Vince Coleman
From BR Bullpen
Vincent Maurice Coleman (Vincent Van Go)
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 185 lb.
- School Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Debut April 18, 1985
- Final Game April 14, 1997
- Born September 22, 1961 in Jacksonville, FL USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Vince Coleman was signed as a 10th round pick in the 1982 amateur draft by the St. Louis Cardinals and scout Marty Maier.
Coleman played 13 seasons in the big leagues and stole over 750 bases. This number is made even more remarkable in light of the fact that he collected only 1,425 base hits. He was 1985 National League Rookie of the Year and led the league in steals in each of his first six major league seasons.
Vince was not much of a hitter, and was once criticized by manager Whitey Herzog for having few RBI one season. Although a speedster, he played mostly left field instead of center field and never won a Gold Glove.
Coleman appeared in the 1987 World Series, stealing six bases.
He is the cousin of former NFL punter Greg Coleman. Like Greg, Vince was a punter at Florida A&M.
In one of the stranger incidences in baseball history, on October 13, 1985, Coleman was injured by a tarp machine. Before Game 4 of the NLCS, Coleman was on the field when the decision was made to cover the field because of a light rain. Coleman failed to notice that the mechanical tarp roller had come on to the field to keep the infield dry. The tarp machine rolled over Coleman's leg, chipping a bone in his knee and badly bruising his leg, and ending his season. The Cardinals won the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2. Coleman's replacement, Tito Landrum, hit .378 (14 for 37) and contributed strongly in the remaining 10 postseason games, though the loss of Coleman was frequently blamed for the Cardinals' seven-game loss to the Royals in the World Series.
This is one instance of the perceived "Curse of Butch Yatkeman".
In 1993, Coleman was suspended by the Mets after he tossed a lit firecracker into a crowd awaiting autographs in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium.
In spite of having a 13-year major league career, Coleman is in the odd circumstance of being the major leaguer out of Florida A&M with the fewest seasons (through 2008). The other players, Andre Dawson, Hal McRae and Marquis Grissom, all had even longer careers.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1985 NL Rookie of the Year Award
- 1985 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 2-time NL All-Star (1988 & 1989)
- 6-time NL Stolen Bases Leader (1985-1990)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1985 & 1987)
- 50 Stolen Bases Seasons: 7 (1985-1990 & 1994)
- 100 Stolen Bases Seasons: 3 (1985-1987)
| NL Rookie of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 1985 | 1986 |
| Dwight Gooden | Vince Coleman | Todd Worrell |
