Andy Van Slyke

Andrew James Van Slyke (born December 21, 1960) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder and coach.

Andrew James Van Slyke was born on December 21, 1960. Van Slyke attended New Hartford Central High School in New Hartford, New York, where he excelled in baseball and earned All-American honors as a senior.

He was drafted in the first round (sixth overall pick) of the 1979 Major League Baseball amateur draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Called up from the AAA Louisville Redbirds, he made his Major League debut with the Cardinals on June 17, 1983, collecting a double, a run batted in (RBI) and making three putouts in the outfield without an error.

The first two years of his career Van Slyke played first base, third base and all three outfield positions. He mostly played right field the next two years on the strength of his throwing arm, occasionally platooning with Tito Landrum, sometimes substituting for Willie McGee in center field. Van Slyke was the Cardinals' right fielder during the 1985 World Series; in Game 6 he fielded Dane Iorg's ninth-inning game winning two-run base hit and his true and accurate throw was barely beaten by Jim Sundberg for the winning run. On September 21, 1986, he hit a rare inside-the-park home run.

During spring training 1987, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with left-handed hitting catcher Mike LaValliere and minor league pitcher Mike Dunne for catcher Tony Peña. The trade occurred on April 1, with Van Slyke initially believing that it was an April Fools' Day joke. In Pittsburgh, he mostly played center field alongside stars Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla.

During the 1991 Gulf War, when MLB decreed all players would wear both the Canadian and U.S. flags on their batting helmets as a patriotic gesture, Van Slyke scraped the Maple Leaf off his helmet, stating "I guess the people in Quebec won't be upset because the last time we were there they booed [the Canadian] National Anthem". MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent ordered that the Canadian flag decal be reinserted onto the helmet.

Van Slyke possessed one of the most accurate and powerful throwing arms in the majors, so much that the "Slyke Zone" was established at Three Rivers Stadium. From 1985 to 1994, he was frequently among the league leaders in outfield assists. From 1985 to 1988, he posted seasons of 13, 10, 11, and 12 assists, respectively. As center fielder for the Pirates, he won five consecutive Gold Gloves from 1988 to 1992. In 1988, Van Slyke set career highs with 25 home runs and 100 RBIs, led the majors with 15 triples and 13 sacrifice flies, and finished fourth in National League MVP voting. In 1992, Van Slyke led the National League in hits with 199 and doubles with 45 while finishing second with a .324 batting average.