikeout to at-bat ratio (1: 6.3 AB) were both personal bests. Before going on the DL he hit 10 home runs in 297 at-bats (1: 29.7 AB); after his DL stint, he hit 10 homers in 189 at-bats (1: 18.9 AB). He hit seven of the club's final 19 homers of the season.
Roberto hit .299 (35-for-117) with runners in scoring position including .345 (20-for-58) with less than two out. He hit .571 (4-for-7) with nine RBIs with the bases loaded, and over the past two seasons has hit .400 (6-for-15) with 15 RBIs with the bases full. Roberto drove the runner home from third base with less than two out 23 of 54 times.
He hit .296 against left-handed pitching and .254 against righties. He hit a team best .310 at home and .228 on the road. He hit .316 (12-for-38) when leading off a game.
Roberto finished with a .986 fielding percentage, 19th in the American League. He started 124 games (5th on the club), 72 in center field, 52 in left. He made four errors (CF-3, LF-1) and finished the season with 56 errorless games. Roberto contributed eight assists, seven from left field, three of which cut down baserunners at the plate.
He stole a team best 32 bases (8th in the AL) and was caught nine times. Kelly now has 123 career steals, 17th on the all-time Yankee list behind Snuffy Stirnweiss (130). He teamed with Steve Sax to become the first Yankee duo to steal 30+ bases in three consecutive seasons since Hal Chase and Bert Daniels in 1910-12. Kelly's 123 steals in 166 attempts give him a 74% success rate.
He stole 11 straight bases without being caught to end the season (last caught 9/9), the longest streak of his career. For the season he was 4-for-4 stealing third and has stolen third six straight times (last caught 8/11/90). For his career, Kelly is 11-for-13 stealing third.
He signed a one-year contract in January 1992, avoiding arbitration.
A consistent player on the 1990 club, Kelly enjoyed a fine season, hitting .285 with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs, 42 stolen bases, playing in all 162 games. He made his first error of the year in game 25 on May 8, breaking a string of 90 consecutive errorless games dating back to July 14, 1989, and played every inning of every game through May 26 (40 games).
Kelly started out hot, hitting .317 in April. On April 17 in Detroit during the second inning, he was caught stealing twice in one inning (once after reaching base safely on an error), becoming the fifth player in major league history to do so. Roberto hit .280 in May with two home runs and 15 RBIs. He played in all 27 games (26 starts) and hit safely in 20.
He hit a solid .282 in June but his production was down (2 HR, 3 RBI). He was hitting .275 on June 10 but hit .329 (24-for-73) over the final 18 games in June to bring his season batting average to .289. On June 20 at Milwaukee Roberto had a game-winning, two-out solo homer in the ninth inning off Chuck Crim to give the Yankees a 5-4 win. On June 22 at Toronto, he had the first of two four-hit games.
At the break, Kelly was hitting .286 with 16 doubles, four home runs, 25 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. He hit.275 in July, starting 28 of 29 games, and it was his biggest month production-wise (7 2B, 4 HR, 18 RBI). He cut down on his strikeouts (24) and had a .344 batting average when he made contact.
Roberto had his best average in August when he hit .320 (6 HR, 11 RBI). He hit in a season best 10 straight games August 18-27 with a .400 average (18-for-45), five doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and six stolen bases, bringing his season average up 10 points to .297. On August 21 at Toronto, he stole home, the first Yankee to steal home since Claudell Washington on September 15, 1988.
Roberto was named American League Player of the Week (along with Dave Parker) for the week of August 20-26. During that week he batted .406 (13-for-32) with four doubles, two homers, five RBIs and six stolen bases. He was the first Yankee to win the award since Don Mattingly (week of July 17, 1988). Kelly capped off August by hitting a home run off Greg Harris at Boston in his final at-bat of the month.
He hit .254 (31-for-122) in September/October. He struck out for the 142nd time on September 24 against Baltimore (Curt Schilling), setting the all-time Yankee strikeout record which was surpassed by Jesse Barfield. He finished the season with 39 straight errorless games. After the break, he hit .285 with 16 doubles, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs and 24 stolen bases.
For the 1990 season, Kelly led the club in seven offensive categories including games played (162), at-bats (641), runs (85), hits (183), total bases (268), doubles (32) and triples (4). He led the club with 52 multi-hit games (tied for fifth in AL) and in two-hit games (38), three-hit games (12) and four-hit games (2). Kelly ranked in the league in at-bats (2nd), caught stealing (tied for 2nd), hits (3rd), stolen bases (3rd), strikeouts (6th) and total bases (10th). He and San Diego's Joe Carter were the only two to play 162 games in 1990; Kelly became only the fifth Yankee to play all 162 games.
He started 155 games (144 in center field, 11 in left). He contributed five outfield assists and ranked 12th in the AL with a .988 fielding percentage. Roberto finished the season with 39 straight errorless games.
Roberto had three lead-off-the-game home runs (July 29 at Cleveland off Cecilio Guante, August 6 against Cleveland off Greg Swindell, September 25 against Baltimore off Anthony Telford); the  Yankees were 3-0 in these games. He had 22 two-out RBIs.
He teamed with Steve Sax to become the first Yankee duo to each steal at least 40 bases since Birdie Cree (48) and Bert Daniels (40) in 1911. The Yankees became the first club to have two of the top three in the league since the 1975 Oakland Athletics had Billy North (75, 1st) and Bert Campaneris (54, 3rd). Roberto stole 42 bases in 59 tries, a 71 % success rate. He stole third successfully five times in seven attempts.
Roberto had a career major league average of .256 in two short stints entering 1989 but put together an outstanding season, hitting .302 as the Yankee starting center fielder.
He started the season with a bang on Opening Day at Minnesota, getting his first career four-hit game with a home run (off Juan Berenguer), two RBIs and two stolen bases. He also had a career high four-RBI game on April 17 at Toronto. For the month, he hit a club-best .329.
From May 14-20, Roberto hit in seven straight games (12-for-25, .480). He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 26 with a sprained left wrist which he aggravated diving for a ball the previous evening against California and remained on the DL until June 12. Roberto started playing again on June 14 and a 2-for-2 effort on June 16 (first game) put him over .300 to stay for the season. Overall in June, he reached base safely in 14 of 16 games, hitting .340 for the month.
July was his best month offensively, with Roberto hitting .349 with 15 RBIs. He had a four-game hitting streak from July 5-8 that included a home run off Roger Clemens in Boston. He was hitting .312 with five errors at the break, and for the month reached safely in 24 of 27 games.
Roberto continued his torrid hitting in August with a .324 mark for the month. He hit in a career best 11 straight games from July 29-August 7 (20-for-38, .526), and from July 19-August 7 reached base in 20 straight games while hitting .470 (31-for-66) to raise his average from .305 to .341. In Minnesota he went 4-for-4 on August 11 and 2-for-4 on August 12 to boost his batting average to .345, his highest mark since the third game of the season. September was his slowest month, as he hit .188 (12-for-64) with three home runs and six RBIs.
His post-break batting was average was .291. He committed one error after the break (July 14) and ended the year with 66 straight errorless games.
For the season, Roberto ranked first on the club in on-base percentage (.369), second in stolen bases (35), second in sacrifice hits (8), fourth in runs (65), games (137) and hits (133), and sixth in doubles (18). He hit .273 with men in scoring position, 372 against left-handed pitchers and .267 against right-handed pitchers, and .317 at home and .288 on the road.
He stole 35 bases in 47 attempts (74%). He teamed with Steve Sax (43 steals) to become the first Yankee tandem to each steal 30-plus bases since Mickey Rivers (43) and Roy White (31) in 1976.
Roberto was signed as a free agent by the Yankees (scout Fred Ferreira) on February 21, 1982. In his first pro season he hit .198 at Bradenton in 31 games, and in 1983 batted .265 in 20 games at Greensboro and .216 in 48 games in Oneonta. In 111 games with Greensboro in 1984, Roberto hit .238 with 68 runs and 42 stolen bases. He batted .247 in 1985 in 114 games at Ft. Lauderdale of the 'A' Florida State League, had 86 runs along with 49 stolen bases and led that circuit with 13 triples.
In 1986, Roberto batted .291 in 86 games with the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA Eastern League) with 11 doubles, two homers, 43 RBIs, 42 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. He was placed on the disabled list on July 10 due to the presence of bone chips in his right ankle and was not activated until August 23. Roberto was named to the Eastern League All-Star team but was unable to play due to his injury.
Roberto spent the first part of the 1987 season with the Columbus Clippers before being recalled to New York on July 29. At that point, he was hitting .300 in 102 games with the Clippers, with 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, 48 stolen bases and six times caught stealing.
He made his major league debut with the Yankees on July 29 against Kansas City at Yankee Stadium, going 0-for-3 with a run scored and two stolen bases. His first major league hit came on July 30 off the Royals' Bud Black, a first-inning double. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI (his first in the majors) on August 1 against Detroit. Roberto's first major league home run came on August 6 at Detroit, a three-run homer in the eighth inning off Willie Hernandez.
Roberto was optioned to Columbus on August 14 after playing 10 games with the Yankees, hitting .300 (6-for-20) with a homer, five RBIs and three stolen bases. He remained with the Clippers until the conclusion of their season, finishing with a .278 batting average with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs, and was 51 of 61 in stolen base attempts. His 51 stolen bases led the International League, and he was named as the designated hitter on the postseason IL all-star team.
He was recalled to the Yankees on September 10 and had his first big league three-hit game on September 22 at Milwaukee (second game). In his two stints with the Yankees, Roberto combined to steal nine bases in 12 attempts.
In 1988, an injury-plagued year cut his season short. Roberto began the season on the Yankees roster, when he started as the Opening Day center fielder and went 3-for-4, but was optioned to Columbus on May 21. At the time of his option he was hitting .254 (15-for-59) with five RBIs.
Following his option, Roberto played 30 games with the Clippers, batting .333 (40-for-120) with three homers and 16 RBIs, and was successful on 11 of 14 stolen base attempts. He was recalled to New York on June 24, and on that day hit a leadoff home run off Cleveland's Tom Candiotti at Yankee Stadium, his only home run of the year and one of the two leadoff home runs hit by the Yankees in 1988.
 On June 28, against Detroit, he was injured running against the center field wall attempting to catch a triple hit by Pat Sheridan in the 9th inning. Roberto suffered a sprained left wrist and a bruised right knee and was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 30. He was transferred to the 30-day DL on July 25 and was activated on September 2.
Roberto made 10 appearances with the Yankees after that, all in a pinch-running or defensive replacement capacity, and did not have any plate appearances due to his sprained left wrist. He recorded a stolen base in each of three successive pinch-running appearances from September 8-11 and scored twice as a pinch runner. For the season, he stole five bases in seven attempts.
Roberto played Little League and in 1982 graduated from Instituto Jose Delores Moscote, a high school in Panama City, where he played baseball, basketball and volleyball."

-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide