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Baseballers of Lesser Note: Charlie Hayes
Topic Started: May 20 2011, 04:18 PM (749 Views)
Erick Von Erich
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I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
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--Very special thanks to Scrooge for crafting his own versions of these!

Hallo there, and welcome to the tenth installment of (Professional) Baseballers of Lesser Note. In which we spotlight some of the distinguished gentlemen who have partaken in the professional gentleman's sport of baseball throughout the various eras encompassing the aforementioned sport.

This week we look at Charlie Hayes


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Career stat totals:
14 Seasons / 1547 games/ .262 BA / 144 HR / 740 RBI

What Can You Tell Us About Him?
Originally a draft pick and prospect of the San Francisco Giants, Hayes made his big league debut with the club in 1988. While he was drafted as a pitcher, he was switched to the mode of Bobby Bonilla-- an outfielder/third baseman, with the occasional power spurts that usually landed him in the 3 through 7 spots in the order. Before he could settle in with San Francisco, the Phillies came calling. Mike Schmidt has retired in May 1989 and the Phils needed a replacement for their departed Hall of Famer. Hayes took over and actually finished 5th in Rookie of the Year voting. While his defense was always suspect, Hayes looked like a legitimate prospect and just needed more time.

What Happened to Him?
The ensuing seasons in Philadelphia weren't great for Hayes. While his defense improved, it seemed like his offense had plateaued. The Phillies were undergoing changes on a yearly (sometimes monthly) basis in the early 90's (remember Dale Murphy), so it was no surprise that Hayes was eventually traded to the New York Yankees as one of those "players to be named later". His 1992 year in pinstripes was a mild step-up from his Phillies tenure, but he was left unprotected in the expansion draft and selected by the Colorado Rockies.

The expansion draft was made for players like Hayes. Fringe guys who never really seem to find their niche, until given a full time chance. With the cheesy media-dubbed Chris Berman-ish moniker of "Purple" Hayes, he was the Rockies' Opening Day third baseman and held the spot quite well. Like all expansion players, Hayes was able to add some "first-ever" accomplishments to his resume. However, Hayes' were rather dubious:

-1st ever error in Rockies history (game 2): April 7, 1993 at NYM
-1st ever ejection in Rockies history: May 19 vs SF

He was also involved in the first-ever ugly brawl in Rockies history, in a game against the Giants when a pitcher threw at his head. The Rockies had foolishly been playing beanball with the Dodgers and Giants for the past few weeks, so a retaliation wasn't out of the question. What was unexpected was how Hayes immediately threw his helmet to the ground and sprinted towards the mound to start a fight.

Still, Hayes actually led the team in RBIs for most of the year and was on pace for record-setting total for an expansion player. Andres Galarraga's hitting exploits landed him as the Rockies lone All-Star representative, but Hayes was also in the running at 3rd. It was a disappointment that a town that led the majors in attendance with over 4 million didn't understand the concept of stuffing All-Star ballot boxes and couldn't land ONE starter. Hayes' season ended in August with an injury, which allowed him to finish with 98 RBIs tied with Galarraga for the team lead. Along with a career-high 25 homeruns, Hayes led the NL in doubles and finished the year batting over .300. He also had a rather embarassing league-leading stat, as he led the Senior Circuit in grounding into double-plays. Still, 1993 was his most productive year.

Hayes returned for the Rockies' 94 season, but didn't quite approach the almost-all-star status. His contract expired after the year, which began a strange "reunion tour". In 1995, he went back to the Phillies; actually receiving a standing ovation when he returned to Denver during the season. Hayes had a rebound year in '95 as he made the MVP ballot for the only time in his carreer (finishing 16th).

Like many players' contracts for the post-strike 1995 season, Hayes was on a one-year deal and found himself on the road again. He landed with the Pittsbrugh Pirates for 1996, during a time when Pittsburgh was actually trying to spend money. He was dealt in a post-trading deadline deal to the Yankees at the end of August, which led to perhaps Hayes' finest moment as a pro. He shared the Yankees' third base duties down the stretch with Wade Boggs and into the playoffs. His most lasting image for New York fans was in Game Six of the 1996 World Series, when he caught Mark Lemke's pop-up for caught the final out that clinched the Yankees' championship.

His heroic status didn't last long, though. At the end of the season, Hayes was concerned about his playing time in the upcoming season and requested a trade. Cooler heads prevailed, as Hayes was ended up platooning with Boggs for the '97 season. Later in the season, some controversy arose that Hayes had been "verbally abusive" to a Yankee fan. Whether or not this played an influence with the GM is debateable, as Hayes was traded in July to another one of his former teams: the Giants.

Hayes hung out with the Giants until the end of 1999, producing his typical season numbers of about 10-12 homeruns and about 50-60 RBIs. After stints with the Brewers and Astors, Hayes retired at the end of 2001 at the relatively spry age of 36. He went into instructional baseball and is currently a part of "Big League Baseball Academy" in Texas.

While never a superstar in his career, Hayes had an interesting path with a good variety of highlights. Took over from a Hall of Famer, became an expansion star and caught the final out of the World Series.
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Scrooge McSuck
I'll get you next time, toilet!
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Oh My God, I was watching parts of Game 6 of the 96 World Series earlier and said to myself "Charlie Hayes seems like one of those guys a "PBBOLN" topic would be suitable for."

I always found it weird that the Yankees had lost confidence in Wade Boggs by 1996, and platooned him with Hayes, and even giving Hayes more playing time during the World Series, especially putting him as a defensive replacement in the later innings of Game 6. Him making the last out was a great moment for me, it was the first time I got to celebrate a Yankee championship with my dad. I still watch it every now and then. :(

Thank you for reminding me of such a wonderful memory. :)
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torturedsoulv1
true maharajah Jinder Mahal
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I thought Hayes was better than that. But based on the stats, I guess he wasn't

Like Scrooge I remember him most from catching the last out of the '96 World Series. I was 7 and 8 years old when the Yankees won the World Series back to back in 77 and 78, so the 1996 win meant more since I was and adult

I had started watching baseball in 1976, so I got to see the Yankees in 3 straight World Series (lost to Reds in 76 and beat Dodgers in 77 and 78)
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