George Hendrick

Lore & Background

A four-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Hendrick led the major leagues with 20 outfield assists in 1979 and led the Cardinals in home runs every year from 1980 through 1983. He also won a World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and was a member of the 1986 California Angels division-winning team. He also played for the Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hendrick is currently the special advisor to baseball operations for the Tampa Bay Rays.

In Their Own Story

The lights at the ballpark hummed their low amber glow, and the outfield grass still held the damp of an early-evening rain. George Hendrick stood at the edge of the dugout, glove in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, watching the young position players take their cuts in the infield. The stands were a patchwork of blue caps and the occasional empty seat where a kid had fallen asleep on a parent's lap. He said nothing. He didn't need to. The rhythm of the game — the crack of the bat, the soft thud of leather — was a language he'd been speaking since the franchise was a handful of seasons old, and the night stretched out ahead of them like a long, quiet inning with no outs yet called.

Reader's Guide

Over 18 seasons, Hendrick posted a .278 batting average with 267 home runs and 1,111 RBI. His career stats included 941 runs, 1,980 hits, 343 doubles, 59 stolen bases, 567 walks, .329 on-base percentage and a .446 slugging percentage in 7,129 at-bats. Playing at all three outfield positions and first base, he compiled a .987 fielding percentage. He was one of the first players to hit 100 home runs in each league—150 for the National League and 117 for the American League. He was the first MLB player to wear his pant legs down to his ankles. He was nicknamed 'Jogging George' and 'Captain Easy' because of his reputation for not running plays out or giving 100% effort and 'Silent George' because of his longstanding policy of not talking to the media.

Did You Know?

• Hendrick led the minor leagues with a .327 batting average and 25 doubles in 1968 while playing for Burlington.
• He was an All-Star four times: twice with Cleveland (1974, 1975) and twice with St. Louis (1980, 1983).
• Angels beat reporter Lisa Nehus Saxon credited Hendrick for protecting her from Reggie Jackson's harassment and verbal abuse.
• Hendrick won the batting title in the Puerto Rico League during the 1973–1974 tournament while playing for Cangrejeros de Santurce.