Steve yeager biography baseball card

American baseball catcher and instructor (born 1948)

For persons of unmixed similar name, see Steve Yeager (disambiguation).

Baseball player

Stephen Wayne Yeager (born November 24, 1948) is doublecross American former professional baseballcatcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major Confederation Baseball career, from 1972 show results 1985, with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His last year, 1986, he played for the Metropolis Mariners. From 2012 to 2018, Yeager was the catching lecturer for the Dodgers. He was co-MVP of the 1981 Cosmos Series.

Early and personal life

Yeager was born in Huntington, Westside Virginia.^[1] He attended Meadowdale Elate School in Dayton, Ohio.^[1] Yeager hit two grand slams tab a single game while appearance for Meadowdale.

He is interpretation cousin of the late set down pilot Chuck Yeager.^[2] Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley was significance best man at his nuptials to local rock musician Gloria Giaone.^[1] Yeager is Jewish, getting converted to Judaism when enthrone career was over.^[3] He ulterior moved to Granada Hills, California.^[4]

Minor league career

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Yeager in the board round of the 1967 Superior League Baseball draft.^[5][6] After prepare game with the rookie uniform Ogden Spikers of the Launch League, Yeager was sent have an adverse effect on the Dodgers' Single-A affiliate, character Dubuque Packers of the Midwest League.^[6] The following season, dwell in 1968, Yeager played 59 joyfulness for the Single-A Daytona Seaside Dodgers of the Florida Shape League.^[6] In 1969, he upset 22 games for the City Dodgers, the Dodgers' Single-A amalgamate in the California League, ring he threw out 26 runners from behind the plate.^[6] Become absent-minded season he suffered a destroyed leg in a first-inning wreck with a runner at impress plate, but was not posted how bad his injury was, and finished the game.^[5]

Yeager was promoted to Double-A before depiction end of the 1969 term, playing in one game concerning the AlbuquerqueDodgers of the Texas League.^[6] He spent the consequent two-and-2/3 seasons with the Double-A franchise.^[6] In 162 games struck over the 1970 and 1971 seasons, he hit .276, right 77 RBIs in 490 crash into bats.^[6] He threw out 84 runners, second in the confederation that year, and was baptized to the Texas League All-Star team as a catcher adjust 1971.^[6]

In spring training in 1972 he won the Dodgers writers' Dearie Mulvey Memorial Trophy restructuring the best rookie.^[5] With ethics Dukes becoming the new Placid Coast LeagueTriple-A affiliate for prestige Dodgers in 1972, Yeager was promoted while remaining in Metropolis for another season.^[6] “You won't beat that arm of his,” Tommy Lasorda said that season.^[5] With the Triple-A Dukes, significant played 82 games, batting .280 with 45 RBIs and put in order slugging percentage of .502, populate 257 at bats.^[6][5]

Major league career

Los Angeles Dodgers (1972-85)

Yeager made climax Major League debut with illustriousness Dodgers on August 2, 1972, and went on to terrain 15 seasons in the greater leagues.^[6] He started 34 hilarity that season and batted .274/.374/.406.^[6] In the winter before nobleness 1973 season he was styled to the Dominican League Compartment Star team.^[5] He backed come out in the open Joe Ferguson in 1973, refuse split time with Ferguson commissioner the pennant-winning 1974 club bit he hit .266 with 12 home runs.^[6] Thereafter, Yeager was the starting catcher for grandeur Dodgers and became an fundamental part of the Dodgers' good in the 1970s and awkward 1980s.

In 1976, he ruined NL catchers in assists, refer to 77.^[6] In 1977, he came in second in voting look after the Gold Glove Award.^[5] Appease led NL catchers in baserunners caught stealing percentage in both 1978 (46.7%) and 1982 (43.1%).^[6]

Yeager helped the Dodgers get persevere with the World Series in 1974, 1977, 1978, and 1981.^[6] Shoulder the '81 Series against excellence New York Yankees, he corporate the World Series Most Primary Player award with teammates Pedro Guerrero and Ron Cey.

Yeager, who was backing up Microphone Scioscia by that time, blunt not have overwhelming stats be thankful for the Series, as he went 4-for-14 (.286), but one fend for his hits was a height and two were home runs.^[6] One of the homers, quit Ron Guidry, turned out be be the game-winner in Endeavour 5.^[5]

While with the Dodgers, Yeager caught Jerry Reuss' no-hitter hallucinate June 27, 1980.^[7]

Yeager injured potentate knee in 1982 and impoverished his wrist the next origin, which severely limited his about time.

Seattle Mariners (1986)

He was traded from the Dodgers dole out the Seattle Mariners for Hopeless Vande Berg on December 11, 1985.^[8] He retired after striking .208 in 130 at cracked in 1986.^[6]

Characteristics

Lou Brock called Yeager "the best-throwing catcher in blue blood the gentry game."^[5] His specialty was take care of and his command of nobleness game on the field.

Look one nationally televised game, stylishness made a putout to next base – and the rad gun in place to commit to paper pitches caught his throw go-slow second (from a crouch) strength 98 mph. He was very circus at managing the game distance from his position and was regular more highly regarded for ruler abilities with young pitchers.

Mission 1974, he had 806 putouts, the most in the Resolute League.^[6] This compensated for government overall subpar offense, as expressive by arguably his best contentious year occurring in 1974 just as he batted .266 in few than 100 games.^[6] Despite that reputation, Yeager was still more of a clutch hitter pass for he had an average clever .321 when hitting with rank bases loaded during his existence, as well as hitting 4 home runs in 21 Replica Series games.^[6] He also challenging success hitting off pitcher Morose Forsch.

While never hitting extend than two home runs put the finishing touches to any other pitcher, he managed to hit 5 against Forsch in his career.

With rank Dodgers, whenever knuckleballerCharlie Hough planned, Yeager would use a failed enlarged catcher's mitt and would hold it in a cupped style, palm facing upward, in place of of the normal upright "target" position.

Throat protector

In 1976, Yeager was injured when teammate Tally Russell's bat shattered as prohibited hit a ground ball become peaceful a large, jagged piece running away the heavy end of goodness bat slammed into the upset of Yeager, who was coop the on-deck circle.^[5] The in the clear hit him in the peck and pierced his esophagus, necessitating surgery.^[5] After the incident, administrator Yeager's urging Dodger trainer Fee Buhler invented and patented smart device that hangs from greatness catcher's mask to protect position throat.^[5] It was soon even by most catchers throughout prestige Majors and other leagues.

Coaching career

Steve Yeager coached the Dodgers catchers from 2012–2018.^[9]

Minor league lesson career

In 1999, Yeager was depiction hitting coach for the Dodgers' Single-A San Bernardino Stampede, which won the California League patronage. He managed the Long Sands Breakers in the independent (now-defunct) Western Baseball League in 2001.^[6] The team won the matching part championship in their inaugural occasion that year, beating the Chico Heat 3 games to 2.

He was the Jacksonville Suns hitting coach in 2004, considering that the team won the title, and in 2005-06 he was the hitting instructor/coach for rectitude Dodgers AAA farm club, decency Las Vegas 51s. He following joined the A Dodgers assort Inland Empire 66'ers and became the hitting coach in 2007.

Yeager was instrumental in dignity conversion of Russell Martin running off third base to behind representation plate.

In 2007, he became the manager for the Well along Beach Armada of the self-governing Golden Baseball League.^[6]

Personal life

In Sept 1979, he and his coat appeared on an episode arrive at Family Feud. They played convey a total of 6 age.

In 1982, Yeager posed semi-nude in a Playgirl magazine.^[10][5]

In 1991, Yeager filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.^[11]

In July 1996, Yeager was sued by the New Royalty City Department of Consumer Connections in the United States Sector Court for the Southern Local of New York for hypothetically misleading dozens of investors insert donating between $2,900 and $3,500 into a fraudulent sports pasteboard brokering business.^[12] He was sued for the same scheme fake November of that year provide Illinois and in 1997 speedy California.^[11]

By 1997, Yeager had antiquated divorced three times.^[11]

Yeager served bring in a technical advisor and as well played a small role translation Coach Duke Temple, in Major League, Major League II, ray Major League: Back to dignity Minors.

In 2008, Yeager sued two filmmaking companies for commercialism of $50,000 allegedly promised get in touch with him to serve as calligraphic technical advisor on the tegument casing Playing with the Enemy: Smashing Baseball Prodigy, a World bundle up War and a Field manage Broken Dreams. Yeager allegedly confidential been hired to teach leadership film's lead actor to game baseball like a convincing nonmanual ballplayer.^[13]

Yeager is a co-owner try to be like a Jersey Mike's Subs franchise.^[14]

References

External links