New York Yankees rookie outfielder Shane Spencer takes batting practice, inside the batting cage, during an afternoon workout at Yankee Stadium, in New York, Monday, Oct. 5, 1998. The Yankees face the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, Tuesday, in New York. ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Yankees' rookie a sensation

Web posted October 6, 1998

By Hal Bock
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- It's as if Roy Hobbs stepped right out of ``The Natural'' and into the New York Yankees' clubhouse.

Shane Spencer, at 26, has become a rookie sensation for the Yankees after eight years in the minors. The outfielder has hit 10 home runs in 67 at-bats during the regular season and three grand slams in 10 days.

He homered in his first postseason at-bat, against the Texas Rangers, becoming the 27th player in major league history to do that and the first Yankee to do so since Elston Howard in 1955.

Then, like the aging phenomenon Roy Hobbs in the Bernard Malamud story and the movie starring Robert Redford, he hit a three-run shot amid claps of thunder in the clinching game against the Rangers. The homer in Texas was followed by a thunderstorm.

Spencer has heard that sort of Roy Hobbs talk and laughs it off.

``Roy Hobbs was a movie,'' he said. ``This is real life.''

Spencer was a lowly 28th-round draft pick in 1990. But he was built like a hitter and scouts liked his compact swing, so they took a shot.

The youngster drifted through the farm system, putting together ordinary seasons at Tampa, Fla.; Greensboro, N.C.; Oneonta, N.Y.; and Norwich, Conn.

Spencer never hit a home run in 360 at-bats during his first two seasons. There were promising moments later -- 16 homers with Tampa in 1995, 29 a year later at Norwich.

In this era of expansion, with teams always shopping for warm bodies, Spencer never lost faith.

``I always had good years,'' he said. ``I always knew I could do it. I just wanted a chance. I paid my dues. I figured there would always be opportunities.''

By last season, Spencer had graduated to Columbus, Ohio, the Yankees' Triple-A minor league team, where he hit 30 homers and 34 doubles. When Chili Davis hurt his leg the first week of the season, the Yankees summoned Spencer.

Spencer went up and down between Columbus and the big leagues four times during the summer. But he put together his best season, batting .322 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs in 87 games.

By the end of August, the Yankees front office put first baseman Scott Seabol on the disabled list and made room for Spencer.

He hit eight homers in a month, a record for a Yankee rookie. During the home run record chase, the Yankee Stadium scoreboard posted updates on three sluggers -- Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Spencer.

The long ball is a pitcher's best friend, and David Cone and David Wells took Spencer out to dinner in Texas before the third game of the series.

``We wanted to make sure we took him and kept him loose,'' Cone said. ``Turns out he kept us loose. He was cool. He didn't seem fazed by it at all.''