WHY I THINK WILLIE RANDOLPH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

 WHY I THINK WILLIE RANDOLPH SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN 

By- Damien 

Willie Randolph is a baseball player who I really like because he played baseball exactly like a Hall of Fame middle infielder should. He was a second baseman with a good batting average, great speed, a keen batting eye, good defense, and fine bunting skills. Typically the second hitter in the Yankee batting order, he was the man who made the World Series winning Yankees of 1977 and 1978 run so smoothly. Willie Randolph started his career with the Pirates for a 30-game trial in 1975, during which he performed poorly. He was traded to the Yankees for the 1976 season and batted .267 with 37 steals as a rookie all-star. Randolph was again an all-star in 1977 and batted .279 in 1978. He reached his peak in 1979, when he batted .270 and drove in 61 runs, and had the best season of his career in 1980. That year, Randolph won the Silver Slugger award with his .294 average and league leading 119 walks. Despite his fine 1980 season, Randolph slumped in the strike shortened season of 1981 but came back strong in 1982. He hit .280 that year and batted no lower than .276 until 1988, when he fell to .230 after enjoying his first .300 season the year before. After his disappointing season, the Yankees decided to trade Randolph to the Dodgers. He surprised everybody by hitting .282 with the Dodgers in 1989 and being named an all-star for the sixth time at the age of 34. Randolph played in only 119 games in 1990 with two clubs, batting .260, but played in 1991 with the Brewers, when he batted an impressive .327 with a .424 on base percentage. He played about half a season more with the Mets in 1992 before retiring as a player. He would manage the New York Mets for four years after that, posting a very impressive .544 winning percentage. Willie Randolph was a fine hitter, a good fielder, and a great baserunner. The Yankees probably would not have won the World Series in 1977 and 1978 without him, and he was indeed skilled enough to be a Hall of Famer. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 2,202 season high: 153 in 1979 

At Bats career: 8,018 season high: 574 in 1979 

Hits career: 2,210 season high: 162 in 1984 

Doubles career: 316 season high: 28 in 1977 

Triples career: 65 season high: 13 in 1979 

Home Runs career: 54 season high: 7 in 1980 

Runs career: 1,239 season high: 99 in 1980 

Runs Batted In career: 687 season high: 67 in 1987 

Stolen Bases career: 271 season high: 37 in 1976 

Walks career: 1,243 season high: 119 in 1980 led AL: 119 in 1980 

Strikeouts career: 675 season high: 53 in 1977 

Batting Average career: .276 season high: .327 in 1991 

On Base Percentage career: .373 season high: .427 in 1980 

Slugging Percentage career: .351 season high: .414 in 1987 

Total Bases career: 2,818 season high: 213 in 1977 

Sacrifice Hits career: 99 season high: 10 in 1982 and 1990 

Fielding Percentage career: .979 season high: .988 in 1988 

Double Plays career: 1,547 season high: 128 in 1979 led AL 2B: 128 in 1979, 112 in 1984 

Putouts career: 4,859 season high: 361 in 1980 led AL 2B: 355 in 1979 

Assists career: 6,339 season high: 478 in 1979 led AL 2B: 478 in 1979 

Games Managed career: 555 season high: 162 in 2005, 2006, and 2007 

Wins career: 302 season high: 97 in 2006 

Losses career: 253 season high: 79 in 2005 

Ties career: 0 

Winning Percentage career: .544 season high: .599 in 2006 

Ejections career: 4 season high: 2 in 2006 

Pennants N/A 

World Series N/A 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Mickey” 

-served as the Yankees’ co-captain from 1986 through 1988, and was their bench and base coach for eleven seasons 

-finished 15th in the AL MVP Award voting in 1980 and 29th in 1978 

-stole 30 or more bases in a season four times 

-in the ALCS, batted .385 in 1980, .333 in 1981, and .375 in 1990 

-swatted two home runs and drew nine walks in the 1981 World Series 

-was the hardest batter in the AL to strike out in 1987 

-led AL second basemen in games (153) in 1979 

-hit two home runs off of Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley and one each off of Jim Palmer and Jack Morris

-also played one game at third base, ten as a DH, 45 as a pinch hitter, and 14 as a pinch runner 

-among MLB second basemen, ranks eighth in career games, third in double plays, ninth in putouts, and tenth in assists 

-is honored with a plaque in Monument Park