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by Mark McDermott/BaseballSacramento.com
Born: January 29, 1960
High School: James Marshall
Bats: Right—Throws: Right
Height: 5-11—Weight: 185
Position: Second Base
Drafted: 9th round in 1978 by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Debut: August 18, 1981
Last Game: May 8, 1994
Teams: Los Angeles 1981-1988; New York Yankees 1989-1991; Chicago White Sox
1992-1993; Oakland A’s 1994
Following their 1981
World Series championship, the Los Angeles Dodgers broke up baseball’s longest running infield
by trading second baseman Joey Lopes to make room for Steve Sax. The 22-year-old responded by
winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1982. He hit .282, set at Dodger rookie
record with 49 stolen bases and led the club with 638 at-bats, 88 runs scored and 180
hits.
A
highly-excitable and enthusiastic player, Sax once broke Dodgers’ coach Joe Amalfitano’s finger
with a high-five while rounding third base on a game-winning home run.
In
1983, Sax mysteriously became unable to make a simple throw from his second base position to
first base, prompting a tongue-and-cheek clubhouse conversation between manager Tommy Lasorda
and third baseman Pedro Guerrero.
Lasorda
asked Guerrero: “Pedro, what do you think about when the ball is hit?”
Guerrero
answered, “First I think, ‘I hope they don’t hit to me.’ Then I think, ‘I hope they don’t hit it
to Sax.’”
Despite
that temporary fielding lapse, overall he was a good fielder, finishing his career with a .978
fielding percentage. But still, his strength was his offensive ability. He could hit and he
could run. A 25-game hitting streak in September of 1986 brought Sax within two points of a
batting title. He finished second to Tim Raines of the Montreal Expos who hit
.334.
During
his 14-year career, he hit .281 and stole 444 bases. He was named to the N.L. All-Star team four
times and the American League All-Star team once. He also won a Silver Slugger award. In
addition to his 1981 World Series championship, he won another ring in 1988
when the Dodgers toppled a loaded Oakland lineup.
Sax and older brother, Dave Sax, played on the same minor league team from 1978-1981. Dave, a
catcher, had brief stays in the big leagues with the Dodgers in 1982-1983 and Boston Red Sox
1985-1987.
Career Statistics -- Steve Sax
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