George Hendrick
George Andrew Hendrick Jr. (born October 18, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player and coach.[1] He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder between 1971 and 1988, most notably as an integral member of the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the 1982 World Series.[1]
George Hendrick | |||
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Hendrick as a coach for the Tampa Bay Rays | |||
Outfielder | |||
Born: Los Angeles, California | October 18, 1949|||
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MLB debut | |||
June 4, 1971, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
October 2, 1988, for the California Angels | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .278 | ||
Home runs | 267 | ||
Runs batted in | 1,111 | ||
Teams | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
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A four-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Hendrick led the major leagues with 20 outfield assists in 1979 and, led the Cardinals in home runs every year from 1980 through 1983.[2] He also won a World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and was a member of the 1986 California Angels division-winning team. He also played for the Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hendrick is currently the special advisor to baseball operations for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Playing career
Over 18 seasons, Hendrick posted a .278 batting average with 267 home runs and 1,111 RBI. His career stats included 941 runs, 1,980 hits, 343 doubles, 59 stolen bases, 567 walks, .329 on-base percentage and a .446 slugging percentage in 7,129 at-bats. Playing at all three outfield positions and first base, he compiled a .987 fielding percentage.[1]
Hendrick began his baseball career in the minor leagues with Burlington in 1968, leading the league with a .327 batting average and 25 doubles.[3] He was an all-star four times—twice with Cleveland in 1974 and 1975 and twice with St. Louis in 1980 and 1983—and he finished in the top 15 in league MVP voting four consecutive years between 1980 and 1983.[4] Hendrick was one of the first players to hit 100 home runs in each league—150 for the National League and 117 for the American League.[5] He was the first MLB player to wear his pant legs down to his ankles. He was nicknamed "Jogging George" and "Captain Easy"[6] because of his reputation for not running plays out or giving 100% effort[7] and "Silent George" because of his longstanding policy of not talking to the media.[8]
Angels beat reporter Lisa Nehus Saxon, one of the first women to cover an MLB team, credited Hendrick for protecting her from Reggie Jackson's harassment and verbal abuse.[9]
Hendrick played winter ball with the Cangrejeros de Santurce club of the Puerto Rico League, where he won the batting title in the 1973−1974 tournament.[10] He also played for the Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in its 1989 inaugural season.
Transactions involving Hendrick
- On March 24, 1973, the Oakland A's traded Hendrick, with catcher Dave Duncan, to the Cleveland Indians for catcher Ray Fosse and shortstop Jack Heidemann.[11]
- On December 8, 1976, the Indians traded him to the San Diego Padres for outfielder John Grubb, catcher Fred Kendall, and infielder Héctor Torres.
- On May 26, 1978, the Padres traded Hendrick to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Eric Rasmussen.
- On December 12, 1984, the Cardinals traded him, with catcher Steve Barnard, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher John Tudor and outfielder Brian Harper.
- On August 2, 1985, the Pirates traded Hendrick, along with pitchers John Candelaria and Al Holland, to the California Angels for infielder Mike Brown, pitcher Pat Clements, and a player to be named later (Bob Kipper).[12]
Coaching career
Hendrick began his coaching career with the Cardinals as a minor league hitting/outfield instructor from 1993 to 1995 before becoming the hitting coach of the big league club from 1996 to 1997. After leaving the Cardinals, he worked as coach at various levels in the California Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers systems from 1998 to 2005. On November 21, 2005, Hendrick was named as a first base/outfield coach for Tampa Bay, a position he held through the end of the 2014 season.[13] He then became Special Advisor to Baseball Operations for the Rays.
Personal life
His son, Brian, played college basketball for the California Golden Bears.[14]
See also
References
- "George Hendrick at Baseball Reference". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- Jim Tommey and Kip Ingle, ed. (1987). St. Louis Cardinals 1987 Media Guide. St. Louis National Baseball Club. p. 153.
- Norman MacLean, ed. (1988). 1988 Who's Who in Baseball. New York: Who's Who in Baseball Magazine Company, Inc.
- "George Hendrick". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
- Cardinals' Media Relations, ed. (2001). St. Louis Cardinals 2001 Media Guide. Hadler Printing Company. pp. A-163.
- "George Hendrick Baseball Stats". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
- 1972 Topps Baseball Card. Hardball Times. Retrieved on March 2, 2016.
- "Hendrick Having A Quiet Impact". The Las Vegas Sun. May 2, 2003. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- Ross, Jack. "Lisa Saxon: the Women Who Helped Change Sports Writing Forever". Vice Sports. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- Campeones de bateo Liga Puerto Rico. Beisbol 007. Retrieved on March 2, 2016.
- Phillips, Darell (29 March 1973). "Was trade a good one?". The Modesto Bee. p. C3. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- "George Henrick Trades and Transactions". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
- "Tampa Bay Rays coaching staff". tampabay.rays.mlb.com. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- "NCAA Midwest Notebook". The Maidson Courier. Associated Press. March 25, 1993. p. B1. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by Chris Chambliss |
St. Louis Cardinals Hitting Coach 1996–1997 |
Succeeded by Dave Parker |
Preceded by Dave Parker |
Anaheim Angels First-Base Coach 1998–1999 |
Succeeded by Alfredo Griffin |
Preceded by Jack Clark |
Los Angeles Dodgers Hitting Coach 2003 |
Succeeded by Tim Wallach |
Preceded by Billy Hatcher |
Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays First-Base Coach 2006–2014 |
Succeeded by Rocco Baldelli |