Playing Career
Randolph grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Samuel J. Tilden High School, where he was a star athlete and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 7th round of the 1972 draft. He made his major league debut in 1975, and was at age 21 the sixth-youngest player in the National League.
In December 1975 he was traded by the Pirates with Ken Brett and Dock Ellis to the Yankees for Doc Medich.
Randolph spent 13 of his 18 seasons as a player with the Yankees and was co-captain of the Yankees with Ron Guidry from 1986 - 1988. He later played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1989–90), Oakland Athletics (1990), and Milwaukee Brewers (1991), finishing his career with the New York Mets in 1992. He was selected to six All-Star teams over his career. As a career number 2 hitter in the order, he made use of his skills as bunter and a patient hitter who drew more than 80 walks seven times.
Randolph was also an outstanding defensive player, known especially for his ability to turn the double play. However, he never received the Gold Glove Award, which was perennially awarded to his equally sure-handed and more acrobatic and wide-ranging contemporaries: Frank White of the Kansas City Royals and Lou Whitaker of the Detroit Tigers. He was the Yankees' starting second baseman on the 1977 and 1978 World Series Championship teams.
In 1980 Randolph led the league in walks (119) and was second in the AL in on base percentage (.427), eighth in stolen bases (30) and ninth in runs (99), and won the Silver Slugger award at second base in the AL. He also batted .332 leading off the inning, and .340 with men in scoring position.
In 1987 he batted .305 and led the league in at bats per strikeout (18.0), and was fourth in the AL in OBP (.411) and ninth in walks (82). He also batted .366 in tie games, and .345 in games that were late and close.
In December 1988 he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In May 1990 he was traded by the Dodgers to the Oakland Athletics for Stan Javier. In April 1991 he signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Brewers. That year, Randolph was second in the AL on base percentage (.424) and third in batting average (.327). He batted .373 with runners in scoring position.
In December 1991 he signed as a free agent with the New York Mets. In 1992, at 37 years old he was the eighth-oldest player in the NL. In his last career game with the Mets, lifelong second baseman Jeff Kent moved to make his only career start at shortstop to allow Randolph to play his final game at second base.
Read more about this topic: Willie Randolph
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