Steinbach's career began as auspiciously as one could, when he slugged a pinch-hit home run in his first major-league plate appearance off Greg Swindell of the Cleveland Indians on September 12, 1986. The Oakland Athletics' third baseman-turned-catcher earned regular playing time the following year, when he traded off with Mickey Tettleton behind the plate and at designated hitter, ending up with a .284 average and 16 dingers.
A wild throw by teammate Mark McGwire fractured his orbital bone in May 1988 forcing him to miss almost a month, but Steinbach was nevertheless elected to the American League All-Star squad as the starting catcher. The selection was ridiculed by the press, as he was hitting only .216 at the break and platooning with Ron Hassey as the A's backstop. Ironically, with a home run in his first at-bat and a deep sacrifice fly in his second, the catcher took home the All-Star Game MVP honors. Fully healed after the break, he finished the 1988 season at .265.
Steinbach had much of the same role the following year, in the lineup most of the time switching between catcher and DH, along with a few stints in the outfield and at first. In the 1989 League Championship Series, Steinbach hit only .200 but had a homer and five RBIs as the A's defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in five games. He led the A's with seven RBIs, and cranked another home run in their World Series sweep of the San Francisco Giants.
Remarkably consistent for the Athletics from 1990 until 1995, Steinbach routinely batted between .270 and .290 and provided solid defense behind the plate. His 1996 power surge, in which he notched 100 RBIs and hit 35 home runs -- more than doubling his previous high of 16 -- made him an extremely appealing free agent. But despite a number of offers including a lucrative one from the Athletics, he opted for a lower salary to sign with his hometown Minnesota Twins on December 5, 1996.
Steinbach came back to earth for the Twinkies, putting up power numbers similar to his pre-1996 statistics. However, his bat speed slowed and his average dropped to .248 and .242 in 1997 and 1998 respectively. He was relegated to platoon duty in '99, splitting time with Javier Valentin, and retired at the end of the season. (SCL/GL)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»June 6, 1983: The Twins select pitcher Tim Belcher with the first pick in the annual June free-agent draft, but Belcher will reject their $125,000 signing bonus offer and pitch for Team USA in the Pan American Games instead. He is the only first-rounder who doesn't sign. Belcher will be the first selected in the January 1984 draft. The Twins 2nd round pick, P Billy Swift, also doesn't sign. The Reds take Kurt Stillwell with the 2nd pick overall and Chris Sabo on round 2. Roger Clemens is taken with the 19th pick. The A's get Terry Steinbach, Brian Dorsett, and Greg Cadaret on the 9th, 10th and 11th rounds. The Phillies pick Ricky Jordan on the 1st round. The Reds pick up Stillwell in the 1st round, Sabo and Joe Oliver in the 2nd round, Lenny Harris (5th) and Jeff Montgomery (9th).
»September 12, 1986:
In his first major league at bat, Oakland's Terry Steinbach homers at Cleveland. It comes off Greg Swindell in a 9–3 victory. Mike Witt (18-8) is the winner.
»July 12, 1988: After being maligned by the press as an unworthy All-Star starter, A's catcher Terry Steinbach hits a solo home run and a sacrifice fly to lead the American League to a 2–1 victory at Riverfront Stadium and is named the game's MVP.
»October 15, 1989: Terry Steinbach's 3-run home run is the big blow as Oakland wins 5–1.
»October 7, 1992: The A's win the opening game of the ALCS with a 4–3 victory over the Blue Jays. All but one of the game's runs are scored by homers, as Mark McGwire, Terry Steinbach and Harold Baines connect for Oakland, and Dave Winfield and Pat Borders for Toronto.
»July 21, 1996: Oakland defeats Texas, 11–8, despite five hits—including a double and homer—by Rangers' OF Rusty Greer. Terry Steinbach homers twice to extend his hitting streak to 21 games.
»September 26, 1996: Oakland C Terry Steinbach hits a 6th-inning home run in a 7-5 victory over Seattle, giving the Athletics their 241st home run of the season. They become the 2nd team this season to surpass the mark formerly held by the 1961 Yankees.
»December 5, 1996:
Following his most productive season with the Oakland A's, Terry Steinbach elects to take less money and return home. Like Dave Winfield, Paul Molitor, and Jack Morris before him, the Minnesota veteran signs with Twins.
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