MLB History: Five Hall of Famers Who Took Unexpected Detours
By Tim Haberin
Dave Winfield – Cleveland Indians (1995)
Dave Winfield entered the Hall of Fame as the first-ever representative of the San Diego Padres (reportedly to the chagrin of the late George Steinbrenner). Drafted by the Friars as the fourth overall pick in 1973, Winfield spent the first eight years of his career in San Diego. Chances are you remember him there, or with the New York Yankees. Winfield signed with the Bronx Bombers for a then-record ten years and $23 million in 1981, and he played there for nine seasons.
The 12-time All-Star (all earned consecutively, by the way) became somewhat of a nomad in his later years. He was dealt to the California Angels in 1990, then joined the World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays in 1992. That year was a genuine renaissance for the veteran outfielder, as he slashed .290/.377/.491 with 26 homers and 108 RBI, placing fifth in MVP voting. He even returned to his home state to suit up for the Minnesota Twins in 1993 and ’94.
The last stop on Winfield’s long and impressive major league journey? The Cleveland Indians, and the circumstances of his arrival there were rather eccentric even by baseball standards. Before the August 1994 trade deadline, the Twins agreed to trade Winfield to the Indians for a player to be named later. The players’ strike was in effect at this point and would eventually wipe out the remainder of the season. Still needing to complete the transaction, Indians executives reportedly took their Twins counterparts out to dinner, footing the bill and essentially acquiring Winfield for some steak.
Winfield re-signed with Cleveland for the next season, by which time the strike ended and baseball finally resumed. Now 43 years old, injuries limited him to just 46 games that year, in which he slashed a meager .191/.285/.287. Nevertheless, Winfield provided veteran leadership and presence on a Tribe team that made it to the World Series, falling to the Atlanta Braves in six games. Winfield retired at the end of the season with 3,110 career hits and a surefire ticket to Cooperstown.
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