David Mark Winfield (born October 3, 1951) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) right fielder. He is currently special assistant to the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Over his 22-year career, he played for six teams: the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Cleveland Indians. He had the winning hit in the 1992 World Series with the Blue Jays over the Atlanta Braves.

Winfield was born the same day Bobby Thomson hit his pennant-winning home run for the New York Giants, known as "the shot heard 'round the world". He grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. His parents divorced when he was three years old, leaving him and his older brother Stephen to be raised by their mother, Arline, and a large extended family of aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. The Winfield brothers honed their athletic skills in St. Paul's Oxford playground, where coach Bill Peterson was one of the first to take the young Winfield under his wing. Winfield did not become a formidable 6'6" athlete until his senior year of high school. He earned a full baseball scholarship to the University of Minnesota in 1969, where he starred in baseball and basketball for the Golden Gophers. His college baseball coach was former MLB player Dick Siebert. His basketball coach was Bill Musselman, who was later a head coach in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association and who later referred to Winfield as the best rebounder he ever coached. Winfield's 1972 Minnesota team won a Big Ten basketball championship, the school's first in 53 years. During the 1972 season, he also was involved in a brawl when Minnesota played Ohio State. Winfield also played for the Alaska Goldpanners for two seasons (1971-72) and was the MVP in 1972. In 1973, he was named All-American and voted MVP of the College World Series--as a pitcher. Following college, Winfield was drafted by four teams in three different sports. The San Diego Padres selected him as a pitcher with the fourth overall pick in the MLB draft and both the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the Utah Stars (ABA) drafted him. Though he never played college football, the Minnesota Vikings selected Winfield in the 17th round of the NFL draft. He is one of six players ever to be drafted by three professional sports (the others being George Carter, Jo Jo White, Noel Jenke, Mickey McCarty and Dave Logan) and one of three athletes along with Carter and McCarty to be drafted by four leagues.

Using a quote from the above article, answer the following question: When did he start out in baseball?
The Winfield brothers honed their athletic skills in St. Paul's Oxford playground,