Ray Lankford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ray Lankford
Lankford in 1988
Outfielder
Born: (1967-06-05) June 5, 1967 (age 58) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
August 21, 1990, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last appearance
October 3, 2004, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average	.272
Home runs	238
Runs batted in	874
Teams
St. Louis Cardinals (1990–2001) San Diego Padres (2001–2002) St. Louis Cardinals (2004)
Career highlights and awards
All-Star (1997) St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame

Raymond "Ray" Lewis Lankford (born June 5, 1967) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Ray played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres. He was famous for his amazing mix of power, speed, and great defense.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Ray Lankford was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Modesto, California. There, he went to Grace M. Davis High School. He played both baseball and football in high school. Later, he continued playing both sports at Modesto Junior College. Ray's uncle, Carl Nichols, also played professional baseball. He spent six seasons in the major leagues.

Ray Lankford's Baseball Career

Ray Lankford started his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals in August 1990. He quickly became the team's main center fielder. This position was once held by Willie McGee, a former National League MVP.

Early Success and Skills

Ray began his career as a leadoff hitter. His speed and ability to get on base made him a strong player. In his first full season in 1991, he led the league with 15 triples. He also stole 44 bases and scored 83 runs. He finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.

On September 15, 1991, Ray did something special. He managed to hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game. He was the first Cardinals rookie to ever do this!

In 1992, Ray started hitting with more power. He had a fantastic season with a .293 batting average. He hit 20 home runs and stole 42 bases. This season showed everyone that Ray was one of the best all-around outfielders. He later moved lower in the batting order to use his power even more.

Power, Speed, and Defense

Ray Lankford had five seasons where he hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases. He did this in 1992, and then from 1995 to 1998. He is the only player in Cardinals history to do this more than once.

He was also a great fielder. In 1996, he made only one error all season. He led the league with a .997 fielding percentage. Even with his amazing defense, he did not win a Gold Glove that year.

On April 3, 1994, Ray hit a home run as the very first batter of the season. This was unusual because it was the first game played that day.

All-Star and Later Career

Ray was chosen to be the starting center fielder for the National League in the 1997 All-Star Game. He had a great first half of the season that year. In 1998, he had his best offensive year. He hit .293 with 31 home runs, 105 runs batted in, and 26 stolen bases. His strong hitting helped Mark McGwire set the single-season home run record with 70.

After the 1998 season, Ray had knee surgery. He then moved to play left field. In his first year at this new position, he had a career-high .306 batting average. He also hit 15 home runs, even though he missed some games due to injury. He also played great defense in left field.

In 2001, Ray was traded from the Cardinals to the San Diego Padres. Some people thought he struck out too much, which led to the trade. However, he was still playing better than many other outfielders on the Cardinals. After the trade, Ray played well for the Padres. He batted .288 for the rest of the season. He learned a lot from Tony Gwynn, a famous eight-time batting champion.

Ray returned to the Padres in 2002. But that season was tough for him due to injuries. He played in only 81 games and had a career-low .221 batting average. He took the 2003 season off to recover from his injuries.

He came back to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004 to finish his career. His playing time decreased later in the season. This happened after the Cardinals got Larry Walker from the Colorado Rockies. Ray was not on the team's postseason roster in 2004. However, he still earned a National League championship ring. This was for his part in the Cardinals winning their first pennant since 1987.

Career Highlights and Legacy

Ray Lankford finished his career as one of the Cardinals' top players in many areas. He is third in home runs, fifth in stolen bases, and eighth in runs scored. He also ranks eighth in runs batted in and fourth in walks.

Ray hit more home runs at Busch Stadium (123) than any other player. He ended his career at his home ballpark with a pinch-hit home run in his final major league at-bat on October 3, 2004. He is the only Cardinals player to have both 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases.

In 2005, Ray took part in events celebrating the final season at Busch Stadium. He was also nominated for the All-Time Busch Stadium Team.

On January 31, 2018, the St. Louis Cardinals nominated Ray Lankford for their Hall of Fame. On May 4, after fans voted, Ray Lankford and Vince Coleman were officially inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame class of 2018.

Career Statistics

See also