Dave Winfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dave Winfield |
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Winfield with the San Diego Padres in 1978
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| Right fielder | |||
| Born: October 3, 1951 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| 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 | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2001 | ||
| Vote | 84.5% (first ballot) | ||
David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951) is a former American Major League Baseball (MLB) star who played as a right fielder. He is famous for his powerful hitting and amazing athletic skills. During his 22-year career, he played for six different teams and had the winning hit that won the 1992 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Winfield was chosen for the MLB All-Star Game 12 times. He also won seven Gold Glove Awards for his excellent defense and six Silver Slugger Awards for his great hitting. In 2001, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is considered one of the best all-around athletes in sports history.
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Early Life and College
David Mark Winfield was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He and his older brother Stephen were raised by their mother and a large, supportive family. As a kid, he practiced sports at a local park. He wasn't very tall until his senior year of high school, when he grew to be 6 feet 6 inches tall.
Winfield was so good at sports that he earned a scholarship to the University of Minnesota. There, he was a star player on both the baseball and basketball teams. In 1973, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the College World Series—as a pitcher!
He was such a talented athlete that he was drafted by teams in three different sports. The San Diego Padres (baseball), the Atlanta Hawks (basketball), and the Minnesota Vikings (football) all wanted him on their team. He is one of only a few athletes ever to be drafted by professional teams in three different sports.
Professional Baseball Career
San Diego Padres (1973–1980)
Winfield chose to play baseball and joined the San Diego Padres in 1973. He was so talented that he went straight to the major leagues without playing in the minor leagues. Even though he was drafted as a pitcher, the Padres wanted his powerful bat in their lineup, so they made him a right fielder.
In San Diego, he became an All-Star player. He was known for hitting for both power and a high batting average. In 1979, he had an amazing season, hitting .308 with 34 home runs and 118 RBIs. After the 1980 season, he became a free agent, which meant he could sign with any team.
New York Yankees (1981–1990)
In 1980, Winfield signed a 10-year, $23 million contract with the New York Yankees, making him the highest-paid player in baseball at the time. The team's owner, George Steinbrenner, had a public disagreement with Winfield over the contract details, which created tension between them for years.
In his first year, Winfield helped the Yankees reach the 1981 World Series. However, he struggled in the series, and the Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Steinbrenner publicly criticized him, but Winfield didn't let it affect his play. The next season, he hit 37 home runs.
A famous and unusual event happened on August 4, 1983, in Toronto. While warming up, Winfield accidentally hit and killed a seagull with a thrown ball. He was questioned by police but the charges were dropped the next day. Later, he donated items to a Toronto charity auction that raised over $60,000. For years after, fans in Toronto would flap their arms like wings when he came to bat.
Throughout the 1980s, Winfield was one of the best players in baseball. He and teammate Don Mattingly had a famous race for the batting title in 1984, which Mattingly barely won. Despite his success, the team owner often criticized him, even giving him the nickname "Mr. May," suggesting he didn't play well in important games at the end of the season.
Winfield missed the entire 1989 season with a back injury. His disagreements with Steinbrenner continued until he was traded to the California Angels in May 1990.
A World Series Champion at Last
California Angels and Toronto Blue Jays
With the Angels, Winfield made a great comeback. In 1991, he hit for the cycle (a single, double, triple, and home run in one game) and hit his 400th career home run.
In 1992, at age 40, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He became a leader on the team and a fan favorite. Fans started a popular slogan, "Winfield Wants Noise," to cheer him on. That year, the Blue Jays made it to the 1992 World Series. In Game 6, Winfield hit a game-winning double in the 11th inning, winning the championship for Toronto. He finally proved he was a champion.
Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians
After his big win, Winfield signed with his hometown Minnesota Twins. On September 16, 1993, at age 41, he got his 3,000th career hit, a major milestone for any baseball player.
He finished his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1995. In a strange event, he was traded from the Twins to the Indians during a players' strike. Because no games were being played, the teams settled the trade by having the Indians' team executives pay for a dinner for the Twins' executives. This makes Winfield the only player in history to be "traded for a dinner."
Life After Baseball
Winfield retired in 1996. In 2001, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He chose to be inducted as a member of the San Diego Padres. The Padres retired his jersey number, 31, in his honor.
After retiring, Winfield worked as a TV analyst for baseball games and as an executive for the San Diego Padres. In 2013, he became a special assistant to the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the union that represents MLB players.
He has also been honored many times for his amazing career. He is in the College Baseball Hall of Fame, the San Diego Hall of Fame, and was named one of the greatest players in baseball history by The Sporting News.
Charity Work
Winfield is also known for his incredible charity work. He was one of the first active athletes to start his own foundation, The David M. Winfield Foundation. Since his first year in the MLB, he bought game tickets for children and families who couldn't afford them.
His foundation grew to provide scholarships, holiday dinners, and health services for kids. His work inspired many other athletes, including Yankees star Derek Jeter, to start their own foundations. Winfield continues to be active in helping others and raising money for important causes.
Personal Life
Winfield lives in California with his wife, Tonya, and their three children.
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
- 3,000 hit club
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball home run records
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball retired numbers
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of baseball players who went directly to Major League Baseball
- List of athletes on Wheaties boxes
- List of multi-sport athletes
