Carl Michael Yastrzemski (born August 22, 1939)….better known simply as Yaz…is an American former Major League Baseball player….who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 after playing his entire 23-year Major League career with the Boston Red Sox (1961–1983). He was primarily a left fielder, but also played 33 games as a third baseman….and mostly was a first baseman and designated hitter later in his career. Yaz was an 18-time All-Star….who won seven Gold Gloves….while becoming a member of the 3,000 hit club…..and the first American League player in that clubhouse to accumulate over 400 home runs…..who was second on the all-time list for games played…. and third for total at-bats. He is the Red Sox’ all-time leader in career RBIs, runs, hits, singles, doubles, total bases, and games played, and is third on the team’s list for home runs behind Ted Williams and David Ortiz.
In 1967, Yastrzemski achieved a peak in his career by leading the Red Sox to the American League pennant for the first time in over two decades….while being voted the 1967 American League MVP…..as Yaz also winning the Triple Crown that year….which was a milestone that was not accomplished again in the Major Leagues until Miguel Cabrera achieved the feat 45 years later in 2012 as a Detroit Tiger.
