The guy was the fourth overall pick in the 1973 amateur draft, and was also selected by pro football and basketball teams coming out of the University of Minnesota. In other words, the world was HIS for the taking:
And he never disappointed. First by choosing baseball as his path, and once on the field, with his play.
Over the next 22-years all he did was top 3000 hits, slam 463 home runs, score 1669 runs, drive in 1833 runs (including 108 in 1992 at the age of 40!), and get named to 12-straight all-star teams.
What an overall talent and great guy! As a kid growing up in New York City in the 1980’s not only did I get to see him play a lot, but I’d also get to meet him on quite a few occasions at baseball card shows, and he was always friendly and welcoming.
An easy Hall of Fame inductee in 2001, you just have to wonder what he could have accomplished had he chosen basketball or football as his path to stardom.
Just awesome...
