Yastrzemski, Carl Michael, 1939–, American baseball player, b. Southampton, N.Y. A career-long member of the Boston Red Sox, “Yaz” was signed in 1959, brought up to the majors in 1961 (replacing the just-retired Ted Williams), and played until 1983. Powerful, consistent, and intense, Yastrzemski played in 3,308 games, more than any other American League player. When he retired, he not only led the Sox in games played but also in at-bats, hits, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases, runs, and runs batted in. An 18-time All Star and a three-time batting champ with 3,419 career hits, the right-handed left fielder won seven Gold Gloves as well. In 1967 he batted .325, hit 121 RBIs, and 44 home runs to win the batting triple crown and AL MVP award. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
See his autobiography (1990).
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