Eric Yelding facts for kids

Eric Girard Yelding, born on February 22, 1965, is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five seasons, from 1989 to 1993. He played for the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs. Eric was known for his amazing speed and a very strong throwing arm. He played many different positions, usually shortstop or center field.

Eric Yelding's Baseball Journey

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Eric was a great athlete at Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama. After attending Chipola College, he was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the first round of the 1984 MLB amateur draft. He quickly showed off his speed and strong arm. In his first 200 games with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays and Kinston Blue Jays, he stole 93 bases. He also had 19 outfield assists, which means he helped get players out from the outfield.

Because of his strong arm, the Blue Jays moved him to shortstop. This happened the next season when he played for the Ventura County Gulls. He was good at hitting, with a .280 batting average, and he stole 41 bases. However, he made 58 errors while playing in the field. In 1987, he played for the Myrtle Beach Blue Jays and the Double-A Knoxville Blue Jays. He stole a total of 83 bases that year. But his fielding still needed work, as he made another 59 errors.

Even though he struggled with fielding, his incredible speed on the bases helped him move up. He was promoted to the AAA Syracuse Chiefs. There, they tried moving him to second base to help with his fielding problems. He still made 35 errors that season, but it was an improvement. He also hit .250 and stole 59 bases for the Chiefs.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Time with the Houston Astros

On December 5, 1988, the Chicago Cubs picked Eric Yelding in the Rule 5 draft. This draft allows teams to pick players from other teams' minor league systems. The Cubs then waived him, and the Houston Astros claimed him in April 1989. To keep Eric, the Astros had to keep him on their main roster for the whole season. If they didn't, they would lose him.

The Astros saw Eric as a future star, even though he wasn't quite ready for everyday play. So, they used him mostly as a pinch hitter (someone who bats in place of another player) and a pinch runner (someone who runs the bases in place of another player). He played in 70 games but only played in the field for 38 of them. He had only 102 plate appearances, which is when a player comes to bat.

The Astros' patience paid off in 1990. Eric became their main leadoff hitter, the first batter in the lineup. He finished second in the National League with 64 stolen bases. His defense got better, and he showed how versatile he was. He played at second base, third base, shortstop, and in the outfield.

Sadly, 1990 was his last full season in the major leagues. He missed half of 1991 because of an injury. In 1992, he only had 8 at-bats for the Astros. He spent most of that season with the AAA Tucson Toros. On July 10, 1992, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. He finished 1992 with the Vancouver Canadians before the White Sox released him. The Cincinnati Reds signed him, but then released him during spring training in 1993. After that, the Chicago Cubs signed him for a second time.

Return to the Chicago Cubs

The Cubs used Eric mainly as a utility infielder. This means he could play many different infield positions. He also continued to be a pinch hitter and pinch runner. His fielding had gotten much better since his early days. In 1993, he made only two errors in 32 games at second base. However, he struggled with hitting, with a .204 batting average. He missed a lot of the 1993 season due to injury. He also missed much of the next year, playing in only 29 games with the Iowa Cubs.

Eric never played in another major league baseball game after that. He did play in spring training for the Cleveland Indians during the 1994 Major League Baseball strike. Eric spent 1995 and 1996 playing in the minor league systems for the Indians and Seattle Mariners. He also played in independent leagues, which are not part of MLB. He tried to make a comeback one last time in 1999, playing for two independent teams, before retiring from baseball for good.