Willie McGee

From SoSH

McGee was said to look like E.T.

Born:	November 2, 1958
Birthplace:	San Francisco, CA
Hometown:	Hercules, CA
Height:	6'1"
Weight:	175
Bats:	Switch
Throws:	Right
Drafted:	1st Round, 1977 by New York Yankees
College:	Diablo Valley Junior College
High School:	Richmond High School (CA)
Other Teams:	St. Louis Cardinals 1982-1990, 1996-1999; Oakland Athletics 1990; San Francisco Giants 1991-1994
Years with Boston:	1995

Willie McGee is perhaps best known in Red Sox circles as the trade deadline pickup that wasn't in 1990, than for his stint with the team 5 years later. Lou Gorman's quote :'Where would we play Willie McGee?' would echo in the halls of Red Sox Nation when the team that did deal for the National League batting champion, Oakland, swept the Red Sox in the 1990 ALCS.

1 Overall Career
2 Moment in the Sun
3 Trivia
4 External Links

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Overall Career

The MFY fortuately dealt the future All-Star to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981 for the immortal Bob Sykes. McGee would finish third in the Rookie of the Year voting after batting .296 with 24 steals as an injury replacement for the eventual World Champions. His Cardinals would reach the World Series again in 1985 and 1987.

McGee's best season came in 1985 as the NL MVP, when he stole 56 bases, scored 114 runs and set a Major League record for batting average as a switch hitter at .353. His career high in RBI came in 1987 hitting behind Jack Clark, another player that came to the Red Sox after his productive days were over. McGee was a slap hitter with Soriano-esque tenedncies at the plate, swinging at just about every pitch he saw. Like Ichiro, he relied on putting the ball in play and using his speed to get on base.

Gorman's gaffe in 1990 let McGee slip away to the A's, with whom he would make his fourth and final World Series appearance. Although he only hit .274 with Oakland the rest of the way, McGee became the National League batting champion despite being traded to the American League at the trade deadline because he had accumulated so many at-bats with the Cardinals.

McGee played a reserve role for the 1995 Red Sox and batted a respectable .285, and he outhit Mo Vaughn and Jose Canseco combined in the 1995 ALDS going 1 for 4. He was a reserve for the remainder of his career, often battling injuries.

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