Balboni became known as Bye Bye Balboni, for his long Hrs & some may say his frequent strike outs. He was a feast or famine type hitter.
In 1979 he bashed 29 HRs at A ball Ft. Lauderdale & then went on to have three straight 30 plus HR seasons at Nashville (1980) & at AAA Columbus (1981-1982). In those years at Columbus he was the AAA HR Champion. In 1982 his 32 HRs came in just 83 games & the following year he hit 27 HRs in 83 games.

The Royals certainly got the best of this deal, as Balboni went on to hit 24 or more HRs in the next four seasons. In 1984, Balboni gave the AL Western Champion Royals 28 HRs & 78 RBIs, but he went down swinging 139 times (3rd most in the AL). That year he became the second big league position player to strike out in nine straight plate appearances.
In the Royals 1985 Championship season he led the team in HRs (36) which set a Royals record that still stands, & his 36 HRs were the third most in the league. He also led the team in doubles (28) and was second to George Brett in RBIs (112).
That season Balboni led the league in strike outs (166) and batted .243. At first base he led all first baseman in put outs & chances
Post Season: In the post season he hit no HRs & struck out 12 times in 49 at bats. He did hit safely in the final four games of the World Series & batted .320 with three RBIs, in the win against the St. Louis Cardinals. He also made the cover of Sports Illustrated sliding under a leaping Ozzie Smith during the Series.

At age 32 his best years were behind him, as injuries & such limited him to fewer than 120 games each year. By this time he was primarily a designated hitter, as he hit 17 HRs in each of two seasons he played in New York. In 1989 he drove in 59 runs & hit .237 but fell of to a .192 average in 1990.
In 1991 he signed a deal with the Texas Rangers, playing in their minor leagues at AAA Oklahoma City for three seasons. After hitting 20 HRs in 1991, he went on to two more 30 plus HR seasons, even winning another International League HR title in 1993 with 36 HRs. He also drove in over 100 runs in those two seasons. He made a very brief MLB comeback in 1993 with Texas, playing in two games going 3-5, with two strike outs.

Retirement: Balboni has coached in the Royals, Montreal Expos & St. Louis Cardinals organizations for many years. He runs the Steve Balboni Baseball School & is a scout for San Francisco Giants. He & his wife have three sons & live in Berkley Heights, New Jersey.
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