Last year, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding professional baseball player Randy Winn’s future. With the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants both poised to make their playoff runs, speculation continued to buzz around the league about which team would be able to land the center fielder.
After playing for eight seasons in Tampa and Seattle, Winn, who graduated from San Ramon Valley High School in 1992, learned that he was finally coming back home.
“It feels great to be back where I grew up,” said Winn. “I have been able to catch up with some old friends as well as some past coaches. Also, my family is able to watch more games in person.”
It’s not surprising that Winn’s future led him into professional baseball. Growing up, he had a knack for sports and was quite the Renaissance man in the athletic world. He enjoyed playing a wide variety of sports ranging from tennis to soccer to football, but his true passions were always baseball and basketball.
“I have been playing baseball for as long as I can remember. I believe my first team was a T-ball team when we lived in Texas,” Winn said.
“As a kid, I dreamt of being both a professional baseball and basketball player,” he added. “One of my favorite players was Ozzie Smith. He was a tremendous short stop for the St. Louis Cardinals.”
While he was still in high school, Winn excelled in both sports. In 1991, Winn helped the Wolves win the North Coast Section baseball championship, the first in the school’s history. He went on to help the basketball team win two Northern California championships, and even started in two state championship games.
“He was a good baseball player, but since he played basketball also, he had to split his time playing and preparing for both sports,” said Rick Steen, who coached Winn in baseball during high school.
However, what distinguished Winn was not only his extraordinary ability on the field or court but his extraordinary character off.
“He is and was an outstanding young man. He rarely spoke and just communicated through his actions,” said Steen. “He was extremely well respected by his teammates, and very well liked.”
John Raynor, who coached Winn in basketball while he was with the Wolves, described him as a “fierce competitor, exceptional student, tremendous athlete, and real pleasure to coach.”
Upon his graduation, Winn went on to attend college at Santa Clara University. In just one season, he earned All-WCC honors for his performance on the baseball diamond and played basketball in the same backcourt as Steve Nash, who later won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
“When he was able to concentrate on baseball after a couple of years at Santa Clara, his talents took over and his improvement blossomed,” said Steen.
In 1995, Winn received a chance to live his dream when the Florida Marlins drafted him in the third round.
“The biggest positive is that I am doing something I love to do,” Winn said. “On the other hand, I really don’t enjoy the publicity, but it is something that comes with being a major league baseball player.”
While the media attention certainly increased from the time that he was a Bronco to the time that he became a pro, Winn didn’t find the transition to be particularly difficult on the actual baseball diamond. In 2002, he was selected to the American League All-Star Team while he was on the Seattle Mariners.
“It was a real thrill to play in a game that I had grown up watching on TV as a kid and to play against the best players in the game,” said Winn. He added that it would be an honor to be selected to the 2007 All-Star Game, which will be held at SBC Park, and play in front of his family and friends.
His success didn’t stop there. After he came to San Francisco in a 2005 trade with the Mariners, Winn got off to a hot-start in a Giants uniform, batting .359 with 14 home runs and 26 runs batted in.
What’s his secret? Good, old-fashioned hard work.
“I believe that preparation and hard work are key,” said Winn. “I work hard every off season to be prepared for the challenges that lay ahead in the upcoming season.”
He noted that after each season, he only takes about a month off before he begins his training, and you can often find him during the off-season in the weights room. This year he also took a three-week vacation in Italy with his wife, Blessings.
With an All-Star appearance already under his belt, Winn is now focusing on helping his home team reach the postseason.
“I really don’t set any ‘numbers’ goals for myself, but one of my big goals is to make it to the playoffs. I came close in 2003 when I was in Seattle,” he said. “I am anxiously looking forward to playing with the Giants in 2006 and can’t wait till the season begins.”
–Mike L. Mc Colgan contributed to this story
