Robin Yount
Encyclopedia
Robin R. Yount is an American
former Major League Baseball
shortstop
and center fielder
. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers
(1974–1993). In 1999
, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
. During his youth, his family moved to southern California
, where he attended William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills.
, one slot ahead of fellow Hall of Famer and 3,000 Hit Club member Dave Winfield
. Yount made his major league debut the following April, at eighteen years old. After going hitless in his first four games, Yount hit a game-winning home run in his sixth. On September 14, 1975 (two days before his 20th birthday), Yount broke Mel Ott
's 47-year-old record for most games played in the major leagues before turning 20. Yount courted controversy in the winter of 1978. He threatened to retire from the game and take up professional golf rather than be underpaid by the Brewers. His demands were met during spring training in 1978, and he played the full season; ultimately, Yount remained a Brewer for the rest of his 20-year career. Yount developed into an excellent hitter, eventually posting a career .285 batting average with 251 home runs, 1632 runs scored and 1406 runs batted in. His 11,008 career at-bats is the seventh-most in Major League Baseball history, and he ranks 17th on the all-time hit list. He was an early proponent of weight training – then uncommon in baseball – and by 1980 Yount's power hitting had improved, particularly for a shortstop. Yount was an All-Star
in 1980, 1982, and 1983. No other Brewer was voted a starter in consecutive years until Ryan Braun
in 2008-11. His three All-Star appearances are tied with Ferguson Jenkins
for the fewest of any Hall of Famer from the post-All-Star Game era, and he won a second MVP Award in 1989 without making the All-Star Team.
Yount collected more hits in the decade of the 1980s than any other player (1731), leading the American League with 210 hits in 1982. The 1982 AL East race was tied on the final day of the season, with the race coming down to a winner-take-all game between the Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles
. With the title on the line, Yount hit home runs in each of his first two at-bats against Orioles starter Jim Palmer
. Yount finished with a four-hit game, as the Brewers won 10-2. In addition to his only 200-hit season, he registered career highs with 29 home runs, 114 RBI, and a .331 batting average (.001 behind the league leader, Willie Wilson). Yount demonstrated his remarkable power, especially unusual in a shortstop, with a .578 slugging percentage and .957 OPS on his way to gaining 367 total bases - leading the major leagues in all three categories. His slugging percentage was the second highest ever by a shortstop, and his 129 runs set the record for that position. That year, Yount also won his only Gold Glove Award
and his first Most Valuable Player Award
. His performance garnered 27 of 28 possible first place votes in the 1982 MVP balloting. The year ended with the Brewers making their only World Series
appearance. Although Yount became the only player to collect four hits in two World Series games, Milwaukee lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
in seven games.
In 1985, a shoulder problem forced Yount to move to the outfield. After splitting time between center field and left field, Yount became the Brewers' regular center fielder in 1986. He played more than 1,200 games in the outfield in his career, with a .990 fielding percentage. He made a game-ending, diving catch to preserve a no-hitter by Juan Nieves
early in the 1987 season.
Yount narrowly won a second MVP Award in 1989, making him only the third player to win MVPs at two positions, joining Hank Greenberg
and Stan Musial
(Alex Rodriguez
would later join this group). Yount was the first AL player to win multiple MVP's in over twenty-five years, since the Yankees' Roger Maris
(1960 & 1961) and Mickey Mantle
(1956, 1957, and 1962).
On Sept. 9, 1992, Yount collected his 3,000th career hit, becoming the 17th player to reach the mark. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, his first year of eligibility. That same year, he was included in the balloting for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
, finishing fifth among shortstops.
Yount holds Brewers career records for games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, total bases, walks and strikeouts. He was the last active major leaguer who was a teammate of Hank Aaron (1975–1976).
His brother Larry
had one of the oddest, and shortest careers in major league history. While taking his warmup tosses for his debut as a Houston Astros
reliever in 1971, he experienced elbow pain. He never threw an official pitch in that game, or any other.
from 2002 to 2004. He resigned after the dismissal of Arizona manager Bob Brenly
. He, Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn
and Bob Uecker
threw out the ceremonial first pitches at the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
at Miller Park.
In 2005, Brewers manager Ned Yost
convinced Dale Sveum
, a teammate of Yount's, to become Milwaukee's new third base coach. Yount followed suit a few weeks later, accepting a post as the Brewers' bench coach. In November 2006, Yount announced he would not return to the team as bench coach for the 2007 season. However, on September 15, 2008 Sveum, by now the team's manager, chose Yount as his bench coach.
Since retiring from baseball, Yount has increased his participation in two of his other passions, professional motorcycle and auto racing. In June 2008, Yount announced the creation of a new lemonade drink, Robinade. A portion of the proceeds of the sales goes to charity.
Yount was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
in 1995.
Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. He received the lowest voting support in history as an individual who was elected on the first ballot.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former Major League Baseball
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...
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...
and center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1974–1993). In 1999
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1999
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1999 followed the system in use since 1995. The Baseball Writers Association of America voted by mail to select from recent major league players and elected three: George Brett, Nolan Ryan, and Robin Yount...
, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Early years
Yount was born in Danville, IllinoisDanville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
. During his youth, his family moved to southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, where he attended William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills.
Baseball career
Yount was the third pick overall in the June 1973 Major League Baseball Draft1973 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :Four dominating players of the late 70s and 80s were selected in the June regular phase...
, one slot ahead of fellow Hall of Famer and 3,000 Hit Club member Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
. Yount made his major league debut the following April, at eighteen years old. After going hitless in his first four games, Yount hit a game-winning home run in his sixth. On September 14, 1975 (two days before his 20th birthday), Yount broke Mel Ott
Mel Ott
Melvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
's 47-year-old record for most games played in the major leagues before turning 20. Yount courted controversy in the winter of 1978. He threatened to retire from the game and take up professional golf rather than be underpaid by the Brewers. His demands were met during spring training in 1978, and he played the full season; ultimately, Yount remained a Brewer for the rest of his 20-year career. Yount developed into an excellent hitter, eventually posting a career .285 batting average with 251 home runs, 1632 runs scored and 1406 runs batted in. His 11,008 career at-bats is the seventh-most in Major League Baseball history, and he ranks 17th on the all-time hit list. He was an early proponent of weight training – then uncommon in baseball – and by 1980 Yount's power hitting had improved, particularly for a shortstop. Yount was an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1980, 1982, and 1983. No other Brewer was voted a starter in consecutive years until Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
in 2008-11. His three All-Star appearances are tied with Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
for the fewest of any Hall of Famer from the post-All-Star Game era, and he won a second MVP Award in 1989 without making the All-Star Team.
Yount collected more hits in the decade of the 1980s than any other player (1731), leading the American League with 210 hits in 1982. The 1982 AL East race was tied on the final day of the season, with the race coming down to a winner-take-all game between the Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. With the title on the line, Yount hit home runs in each of his first two at-bats against Orioles starter Jim Palmer
Jim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
. Yount finished with a four-hit game, as the Brewers won 10-2. In addition to his only 200-hit season, he registered career highs with 29 home runs, 114 RBI, and a .331 batting average (.001 behind the league leader, Willie Wilson). Yount demonstrated his remarkable power, especially unusual in a shortstop, with a .578 slugging percentage and .957 OPS on his way to gaining 367 total bases - leading the major leagues in all three categories. His slugging percentage was the second highest ever by a shortstop, and his 129 runs set the record for that position. That year, Yount also won his only Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
and his first Most Valuable Player Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
. His performance garnered 27 of 28 possible first place votes in the 1982 MVP balloting. The year ended with the Brewers making their only World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
appearance. Although Yount became the only player to collect four hits in two World Series games, Milwaukee lost to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in seven games.
In 1985, a shoulder problem forced Yount to move to the outfield. After splitting time between center field and left field, Yount became the Brewers' regular center fielder in 1986. He played more than 1,200 games in the outfield in his career, with a .990 fielding percentage. He made a game-ending, diving catch to preserve a no-hitter by Juan Nieves
Juan Nieves
Juan Manuel Nieves Cruz is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who, on April 15, 1987 against the Baltimore Orioles, became the second-youngest player in major league history to throw a no-hitter, and so far the only Milwaukee Brewer to do so.He was signed by the Brewers after graduating...
early in the 1987 season.
Yount narrowly won a second MVP Award in 1989, making him only the third player to win MVPs at two positions, joining Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
and Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
(Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
would later join this group). Yount was the first AL player to win multiple MVP's in over twenty-five years, since the Yankees' Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
(1960 & 1961) and Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
(1956, 1957, and 1962).
On Sept. 9, 1992, Yount collected his 3,000th career hit, becoming the 17th player to reach the mark. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, his first year of eligibility. That same year, he was included in the balloting for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
, finishing fifth among shortstops.
Yount holds Brewers career records for games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, total bases, walks and strikeouts. He was the last active major leaguer who was a teammate of Hank Aaron (1975–1976).
His brother Larry
Larry Yount
Lawrence King "Larry" Yount is a former major league baseball player. Yount is the only player in MLB history to be credited with pitching a game without actually facing a batter...
had one of the oddest, and shortest careers in major league history. While taking his warmup tosses for his debut as a 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...
reliever in 1971, he experienced elbow pain. He never threw an official pitch in that game, or any other.
Post-playing career
Yount served as first base coach and bench coach for the Arizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
from 2002 to 2004. He resigned after the dismissal of Arizona manager Bob Brenly
Bob Brenly
Robert Earl Brenly is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. He played the majority of his career as a catcher with the San Francisco Giants and played half a season for the Toronto Blue Jays...
. He, Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn
Warren Spahn
Warren Edward Spahn was an American Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was age 42...
and Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
threw out the ceremonial first pitches at the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 73rd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 2002 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the home of...
at Miller Park.
In 2005, Brewers manager Ned Yost
Ned Yost
Edgar Frederick "Ned" Yost III is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the Kansas City Royals. He is the former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.-Playing career:...
convinced Dale Sveum
Dale Sveum
Dale Curtis Sveum is a former Major League Baseball player and the current manager of the Chicago Cubs.-Playing career:A talented athlete, Sveum was an All-State and All-American quarterback while attending Pinole Valley High School, in addition to being a fine baseball player...
, a teammate of Yount's, to become Milwaukee's new third base coach. Yount followed suit a few weeks later, accepting a post as the Brewers' bench coach. In November 2006, Yount announced he would not return to the team as bench coach for the 2007 season. However, on September 15, 2008 Sveum, by now the team's manager, chose Yount as his bench coach.
Since retiring from baseball, Yount has increased his participation in two of his other passions, professional motorcycle and auto racing. In June 2008, Yount announced the creation of a new lemonade drink, Robinade. A portion of the proceeds of the sales goes to charity.
Yount was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame is a promenade in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dedicated to honoring distinguished members of Wisconsin's sports history. New members are honored at a biennial banquet.-History:...
in 1995.
Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. He received the lowest voting support in history as an individual who was elected on the first ballot.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball doubles records
- DHL Hometown HeroesDHL Hometown HeroesOn September 27, 2006, Major League Baseball announced a list of players, one from each team, voted by MLB fans. Fans were asked to vote for the most outstanding player in the history of each MLB franchise, based on on-field performance, leadership quality and character value.The candidates for...
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- 3000 hit club3000 hit clubIn Major League Baseball , the 3,000 hit club is a term applied to the group of batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers. Cap Anson was the first to join the club on July 18, 1897, although his precise career hit total is unclear. Two players—Nap Lajoie and...
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...