Eric Yelding
Encyclopedia
Eric Girard Yelding is a former Major League baseball
player who was with the Houston Astros
and Chicago Cubs
from -. Known for his blazing speed and strong arm, he played primarily centerfield
and shortstop
.
in Fairhope, Alabama
and was later drafted in the 1st round of the MLB amateur draft out of Chipola College
by the Toronto Blue Jays
. He made an immediate impact with his speed and arm, stealing 93 bases and adding 19 outfield assists in his first 200 games at Medicine Hat
and Kinston. Because of his strong arm, he was moved to shortstop the following season at Ventura County
. Although he found success with the bat and on the basepaths, hitting .280 with 41 steals, he made 58 fielding errors. He divided the year between Myrtle Beach
and Double-A Knoxville, where he stole a combined 83 bases, though his fielding did not improve as he made another 59 errors. Despite being a liability in the infield, his prowess on the basepaths earned him a promotion to AAA Syracuse where he was moved to second base in an attempt to alleviate his fielding woes. Although his play in the field was still suspect, he did cut his season error total to 35 while hitting .250 and stealing 59 bases for the Chiefs.
. He was waived by the Cubs and selected off waivers by the Houston Astros the following April. In order to satisfy the Rule 5 terms, the Astros were mandated to either keep Yelding on the Major League club for the entire season or forfeit their rights to him. Faced with the dilemma of having a player not yet ready for everyday play on their roster, but not wanting to lose their rights to what they considered a future star, the Astros used Yelding primarily as a pinch hitter and pinch runner. He appeared in 70 games, but played the field in only 38 of them and recorded less than 100 plate appearances.
The Astros' patience with Yelding paid early dividends, as he became their full-time leadoff hitter in and finished second in the National League with 64 stolen bases. Though he improved and even showed flashes of brilliance in the field, his defense was still subpar though he did show his versatility by appearing at second base, third base, shortstop, and in the outfield.
Unfortunately, 1990 would be his last full season in the major leagues. He missed half on due to injury and struggled when healthy. He had only 8 at-bats for the Astros in , spending most of the season at AAA Tucson
. On July 10, 1992, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
in exchange for Rich Scheid
. He finished the 1992 season at Vancouver
before being released by the White Sox at the end of the season. He was signed by the Cincinnati Reds
during the winter, but released during the 1993 spring training
before being signed for the second time by the Chicago Cubs.
.
Yelding spent and in the Cleveland Indians
and Seattle Mariners
minor league systems. He would never appear in another major league baseball game, although he did play in spring training as a replacement player for the Indians during the 1994 Major League Baseball strike.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who was with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
from -. Known for his blazing speed and strong arm, he played primarily centerfield
Centerfield
Centerfield is an album by musician John Fogerty, released in 1985. It was his most popular post-Creedence album, containing the hit singles "The Old Man Down the Road", "Rock and Roll Girls" and the title track "Centerfield". Fogerty played all the instruments on this album himself, thanks to...
and shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
.
Minor leagues
Yelding was a star athlete at Fairhope High SchoolFairhope High School
Fairhope High School is a public secondary school located in Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope High School is a part of the Baldwin County Public Schools system. They service grades 9-12.-History:...
in Fairhope, Alabama
Fairhope, Alabama
Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, on a sloping plateau, along the cliffs and shoreline of Mobile Bay. The 2010 census lists the population of the city as 16,176....
and was later drafted in the 1st round of the MLB amateur draft out of Chipola College
Chipola College
Chipola College is a state college located in Marianna, Florida, USA. Chipola College is a member institution of the Florida College System.The College was named for the Chipola River, which is located less than a mile from the campus...
by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He made an immediate impact with his speed and arm, stealing 93 bases and adding 19 outfield assists in his first 200 games at Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat Blue Jays
The Medicine Hat Blue Jays were the Toronto Blue Jays rookie-level affiliate in the Pioneer League beginning in 1978 and remained with their parent club for 25 seasons. They played their home games at Athletic Park. Over the years, the club generally struggled on the field and with attendance, but...
and Kinston. Because of his strong arm, he was moved to shortstop the following season at Ventura County
Ventura County Gulls
The Ventura County Gulls were a minor league baseball team in Ventura, California. They were a high-A class team that played in the California League, and were a farm team of the Toronto Blue Jays for the franchise’s only year as the Gulls. They played all of their home games at the baseball...
. Although he found success with the bat and on the basepaths, hitting .280 with 41 steals, he made 58 fielding errors. He divided the year between Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach Blue Jays
The Myrtle Beach Blue Jays of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina began play in the South Atlantic League in 1986 after being relocated from Florence, South Carolina . They played at Coastal Carolina College's stadium and were a minor league club of the Toronto Blue Jays...
and Double-A Knoxville, where he stole a combined 83 bases, though his fielding did not improve as he made another 59 errors. Despite being a liability in the infield, his prowess on the basepaths earned him a promotion to AAA Syracuse where he was moved to second base in an attempt to alleviate his fielding woes. Although his play in the field was still suspect, he did cut his season error total to 35 while hitting .250 and stealing 59 bases for the Chiefs.
Houston Astros
On December 5, 1988 Yelding was selected by the Chicago Cubs from Toronto in the Rule 5 draftRule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. He was waived by the Cubs and selected off waivers by the Houston Astros the following April. In order to satisfy the Rule 5 terms, the Astros were mandated to either keep Yelding on the Major League club for the entire season or forfeit their rights to him. Faced with the dilemma of having a player not yet ready for everyday play on their roster, but not wanting to lose their rights to what they considered a future star, the Astros used Yelding primarily as a pinch hitter and pinch runner. He appeared in 70 games, but played the field in only 38 of them and recorded less than 100 plate appearances.
The Astros' patience with Yelding paid early dividends, as he became their full-time leadoff hitter in and finished second in the National League with 64 stolen bases. Though he improved and even showed flashes of brilliance in the field, his defense was still subpar though he did show his versatility by appearing at second base, third base, shortstop, and in the outfield.
Unfortunately, 1990 would be his last full season in the major leagues. He missed half on due to injury and struggled when healthy. He had only 8 at-bats for the Astros in , spending most of the season at AAA Tucson
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros are a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States. They are owned by Tucson Baseball, LLC with Jay Zucker as chairman of the board. Sean Smock is the team's general manager....
. On July 10, 1992, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in exchange for Rich Scheid
Rich Scheid
Richard Paul Scheid is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Houston Astros and Florida Marlins .-External links:*...
. He finished the 1992 season at Vancouver
Vancouver Canadians
The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadians are the Northwest League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. The C's have previously affiliated with the Oakland Athletics between 2000-2010. They are the only Canadian team in the...
before being released by the White Sox at the end of the season. He was signed by the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
during the winter, but released during the 1993 spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
before being signed for the second time by the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago Cubs
Yelding was used by the Cubs primarily as a utility infielder and pinch hitter/runner. Although his fielding had greatly improved since his early days with the Astros (with two errors in 32 games at second base in 1993), he struggled with the bat, hitting .204. He missed a large part of the 1993 season due to injury, as well as the following year, in which he appeared in 29 games with the Iowa CubsIowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
.
Yelding spent and in the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
and Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
minor league systems. He would never appear in another major league baseball game, although he did play in spring training as a replacement player for the Indians during the 1994 Major League Baseball strike.