Robin Yount, an under-appreciated all-time great.

[The stache]

I remember seeing Robin Yount for the first time in person during a home game at County Stadium in the spring of 1980. I wasn't nine yet, and Yount wasn't a star yet. But the talk about Yount elevating his game to the next level had already begun. He was on fire, hitting in the .340s, and driving the ball with incredible authority. And though I was only a kid, I knew Robin was something special the very first time I watched him play. The way he did, well, everything, was different from the other players on the field. He got to every ball hit within a mile of him. The ball jumped off of his bat. And when he ran the bases, he just seemed quicker than everybody else. Though he was still just a youngster at 24, he had the poise of a star before the label had been affixed to him. He seemed destined for greatness.

 

Far too often nowadays, people try to summarize a baseball player's entire career based on a few numbers. Some dismiss Yount because he didn't put up the eye popping numbers you see in today's game. But that's really a woefully inadequate way of gauging a player's greatness, as it doesn't tell the whole story. For one, the context of the era Yount played in gets lost.

 

No, Robin Yount didn't hit 500 home runs. Or 400. Or even 300. But he could just crush the ball. In 1982, he was the first shortstop in 15 years to have 300 total bases. You don't get 87 extra base hits being a singles hitter.

No, he didn't have a .300 lifetime AVG. But from 1977 to 1989, he hit .300. That's a 13 year span.

No, he didn't win 12 Gold Gloves like Clemente, or get named to 24 All Star Games like Mays or Aaron. But when a no hitter was on the line with two outs in the ninth, it was Yount, displaying the incredible defense we'd all come to expect, that saved the day, sacrificing his body to make the impossible leaping catch. And as for the All Star vote? Yount wasn't named an All Star in 1989. He just won the MVP. In fact, he wasn't named to the All Star team once between 1984 and 1989, though only six hitters in all of baseball had a higher batting average, or more hits during that span, than Yount. So much for the wisdom of the voting public.

 

But if you look at what Yount did throughout his career, Yount just performed. Year in, year out. In his prime, from 1980 to 1983, he was the best shortstop in baseball. Better than Ripken, and Trammell. And he was on his way to becoming one of the greatest ever to play his position when his shoulder blew apart. I read on non Brewer-centric forums just how little appreciation there is for what Yount came back from. They mention he had shoulder and back problems, but don't seem to get how devastating his injury was. Yount had incredible pull power prior to his injury. People tend to forget that while the Brewers hit a lot of home runs, County Stadium was really a pitcher's park. In 1982, Yount hit 20 of his 29 home runs on the road. In fact, of the 216 home runs the Brewers hit that season, 127 were away from County Stadium. The "Yount never hit more than 29 home runs" line is accurate. But to dismiss Yount is unjust.

 

Yet even with the injuries that could have ended his career, injuries that for a time sapped much of his power, Robin Yount had more hits in the 1980s--1,731--than any other player in the Major Leagues. Not only did he lead the Majors in hits during the 80s, from 1975 to 1989, he had more hits (2,516) than any other Major League player, too. Only Mike Schmidt scored more than Yount's 1,287 runs during that 15 years span. Only George Brett (491) had more doubles than Yount's 467 during that span. Only Willie Wilson (130) and Brett (115) had more triples than Yount's 106. In fact, between 1970 and 1990, only Pete Rose had more hits (2,929) than Yount's 2,747. And between 1970 and 1990, only Mike Schmidt (1,506), Pete Rose (1,486) and Dwight Evans (1,435) scored more runs than Yount's 1,433. And only Schmidt (4,404), George Brett (4,363), Dave Winfield (4,267), Dave Parker (4,222), and Reggie Jackson (4,214) had more total bases than Robin Yount's 4,152 over that 20 year span.

 

What about power and speed? Between 1975 and 1989, three players in all the Major Leagues had more than 200 home runs, and 200 stolen bases: Dave Winfield, Andre Dawson, and Robin Yount.

 

Context.

 

As I mentioned, Robin Yount won an MVP playing shortstop, and another playing center field, two of the three toughest positions in baseball (the other being catcher), something no other Major Leaguer has ever done. In fact, in the 144 year history of Major League Baseball, only three other players have ever won MVPs at two different positions: Stan Musial, Hank Greenberg and Alex Rodriguez. Musial won as an outfielder and first baseman, Greenberg as a first baseman and left fielder, and Rodriguez as a shortstop and third baseman.

 

But we know this already. What kind of Brewer fans would we be if we did not?

 

We also know he had two four hit games in the 1982 World Series. Did you guys know that to this day, not only is Robin Yount the only player in Major League history to have two four-hit games in the same World Series..

 

..he is the only player in World Series history to have two four hit games. Period.

 

http://imageshack.com/a/img834/1774/1g47.png

 

There have been 64 4-hit games in World Series history. Yount had four hits in games one and five. He only played one World Series. Except for the 1994 strike shortened season, the World Series has been played every year since 1905. And only Robin Yount has two four-hit games in the World Series.

 

Robin Yount does not get a fair shake as far as the all-time greats go. And while people are fawning all over Derek Jeter as his final season comes up, one must remember that like Jeter, Yount's talents were many.

 

In the history of Major League Baseball, there have been five players with over 3,000 hits, 250 home runs, 250 stolen bases, and 500 doubles:

 

Derek Jeter, Willie Mays, Craig Biggio, Rickey Henderson, and Robin Yount.

 

http://imageshack.com/a/img823/6469/qv7g.png

 

Of those players, only Mays, Yount and Henderson won MVPs.

 

When you delve a little more deeply, Robin Yount is very much deserving of being considered an all-time great.

[Warning Track Power]

Absolutely fantastic post Stache. Yount is and always will be the Milwaukee Brewers. Great person too. While I am among those to believe that Molitor was the best hitter in Brewers history, Yount has no comparison in terms of overall player.

 

Thanks for posting this.

[gbpdc]

A few years ago I had a Sports Illustrated quote a day calendar on my desk at work. I saved one of the quotes and it is still on my tackboard of my cube. Here it is:

 

"Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox pitcher, asked to name baseball's three most dangerous hitters:

'Robin Yount in the first, Robin Yount in the fourth, and Robin Yount in the seventh.'

 

Sports Illustrated, February 21, 1994"

 

No matter what I (or anyone else) think of Clemens, I think this quote helped me realize the true greatness of Robin Yount.

[DocLuna7]

Thanks for this Stache. I have so many good memories of Robin Yount, and probably like many of you, he really was the one who sealed my lifelong love for the team.

 

On a different note, Stache, did you happen to see the PM I sent you awhile back?

[The stache]

Doc, I am about to crash out, as my medications are kicking in. But I will check my messages tonight first thing when I get up, and respond back to you.

[Patrick425]

Won't get any arguments from me on the greatness of Robin Yount. My License plate is 19 HOF

[BarneyStinston]

In my youth, I never really understood the hype over Robin Yount. I much preferred Cecil Cooper (a 6th round pick) hitting with 32 homers and 121 RBI's in 1982, 7 straight over .300 batting seasons, and a career OPS better than Yount. On top of it, he is virtually ignored by the HOF. Heck, what major league player could you ever find swimming at the local YMCA? That was Coop.

[remfire]

Great post 'stache. Sometimes I need to read stuff like your post to realize the homer inside me isn't blurring the vision of how great I thought Yount was. He's my favorite. I have over 9,000 of his baseball cards, over 1,300 different ones (who'd have thought he'd have more baseball cards produced after he retired than while he was playing?!) Sadly, his retirement crushed me so much I tuned the Brewers out more than I should have in the mid to late '90's. As for Cooper, the guy was a stud. Very underrated, very underappreciated. Nonetheless, he didn't get regular at bats until he was 24, Trebelhorn kicked him out when he was only 37 because Greg Brock had dirty pictures of him and Bo Black, and his overall career numbers aren't as good as Jim Rice's, whom many consider a borderline HOFer. Not to mention Rice did it in only 16 years compared to Coop's 17.

 

Quick story on Yount. Not sure if any of you guys remember, or knew, a guy by the name of Rob Derksen. Rob was a Brewers farmhand for a few years, then went on to coach the Australian Olympic Baseball Team and almost got tiny, little Guam into the olympics in 2000. He was also a scout for Baltimore, I believe, in charge of scouting the Pacific Rim. Rob used to stay at Robin's house during the off season when he would go back to Scotsdale. After Yount retired, Rob ended up buying the house. A few years back, I was lucky enough to do some service work on Yount's old house in Hales Corners. That's where I met Rob. He told me that finally after a few years and numerous phone calls, Yount finally came back over to the house to pick up his MVP trophies. They were right where Robin left them....under his bed collecting dust.

[joepepsi]

Pete Rose's hit total through his age 37 season was 3164. Robin retired after his age 37 season with 3142. Yount had more plate appearances, but until his final season, he was always ahead of Rose in career hits per age. Robin was clearly at the end of a his outstanding career when he retired, but still you wonder, had he wanted to stick around and play at a sub par level for another 8 years like Rose did, would he be the Hit King?

[bylo tesi me]

My Robin Yount memory is being lucky enough to be chosen to have my picture taken with him in 1977, when I was 10 yrs old.

We had just moved into the area and my mother, being a huge baseball fan, signed us up for the Brewers Pepsi fan club. I was one of a select few chosen randomly for the picture, and I was the 1st. I remember being in awe as I was ushered down onto the field at old county stadium (first base line) and among a huge gathering of media types and other players, coaches, ect. I saw Robin talking to a very attractive young lady (must have been a media personality, she had a mic in her hand ,but they weren't filming and she wasn't using it.) The promoter went over to Robin and interrupted, which drew a momentary annoyed glance from Robin. Even at 10 yrs. old, I remember thinking, OK, this is a bit Awkward. But Robin Yount made it anything but awkward. He came over and introduced himself, as though I didn't know he was Robin Yount, asked for my name and where I was from and gave me advice about working hard and always pursuing your dreams. When the photo was taken, Robin messed up my hair just at the last moment. So 2 weeks later I received an autographed photo of a smiling Robin Yount messing up my hair.

[WV Brew]

Those who follow the Orioles know how Jim Palmer always talks in awe of Robin. Of course, he hit two home runs off Palmer in the critical game in 1982. I'm sure it's easier than if it had been Jim Gantner or somebody like that. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to a great player.

[GAME05]

I'm sure it's easier than if it had been Jim Gantner or somebody like that.

 

i don't know about that, Jim Gantner hitting two home runs would have been pretty memorable. I know I sure don't remember any:)

[gregmag]

I'm a Molitor fan like WTP, a guy who grew up watching Cooper hit third like Barney, and a numbers guy like 'Stache's accusation. I also started really following the Brewers in spring 1978, the precise low point of Yount's career, when he claimed to be thinking about quitting baseball for golf. Fans and media, IIRC (I was only ten), had gotten impatient with his slow development, an understandable problem in retrospect for a guy who was the age (22) of a typical MLB rookie but already had four mediocre years as an MLB starter behind him. Then he had a very good '78 but followed up with a so-so '79.

 

All of those things, I think, have caused me to undervalue Robin instinctively. Intellectually I get the respect of peers, the fact that Bill James called him his favorite player of that era, the ss/cf MVPs, the dominant 1982, the defensive value, the power-speed combo, all the good stuff 'Stache points out. Robin aged surprisingly young (you know what I mean), and sticking around for four so-so years at the end, together with his mediocre start as a kid, dragged down his overall stats.

 

But man, he was magic in the 80s. Chop off, really, the first and last three seasons of his career, and you have an absolute beast. He was also a very fun kind of good player, because he did so many things well and played very intense without being a jerk.

[RockCoCougars]

One remarkable thing about Robin was his comeback after tearing up his shoulder in the mid 80's. Apparently, it was a very severe injury which was career threatening, especially back in those days. Personally, I have a great appreciation for him because he left several big money offers on the table to re-sign with the Brewers after '89. I was lucky enough to witness his 3,000th hit (went to all three games), and it's something I will never forget.

[HiAndTight]

In my youth, I never really understood the hype over Robin Yount. I much preferred Cecil Cooper (a 6th round pick) hitting with 32 homers and 121 RBI's in 1982, 7 straight over .300 batting seasons, and a career OPS better than Yount. On top of it, he is virtually ignored by the HOF. Heck, what major league player could you ever find swimming at the local YMCA? That was Coop.

 

 

Yount. You could find Yount doing the very same things. My Dad lived in the next apartment to him in Hales Corners(or maybe it was West Allis) when he was 21 or so and Yount was this up and coming star for the Brewers.

 

My Dad and I have always had a little..Molitor vs Yount argument. I liked Molitor better, but he loved Yount because he was, according to him, just such a nice, unassuming guy. My Dad's friends didn't know who he was(weren't baseball fans), invited him in for a beer and he came in, had a couple and never mentioned he was on the Brewers. My dad didn't bring it up because he didn't want to make it weird I guess. Not really sure.

 

But he said he was just the most laid back guy around. Really just a cool, chill guy who didn't think he was some big shot.

 

Imagine Ryan Braun living in an apartment building and having a beer with 3-4 guys he lived next to when he was in his first couple years?

 

So I think Yount was every big as relate-able and personable as Cooper was.

[HiAndTight]

One remarkable thing about Robin was his comeback after tearing up his shoulder in the mid 80's. Apparently, it was a very severe injury which was career threatening, especially back in those days. Personally, I have a great appreciation for him because he left several big money offers on the table to re-sign with the Brewers after '89. I was lucky enough to witness his 3,000th hit (went to all three games), and it's something I will never forget.

 

 

Yount may have left bigger deals out there, I don't know for sure either way, but I believe he became the highest paid player in the game at one point after the 1989 MVP. He negotiated for a while and didn't really take a big discount.

 

In fact, both Molitor and Yount signed at the same time IIRC and both were among the top 10 paid players in the game. This was back when the Brewers payroll was among the biggest in the game and before the salaries really took off(Starting with Ryno getting 7.2 million per..again, just going off memory here).

[chickinbrickin]

Hard to say he is under appreciated when he is in the hall of fame.

[RockCoCougars]

\Yount may have left bigger deals out there, I don't know for sure either way, but I believe he became the highest paid player in the game at one point after the 1989 MVP. He negotiated for a while and didn't really take a big discount.

 

Point taken. From what I remember, the Angels were prepared to make him a huge offer. I also remember the Cubs in the mix (they wanted him to play third, I'm pretty sure). Yount did waffle a bit, largely because he wanted to make sure the Brewers were going to be competitive moving forward. '89 was a really bad year for the Brewers, they were the trendy choice to win the division, but they didn't deliver. Sheffield caused a bunch of problems as well. The Dave Parker signing helped set the stage for Robin coming back, and they also got him to mentor Sheffield- which worked as he had his best year as a Brewer in '90. When they dealt Parker for Bichette the next year in spring training, Sheffield pouted, and it was basically the final nail in the coffin as far as his career in Milwaukee was concerned. That was a really disappointing era for the Brewers in general. They had two HOF close to their primes and Sheffield and Vaughn came up one after another. As has been a common theme throughout the history of the franchise, they just didn't have enough pitching to get the job done.

[brewmann04]

I only own 2 Brewers Jerseys #4 #19 my all time favorite brewers