R.I.P. Joe Pepitone

1993 Profile: Steve Farr

"Farr continues to do the job, despite advancing age and the lack of a fastball.

He established a career high with 30 saves, seven better than the mark he set the year before. He converted 30 of 36 tries and each of his last 12 opportunities. Farr recorded the first 30-save season by a Yankee right-hander since Rich Gossage recorded that total in 1982. His 1.59 ERA was the lowest by a Yankee reliever in a full season since Steve Hamilton (1.40) in 1965. He limited opponents to a .186 batting average.

Farr was born December 12, 1956, in Cheverly, Maryland. He began as an undrafted free agent with the Pirates and pitched seven-plus seasons in the minors before breaking in with Cleveland in 1984."

-Tony DeMarco (Ft. Worth Star-Telegram) and Tom Pedulla (Gannett Newspapers), The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1993 Edition

"There's the swagger. And the air of confidence on the mound. And the way he aggressively goes at the hitter. 

Most of the great Yankee relievers had them. The swagger. The confidence. The aggressiveness. 

Sparky Lyle had them. Goose Gossage had them. And Steve Farr has them.

Maybe in Farr's case, the confidence is a facade.

'The key is confidence,' he admits, 'but believe me, I'm scared out there, too.'

Oh, yeah! Tell that to American League batters who have faced Farr in the ninth inning, with the game on the line.

'I don't like to screw up,' Farr says. 'I don't feel like getting booed. That's part of the deal, though.'

All relief pitchers live on the edge, one pitch from being booed. The good ones, like Farr, thrive in such situations. Like bull fighters. sword swallowers and guys who soar over canyons on motorcycles, this a not a job for the faint-hearted.

But that's why they call him the 'Beast.' His competitive nature has helped him reach the top of his profession.

To survive, you must put up numbers like Farr's: 53 saves, and already seventh on the Yankees' all-time saves list entering the '93 season.

To do this you have to have swagger. You have to have confidence. And you have to be aggressive."

-The New York Yankees Official 1993 Yearbook

"In 1992, for the second consecutive season, Steve handled the role of Yankee closer. He finished with a 2-2 record, a career high 30 saves and a career low 1.50 ERA. The most consistent of Yankee relievers last year, his ERA rose above 2.00 just once.

Steve earned a save on Opening  Day against Boston. He was ejected by umpire Drew Coble on May 10 at Oakland after hitting Jerry Browne.

Through June 14, he made 19 appearances and was 0-1 with nine saves in 13 chances and a 0.93 ERA (19.1 IP, 2 ER). At the All-Star break he was 0-1 with 12 saves in 16 chances and a 1.78 ERA (25.1 IP, 19 H, 5 ER). Steve's last appearance before the break was June 29 as he was bothered by a strained lower back. He was put on the 15-day DL just prior to the break.

Steve was activated on July 18 and appeared on June 23. The Yankees had five save chances while he was out, with John Habyan saving all five games. Steve was 0-1 with a 1.98 ERA, posting all nine Yankee saves in August, and came back to post a 0.96 ERA in September/October.

Over his last eight appearances, Steve was 1-0 with seven saves (7.1 IP, 1 ER) and had 17 saves in his final 20 outings. Over the final two months he converted 17 of the club's 18 saves, and after the break converted 18 of the club's 20 saves and had a 1.35 ERA. 23 of his final 25 appearances were scoreless.

Farr led the pen in saves and games finished (42), was second in games (50) and third in innings (52.0). He converted his 30 saves (tied for 6th in the AL) in 36 opportunities (83%) and converted his final 12 save chances. Farr ranked seventh in the AL Rolaids Relief standings.

His save total was the highest by a right-handed Yankee pitcher since Rich Gossage had 30 in 1982. His ERA was the lowest by a Yankee reliever since Gossage in 1981 (0.77, 46.2 IP) and the lowest by a Yankee reliever with 50-plus innings since Steve Hamilton in 1965 (1.40, 58.0 IP.

He has converted 53 of 65 saves (82%) since joining the Yankees and 92 of 114 (81%) over the last four seasons. His 53 saves as a Yankee rank seventh on the club's all-time list.

The Yankees were 39-11 when Steve pitched in 1992 and are 72-30 over the last two seasons. He was not scored upon in 43 of his 50 outings (86%) and pitched 19 1-2-3 innings. He stranded 10 of 18 inherited baserunners and retired the first batter he faced 35 of 50 times (70%). Steve had seven outings of more than one inning (13 scoreless innings), but never pitched more than two innings.

Opponents hit .186, including .217 (18-for-83) by left-handed batters and .160 (16-for-100) by right-handed batters. He allowed a career low two home runs (Phil Plantier, Carney Lansford). Steve had 18 saves and a 1.96 ERA at home, 12 saves and a 1.17 ERA on the road. He had a 1.16 ERA in night games.

He signed a three-year contract with the Yankees as a free agent in November 1990. The contract extends through the 1993 season.

Steve appeared exclusively in relief in 1991, assuming the role of closer vacated by the departure of Dave Righetti.

His first save as a Yankee came on April 13 at Kansas City  On May 10 he saved a 5-3 victory over Oakland, ending the Yankees' 16-game losing streak against the Athletics. Farr earned his first win as a Yankee in his next outing, on May 12 against Oakland.

At the break he was 2-1 with 12 saves (14 opportunities) and a 1.56 ERA and through July had 16 saves in 18 chances. Steve saved 14 of the Yankees' 26 victories in June and July.

He had a scoreless streak of 28.0 innings snapped on August 4 at Detroit when Tony Phillips hit a solo homer with two out in the 9th inning; it was the only road homer he allowed all year. His scoreless string was the longest by a Yankee since Lee Guetterman's record-setting 30.2 to start the 1989 season. Steve's covered 24 games, starting May 29, and during the streak he allowed only 11 hits and one extra-base hit while walking only two, striking out 21 and recording 14 saves.

Steve set a career high in saves with this 21st on September 27 at Cleveland. After the break, he was 3-4 with 11 saves in 15 situations and a 3.03 ERA in 27 appearances.

In 1991 Steve was part of a quarter of Yankee relievers (along with Cadaret, Guetterman and Habyan) who each notched 60-plus appearances, 

Farr set a career high with 23 saves (10th in the AL) in 29 opportunities. It was also the most by a Yankee right-handed pitcher since Rich Gossage had 30 in 1982. 

Opponents hit .219 against Farr. Right-handed batters hit .201 with two homers, left-handers hit .241 with two homers. He a 1.72 ERA on the road. Steve had 12 appearances of more than one inning (27.1 IP) with a 3.29 ERA. He pitched one inning or less in 48 games (42.2 IP), with a 1.48 ERA. He finished 48 games, 10th in the AL.

A member of the Kansas City Royals in 1990, Steve had perhaps his finest season in the majors, posting a 13-7 record with a save and a 1.98 ERA over 57 appearances (second most on the club), including six starts. He led the club in wins, and his wins, ERA, innings (127.0) and strikeouts (94) were all career bests. Opponents hit .220 against Steve.

He was 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA as a starter and 8-6 with a save and 2.19 in relief. He was used in save situations only twice all year and his one save came on August 9 against Chicago. Of his relief appearances, Steve had 12 of more than two innings and had a 1.21 ERA in such games (37.1 IP) as opposed to 39 appearances of two innings or less in which he had a 2.83 ERA (54.0 IP).

Farr made his first start on June 10 at Oakland and took the loss; the start was his first since making two starts in his final two 1989 appearances. His July 3 start against the Yankees resulted in a win. He had a stretch after the break from July 13-August 26 where over 16 games he allowed just five earned runs over 38.0 innings pitched for a 1.18 ERA, lowering his overall ERA from 2.51 to 1.98.

His other three starts were his final games of the season (September 17-29) and all three resulted in wins. Included was a complete game shutout against California on September 23  (9.0 IP, 5 H)- the complete game and the shutout were both career firsts. Overall in those three starts, Steve allowed just one earned run (a Larry Parrish homer in the final outing) over 21.1 innings, lowering his ERA from 2.30 to a season-ending 1.98.

Steve was 9-2, 1.37 in 37 games at Royals Stadium. His 49 career saves as a Royal are the fourth most in club history behind Dan Quisenberry, Doug Bird and Jeff Montgomery.

In 1989, Farr was 2-5 with 18 saves and a 4.12 ERA over 51 games, including two starts in his final two appearances. The 18 saves tied Jeff Montgomery for the club lead.

Steve opened the season as the bullpen closer and was successful in each of his first ten save situations. Through his first 26 outings he had 15 saves and a 1.95 ERA. Included was a stretch from June 15-July 22 where he struck out at least one batter (15 total) in 12 straight games. Steve's only relief win came on July 30 against Baltimore (2.0 IP).

He spent time on the disabled list as he was placed on the 15-day DL on August 23 (retroactive to 8/21) with torn cartilage in his right knee. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his knee and was activated on September 13. Farr started on September 24 against Seattle, only his second start since 1985, and picked up the win (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER). In his two starts he posted a 1.50 ERA (12.0 IP, 2 ER), fanning 10 batters along the way.

Of his 49 relief appearances, he started the inning 41 times. Overall, he was successful in 18 of 22 save situations. All four blown saves came as a result of having allowed a home run. He finished 35 of the first 37 outings in which he appeared, none commencing earlier than the eighth inning.

In 1988, his first full season in the majors, Farr established himself as the Royals' closer in the pen. He led the staff, and established a personal best, by appearing in 62 games, eighth best in Royal history. He did not register his first save until May 16, yet finished with 20 saves to tie for seventh best in club history. Steve was successful in 20 of 25 save situations.

Steve joined the Pirates organization when he was signed as a free agent in December 1976. From 1977 through 1982 he pitched for five different clubs in the Pittsburgh farm system, appearing in 142 games, and was 35-39 with 11 saves and a 4.28 ERA. Of those 142 games, 76 were as a starter. Steve had an amazing 23 complete games, 36% of his starts.

He spent the 1983 season with the Pirates ' AA club Buffalo of the Eastern League while being traded to the Cleveland organization on June 8 for catcher John Malkin. He was 13-1 with a league leading 1.61 ERA. Steve was named to Baseball America's Class AA and Eastern League all-star teams.

Steve started the 1984 season with Cleveland's AAA club at Maine, going 4-0 with a 2.60 ERA over six starts. He earned a promotion to the Indians on May 14, appearing in 31 games (16 starts) for the Tribe. He was 3-11 with a 4.58 ERA.

In 1985, Steve was signed as a free agent by the Royals on May 9. He started his season at Omaha and pitched brilliantly, posting a 10-4 record with a league leading 2.02 ERA over 17 games (16 starts). He led Omaha in wins, ERA, complete games, shutouts and strikeouts.

Steve made his first appearance in a Kansas City uniform on August 8 as a starter against Detroit and was not involved in the decision in a 6-4 Royal win. He picked up his first win as a Royal on September 6 against Milwaukee in a 7-1 Kansas City win- the victory marked Steve's first major league win since August 13, 1984. He notched his first save as a Royal on September 25 at Seattle.

He appeared in two games in the American League Championship Series, both in relief. He hurled 4.1 innings of 2-hit ball in relief in Game 3, picking up Kansas City's first win in the ALCS. He did not pitch in the World Series.

1986 was the first full season in the majors for Steve and he established his mark as an effective reliever. He tied for second on the club with 56 games pitched and posted the club's second best ERA (3.13). He was 7-0 with four saves and a 2.23 ERA at Royals Stadium.

Steve was named the Royals' pitcher of the month for both May and June. He did not pitch after September 16 because of a sore shoulder.

He spent most of the 1987 season in the bullpen, appearing in 47 games which tied him for second most on the club. He had a then career high 88 strikeouts which also led the bullpen. He had two brief stints at Omaha: from July 31-August 13 and from August 30-September 4.

Steve graduated from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He was a catcher and pitcher at DeMatha, lettering in baseball. He attended Charles County Community College (LaPlata, MD) and American University (Washington, DC). Steve went to American U. on a scholarship and played baseball at both schools.

Steve played Babe Ruth and American Legion ball as a youngster. He helped his team to the 1972 Babe Ruth World Series, held in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Steve enjoys cars and credits Jamie Quirk with helping his career."

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide

Steven Michael Farr "Steve" "Beast" (P)     #26

Born December 12, 1956, in Cheverly, Maryland, resides in Corolla, North Carolina. Height: 5-11, weight: 204. Bats right, throws right.

Married, Andrea (12/5/92). Attended Charles Country Community College and American University.

Major league service: 8 years, 27 days. Opening Day Age: 36.

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide 

1993 Profile: Dion James

"He's Dion, without the 'e,' with the neon, without the gold, and without the flash and pizzazz. Simply Dion, a solid performer, dependable, available. He can pinch-hit, play defense, fill in when a regular is hurt or needs rest. And do a credible job in any role.

Dion James proved his value last year, although he was called on for only 67 games and came to bat just 145 times. But he batted a respectable .262. That he played at all last year is something of a miracle.

He had sat out the entire 1991 season with a career-threatening ulnar nerve transplant in his throwing elbow. Prior to that, he had been a promising prospect with productive seasons in Milwaukee, Atlanta and Cleveland.

The Yankees took a chance on James as a free agent in April of last year, slotting him into the difficult role of backup outfielder. It's a role James accepts and fills admirably.

'I think I can play every day and be productive,' he says. 'But here they have a good crop of outfielders and it doesn't look like I'll have the opportunity. The next best thing you can do is make the best of your role and do what is expected of you.'

That's Dion without the 'e.' "

-The New York Yankees Official 1993 Yearbook

"Dion played in 67 games for the Yankees in 1992, hitting .262 with three home runs and 17 RBIs over 145 at-bats. He played all three outfield positions and DH'd.

He started out slowly, hitting .204 with a homer and six RBIs through the end of May. He made his Yankee debut on April at Detroit, starting in right field. Dion hit his first home run on May 2 against Minnesota (Gary Wayne), a pinch-hit homer.

His batting average slumped to .164 through June 23. In his final three games before the break, Dion had six hits in 13 at-bats (3 2B, 1 HR) to raise his batting average to .209. His second homer, on July 12 against Seattle, was off Mark Grant.

From June 24-July 31, he hit safely in 10 straight games at .400 (16-40), raising his average to .248. A pinch-hit single on August 14 at Chicago raised Dion's average to .250 for the first time in 1992, and a 1-for-3 effort on September 12 raised his average to a season high of .266. Unfortunately he was hit by a Rich Sauveur pitch in that game, cracking a bone in his left index finger. Dion had just two at-bats after September 12. He hit .339 (20-for-59) in the second half.

In 1992, Dion started 23 games (RF-18, CF-9, LF-5, DH-2) and hit .277 (33-for-119) as a starter. His single off Jack Morris on April 16 was his first hit since September 12, 1990, and his pinch-homer on May 2 was the first of his career and the 200th in Yankee history. On July 12 and July 19 (off Bert Blyleven), Dion hit home runs in consecutive games for the first time in his career. In 1992 he had at-bats in all nine positions in the batting order.

Dion hit .315 (17-for-54) at the Stadium, .231 on the road; he hit .270 in night games and .270 on artificial turf. He hit .318 (7-for-22) with runners in scoring position and less than two out and drove in five of eight runners from third base with less than two outs. He reached base leading off an inning 10 of 35 times.

He handled 63 outfield chances without an error, contributing an assist.

Dion became the fifth Yankee position player to wear #19 (Harry Rice, Hersh Martin, Larry Rosenthal, Brad Gulden).

He signed a one-year contract on October 30, 1992.

Dion was invited to spring training by the Yankees in January of 1991. He did not play baseball in 1991, recovering from preseason surgery. He came to the Yankee spring training camp but left on March 13. He appeared in three games (one start) and had two hits in four at-bats.

The surgery was an ulnar nerve transplant (the same as [that undergone by] Mike Witt and Tommy John) to replace a torn medial collateral ligament in his left elbow. The surgery was performed on April 11 by Dr. Frank Jobe. 

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 in 1990 and was tied for fifth longest in the American League.  Dion's home run was on August 4 against the Yankees 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 played winter ball in the Dominican League with Estrellas, hitting .258 over 26 games. 

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 .354 over the final two months.

Dion played in just 28 games in 1985 (18 with the Brewers, 10 with AAA Vancouver) 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. 

He 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 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.

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. 

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.

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 in high school."

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide

Led California League outfielders in fielding percentage (.988), 1982.

Named National League Player of the Week, July 27-August 2, 1987.

Led National League outfielders in fielding percentage (.996), 1987.

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide

Dion James (OF)     #19

Born November 9, 1962, in Philadelphia, PA, resides in Sacramento, CA. Height: 6-1, weight: 185. Bats left, throws left.

Married, Doris (1/30/89), and father of Justin Anthony (2).

Major league service: 7 years, 31 days. Opening Day age: 30.

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide 

R.I.P. Tim McCarver

1993 Profile: Randy Velarde

"He's the actor who dances, the dancer who sings, the singer who acts. He'll build the sets, take the tickets, pass out the programs. Whatever you want, Randy Velarde will do it. And do it well.

He's Randy V. The V stands for versatility.

Put him at shortstop. Second Base. Third Base. Any of the three outfield positions. The Yankees did that last year.

Bat him first, second, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth.

The Yankees did that last year, too.

Because of his versatility, Velarde got to appear in 121 games and came to bat 412 times, practically a regular. And he produced a .272 average, seven homers and 46 RBI. He hit .302 in the second half of the season and finished the year as the Yankees' everyday shortstop. All of which proves that patience and hard work pay off.

'I've learned that a big thing is being patient,' Velarde says.

The Yankees learned that Randy Velarde is a guy they can count on. To play in the infield or the outfield. To bat first or ninth. He can do it, and do it well."

-The New York Yankees Official 1993 Yearbook

"In his third consecutive full season at the major league level, Randy's talents were realized in 1992. He hit .272 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs, playing six different positions.

The Yankees' Opening Day shortstop [4/7], Randy hit his first home run on April 11 at Detroit off Bill Gullickson. He played in 21 April games including 19 at shortstop, hitting .211 for the month. He played in center field for the first time in his career for one inning on April 21 against Cleveland.

Randy played in 19 games in May, hitting .259 with three RBIs. Included was a start at second base on May 5 at Seattle, his first start there since September 14, 1990. His least amount of playing time for the year came in June, getting action in 11 games and starting six. He played the first game of his career in right field on June 4, starting there against Detroit. He hit his second homer on June 6 against Detroit, again off Gullickson.

At the All-Star break, Velarde was hitting .223 with two homers, eight doubles and 13 RBIs. He became a regular in the lineup after the break and responded with a tremendous second half. From the final game before the break through the first nine games after the break, Velarde hit safely in 10 straight games, tying his career best, at .500 (20-for-42) with nine runs scored, six doubles, two home runs and six RBIs.

Included were home runs in consecutive games, on July 19 at California and July 20 at Seattle, the second a game-winning home run off Russ Swan, and Velarde's first career four-hit game on July 19. He hit .396 in July and raised his batting average from .222 to .282.

He started 29 of the club's 30 August games, hitting .280 with a home run and 13 RBIs. Included was a career-high four-RBI game on August 19 against Oakland.

His batting average slipped in September/October as Randy endured 0-for-20 and 2-for-24 skids in the final weeks of the season, dropping his average from .292 on September 23 to a season-ending .272. He hit .255 for the month but with 14 RBIs, his career best for any month.

Randy hit .302 with five homers and 33 RBIs after the All-Star break. His .302 average in the second half was eighth best in the American League for players with 250-plus at-bats. He was hitting .182 after 15 games and hit .286 in his final 106 games.

He hit 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th in the batting order. He hit .278 with two home runs and 24 RBIs at the Stadium and .266 with five homers and 22 RBIs on the road; in his final 34 road games, he hit .333 (44-for-132) with 24 runs. Randy hit .318 in day games, hit .307 with four homers against left-handed pitching and .254 with three homers against righties, and hit .321 on turf.

He hit .314 with runners in scoring position with less than two out and .283 overall with runners in scoring position. He drove home 14 of 24 runners from third base and less than two out and was 3-for-7 with eight RBIs with the bases loaded.

Randy started 108 games (SS-68, 3B-22, LF-11, RF-5, 2B-2) and also played centerfield. He became the first Yankee to play six positions in the field since Paul Blair played the same six positions in 1978. In the field Randy handled 34 outfield chances without an error, had a .974 fielding percentage as a shortstop (9E, 350 chances), a .907 fielding percentage at third (5E, 54 chances) and a .923 percentage at second (1E, 13 chances).

He signed a contract for the 1993 season.

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.

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 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, on 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.

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, finishing with an overall average of .182 with 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 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. 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. He matched that on August 2 at Milwaukee, hitting a three-run homer off Juan Nieves. He hit safely in four of five games (all starts) from August 5-10. 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.

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 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."

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide

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

Named shortstop on 1988 International League All-Star squad.

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide 

Randy Lee Velarde (IF)     #18

Born November 24, 1962, in Midland, Texas, where he resides. Height: 6-0, weight: 182. Bats right, throws right. Attended Lubbock Christian College.

Married, Jeanie, and father of Jennifer (11).

Major league service: 4 years, 27 days. Opening Day age: 30.

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide 

1993 Profile: Matt Nokes

"Catcher Matt Nokes has shown the ability to hit with power, throw out would-be base stealers and catch an intelligent game. Demonstrating these skills on a consistent basis has been another matter, as his 1992 season will attest.

But the 29-year-old Yankee does not believe in looking backward. For all intents and purposes, his .224 batting, 22 home runs and 59 RBi performance was an aberration.

'He's got a chance to become a heck of an offensive player. He's 29 years old. The best years of a guy's life are usually between 28 and 32,' says Frank Howard, the Yankees' '92 hitting instructor and first base coach this season.

For the Yankees to compete in the AL East race, Nokes must perform at his 1991 level when he slugged 24 homers, drove in 77 runs, and was second in the league in games caught. His left-handed swing is tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, and he can carry a team when he's hot offensively.

'Last season I said to him 'You haven't even hit the way Matt Nokes can hit and you've still got 20-plus home runs.' When Matty gets hot, he can carry a club offensively,' Howard adds.

And if he does, watch out."

-The New York Yankees Official 1993 Yearbook

"In 1992 Nokes hit .224 with 22 home runs and 59 RBIs.

He hit just .228 in April. He hit his first homer in his 28th at-bat on April 19 against Cleveland (off Rod Nichols). Nokes hit in a season-best five straight games from April 19-24 (7-for-19). All three of his RBIs in April came on home runs, all at home.

Matt hit .233 with four homers and 14 RBIs in May. He was hitting .246 on May 1 but went into a 1-for-20 skid through May 13, dropping his batting average to .198. On May 24 against Milwaukee, he had a game-winning single in the last of the ninth to give the Yankees an 8-7 win.

All seven of his home runs in May came at home. His first road homer came on June 1 at Texas (off Jeff M. Robinson). Matt had a tough June, hitting .164 with two homers and seven RBIs.

On July 1 at Kansas City, he hit a game-winning two-run pinch-hit homer off Tom Gordon. He was hitting .206 with 12 homers and 30 RBIs at the break. On July 20 Nokes caught Shawn Hillegas' 5-hit 1-0 shutout of the A's. On July 28 against Baltimore, he was beaned by a Ben McDonald pitch in the 3rd inning and missed a game because of it. He hit .218 in July.

In the first eight games of August, Nokes hit four home runs, and in August had his most home runs (6) and RBIs (15). He had his best batting average in September/October, hitting .288 (3 HR, 9 RBI). On September 30 at Cleveland, he hit his first triple since May 24, 1990.

Over his final 14 games he hit .356 (16-for-45). He hit .250 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs after the break.

Nokes finished second on the club in both homers and intentional bases on balls (11). He ranked second in the American League in home runs as a catcher (21) to Detroit's Mickey Tettleton and in RBIs by a catcher (57) to Brian Harper (72).

He had a two-homer game in 1992 and now has 11 for his career. Nokes hit career home run No. 100 on May 13 against Seattle (off Hanson), which was also his fifth career grand slam, and his July 1 blast off Gordon was his third career pinch homer. 14 of his first 21 RBIs and 40 of 59 overall were accounted for by home runs. He also drew a career best 37 walks, his best professional total since his 41 for Shreveport in 1985.

Matt hit .266 with a team high 18 homers at home, .188 on the road. He hit .278 with a team best 11 homers in 40 day games, .198 in night games. Matt hit .230 with a team best 17 homers against right-handed pitching, .197 with five homers against lefties.

He hit .263 with runners in scoring position and less than two out and drove in 10 of 24 runners from third with less than two out. He was 2-for-10 with a home run and five RBIs with the bases loaded.

He caught 111 games and made just four errors, ranking fourth in the AL with a .993 fielding percentage. He threw out 25 of 133 (195) potential base stealers. The Yankee pitching staff's ERA was 4.20 (904) innings when Nokes was the catcher.

He signed a three-year contract in January 1992. The contract runs through the 1994 season.

1991 was a solid season. Nokes hit .268 with a team-leading 24 homers and 77 RBIs.

His first home run came on April 13 in his 14th at-bat at Kansas City off Bret Saberhagen. On April 26 at Chicago, Nokes had a game-winning 11th-inning RBI single.

Nokes hit .276 with five homers and 11 RBIs in May. He hit all five of his May homers in 56 at-bats. He was behind the plate on May 1 at Oakland when Rickey Henderson stole his record-breaking 939th base but did catch Rickey stealing twice in that game. From May 11-14, Matt hit home runs in three straight games for the third time in his career (the other two times were in 1987). He hit .293 through the first two months of the season.

He continued his even pace in June, hitting .270 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. On June 12 at Minnesota, he made his first start against a left-handed pitcher. 

On July 6, Matt went 2-for-4 with two homers and a career-best six RBIs. At the break he was hitting .286 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs. July was his best month power-wise, as he hit .273 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs, including three two-homer games. 

Matt had a two-home run game on August 1 against Minnesota and at the end of the day was hitting .284 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs for the season. He would hit just .155 with four homers and 19 RBIs over the final 55 games.  

On September 23 at Milwaukee, he hit a grand slam off Mark Lee, the fourth of his career and the first by a Yankee since June 24, 1989 (Mel Hall). Over the second half of the season, Matt hit .251 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs.

He tied with Tettleton for most home runs among major league catchers. The total was the second highest of his career (32 in 1987) and was the most by a Yankee catcher since Elston Howard hit 28 in 1963 and the most by a left-handed hitting Yankee catcher since Yogi Berra hit a club record (for catchers) of 30 in 1956. Nokes led New York with five two-homer games, all from July 6 on, after having a career total of five two-homer games entering 1991.

Against right-handed pitchers, he hit .270 with team highs in home runs (17) and RBIs (54). He hit a team-best (tied with Mel Hall) 13 homers at home.

Nokes caught 130 games (112 starts), the most by a Yankee receiver since Rick Cerone in 1980 (147). He ranked second among American League catchers in games caught (Tony Pena, 140), total chances (744) and putouts (690), and seventh in the AL in fielding (.992). Nokes threw out 31 of 129 (24%) potential base stealers. The pitching staff ERA was 4.47 (1001.2 IP, 498 ER) when he was catching.

In 1990 Nokes was acquired on June 4 from Detroit in exchange for pitchers Clay Parker and Lance McCullers. At the time of the trade he was hitting .270 with three home runs and eight RBIs over 44 games. Of his 44 games, 15 were starts as a catcher and he threw out four of 14 baserunners.  

Matt joined the club on June 5 in Boston and made a start at DH that evening, going 1-for-3. His first home run as a Yankee came at the Stadium on June 17 against Toronto off Todd Stottlemyre. His second came on June 21 at Toronto, a three-run pinch-hit blast off Duane Ward, followed on June 23 by another off Stottlemyre and a second pinch-hit shot on June 26 at home off Milwaukee's Chuck Crim.

On July 7 at Minnesota, he started in right field, his first start there since May 26, 1987. At the break he was hitting .278 with five home runs and 18 RBIs over 29 games. 

Matt reached a season high batting average of .305 (6 HR, 21 RBI) on July 18. He hit six home runs in his first 95 at-bats as a Yankee after getting three in 111 at-bats for the Tigers. On August 29 in Baltimore, he hit the first of back-to-back home runs with Kevin Maas, his eighth and final homer of the season. 

His overall 1990 batting average of .248 was his lowest for a season since becoming a regular in 1987. His 136 games played for Detroit and New York were the most he has ever played in a major league season.

Nokes hit .308 in day games and .317 on turf. He hit .239 with all eight of his homers and 30 of his RBIs against right-handed pitching, .200 (2-for-10) with two of his RBIs against lefties. He started 63 games (C-37, DH-25, RF-1).

In the 37 games he caught, the staff had an ERA of 4.96 (314 IP, 173 ER) and he allowed seven passed balls. He caught 10 of 41 (24%) potential base stealers.

Nokes was selected by the San Francisco Giants out of high school in the 20th round of the June 1981 free agent draft. In his first year of professional baseball he hit .226 at Great Falls and in 1982 hit .215 in 82 games at Clinton. In 1983, Nokes hit .322 with 14 home runs at Fresno and in 1984 hit .289 in 97 games at Shreveport.

He started the 1985 season at Shreveport season and hit .294 in 105 games, earning a September promotion to the Giants. Matt made his major league debut on September 3 against Philadelphia and went 2-for-4. He hit his first home run on September 9 at Houston. He played in 19 games and hit .208.

On October 7, 1985, he was traded with pitchers Dave LaPoint and Eric King to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Juan Berenguer, catcher Bob Melvin and a player to be named later (pitcher Scott Medvin in December 1985). Recalled from Nashville on September 22, 1986, Matt made his AL debut on September 24 against Toronto. He had a three-game hitting streak from September 25-28 (6-for-10, .600). He hit his first American League home run on October 5 at Baltimore off Ken Dixon.

In 1987, Matt batted .319 with 20 home runs and 51 RBIs in the first half and was named to the American League All-Star team. He struggled early in the second half (18-for-102, .176) but rebounded strongly in a 19-game stretch from August 26-September 18 (28-for-67, .418). His two-out eighth-inning RBI single off Cleveland's Tom Candiotti was the only Tiger hit in a 2-1 Detroit victory on September 2.

He belted two grand slams: on April 30 off Mike Cook at California and on September 26 off John Cerutti at Toronto. He clubbed two home runs in a game three times: against Texas on May 25, at Boston on June 7 and at Toronto on September 26, a game in which he collected six RBIs.

Nokes became the first Tiger rookie to hit 30 home runs since Rudy York, also a catcher, hit 35 in 1937. He was voted Tiger Rookie of the Year by the Detroit sportswriters.

He was third on the squad with 16 home runs in 1988. He appeared in 122 games, making 103 starts behind the plate. He improved his percentage of throwing out would-be base stealers dramatically, catching 31 of 81 (38%) after nabbing 18 of 71 (20%) in 1987.

Nokes hit two home runs and collected five RBIs in an 11-6 Detroit victory at Boston on April 7. He was 4-for-8 with three homers, four runs and five RBIs in back-to-back wins against Seattle on April 30 and May 1; Nokes single-handedly beat the Mariners, 3-2, on May 1, driving in all three runs and hitting two homers off Mike Moore.

He enjoyed an eight-game hitting streak from June 8-19 (13-for-30, .433) and on June 19 had four hits against Toronto. On August 4 against Boston, he was 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBIs in an 11-6 Tiger victory. Matt batted .320 (32-for-100) from August 18-October 2, raising his batting average from .227 to a season-ending .251.

In 1989, Matt had five home runs and 16 RBIs in April. He homered and had four RBIs against Seattle on April 25, and on May 29 stroked his third career grand slam off Eric King at Chicago. It would be his last homer until September 22 against Boston.

His season was interrupted on June 16 when he tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in a 9th-inning home plate collision with California's Chilli Davis. At the time of the injury, Matt was among the team leaders with seven homers and 29 RBIs. He returned to action on August 5 after missing 41 games. He injured his right shoulder on August 30 and was limited to designated hitter duty for the rest of the season. He batted .286 in 33 games as a DH. 

He had two four-hit games, both against Boston, on June 14 at Fenway Park and on September 23 in Detroit. In 51 appearances as a catcher, he threw out 19 of 57 (33%) baserunners.

Matt played baseball and basketball for Patrick Henry High School in San Diego. As a senior, he batted a school-record .429 and was both captain and team MVP. As a junior, he led both the baseball and basketball teams to city titles. Matt also played both Little League and Babe Ruth ball. He played against future big leaguer Sam Horn."

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide

Led Pioneer League in passed balls (19), 1981.

Led California League catchers in double plays (9), 1983.

Led Texas League catchers in double plays (6), 1985.

Led American Association catchers in errors (13), 1986.

Named catcher on The Sporting News American League All-Star team, 1987.

Named catcher on The Sporting News American League Silver Slugger team, 1987.

Tied for American League lead in home runs by a catcher (24), 1991.

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide

Matthew Dodge Nokes "Matt" (C)     #38

Born October 31, 1963, in San Diego, California, where he resides. Height: 6-1, weight: 210. Bats left, throws right.

Married, Kristy Myers (12/8/84), and father of Kory (6), Hannah (4) and Heather (2).

Major league service: 6 years, 49 days. Opening Day age: 29.

-1993 New York Yankees Information Guide

R.I.P. Gaylord Perry