Dave Winfield Did This... Every Year... For 20 Straight Years
Winny showed up and did his thing - pretty much every year of his Hall of Fame career.
As you’ll see below, I’m trying out a new format for newsletters that get delivered on Wednesdays and Fridays. Instead of more of a long-form observation about a certain player’s career, there are three distinct sections below:
An observation about a former player (which is home run-related, of course).
Some notable home runs during their career.
At least one spotlight from my blog regarding that player so you can read more if you feel so inclined.
My goal is to make these succinct so you can get more information/enjoyment in a shorter period, along with an opportunity to dive deeper. Let me know what you think and which format you prefer!
Dave Winfield’s Streak of Double-Digit Taters
Dave Winfield hit 465 homers during his 22-year Hall of Fame career, and he got there by being incredibly consistent. He never led the league in homers and put together just three seasons of 30-plus taters (34 in ’79, 37 in ’82, and 32 in ’83).
But that dude was just about always getting himself to double digits in a single season. The only times he didn’t hit at least 10 homers included the following:
• 3 in 1973 (he was a rookie and appeared in 56 games)
• 2 in 1995 (his final season where he appeared in 46 games)
So in between those two occurrences, he enjoyed 20 straight seasons with at least 10 homers (not counting 1989, which he missed in its entirety because of a back injury).
Home Runs Worth Watching
7/24/1983: The right-handed slugger sends a ball to Monument Park at Old Yankee Stadium.
6/18/1988: Winfield goes deep and admires his work before rounding the bases.
6/24/1991: A 39-year-old Winfield hit for the cycle with the Angels, becoming the oldest player in MLB history to accomplish the feat.
Dave Winfield-Related Blog Spotlights
It feels like Winfield is best known for his time with the New York Yankees. He spent parts of nine seasons with the organization, but before that happened, he began his career with the San Diego Padres.
Winfield slugged 154 homers during his eight-year stint with the Friars, which ranks as the fifth most in franchise history. His tenure was highlighted by a dominant 1979 performance - Winfield slugged 34 homers and a league-leading 118 RBI.
Those 34 taters mostly happened while taking up residence in right field. That number is still a single-season franchise record at the position.
P.S. Check out my book on each team’s single-season home run record at every position. You can find the ebook on Gumroad or the paperback book on Amazon.
Single-Season HR Performances | Career HR Performances | Postseason HR Leaders | HR Derby Performances
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Hard to call a HOFer underrated but I think Winfield is.
Also, listening to Joe Garagiola made my morning…so thanks for that 😉