"Mick the Quick" belied his nickname with a slow, painful walk to the batters box, lulling the opposing team to sleep before he burst down the base line in a flash of speed. He led the AL in steals in 1975 with 70, and the next season he became the Yankees' leadoff man, helping them to three straight pennants. A contact hitter, Rivers hit .300 five times as a regular and retired with a .295 batting average.
Teams Mickey Rivers Played For
California Angels (1970-1975) New York Yankees (1976-1979) Texas Rangers (1979-1984)
Best Season: 1976 Installed as the Yankee's leadoff man, Rivers swiped 43 bases in 50 tries, batting .312 with 95 runs scored. He also had a fine season for the Rangers in 1980, hitting .333 with 210 hits, a team record.
Born John Milton Rivers was born on October 31, 1948, in Miami, FL.
Similar Players Jo-Jo Moore, Pete Fox, Lance Johnson, Matty Alou
Related Players Bobby Bonds, Oscar Gamble
Hall of Fame Voting
Year
Election
Votes
Pct
1990
BBWAA
2
.5%
Post-Season Appearances
1976 American League Championship Series
1976 World Series
1977 American League Championship Series
1977 World Series
1978 American League Championship Series
1978 World Series
Notes Third in American League Most Valuable Player voting in 1976.
Hitting Streaks
24 games (1980)
20 games (1976)
20 games (1980)
Transactions Mickey was not that heartbroken to have been dealt away from the Yankees. The constant scrutiny, much of it asinine, wore on him.
"Once, George [Steinbrenner] called me upstairs and said I'd been clocked to first in 3.5 on one play and 3.7 on the next play," Mickey said in his first post-Yankee season. "He wanted to know why I'd slowed up. That kind of thing got to worrying me. I'd listen to George and think I was losing a step or something."
