Eric Yelding facts for kids

Eric Yelding was a professional baseball player from the United States. He was born on February 22, 1965. Eric played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five seasons. He played for the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs between 1989 and 1993. People knew him for his incredible speed and strong throwing arm. He played many different positions, usually shortstop or center field.

Starting in the Minor Leagues

Eric Yelding was a great athlete in high school. He went to Fairhope High School in Fairhope, Alabama. After college, the Toronto Blue Jays picked him in the first round of the 1984 MLB draft.

He quickly showed how fast he was. In his first 200 games, he stole 93 bases. He also had 19 outfield assists, showing off his strong arm. He played for teams like the Medicine Hat Blue Jays and Kinston Blue Jays.

The next year, he moved to shortstop because of his strong arm. He played for the Ventura County Gulls. He was good at hitting and stealing bases, with a .280 batting average and 41 stolen bases. However, he made 58 errors while playing defense.

In 1987, he played for two teams: the Myrtle Beach Blue Jays and the Knoxville Blue Jays. He stole 83 bases that year. But his defense still needed work, as he made 59 more errors.

Even with his fielding struggles, his amazing speed helped him move up. He went to the AAA Syracuse Chiefs. There, he tried playing second base to help with his errors. He still made 35 errors, but that was fewer than before. 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 chose Eric Yelding in a special draft called the Rule 5 draft. But the Cubs later let him go. The Houston Astros then picked him up in April.

Because of the Rule 5 draft rules, the Astros had to keep Eric on their main team all season. If they didn't, they would lose him. The Astros saw him as a future star. So, they used him mostly as a pinch hitter (someone who bats instead of another player) or a pinch runner (someone who runs the bases instead of another player). He played in 70 games but only played defense in 38 of them.

The Astros' patience paid off in 1990. Eric became their main leadoff hitter. He finished second in the National League with 64 stolen bases. His defense got better, and he showed he could play many positions. He played 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. When he did play, he struggled. 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, the Astros traded him to the Chicago White Sox. He finished 1992 with the Vancouver Canadians. The White Sox then released him. The Cincinnati Reds signed him, but they released him during spring training in 1993. After that, the Chicago Cubs signed him for a second time.

Time with the Chicago Cubs

The Cubs used Eric Yelding 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 defense had really improved by 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 big part of the 1993 season due to another injury. He also missed most of the next year. In 1994, he played in 29 games with the Iowa Cubs.

Eric never played in another major league baseball game after that. He did play in spring training as a replacement player for the Cleveland Indians during the 1994 baseball strike. He spent 1995 and 1996 in the minor league systems of the Indians and Seattle Mariners. He also played in some independent leagues. He tried to make a comeback in 1999, playing for two independent teams, before finally retiring from baseball.