Dave Winfield has always been more than an athlete.
The first-ballot National Baseball Hall of Fame member will receive a second statue erected in his honor, this time in his hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota, on May 30. The bronze sculpture will be located at Toni Stone Stadium inside the Dunning Sports Complex’s Toni Stone Stadium, a ballpark he played at as a youth.
It’s in the same city he has uplifted for 50 years with the Winfield Awards, a scholarship and community leadership and recognition program for Saint Paul student-athletes of color. The 50th annual Winfield Awards are planned for later this month.
His first statue is in Fairbanks, Alaska, where he played summer ball during his Minnesota college career with the Alaska Goldpanners.
“Feeling thankful, blessed, and grateful beyond measure for this honor,” Winfield said in a LinkedIn post. “I look forward to sharing this day with friends, family, and community members in attendance. I love St. Paul; the city’s Parks & Recreation Department were important in molding me into the athlete and person that I am today and also initiating this statue.”
Winfield is the first and only athlete drafted in four professional sports leagues, the MLB, NFL, NBA and American Basketball Association after leading Minnesota to a College World Series appearance.
The 6-foot-6 right fielder didn’t play a game in the minor leagues, making the immediate jump to the majors and batting .277 as a rookie with the San Diego Padres, where his 12-time All-Star career began.
In 22 seasons, Winfield hit with 465 home runs, stole 223 bases and batted a career .283 across stints with the Padres, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians.
Winfield finished with 3,110 hits, 24th most all-time, seven Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers and one World Series championship.
“I also appreciate the neighbors, coaches, and teachers who provided inspiration and guidance on my long and sometimes arduous journey,” Winfield added. “Most important of all, my mother and all my family members, you know what you did for me and what you still mean to me. I hope I’ve made you proud with this enduring legacy. Love to all. See everyone soon.”
In the 1992 World Series with Toronto, Winfield hit a game-winning,11th-inning RBI-double to lift Toronto to a 4-2 series win over the Atlanta Braves. He finished fifth that year in the 1992 MVP voting.
Winfield signed the richest contract in MLB history at the time in 1981 for $23 million with New York. He had six seasons with at least 100 RBIs 100-RBI seasons in eight complete seasons years in the Bronx.
Winfield finished third in 1979 MVP voting with San Diego, where he led the NL with 118 RBIs, 333 total bases and 8.3 WAR while adding and added 34 home runs.
He will release a memoir, “Touching All the Bases,” on Sept. 15, which is available for pre-order now.
