Dave Winfield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dave Winfield
Winfield with the San Diego Padres in 1978
Right fielder
Born: (1951-10-03) October 3, 1951 (age 73) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
June 19, 1973, for the San Diego Padres
Last appearance
October 1, 1995, for the Cleveland Indians
MLB statistics
Batting average	.283
Hits	3,110
Home runs	465
Runs batted in	1,833
Teams
San Diego Padres (1973–1980) New York Yankees (1981–1988, 1990) California Angels (1990–1991) Toronto Blue Jays (1992) Minnesota Twins (1993–1994) Cleveland Indians (1995)
Career highlights and awards
12× All-Star (1977–1988) World Series champion (1992) 7× Gold Glove Award (1979, 1980, 1982–1985, 1987) 6× Silver Slugger Award (1981–1985, 1992) Roberto Clemente Award (1994) NL RBI leader (1979) San Diego Padres No. 31 retired San Diego Padres Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2001
Vote	84.5% (first ballot)

David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951) is a famous American baseball player who used to play right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for 22 years with six different teams. These teams included the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Cleveland Indians. He made the winning hit in the 1992 World Series for the Blue Jays.

Winfield was chosen for the MLB All-Star team 12 times. He also won the Gold Glove Award seven times for his great fielding and the Silver Slugger Award six times for his hitting. The Padres team retired his jersey number, 31, to honor him. In 2004, ESPN called him the third-best all-around athlete ever in any sport. He was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, the first year he was eligible.

Early Life and Growing Up

David Mark Winfield was born on October 3, 1951, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He grew up in the Rondo neighborhood of the city. His parents divorced when he was three. He and his older brother, Stephen, were raised by their mother, Arline, and many family members. The Winfield brothers practiced their sports skills at Oxford Field in Saint Paul. Coach Bill Peterson was one of the first to notice Dave's talent. Dave didn't reach his full height of 6 feet 6 inches until his last year of high school.

College Sports Career

In 1969, Winfield received a full baseball scholarship to the University of Minnesota. There, he was a star in both baseball and basketball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers teams. His 1971–72 Minnesota basketball team won a Big Ten Conference championship. This was the school's first championship in 53 years. During the 1972–73 basketball season, an incident occurred during a game against Ohio State. Winfield also played summer college baseball for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks for two seasons. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1972. In 1973, he was named an All-American and voted MVP of the 1973 College World Series as a pitcher.

After college, four different sports teams drafted Winfield. The San Diego Padres picked him as a pitcher in the MLB draft. The Atlanta Hawks also drafted him for basketball, and the Utah Stars drafted him for the ABA. Even though he never played college football, the Minnesota Vikings picked him in the NFL draft. He is one of only a few players ever drafted by four different professional sports leagues.

Professional Baseball Career

Starting with the San Diego Padres (1973–1980)

Winfield with the San Diego Padres, c. 1977

Winfield chose to play baseball. The San Diego Padres picked him in the first round of the 1973 Major League Baseball draft. Winfield signed with the Padres and went straight to the major leagues. Even though he was a pitcher in college, the Padres wanted his strong hitting in the game. So, they put him in right field, where he could still use his powerful arm. He hit for a .277 average in 56 games during his first season.

Over the next few years, he became an All-Star player in San Diego. He got better at hitting for both power and average. In 1977, he played in his first All-Star game. In 1978, he was named the Padres team captain. In 1979, he hit .308 with 34 home runs and 118 RBI. He played one more season with the Padres before becoming a free agent.

Playing for the New York Yankees (1981–1990)

In December 1980, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner signed Winfield to a ten-year contract. This made Winfield the highest-paid player in baseball at the time. Winfield was one of the top players in the game during his time with the Yankees. He helped the Yankees win the American League pennant in 1981. In the 1981 American League Division Series, Winfield hit well and made important defensive plays. However, the Yankees lost the 1981 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Winfield with the New York Yankees in 1983

Winfield continued to play well. He hit 37 home runs in the 1982 season. On August 4, 1983, Winfield accidentally hit a seagull with a ball while warming up before a game in Toronto. Fans reacted strongly. After the game, he was taken to a police station and charged with cruelty to animals. The charges were dropped the next day. Winfield later returned to Toronto and donated paintings for a charity auction, raising over $60,000. For years, fans in Toronto would flap their arms when Winfield played there.

From 1981 to 1984, Winfield was one of the best players at getting runs for his team. In 1984, he nearly won the batting title, finishing with a .340 average. Winfield continued to have great seasons with the Yankees. He was chosen for the All-Star Game every year from 1981 to 1988. He also won five Gold Glove Awards for his amazing outfield defense as a Yankee.

In 1989, Winfield missed the whole season because of a back injury. In 1990, his contract with the Yankees was ending. He was traded to the California Angels on May 11, 1990. He hit 19 home runs in 112 games for the Angels that season.

Time with the California Angels (1990–1991)

Winfield was traded to the California Angels during the 1990 season. He won The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award. In June 1991, he achieved a rare feat by hitting for the cycle against the Kansas City Royals. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. He also hit his 400th career home run against the Twins in his hometown.

Winning the World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays (1992)

Winfield was still a strong hitter even after turning 40. On December 19, 1991, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He played as their designated hitter and sometimes in right field. He hit .290 with 26 home runs and 108 RBI during the 1992 season.

Winfield became a leader for the Blue Jays, sharing his experience and hitting skills. He was very popular with fans. In August 1992, he asked the quiet Toronto fans to make more noise during an interview. The phrase "Winfield Wants Noise" became a popular saying for the rest of the season.

The Blue Jays won the pennant, and Winfield had a chance to prove himself in the postseason. In Game 6 of the 1992 World Series, he hit a game-winning two-run double in the 11th inning. This hit helped the Blue Jays win the World Series Championship! At 41 years old, Winfield was one of the oldest players to get an extra-base hit in the World Series.

Playing for the Minnesota Twins (1993–1994)

After the 1992 season, Winfield became a free agent and signed with his hometown Minnesota Twins. In 1993, he hit .271 with 21 home runs in 143 games, mostly as their designated hitter. On September 16, 1993, at age 41, he got his 3,000th career hit with a single.

During the 1994 baseball strike, Winfield was traded to the Cleveland Indians. However, the 1994 season was stopped early due to the strike, so Winfield did not play for the Indians that year. To complete the trade, Cleveland and Minnesota executives went to dinner, with the Indians paying the bill. This makes Winfield the only player in history to be "traded" for a dinner!

Final Season with the Cleveland Indians (1995)

Winfield was the oldest player in MLB at the time. He re-signed with the Indians in April 1995. A shoulder injury kept him from playing most of the season. He played in only 46 games and hit .191 for Cleveland. The Indians won their first pennant in 41 years that season, but Winfield did not play in the postseason.

Honors and Awards

Winfield at his Hall of Fame induction in 2001

Winfield retired in 1996. In his first year of eligibility, he was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 as a San Diego Padre. He was the first Padre to receive this honor.

In 1998, Winfield was inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame, which honors San Diego's best athletes.

Winfield's No. 31, retired by the Padres, displayed at Petco Park

In 1999, The Sporting News ranked Winfield number 94 on its list of Baseball's Greatest Players. He was also nominated for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

He was inducted into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame in 2000. The Padres retired Winfield's No. 31 jersey on April 14, 2001.

On July 4, 2006, Winfield was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in its very first group of honorees.

The 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, played in San Diego, was dedicated to Winfield. He had represented the Padres at the first All-Star Game played in San Diego in 1978.

After Playing Baseball

In 1996, Winfield joined the new Major League Baseball on Fox program as a studio analyst. From 2001 to 2013, Winfield worked as an executive for the San Diego Padres.

Dave Winfield at Petco Park in 2016

In 2006, Winfield helped create The Baseball Music Project. This was a series of concerts that celebrated baseball history, with Winfield as the host.

In 2008, Winfield took part in the final ceremonies at Yankee Stadium before it closed.

On June 5, 2008, Major League Baseball held a special draft to honor surviving Negro league players. The idea for this draft came from Winfield. Each major league team drafted one player from the Negro leagues.

In March 2016, Winfield helped represent Major League Baseball in Cuba during President Obama's trip. This trip aimed to improve relations between Cuba and the United States.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Dave Winfield is well known for his charity work. He was the first active athlete to start his own charity foundation, The David M. Winfield Foundation. He began helping communities in 1973, his first year with the Padres. He would buy tickets to Padres games for families who couldn't afford them. This program was called "pavilions."

In his hometown of St. Paul, he started a scholarship program that still helps students today. In 1977, he officially organized his efforts into a charity called the David M. Winfield Foundation for Underprivileged Youth. As his salary grew, the Foundation's programs expanded. They included holiday dinner giveaways and national scholarships. In 1978, San Diego hosted the All-Star game. Winfield bought his usual block of tickets and invited "all the kids of San Diego" to attend. To handle the large crowd, the Foundation brought the kids into batting practice. This "All-Star open-practice" has since become a tradition for Major League Baseball.

When Winfield joined the New York Yankees, he set aside money from his contract for the Winfield Foundation. The foundation partnered with the Hackensack University Medical Center to create The Dave Winfield Nutrition Center. The Foundation also worked with Merck Pharmaceuticals to create a program called "Turn it Around".

Winfield with Derek Jeter at Dodger Stadium in 2010

Winfield's charity work inspired many other MLB players. Yankee Derek Jeter looked up to Winfield for his sports skills and his kindness. Jeter says Winfield inspired him to start his own Turn 2 Foundation. Winfield continues to help raise money and awareness for Jeter's Foundation and many other groups.

Personal Life

Winfield lives in California with his wife, Tonya. They have three children: Shanel, and twins David II and Arielle.

Famous Quotes

• "Three-ninety-nine sounds like something you'd purchase at a discount store. Four hundred sounds so much better.—upon hitting his 400th home run after 10 days stuck at 399.

See also