Von Hayes
Born: 1958
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OF-1B 1981-92 Indians, Phillies, Angels
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| Games | Average | HR | RBI |
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| Career |
1495 | .267 | 143 | 696 | | League CS |
2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | | World Series |
4 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Tall and reed-thin, with great speed and deceptive strength, Hayes was a natural outfielder but spent much of his playing time at first base. The Indians touted him as their best prospect in a decade, and he made his big-league debut in 1981 after only one season in the minors. Hayes' first full major-league season, 1982, produced a .250 average, 14 homers, 82 RBI, and 32 stolen bases. The Phillies were sufficiently impressed to send five players, including Julio Franco, to Cleveland in exchange for the young outfielder.
Hayes never lived up to the "five-for-one" expectations he faced in 1983, but in 1984 he hit .292 with 16 homers and 46 stolen bases, and on June 11, 1985 he homered twice in the first inning against the Mets, a major-league first. Faced with a surplus of outfielders, the Phillies switched Hayes to first base in 1986, and he hit .305 with 19 homers, 98 RBI, and 24 steals, leading the NL in doubles and tying for the lead in runs scored.
Hayes made the All-Star team in 1989, slugging a career-high 26 home runs and ranking second in the NL with 101 walks. But another solid season in 1990 was his last as a Phillies regular. Philadelphia GM Lee Thomas had tried to trade him that winter, and a disheartened Hayes slumped early in the season. After a June trade to Cincinnati fell through, a Tom Browning fastball fractured Hayes' wrist. He ended the season having appeared in just 77 games.
Hayes was finally shipped to California after the season for Ruben Amaro and Kyle Abbott, a trade he accepted because the Phillies were planning on platooning him with Dale Murphy. He wrapped up his career by hitting just .225 for the Angels in 1992. (SG/JGR)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
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| » December 9, 1982: The Phillies trade 2B Manny Trillo, OF George Vukovich, SS Julio Franco, catcher Jerry Willard, and pitcher Jay Baller to the Indians for 24-year-old OF Von Hayes. Hayes hit .250 with 14 home runs and 32 SBs for Cleveland last season and is considered a potential star. » July 29, 1984: The first two Phillies batters -- Juan Samuel and Von Hayes -- greet Montreal's Bill Gullickson with home runs. Hayes adds another homer and the Phils win on a 2-run pinch homer by John Matuszek in the 9th, 6–4. » June 11, 1985: Von Hayes becomes the first ML player ever to hit two home runs in the first inning, leading off with a home run, off Tom Gorman, and capping a 9-run outburst with a grand slam, as the Phillies go on to rout the Mets 26–7. Mets relievers Joe Sambito (3 innings) and Calvin Schiraldi (1.1 innings) both give up 10 runs apiece. The 26 runs in one game is a club record and the most in the National League since 1944.
» June 8, 1989: The Pirates send 16 batters to the plate in the 1st and taking a 10–0 lead (Pittsburgh's best inning since September, 1942) on eight hits, two for extra bases (Rey Quinones' double and Barry Bonds' 3-run homer) The Bucs leave the bases loaded. Announcer Jim Rooker crows that if the Pirates lose this game he'll walk back to Pittsburgh. Von Hayes answers Rooker with a 2-run homer in the 1st, another in the 3rd, Steve Jeltz goes deep in the 4th and 6th innings, one from each side of the plate, and score after six is 11–10. The Phils explode for five in the 8th to make the final, 15–11. Rooker did not make good on his promise until after the season, when he will conduct a charity walk from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. » December 8, 1991: The Angels acquire 1B-OF Von Hayes from the Phillies in exchange for P Kurt Abbott and OF Ruben Amaro Jr.
» July 26, 1992:
California's Von Hayes collects three ribbies on bases-loaded single. Rene Gonzales from 1B on the 2-out single as the Angels beat the Tigers, 4–3. Hayes' is the 2nd 3-RBI single this year.
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