Gary Woods
Encyclopedia
Gary Lee Woods is a retired professional baseball
outfielder
. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball
, between 1976 and 1985, for the Chicago Cubs
, Toronto Blue Jays
, Houston Astros
, and Oakland Athletics
.
before starting his professional baseball career.
On September 14, 1976, Woods made his major league debut in the second game of a doubleheader, a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins
. Woods entered the game as a defensive replacement, playing center field
. He got a base hit in his only at bat
in the top of the 9th inning. In six games for the A's in 1976, he went 1 for 8.
in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft. He was in the Blue Jays' opening day lineup for the debut game on April 7, 1977, batting fifth. "I remember the snow on the field and I remember Doug Ault
and I remember the excitement in the city," Woods told the Toronto Star
in an article that was published on October 8, 1985. "I was a young ballplayer very excited to be part of a building experience. It was a really neat feeling. But of course we played like an expansion team and I played like a guy who wasn't quite ready for the major leagues."
Woods played outfield for Toronto during parts of the 1977 and 1978 seasons, splitting his time between Toronto and its minor league clubs.
for a minor league outfielder named Don Pisker. Woods spent 1979 in the minors and also spent most of the 1980 season in the minors, playing again for the AAA Tucson minor league club, which by this point had shifted affiliations from Oakland to Houston. In late 1980, Woods was called up to the majors, hitting .377 in 19 games. Woods also went 2-for-8 in four games in the Astros' League Championship Series in 1980.
In the strike-shortened 1981 season, Woods platooned with Terry Puhl
in the outfield, helping the Astros reach the West Division playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers
. "I really felt I was a big part of them getting there," he told the Chicago Tribune in an article that was published on September 11, 1986, referring to the playoffs. "Of course, I may have also played a big part in them not getting to the World Series when I left third base too soon in one of the games."
for Jim Tracy and was pressed into service as a starting center fielder when prospect Ty Waller failed early. "I was batting about .350 after 150 at-bats," Woods told the Chicago Tribune in the September 11, 1986 article. "But they decided to put Keith (Moreland)
in the outfield and they wanted to play Steve Henderson
to see if they could trade him. I sat down and never got a chance to get back in." Woods finished the 1982 hitting .269 in 117 games and never committing an error.
Woods played for the Cubs in limited amounts in the 1983, 1984 and 1985 seasons. One highlight was getting to play in the 1984 National League Championship Series
against the San Diego Padres
. In one game, Woods went 0-for-1 and played outfield.
Woods tried to continue his career in 1986 after being cut by the Cubs in spring training despite hitting .286 that spring. At that point, Padres then-minor league manager Larry Bowa
asked the Padres to sign Woods to a minor league contract, and Woods played a full season at the Padres AAA Las Vegas minor league club before retiring.
"I have no regrets," Woods told the Chicago Tribune in the September 11, 1986 article. "There are a whole lot of guys with more talent than I ever had who never got the opportunity. I went to the big leagues, went down, made it back and stayed for six years. I know I can look in the mirror and say I did all I could to be the best possible player I could be."
.
Since his playing career ended Woods entered the business world and coached at the youth level. Most recently he has returned to professional baseball and he now is the Southern California Area Scout for the Chicago White Sox and still remains the hitting coach with the Santa Barbara Foresters team in the summer.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, between 1976 and 1985, for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, and Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
.
Early life and education
Woods graduated from San Marcos High School in 1971 and then attended Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara City College
Santa Barbara City College is a two-year community college founded in 1909. It is located on a campus right over the beach in the city of Santa Barbara, California, USA. SBCC offers associate degrees in English, Social Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, and occupational and...
before starting his professional baseball career.
Oakland A's
On May 12, 1973, the Oakland A's signed Woods as a nondrafted free agent. He spent 1973 playing outfield for the A's Lewiston minor league ballclub and 1974 in the outfield for the A's Burlington minor league ballclub. In 1975, he was promoted to Birmingham in the Southern League, and in 1976, Woods advanced to the A's AAA ballclub in Tucson.On September 14, 1976, Woods made his major league debut in the second game of a doubleheader, a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Woods entered the game as a defensive replacement, playing center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. He got a base hit in his only at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
in the top of the 9th inning. In six games for the A's in 1976, he went 1 for 8.
Toronto Blue Jays
On November 5, 1976, Woods was selected by the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in the 1976 Major League Baseball expansion draft. He was in the Blue Jays' opening day lineup for the debut game on April 7, 1977, batting fifth. "I remember the snow on the field and I remember Doug Ault
Doug Ault
Douglas Reagan Ault was a Major League Baseball first baseman/designated hitter who played for the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays . He batted right-handed and threw left-handed....
and I remember the excitement in the city," Woods told the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
in an article that was published on October 8, 1985. "I was a young ballplayer very excited to be part of a building experience. It was a really neat feeling. But of course we played like an expansion team and I played like a guy who wasn't quite ready for the major leagues."
Woods played outfield for Toronto during parts of the 1977 and 1978 seasons, splitting his time between Toronto and its minor league clubs.
Houston Astros
On December 5, 1978, Woods was traded to the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for a minor league outfielder named Don Pisker. Woods spent 1979 in the minors and also spent most of the 1980 season in the minors, playing again for the AAA Tucson minor league club, which by this point had shifted affiliations from Oakland to Houston. In late 1980, Woods was called up to the majors, hitting .377 in 19 games. Woods also went 2-for-8 in four games in the Astros' League Championship Series in 1980.
In the strike-shortened 1981 season, Woods platooned with Terry Puhl
Terry Puhl
-See also:*List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases*List of Major League Baseball players from Canada*UHV Jaguars-External links:...
in the outfield, helping the Astros reach the West Division playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. "I really felt I was a big part of them getting there," he told the Chicago Tribune in an article that was published on September 11, 1986, referring to the playoffs. "Of course, I may have also played a big part in them not getting to the World Series when I left third base too soon in one of the games."
Chicago Cubs
On December 9, 1981, Woods was traded to the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for Jim Tracy and was pressed into service as a starting center fielder when prospect Ty Waller failed early. "I was batting about .350 after 150 at-bats," Woods told the Chicago Tribune in the September 11, 1986 article. "But they decided to put Keith (Moreland)
Keith Moreland
Bobby Keith "Zonk" Moreland is a former outfielder, catcher and infield in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres. In , the final year of his career, he played for the Detroit Tigers, then the Baltimore Orioles...
in the outfield and they wanted to play Steve Henderson
Steve Henderson
Steven Curtis Henderson is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered for being one of the players the New York Mets acquired in the infamous "Midnight Massacre."-Cincinnati Reds:...
to see if they could trade him. I sat down and never got a chance to get back in." Woods finished the 1982 hitting .269 in 117 games and never committing an error.
Woods played for the Cubs in limited amounts in the 1983, 1984 and 1985 seasons. One highlight was getting to play in the 1984 National League Championship Series
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
against the San Diego Padres
1984 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* October 21, 1983: Sandy Alomar, Jr. was signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent.* December 6, 1983: Joe Pittman and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the San Francisco Giants for Champ Summers...
. In one game, Woods went 0-for-1 and played outfield.
Woods tried to continue his career in 1986 after being cut by the Cubs in spring training despite hitting .286 that spring. At that point, Padres then-minor league manager Larry Bowa
Larry Bowa
Lawrence Robert Bowa is a former middle infielder, playing mainly as a shortstop, and manager in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
asked the Padres to sign Woods to a minor league contract, and Woods played a full season at the Padres AAA Las Vegas minor league club before retiring.
"I have no regrets," Woods told the Chicago Tribune in the September 11, 1986 article. "There are a whole lot of guys with more talent than I ever had who never got the opportunity. I went to the big leagues, went down, made it back and stayed for six years. I know I can look in the mirror and say I did all I could to be the best possible player I could be."
Life after baseball
Woods has two sons, a daughter and two grandchildren. He lives in Solvang, CaliforniaSolvang, California
Solvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census, down from 5,332 at the 2000 census...
.
Since his playing career ended Woods entered the business world and coached at the youth level. Most recently he has returned to professional baseball and he now is the Southern California Area Scout for the Chicago White Sox and still remains the hitting coach with the Santa Barbara Foresters team in the summer.