by Paul Semendinger
(Continuing a series...)
Two.
Just two games.
Rowland Office was a Yankee for just two games in 1983. And then, that was that. His career was over.
But, he actually had a nice enough career, it just ended quietly in New York at the end.
***
For Rowland Office, though, if he had been paying attention, he might have seen that every single season he played after 1978, he appeared in fewer and fewer games. Check this out:
1978 - 146 Games for the Atlanta Braves (.250/9/40)
1979 - 124 Games for the Atlanta Braces (.249/2/37)
1980 - 116 Games for the Montreal Expos (.267/6/30)
1981 - 26 Games for the Montreal Expos (.175/0/0)
1982 - 3 Games for the Montreal Expos (.333/0/0/)
1983 - 2 Games for the New York Yankees (.000/0/1)
***
That one RBI in 1983 sticks out loudly. It got me curious. Very curious.
The last run batted in that Rowland Office collected in 1980 came on September 30 in a game the Expos won 7-2 over the St. Louis Cardinals. In the sixth inning, Rowland Office hit a run-scoring ground out to second base. Rodney Scott, who had tripled in front of Office, scored.
Rowland Office would then have to wait until April 20, 1983, in his last-ever big league game to get another RBI. Since Office batted zero (.000) for the Yankees, this run batted in also had to come on an out. Rowland Office pinch hit for Jerry Mumphrey and hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Don Baylor. That RBI gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead in a game they would win 6-4 over the Chicago White Sox.
Later in the game, in his last at bat ever, Office grounded out to second base against former Mets great Jerry Koosman.
QUIZ - Name the four future Hall of Famers who appeared in that game between the Yankees and the White Sox.
***
Rowland Office first reached the Major Leagues in 1972, with the Braves, but he made it for good, to stick, two years later, in 1974. Office was an outfielder. He played 899 big league games. He only appeared in the field as an outfielder except for one game, in 1977 when he played first base for one inning.
Office's best season was 1975 when he hit .290 for the Braves. He played mostly centerfield that year.
***
Sometimes the Internet is full of downright silly information. I found this sentence on Rowland Office's B-R Bullpen page:
"Through the end of 2008 he is the only major league player with the first name Rowland and also the only one with the last name Office."
I can add that Rowland Office was the only Rowland Office to play for the Yankees.
(What does any of that even mean?)
***
Trivia Answer - Carlton Fisk, Harold Baines, Dave Winfield, and Goose Gossage.
