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 prominently as an integral member of the St. Louis Cardinals team that won the 1982 World Series.[1]

George Hendrick
Hendrick as a coach for the Tampa Bay Rays
Outfielder
Born: (1949-10-18) October 18, 1949
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
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 runs267
Runs batted in1,111
Teams
As player

As coach

Career highlights and awards

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
Hendrick with St. Louis Cardinals in 1983

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.[1] 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.[4] He was the first MLB player to wear his pant legs down to his ankles. He was nicknamed "Jogging George" and "Captain Easy"[5] because of his reputation for not running plays out or giving 100% effort[6] and "Silent George" because of his longstanding policy of not talking to the media.[7]

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.[8]

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.[9] He also played for the Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in its 1989 inaugural season.

Transactions involving Hendrick

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][14] He then became Special Advisor to Baseball Operations for the Rays.

Personal life

His son, Brian, played college basketball for the California Golden Bears.[15]

See also

References
  1. "George Hendrick at Baseball Reference". Baseball Reference. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  2. Jim Tommey and Kip Ingle, ed. (1987). St. Louis Cardinals 1987 Media Guide. St. Louis National Baseball Club. p. 153.
  3. Norman MacLean, ed. (1988). 1988 Who's Who in Baseball. New York: Who's Who in Baseball Magazine Company, Inc.
  4. Cardinals' Media Relations, ed. (2001). St. Louis Cardinals 2001 Media Guide. Hadler Printing Company. pp. A-163.
  5. "George Hendrick Baseball Stats". Baseball-Almanac. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  6. Markusen, Bruce (January 20, 2012). 1972 Topps Baseball Card. Hardball Times. Retrieved on March 2, 2016.
  7. "Hendrick Having A Quiet Impact". The Las Vegas Sun. May 2, 2003. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  8. Ross, Jack (November 17, 2014). "Lisa Saxon: the Women Who Helped Change Sports Writing Forever". Vice Sports. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  9. Conde, Fernando. Campeones de bateo Liga Puerto Rico. Beisbol 007. Retrieved on March 2, 2016.
  10. Phillips, Darell (March 29, 1973). "Was trade a good one?". The Modesto Bee. p. C3. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
  11. "Sports People: Wish Comes True," The New York Times, Saturday, August 3, 1985. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  12. "The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired the contract of left-handed pitcher...," United Press International (UPI), Friday, August 16, 1985. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  13. "Tampa Bay Rays coaching staff". Tampa Bay Rays. Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  14. Topkin, Marc (February 25, 2015). "Ex-Rays coach George Hendrick visits camp". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  15. "NCAA Midwest Notebook". The Madison Courier. The Associated Press. March 25, 1993. p. B1. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
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