The players in the first group took a lot of pitches, tried to draw a base on ball, didn’t hit many home runs, and were “pesky” hitters who tried to reach first base any way possible. They typified the maxim that a walk is as good as a single because when they led off an inning, a walk really was as good as a single, and in many cases, it was really as good as a double since a walk would often be followed by a steal of second base.
The players in the second group had enough power to bat almost anyplace in the order and often did, but they were selective enough to be efficient lead off hitters. Rickey Henderson, Bobby Bonds, Tommie Agee and Brady Anderson had outstanding home run power and were great threats to steal once they reached base. Hank Bauer and Gene Woodling were deadly clutch hitters with good power whom Casey Stengel used in the lead off position to shake up a struggling Yankees lineup, although Bauer did bat first a good part of his career.
This brings us to the 2002 New York Yankees. There has been much speculation with respect to who will bat leadoff. The player most often mentioned is Derek Jeter, and he is certainly capable of filling that role. Jeter is an excellent hitter who can bat anyplace in the order, but he is a number two or even a number three hitter. Casey Stengel used Bauer and Woodling. Joe Torre could use Bernie Williams.
Bernie has averaged 68 bases on balls a season, a deceivingly low total since it includes his first two seasons when he had only 581 official plate appearances. He has averaged 83 walks in the last three years, a number that is more than adequate for the batter at the top of the order. Bernie is a fairly selective hitter and he would not have to change his hitting style batting lead off. He is similar to Bauer and Woodling as a hitter, although he has more power.
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