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Dave Winfield, a powerful and Gold Glove-winning outfielder, built a Hall of Fame career with the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays (with whom he won the 1992 World Series), Minnesota Twins (1993-1994), and Cleveland Indians (reaching the World Series in 1995). Born on October 3, 1951, in St. Paul, Minnesota, Winfield’s birth coincided with a historic baseball moment: Bobby Thomson of the New York Giants hit the legendary "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in the bottom of the ninth inning to clinch the National League pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Giants later lost the World Series to the Yankees, the team that would play a significant role in Winfield’s career.
An exceptional athlete at the University of Minnesota, the 6'6" Golden Gopher attracted attention from professional basketball as well as Major League Baseball. In 1973, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in baseball, the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, and the Utah Stars of the ABA. Remarkably, he was also selected by the NFL's Minnesota Vikings despite never playing college football.
A 12-time All-Star who bypassed the minor leagues, Winfield was primarily a right fielder known for playing shallow and making spectacular leaps over the outfield wall to rob potential home runs. Equipped with a rifle-like arm, his outstanding defense earned him seven Gold Gloves—two in the National League and five in the American League. After a stellar 1979 season batting .308 with 34 home runs and 118 RBIs, finishing third in the NL MVP voting, Winfield became a highly sought free agent. After the 1980 season, he signed a groundbreaking 10-year contract worth over $20 million with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who sought to replace the legendary Reggie Jackson, known as "Mr. October," after the 1981 season.
In Winfield’s first year with the Yankees, the strike-shortened 1981 season, he performed well, finishing seventh in MVP voting while playing alongside Jackson and other key contributors from the team’s recent divisional, league, and World Series successes. However, his World Series performance was poor, hitting just .045 (1-for-22), which led Steinbrenner to regret letting Jackson go and mockingly nickname Winfield "Mr. May." Their relationship worsened over time as the Yankees failed to reach the playoffs, culminating in a scandal that temporarily banned Steinbrenner from baseball due to his efforts to undermine Winfield. Winfield eventually shed the "Mr. May" label, earning redemption by winning a World Series with Toronto in 1992 and playing with the American League champion Cleveland Indians in 1995. (The Yankees did not win another championship until 1996, after Winfield retired.)
Over his career, Winfield amassed 3,110 hits, 5,221 total bases, 465 home runs, and 1,833 RBIs—a resume that earned him first-ballot induction into the Hall of Fame in 2002.
Off the field and now as a baseball executive, Winfield is recognized for his charitable work, particularly through the Dave Winfield Foundation, which supports underprivileged children. In 1994, he received the Roberto Clemente Award for his humanitarian efforts.
