Ray Lankford
Encyclopedia
Raymond Lewis Lankford and grew up in Modesto, California
where he attended Grace M. Davis High School
. Ray was a former center fielder
in Major League Baseball
who played for the St. Louis Cardinals
and San Diego Padres
from to . He was known for his combination of power, speed, and defensive prowess. He posted one of the longest and most distinguished careers in the history of Cardinals baseball. His uncle, Carl Nichols
, was also a professional baseball player and spent parts of six seasons in the major leagues.
Most Valuable Player
Willie McGee
. He started his career as primarily a leadoff
man, where his speed and plate discipline made him a potent force. In his first full season in , he led the league with 15 triples
, stole
44 bases, and scored 83 runs, earning him a third place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. He also accomplished the rare feat of hitting for the cycle
, becoming the first Cardinal rookie ever to do so. In , he began to hit for more power, and posted a breakout season with a .293 batting average
, 20 home run
s, and 42 stolen bases. This season established Lankford as one of the best all-around outfielders in the game. He eventually moved down in the batting order to take further advantage of his power hitting ability.
Lankford posted five seasons of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases with the Cardinals (1992, -), making him the only player in franchise history to accomplish the feat more than once. He also was an impressive fielder, posting a 2.90 range factor in 1992 and committing only one error in . In the latter season, he led the league with a fielding percentage of .997 but was still not awarded a Gold Glove
.
On April 3, , Lankford achieved an unusual distinction: he hit a home run as the first batter of the season (it was the first day of the season, and only one game was played that day).
He was selected as the starting center fielder for the National League in the All-Star Game
after a dominating hitting performance in the first half of the season, and posted an offensive career year the following season. In , he hit .293 with 31 home runs, 105 runs batted in
and 26 stolen bases. It was his late season surge batting cleanup that helped Mark McGwire
, hitting in front of Lankford in the Cardinal order, to set the single season home run record with 70. Following the '98 season, Lankford had knee surgery and was moved to left field. In his first year at the position, he posted a career high .306 batting average and 15 home runs in an injury-shortened season. He also compiled impressive defensive statistics at his new position.
Lankford was traded from St. Louis to San Diego during the season for pitcher Woody Williams
. Criticism of his always high strikeout totals helped prompt the trade, even though he had continued to be more productive statistically than many of the other outfielders receiving playing time in St. Louis, including journeyman utility player Craig Paquette
and rookie Kerry Robinson
. At the time of the trade, Lankford was slugging an impressive .496 and maintaining a .345 on-base percentage despite a disappointing batting mark of .235. His numbers, though, had declined as he increasingly found himself in a bench role as the season progressed. He responded to the trade well, however, batting .288 in the balance of the season for San Diego under the tutelage of eight-time batting champion Tony Gwynn
.
He returned to the Padres for , but his lone full season in San Diego was marred by injury and inconsistency, as he appeared in only 81 games and batted a career low .221. He took the season off to continue his recovery process before returning to St. Louis, where he finished his career in . Once again he saw his playing time dip late in the season after the Cardinals acquired Larry Walker
from the Colorado Rockies
in late August. He was not placed on the postseason roster in 2004, but did earn a National League championship ring for his role in the Cardinals' first pennant-winning season since 1987.
Lankford finished his career among the Cardinal Top 10 in numerous statistical categories, including home runs (third), stolen bases (fifth), runs scored (eighth), runs batted in (eighth), and bases on balls (fourth). Lankford hit more home runs at Busch Stadium (123) than any other player, and finished his career in his home ballpark with a pinch hit home run in his final major league at bat on October 3, . He participated in festivities commemorating the final season at Busch Stadium
in 2005, including taking down his signature jersey number 16 from a banner counting down the remaining games at the ballpark and accepting a nomination for the All-Time Busch Stadium Team. He also indicated he is interested in making a return to baseball in the future.
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
where he attended Grace M. Davis High School
Grace M. Davis High School
Grace M. Davis High School is a public high school located in Modesto, California. Established in 1959, the school serves students in grades 9-12...
. Ray was a former 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...
in 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...
who played for 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...
and San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
from to . He was known for his combination of power, speed, and defensive prowess. He posted one of the longest and most distinguished careers in the history of Cardinals baseball. His uncle, Carl Nichols
Carl Nichols
Carl Edward Nichols is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He played all or part of six seasons in the major leagues, from until , for the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros.-Sources:...
, was also a professional baseball player and spent parts of six seasons in the major leagues.
Career
Lankford made his major league debut with St. Louis in August 1990, and soon after took over the center field position previously occupied by former National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Most Valuable Player
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...
Willie McGee
Willie McGee
Willie Dean McGee is a retired professional baseball player who won two batting titles and was named Major League Baseball's National League MVP. McGee primarily played center and right field, winning three Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence. McGee spent the majority of his 18-year career...
. He started his career as primarily a leadoff
Batting order (baseball)
The batting order, or batting lineup, in baseball is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's offensive strategy. The batting order is set by the manager before the game begins...
man, where his speed and plate discipline made him a potent force. In his first full season in , he led the league with 15 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
44 bases, and scored 83 runs, earning him a third place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. He also accomplished the rare feat of hitting for the cycle
Hitting for the cycle
In 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...
, becoming the first Cardinal rookie ever to do so. In , he began to hit for more power, and posted a breakout season with a .293 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 20 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, and 42 stolen bases. This season established Lankford as one of the best all-around outfielders in the game. He eventually moved down in the batting order to take further advantage of his power hitting ability.
Lankford posted five seasons of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases with the Cardinals (1992, -), making him the only player in franchise history to accomplish the feat more than once. He also was an impressive fielder, posting a 2.90 range factor in 1992 and committing only one error in . In the latter season, he led the league with a fielding percentage of .997 but was still not awarded a Gold Glove
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...
.
On April 3, , Lankford achieved an unusual distinction: he hit a home run as the first batter of the season (it was the first day of the season, and only one game was played that day).
He was selected as the starting center fielder for the National League in the All-Star Game
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...
after a dominating hitting performance in the first half of the season, and posted an offensive career year the following season. In , he hit .293 with 31 home runs, 105 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and 26 stolen bases. It was his late season surge batting cleanup that helped Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
, hitting in front of Lankford in the Cardinal order, to set the single season home run record with 70. Following the '98 season, Lankford had knee surgery and was moved to left field. In his first year at the position, he posted a career high .306 batting average and 15 home runs in an injury-shortened season. He also compiled impressive defensive statistics at his new position.
Lankford was traded from St. Louis to San Diego during the season for pitcher Woody Williams
Woody Williams
Gregory Scott "Woody" Williams is a former right-handed Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He made his major league debut for the Toronto Blue Jays on May 14, 1993.-Baseball career:...
. Criticism of his always high strikeout totals helped prompt the trade, even though he had continued to be more productive statistically than many of the other outfielders receiving playing time in St. Louis, including journeyman utility player Craig Paquette
Craig Paquette
Craig Harold Paquette , is a former professional baseball player who played third base in the major leagues from 1993-2003. He last played in for the Camden Riversharks...
and rookie Kerry Robinson
Kerry Robinson
Kerry Keith Robinson is a former American professional baseball player. Robinson started at an early age playing baseball for N.Y.A. in St. Louis MO...
. At the time of the trade, Lankford was slugging an impressive .496 and maintaining a .345 on-base percentage despite a disappointing batting mark of .235. His numbers, though, had declined as he increasingly found himself in a bench role as the season progressed. He responded to the trade well, however, batting .288 in the balance of the season for San Diego under the tutelage of eight-time batting champion Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
.
He returned to the Padres for , but his lone full season in San Diego was marred by injury and inconsistency, as he appeared in only 81 games and batted a career low .221. He took the season off to continue his recovery process before returning to St. Louis, where he finished his career in . Once again he saw his playing time dip late in the season after the Cardinals acquired Larry Walker
Larry Walker
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
from the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
in late August. He was not placed on the postseason roster in 2004, but did earn a National League championship ring for his role in the Cardinals' first pennant-winning season since 1987.
Lankford finished his career among the Cardinal Top 10 in numerous statistical categories, including home runs (third), stolen bases (fifth), runs scored (eighth), runs batted in (eighth), and bases on balls (fourth). Lankford hit more home runs at Busch Stadium (123) than any other player, and finished his career in his home ballpark with a pinch hit home run in his final major league at bat on October 3, . He participated in festivities commemorating the final season at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
in 2005, including taking down his signature jersey number 16 from a banner counting down the remaining games at the ballpark and accepting a nomination for the All-Time Busch Stadium Team. He also indicated he is interested in making a return to baseball in the future.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
External links
- Baseball-Almanac.com - statistics page
- Ray Lankford's Official Site
- Opening Day 1994 box score - Lankford hits home run as first batter of a season