Randolph a key part of Yanks' past, present

On the final day of Black History Month, it’s important to mention Willie Randolph’s contributions to baseball, especially with the Yankees.

Randolph, 68, is one of the best second basemen in the club’s history, spending 13 of his 19 seasons (1976-88) in the Bronx, winning four pennants and two World Series titles. The best part of his game was patience near the top of the batting order, as Randolph had a .374 on-base percentage during that period.

Even though he never won a Gold Glove, Randolph’s defense was nothing to sneeze at. He had a .980 fielding percentage at second base, was great at turning double plays and made his share of diving stops to prevent the runner from reaching base.

Let’s not forget that Randolph was a coach, mostly at third base, for 11 seasons during the recent Yankees dynasty in the late 1990s and early 2000s before becoming the Mets' manager in 2005.

For his time in the Bronx, the Yankees awarded him with a plaque at Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. Not bad for a guy who came from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.

“He made everybody so proud. For most of his career, he played for the Yankees,” said childhood friend Nelson George, who directed the Willie Mays documentary for HBO. “He is a class guy, [a] quality guy. He never got into any trouble. He is a man of respect and respected the game.”

Randolph has had a lot of great moments during his career, but being the starting second baseman in the 1977 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium stands out. Randolph was a baseball fan during his formative years, and there he was, playing with his heroes like Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson.

“Here I am rubbing elbows with some of the great players I used to emulate in front of the mirror,” Randolph said. “It was almost one of those 'pinch yourself' moments where I couldn’t believe [I was there.] I’m 23 years old, and that’s what blows me away when I think about it. It was like a dream come true. What made it even [more] special was that I did it in New York."

Randolph in pinstripes today
Randolph is still making his presence felt in pinstripes as a guest instructor during Spring Training. By the sound of his voice, it’s obvious that Randolph is happy he is back on the field for a few weeks.

Before Sunday’s 7-0 victory against the Braves, for example, Randolph threw batting practice and hit grounders during infield drills. Randolph loves the energy in camp. Captain Aaron Judge looks ready for another record-setting season, and the pitching staff looks like it is coming together, Randolph said.

Randolph is also looking forward to watching the competition at shortstop. The incumbent, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, is competing against Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe for a starting spot. Randolph believes all three players are talented, but he is not giving up on Kiner-Falefa.

“[Kiner-Falefa] struggled a little bit last year, but I like the ways he plays,” Randolph said. “I told him this spring, ‘Hey, man, don’t give in to the young bucks. Go out and take a job. Just keep playing.’ It’s always good to have competition in Spring Training. It fuels everybody to get after it and compete and it’s a positive thing. Everybody is looking to help each other."

Baseball in Randolph’s blood
Randolph’s love for baseball started when he was a little kid living in the Tilden Housing Projects on Dumont Avenue in Brooklyn. Randolph grew up a Mets fan and had dreams of becoming another Cleon Jones or Tommie Agee.

Randolph said the game kept him away from the pitfalls that surrounded him during his formative years.

“I was around all the pitfalls of gangs. ... That’s why I stayed on the ball field. It kept me out of trouble.” Randolph said. “All I wanted to do was rip and run in the streets and play the game that I love.

“The neighborhood that I lived in -- thank goodness -- had a lot of the people who played a lot of baseball.”

Randolph doesn’t have to think twice about who he credits for his success in baseball. His father, Randy Randolph, was not into sports, but he gave his son the work ethic to succeed. Randy worked in construction.

“For me, the biggest gift my father gave me wasn’t turning the double play or hitting a ball, it was getting up every morning at the crack of dawn and working his butt off,” Willie said. “[He would] sling a jackhammer, coming home covered in cement and dirty. He would get a shower, eat, go to bed and do the work again. I watched him do that for years.”

When it came to baseball, it was Little League coach Galileo Gonzalez who taught Randolph the fundamentals. Like Randolph’s first manager with the Yankees, Billy Martin, Gonzalez was tough on the players. Fundamental mistakes were unacceptable.

“He was a tough old grizzly coach,” Randolph said about Gonzalez. “He was hard. You messed up; he would get on you. He would bench you. He would make you cry at times. … He toughened me up. I couldn’t stand him at times. I grew that thick skin playing for him. I wanted to please him. I wanted to do well.”

It explains why Randolph had a tough skin by the time the Pirates traded him to the Yankees before the 1976 season. He was a mature 21-year-old when he became the starting second baseman for the Bronx Bombers, and it turned out to be a great 19-year career which also included stints with the Dodgers, Athletics, Brewers and Mets.

“I really didn’t realize at the time I was being prepared for getting on that run [with the Yankees] starting in 1976,” Randolph said. “As we reminisce, I could see where my life and career was molded at a young age."