Ray Lankford
| Ray Lankford | |||
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| Center fielder / Left fielder | |||
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Born: June 5, 1967 Los Angeles, California |
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| MLB debut | |||
| August 21, 1990, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 30, 2004, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .272 | ||
| Home runs | 238 | ||
| Runs batted in | 874 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
Raymond Lewis Lankford (born June 5, 1967) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres from 1990 to 2004. He was known for his combination of power, speed, and defensive prowess. He posted one of the longest and most distinguished careers in the history of Cardinals baseball.
He was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Modesto, California, where he attended Grace M. Davis High School. His uncle, Carl Nichols, was also a professional baseball player and spent parts of six seasons in the major leagues.
Lankford made his major league debut with St. Louis in August 1990, and soon after took over the center field position previously occupied by former National League Most Valuable Player Willie McGee. He started his career as primarily a leadoff man, where his speed and plate discipline made him a potent force. In his first full season in 1991, he led the league with 15 triples, stole 44 bases, and scored 83 runs, earning him a third-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. He also accomplished the rare feat of hitting for the cycle, becoming the first Cardinal rookie ever to do so. In 1992, he began to hit for more power, and posted a breakout season with a .293 batting average, 20 home runs, and 42 stolen bases. This season established Lankford as one of the best all-around outfielders in the game. He eventually moved down in the batting order to take further advantage of his power hitting ability.
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