Highlighted Year: Gus Zernial, 1955

Outfielder, Kansas City Athletics

Age: 32 (June 27)

5^th season with Athletics (4^th complete)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210 

Prior to 1955:

A native of Beaumont, Texas, Gus Edward Zernial was the youngest of ten children. His carpenter father died when he was 15. He played sandlot baseball and in high school participated in baseball, basketball, and football. Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals at age 17 in 1941, he played for the Waycross Bears of the Class D Georgia-Florida Legue in 1942 where he appeared in center field and batted .286 in 95 games with 25 doubles, 4 triples, and 3 home runs. Released by the Cardinals, Zernial joined the Navy for World War II service. He played service baseball and filled out physically, which allowed him to develop into a power hitter. Following his stint in the Navy, Zernial resumed his baseball career in 1946 with the Burlington Bees of the Class C Carolina League where he hit .333 with a league-leading 41 home runs along with 29 doubles, 111 RBIs, and a .649 slugging percentage. After going to spring training with the Cleveland Indians in 1947, he was waived and claimed by the Chicago White Sox, who assigned him to the Hollywood Stars of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, where he batted .344 with 17 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 77 RBIs, a .400 OBP, and a .519 slugging percentage. Still with Hollywood in 1948, Zernial obtained the nickname “Ozark Ike” after a popular comic strip character who was a prodigious power hitter. Living up to the nickname, which he happily embraced, he led the PCL with 237 hits and 156 RBIs, while batting .322 with 47 doubles, 7 triples, 40 home runs, a .369 OBP, and a .567 slugging percentage. Zernial joined the White Sox in 1949 for a $5000 salary, which was down from the $8000 he made with Hollywood (at a time when the PCL operated almost like an additional major league). Installed in left field, Zernial was limited to 73 games due to a shoulder separation suffered in May. A highly productive minor league hitter, he widened his stance and ended up hitting .318 with 17 doubles, 5 home runs, 38 RBIs, a .366 OBP, and a .500 slugging percentage. The shoulder injury robbed him of his throwing ability in the outfield for a time. Zernial had a solid season at the plate in 1950, batting .280 with 16 doubles, 29 home runs (a team record at the time), 93 RBIs, a .330 OBP, and a .484 slugging percentage, although he struck out a league-leading 110 times. His last four home runs came during a season-ending double-header. During spring training in 1951, he appeared in a photo shoot with actress Marilyn Monroe which set the stage for him to appear frequenty in ads for several years. Zernial was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics four games into the 1951 season and went on to lead the American League in home runs (33) and RBIs (129) while again leading the league by striking out 101 times. (He also hit .268 with 30 doubles, 5 triples, a .345 OBP, and a .511 slugging percentage. Typically a mediocre and error-prone outfielder, he proved adept at charging in on fly balls and throwing out baserunners, which led to a league-leading 18 outfield assists. Zernial remained productive in 1952 as he batted .262 with 29 home runs, 100 RBIs, a .347 OBP, and a .452 slugging percentage. “Ozark Ike” started the 1953 All-Star Game in left field for the American League on his way to hitting .284 with 21 doubles, 42 home runs, 108 RBIs, a .355 OBP, and a .559 slugging percentage. In 1954, a broken collarbone suffered in July sidelined Zernial for six weeks and, limited to 97 games, he batted .250 with 14 home runs, 62 RBIs, a .316 OBP, and a .411 slugging percentage. The team, having fallen upon hard times in Philadelphia, was sold and moved to Kansas City in 1955.

1955 Season Summary

Appeared in 120 games

LF – 103, PH – 18

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 454

At Bats – 413

Runs – 62

Hits – 105

Doubles – 9

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 30 [2]

RBI – 84 [9]

Bases on Balls – 30

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 90 [4]

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .254

OBP - .304

Slugging Pct. - .508 [3]

Total Bases – 210

GDP – 17 [6, tied with Roy Sievers, Mickey Vernon & Bobby Avila]

Hit by Pitches – 3 [19, tied with nineteen others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 8 [2, tied with Al Rosen & Mickey Vernon]

Midseason snapshot: HR – 17, RBI – 43, AVG - .251, SLG – .489, OBP – .301

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Most hits, game – 3 on eight occasions

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 14

HR on road – 16

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Boston 5/12, (in 4 AB) at Boston 8/5, (in 4 AB) at Washington 9/10, (in 5 AB) at Boston 9/14

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Boston 9/14

Pinch-hitting – 2 for 17 (.118) with 1 HR & 5 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 251

Put Outs – 234

Assists – 8

Errors – 9

DP – 4

Pct. – .964

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The relocated Athletics went 63-91 to finish sixth in the AL, 33 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in fewest stolen bases (22) and fewest walks drawn (462). The pitching-poor A’s lost seven of their first nine games which set the tone for a season in which they still finished higher than their final Philadelphia year and drew a healthy 1,393,054 fans to Municipal Stadium, which was over a million more than they drew in ’54.

Aftermath of 1955:

Zernial’s production dropped off in 1956 as he batted .224 with 16 home runs, 44 RBIs, a .315 OBP, and a .445 slugging percentage. Zernial’s home run production bounced back to 27 in 1957 while he hit .236 with 20 doubles, 69 home runs, a .290 OBP, and a .471 slugging percentage. With the A’s seeking to improve their outfield defense in the offseason, Zernial was traded as part of a 13-player deal to the Detroit Tigers, who sought to make use of his power hitting. He was a part-time player for his new club in 1958, backing up in left field and pinch-hitting, where he topped the American League with 15 pinch-hits while batting .395 in that role with 3 homers and 12 RBIs. Overall, he appeared in 66 games and hit .323 with 5 home runs, 23 RBIs, a .351 OBP, and a .516 slugging percentage. In 1959 Zernial appeared in 32 games at first base while playing in only one game in the outfield and pinch-hitting 28 times. He was released following the season, thus ending his career. For his major league career, Zernial batted .265 with 1093 hits that included 159 doubles, 22 triples, and 237 home runs. Nine of his home runs were grand slams. He scored 572 runs and compiled 776 RBIs, a .329 OBP, and a .486 slugging percentage. In 191 pinch-hitting appearances he batted .266 with 10 home runs, 51 RBIs, a .325 OBP, and a .451 slugging percentage. With the Athletics he batted .259 with 806 hits, 447 runs scored, 115 doubles, 15 triples, 191 home runs, 592 RBIs, a .329 OBP, and a .489 slugging percentage. An All-Star only once, he was selected to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame in 2001 among Athletics players who have since been split off from the Phillies inductees. Following his playing career and apart from several business ventures he became a television sports broadcaster. A golfer and bowler for recreation, Zernial died in 2011 at age 87.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.      

Highlighted Year: Fred “Topsy” Hartsel, 1902

Outfielder, Philadelphia Athletics

Age: 28 (June 26)

1^st season with Athletics

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’5”    Weight: 155 

Prior to 1902:

An Ohio native, Tully Frederick Hartsel played football and baseball in school but turned down a chance to play football collegiately to instead play semipro baseball. Short and stocky, he was originally a middle infielder, but he was shifted to the outfield, due to his being left-handed, when he joined the Burlington Colts of the Class B Western Association in 1897. He appeared in 20 games and batted .282. He started the 1898 season with the Montgomery Senators of the Southern League but moved to Salem of the Ohio State League after the Southern League folded. That circuit also went out of business and Hartsel moved on again to Grand Rapids of the Inter-State League. There he hit .332 with 20 doubles, 11 triples, 107 runs scored, and 34 stolen bases in 101 games. He finished the year with the Louisville Colonels of the National League where he hit .324 with a .422 on-base percentage. He started the 1899 season with Louisville but was sold to Indianapolis of the Western League in June where he received the ironic and enduring nickname “Topsy” because of his fair-skinned, white-haired appearance, since the character Topsy in the novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was black and a sportswriter remarked that Hartsel was “as light as Topsy is black”, which was considered very amusing at the time. The nickname stuck but Hartsel typically went by Fred in his everyday life. Hartsel remained with Indianapolis in 1900, on the eve of the Western League going major as the American League. He batted .301 with 86 runs scored, 11 doubles, 13 triples, 5 home runs, and 31 stolen bases. A dispute broke out between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Orphans (now Cubs) over which one had purchased Hartsel’s contract from Indianapolis. Hartsel played 19 games with the Reds and hit .328, but the Orphans succeeded in obtaining him for 1901, where he proceeded to have a breakout season as a major league player as he batted .335 with 25 doubles, 16 triples, 7 home runs, 54 RBIs, 41 stolen bases, and a .414 OBP. Hartsel jumped to the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League in 1902. Installed in the leadoff spot, he excelled thanks to his speed and excellent batting eye.

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 137 games

LF – 137

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 643 [1]

At Bats – 545 [7]

Runs – 109 [1, tied with Dave Fultz]

Hits – 154 [17, tied with Jimmy Barrett]

Doubles – 20

Triples – 12 [6, tied with Bill Bradley, Socks Seybold & Elmer Flick]

Home Runs – 5 [17, tied with Jesse Burkett]

RBI – 58

Bases on Balls – 87 [1]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 26

Stolen Bases – 47 [1]

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .283

OBP - .383 [13]

Slugging Pct. - .391

Total Bases – 213 [14, tied with Charlie Hemphill]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading plate appearances were +7 ahead of runner-up Jesse Burkett

League-leading bases on balls drawn were +11 ahead of runner-up Sammy Strang

League-leading stolen bases were +1 ahead of runner-up Sam Mertes

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 9, 3B – 3, HR- 3, RBI- 23, SB - 12, AVG - .239., OBP - .348

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Most hits, game – 3 on fourteen occasions

Longest hitting streak – 16 games

Most HR, game – 1 on five occasions

HR at home – 3

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Cleveland 7/21

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 268

Put Outs – 238

Assists – 18

Errors – 12

DP – 2

Pct. – .955

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The Athletics went 83-53 to win the AL pennant by 5 games over the St. Louis Browns while leading the league in runs scored (775), hits (1392), and fewest batting strikeouts (288). The A’s, initially hindered by the ongoing litigation with the NL’s Phillies over players who jumped to the AL club, entered July with only a 27-26 record, but within striking range of first place. The arrival of star LHP Rube Waddell and second baseman Danny Murphy in July fueled a surge that had them in first place to stay on August 15. A 20-5 stretch in September nailed down the first pennant in the young franchise’s history.

Aftermath of 1902:

Limited to 98 games in 1903 due to injuries, Hartsel remained productive, hitting .311 with 19 doubles, 14 triples, 5 home runs, 26 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, a .391 OBP, and a .477 slugging percentage. Fully recovered in 1904, Hartsel’s average dropped to .253 although his OBP was a healthy .347 thanks to his drawing 75 walks. The A’s returned to the top of the AL in 1905 and the diminutive Hartsel led the league in walks drawn (121) and OBP (.409) while hitting .275 with 22 doubles, 8 triples, and 37 stolen bases. In the World Series loss to the New York Giants in five games, he accounted for four hits against dominant New York pitching. Still adept at drawing walks, he continued to lead the AL in 1906, ‘07 and ’08, with 88, 106, and 93 respectively. While he hit only .255 in 1906, his OBP was a healthy .363. Correspondingly in 1907, Hartsel batted .280 with a league-leading .405 OBP. In 1908 his batting average was .243 but with a .371 OBP. As he reached his mid-30s in 1909 he was no longer able to play as regularly but he remained useful with a .381 OBP in 83 games. As a part-time player who helped with coaching and preparing scouting reports, he remained a significant part of the pennant-winning A’s teams in 1910 and 1911. His major league playing career ended following the latter season as he was purchased by the Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association where he finished his career. For his major league career, Hartsel batted .276 with 1336 hits that included 182 doubles, 92 triples, and 31 home runs. He scored 826 runs and compiled 341 RBIs, 247 stolen bases, a .384 OBP, and a .370 slugging percentage while drawing 837 walks, a category in which he led the AL four times. With the Athletics he batted .266 with 1087 hits, 686 runs scored, 154 doubles, 74 triples, 21 home runs, 266 RBIs, 196 stolen bases, 733 walks drawn, and a .379 OBP. He appeared in six World Series games and hit .227 with five hits and four stolen bases. Hartsel later became active in promoting amateur baseball in Toledo and died at age 70 in 1944. 

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Elston Howard, 1961

Catcher, New York Yankees

Age: 32

7^th season with Yankees

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 196 

Prior to 1961:

A native of St. Louis, Howard played catcher for a team in that city’s Tandy League (an amateur circuit for players of color). A multi-sport star at Vashon High School as well, he drew the interest of major colleges. Howard signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1948 for $500 per month. He initially played left field and first base for the Monarchs. He stayed until 1950 when he was sold to the Yankees for $25,000. Assigned to Muskegon of the Class A Central League, Howard hit 9 home runs and batted .283 with a .340 on-base percentage in 54 games. Drafted into the Army in the offseason, he missed the 1951 and ’52 seasons while playing service baseball. Following his military commitment, he was assigned to the Kansas City Blues of the Class AAA American Association in 1953 where he split time between the outfield and catching and batted .286 with 22 doubles, 9 triples, 10 home runs, 70 RBIs, and a .326 OBP. He spent 1954 with Toronto in the Class AAA International League where he received league MVP honors by hitting .330 with 21 doubles, 16 triples, 22 home runs, 109 RBIs, a .380 OBP, and a ,569 slugging percentage while primarily appearing at catcher. With the Yankees under pressure to integrate, Howard became their first black player in 1955. Utilized primarily in the outfield and as a pinch-hitter, in addition to some appearances at catcher, where he backed up Yogi Berra, Howard performed well and batted .290 with 10 home runs, 43 RBIs, a .336 OBP, and a .477 slugging percentage while accumulating 305 plate appearances. Seeing more action behind the plate in 1956, he hit .262 with 5 home runs and 34 RBIs. Berra still saw most of the action at catcher in 1957, but Howard saw enough playing time in left field to accumulate 381 plate appearances and he was an All-Star selection for the first time on his way to batting .253 with 8 home runs and 44 RBIs. Howard appeared in 67 games as a catcher in 1958 but still was used in the outfield. He hit .314 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs and made key plays in the come-from-behind World Series triumph over the Milwaukee Braves, both at bat and defensively in the outfield. The versatile Howard saw significant action at first base in 1959 due to an injury to starter Bill Skowron. He was limited to 44 games behind the plate and batted .273 with 18 home runs and 73 RBIs in what was a down year for the Yankees. In 1960 he finally saw more action at catcher than the aging Berra, who was increasingly used in the outfield. The “Bronx Bombers” returned to the pinnacle of the American League and Howard hit .245 with 6 home runs and 39 RBIs. He went down with a hand injury during the World Series. He adjusted his stance to better hit to all fields in 1961.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 129 games

C – 111, PH – 14, 1B – 9

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 482

At Bats – 446

Runs – 64

Hits – 155 [20, tied with Carl Yastrzemski]

Doubles – 17

Triples – 5 [20, tied with sixteen others]

Home Runs – 21 [18, tied with John Romano, Johnny Blanchard & Earl Averill]

RBI – 77

Bases on Balls – 28

Int. BB – 6 [9, tied with Harmon Killebrew]

Strikeouts – 65

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .348 [Non-qualifying]

OBP - .387 [Non-qualifying]

Slugging Pct. - .549 [Non-qualifying]

Total Bases – 245 [19]

GDP – 5

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 8, HR – 7, RBI – 34, AVG - 369, SLG – .545, OBP – .405

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 7 AB) vs. Minnesota 8/6 – 15 innings

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 11

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Cleveland 7/6

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Minnesota 6/25, vs. Boston 7/7

Pinch-hitting – 4 for 14 (.286) with 1 HR & 1 RBI

Fielding (C )

Chances – 683

Put Outs – 635

Assists – 43

Errors – 5

Passed Balls – 8

DP – 4

Pct. - .993 

Postseason Batting: 5 G (World Series vs. Cincinnati)

PA – 22, AB – 20, R – 5, H – 5, 2B – 3, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 1, BB – 2, IBB – 1, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .250, OBP - .318, SLG - .550, TB – 11, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

10^th in AL MVP voting (30 points – 11% share)

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The Yankees, under new manager Ralph Houk, went 109-53 to win the AL pennant by 8 games over the Detroit Tigers, while leading the league in home runs (240), RBIs (781), slugging (.442), and total bases (2455). The Yankees surged to the pennant in a season dominated by the home run race between slugging outfielders Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. They won the World Series over the Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 1. The Series was highlighted by New York LHP Whitey Ford’s record string of 33 consecutive shutout innings pitched.

Aftermath of 1961:

A solid, quiet, and dignified player, Howard received a raise in pay to $42,500 in 1962 and hit .279 with 21 home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .318 OBP. By 1963 he was no longer a platoon player and was established as New York’s regular backstop. Although beset by key injuries in 1963, the Yankees maintained their pennant grip on the American League and Howard stepped up by batting .287 with 28 home runs, 85 RBIs, a .342 OBP, and a .528 slugging percentage. He was voted league MVP for his efforts. He managed five hits in the World Series, in which the Los Angeles Dodgers won in a four-game sweep. Howard, who received a raise to $60,000, followed up in 1964 by batting .313 with 27 doubles, 15 home runs, 84 RBIs, and a .371 OBP, ranking third in league MVP balloting. In 1965 he was hindered by an elbow injury that required surgery and was limited to 110 games in which he hit .233 with 9 home runs and 45 RBIs. Still ailing in 1966, he finished at .256 with 6 home runs and 35 RBIs over the course of 126 games. With his hitting bothered by a hand injury in 1967, Howard was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in August. With the Red Sox in a four-team battle for the pennant, the 38-year-old catcher brought his savvy to handling the pitching staff and a veteran presence to the clubhouse. He never got on track at bat and finished with a .178 combined average. Still, he placed seventeenth in league MVP voting for his contributions to the Red Sox in their pennant-winning effort. Howard spent one final season with Boston in 1968, dealing with chronic injuries and hitting just .241 while playing in 71 games. Overall, for his American League career, Howard batted .274 with 1471 hits that included 218 doubles, 50 triples, and 167 home runs. He scored 619 runs and compiled 762 RBIs, a .322 OBP, and a .427 slugging percentage. With the Yankees his totals were .279 with 1405 hits, 211 doubles, 50 triples, 161 home runs, 733 RBIs, a .324 OBP, and a .436 slugging percentage with 588 runs scored. In 54 World Series games he batted .246, with 5 home runs and 19 RBIs. Howard was a 12-time All-Star and received two Gold Gloves for his defensive prowess behind the plate. He became a coach for the Yankees upon his retirement as a player and remained with the organization until his death in 1980 at age 51 due to heart disease. His managerial aspirations went unfulfilled, but the Yankees retired his #32.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Johnny Blanchard, 1961

Catcher/Outfielder, New York Yankees

Age: 28

2^nd season with Yankees

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 193 

Prior to 1961:

A native of Minneapolis, Blanchard spent time at DeLaSalle High School before transferring to Minneapolis Central High School and excelled at basketball and football in addition to baseball. Playing for a semipro baseball team in Carroll, Iowa, during one summer, he was paid $265 to be a groundskeeper in order to maintain his amateur status. As a third baseman, outfielder, shortstop, and pitcher, he drew the attention of major league scouts. Blanchard signed with the Yankees in 1951 for a $30,000 bonus and a guaranteed salary of $5000 for the next five years. Assigned to the Kanss City Blues of the Class AAA American Association, the 18-year-old Blanchard hit safely in his first eight games but, due to a surplus of outfielders, he was sent to Binghamton of the Class A Eastern League to have an opportunity for more playing time. Over the course of 30 games he batted only .183 with a .276 on-base percentage. Stressed to the point that he developed an ulcer, he was selected to the Casey Stengel Preliminary Camp and he was tutored by Yankee Hall of Famer Bill Dickey to become a catcher. Assigned to Joplin of the Class C Western Association in 1952, Blanchard proved to be a work in progress behind the plate, being charged with 20 errors and 35 passed balls in 112 games, but he batted a solid .301 with 31 doubles, 30 home runs, 112 RBIs, a .411 OBP, and a .585 slugging percentage. He was selected as the league MVP despite the defensive lapses. Drafted into the Army in 1952, he played service baseball in 1954. Resuming his minor league career in 1955, Blanchard was initially assigned to Denver of the American Association but was quickly sent for another stint to Class A Binghamton where he hit .281 with 34 home runs, 111 RBIs, a .355 OBP, and a .554 slugging percentage. He received a late-season call-up to the Yankees who were involved in a tight pennant race and GM George Weiss believed that a third-string backstop could be of help. The Yanks won the pennant but Blanchard appeared in only one game and was hitless in three at bats. He played winter ball in the Dominican Republic and was assigned to the Birmingham Barons of the Class AA Southern Association in 1956 where he batted .270 with 18 doubles, 17 home runs, 70 RBIs, a .359 OBP, and a .435 slugging percentage. He was named to the league All-Star team but he also suffered from the effects of an apparent torn rotator cuff which in a later era would have caused him to sit out a year but at that time was treated by cortisone injections to numb the pain. Nearly making the Yankees in the spring of 1957, Blanchard was instead sent down to the Denver Bears of the Class AAA American Association, where he had once had a brief stint, now managed by Ralph Houk, where he batted .310 with 22 doubles, 18 home runs, 86 RBIs, a .346 OBP, and a .499 slugging percentage. Back with Denver in 1958, Blanchard hit .291 with 28 doubles, 19 home runs, 96 RBIs, a .351 OBP, and a .462 slugging percentage. Making it to the Yankees from the sart in 1959, he was utilized as a third-string catcher and backup outfielder and pinch-hitter. Appearing in 49 games he batted a mere .169 with a pair of home runs and 4 RBIs. Easygoing and not inclined to complain about his lack of playing time, Blanchard saw more action in 1960 as Yogi Berra played more in left field than behind the plate and Elston Howard became the regular catcher. In 53 games Blanchard batted .242 with 4 home runs, 14 RBIs, and a .292 OBP. Following a down year in ’59, the Yankees regained the top spot in the American League and in the World Series against Pittsburgh, Blanchard appeared in five of the seven games due to an injury to Howard and hit .455. The replacement of Casey Stengel as manager by Ralph Houk provided Blanchard with the opportunity to gain more playing time in 1961.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 93 games

C – 48, PH – 33, LF – 8, RF – 7

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 275

At Bats – 243

Runs – 38

Hits – 74

Doubles – 10

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 21 [18, tied with Elston Howard, John Romano & Earl Averill]

RBI – 54

Bases on Balls – 27

Int. BB – 9 [4, tied with Mickey Mantle & Bill Skowron]

Strikeouts – 28

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .305 [Non-qualifying]

OBP - .382 [Non-qualifying]

Slugging Pct. - .613 [Non-qualifying]

Total Bases – 149

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 4 [16, tied with fourteen others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 3, HR - 9, RBI - 21, AVG - .291, SLG - .583, OBP – .373

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Most hits, game – 3 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 14

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Detroit 6/18, (in 4 AB) vs. Chi. White Sox 7/26, (in 4 AB) vs. Washington 9/6

Multi-HR games – 3

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Boston 7/21, vs. Washington 9/6

Pinch-hitting – 7 for 26 (.269) with 5 R, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 4 BB & 2 HBP

Fielding (C )

Chances – 289

Put Outs – 268

Assists – 18

Errors – 3

Passed Balls – 2

DP – 2

Pct. - .990

Postseason Batting: 4 G (World Series vs. Cincinnati)

PA – 12, AB – 10, R – 4, H – 4, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 3, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 0, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .400, OBP - .500, SLG - 1.100, TB – 11, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

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The Yankees, under new manager Ralph Houk, went 109-53 to win the AL pennant by 8 games over the Detroit Tigers, while leading the league in home runs (240), RBIs (781), slugging (.442), and total bases (2455). The Yankees surged to the pennant in a season dominated by the home run race between slugging outfielders Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. Won World Series over the Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 1. The Series was highlighted by New Yotk LHP Whitey Ford’s record string of 33 consecutive shutout innings pitched. Blanchard, who hit four consecutive home runs across three games during the season, contributed two clutch homers during the World Series.

Aftermath of 1961:

In 1962 Blanchard continued in his role as backup catcher and outfielder in addition to pinch-hitting. Overall, he appeared in 93 games and batted a disappointing .232 with 13 home runs, 39 RBIs, and a .309 OBP. The Yankees, less impressive than in the previous season, still won the AL pennant. Blanchard struck out in one World Series at bat against the San Francisco Giants. He saw no action behind the plate in 1963, instead filling in as an outfielder in addition to pinch-hitting. While he slugged 16 home runs with 45 RBIs, he batted a disappointing .225 with a .305 OBP. Blanchard played for one last Yankee pennant-winning team in 1964 with most of his action as catcher in addition to occasional outfield and pinch-hitting duty. In just 189 plate appearances he hit .255 with 8 doubles, 7 home runs, 28 RBIs, and a .344 OBP. In the seven-game World Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals he managed a double in four at bats. With the Yankees beginning to fade in 1965, Blanchard was traded to the Kansas City A’s in May (much to his distress) who sold him to the Milwaukee Braves in September. With his skills in decline at age 32 he hit a combined .183 with 4 home runs and 16 RBIs in his final season. After sitting out the 1966 season, he attempted an abortive comeback with the relocated Atlanta Braves in 1967, which ended with his release at the end of spring training, thus concluding his playing career. For his major league career, Blanchard batted .239 with 285 hits that included 36 doubles, 2 triples, and 67 home runs. He scored 137 runs and compiled 200 RBIs with a .317 OBP and ..441 slugging percentage. His production came almost entirely with the Yankees. Appearing in 15 World Series games he hit .345 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs. Having been a handy player with batting power who was a contributor to championship Yankee teams, especially in 1961, Blanchard returned home to Minnesota where he managed amateur baseball teams. . He died of a heart attack at age 76 in 2009.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

 

Highlighted Year: Russ Ford, 1911

Pitcher, New York Highlanders

Age:  28 (April 25)

2^nd season with Highlanders

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175 

Prior to 1911:

A native of the Canadian province of Manitoba, Ford moved with his family to Minnesota. After high school he played for several minor league teams. Following a season in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or Three I) League in which he was with Springfield and Cedar Rapids, he broke out with an outstanding season for Cedar Rapids in 1906 in which he produced a 22-9 record. Moving on to the Atlanta Crackers of the Class A Southern Association in 1907 he compiled a 15-10 tally. Reliant on his spitball (a legal pitch at the time), in 1908 he began experimenting with a scuff ball, roughening the ball’s surface to cause it to dip oddly. Still with Atlanta he went 16-14 and was drafted by the Highlanders in 1909. Ford appeared in one game with New York in 1909 and pitched poorly, causing him to be sent to the Jersey City Skeeters of the Eastern League where he worked on his scuff pitch, concealing an emery board in his glove. His record for Jersey City was 13-13 with a 2.41 ERA and 189 strikeouts over 276 innings. He returned to the Highlanders in 1910 with far better results, posting a 26-6 tally with a 1.65 ERA, 29 complete games, 8 shutouts, and 209 strikeouts over 299.2 innings. In addition to his spitter and scuff ball, Ford threw a fastball and knuckleball.

1911 Season Summary

Appeared in 37 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 37 [11, tied with Bob Groom]

Games Started – 33 [4, tied with Joe Wood]

Complete Games – 26 [3, tied with Jack Coombs]

Wins – 22 [7]

Losses – 11 [20, tied with four others]

PCT - .667 [7]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1 [19, tied with twenty others]

Innings Pitched – 281.1 [4]

Hits – 251 [6, tied with Tom Hughes]

Runs – 119 [8, tied with Walter Johnson]

Earned Runs – 71 [20, tied with Hippo Vaughn & Doc White]

Home Runs – 3 [19, tied with nine others]

Bases on Balls – 76 [11, tied with Joe Wood]

Strikeouts – 158 [5]

ERA – 2.27 [7]

Hit Batters – 4

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 5 [19, tied with eight others]

Midseason Snapshot: 11-5, ERA – 2.30, SO - 69 in 133 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 9 IP) at Cleveland 5/15, (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis Browns 9/30

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) at Detroit 5/11

Batting

PA – 112, AB – 102, R – 10, H – 20, 2B – 2, 3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 8, BB – 3, SO – 31, SB – 2, CS – N/A, AVG - .196, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 4, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 91

Put Outs – 16

Assists – 70

Errors – 5

DP – 0

Pct. - .945

Awards & Honors:

18^th in AL MVP voting, tied with Jack Barry, PhilA (3 points – 5% share)

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The Highlanders went 76-76 to finish sixth in the AL, 44 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics. The pitching staff led the league in fewest shutouts (5). The Highlanders entered June at 18-21, having lost four straight games to the Athletics and Washington. A seven-game June winning streak (including one by Ford) pulled them up to third place, where they remained until July 8. The streaky club languished in fourth and stayed around .500 until they closed out the season with five straight losses.

Aftermath of 1911:

Ford slumped in 1912 and went 13-21 with a 3.55 ERA, 30 complete games, and 112 strikeouts over 291.2 innings. He topped the American League in the negative categories of earned runs surrendered (115) and home runs surrendered (11). His ERA dropped to 2.66 in 1913 but his won-lost record was a mediocre 13-18 as he dealt with a sore arm. Jumping to the Federal League in 1914, Ford produced a 21-6 tally and 1.82 ERA for Buffalo. With the emery pitch banned by the Federal League in 1915, his record dropped to 5-9 and a 4.52 ERA prior to being released in late August. He pitched for two more years in the minors before his playing career came to an end. For his major league career, Ford produced a 100-71 record with a 2.59 ERA, 126 complete games, 15 shutouts, 8 saves, and 710 strikeouts over 1487.1 innings. With the Highlanders/Yankees his totals were 74-56 with a 2.54 ERA, 100 complete games, 10 shutouts, 2 saves, and 553 strikeouts over 1112.2 innings. He died in 1960 at age 76. Ford was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987. His brother Gene briefly pitched for the Detroit Tigers in 1905. Thanks to his mastery of the scuff ball, Ford was an outstanding pitcher with the Highlanders for a short time.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20), pitching wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10), or have been participants in the annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category will also include Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Ken Boyer, 1966

Third Baseman, New York Mets

Age:  35 (May 20)

1^st season with Mets

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 190 

Prior to 1966:

A Missouri native, Boyer was one of 14 children (two of his brothers, Cloyd and Clete, also played major league baseball). Capable of playing in the infield or outfield, he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school in 1949. With Lebanon of the Class D North Atlantic League, he was utilized as a pitcher thanks to his strong throwing arm and was 5-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 12 games. As a hitter, he had a .455 average with three home runs. Moving to Hamilton of the Class D Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (or Pony) League in 1950, Boyer was given the opportunity to play at third base and impressed with his defensive skills. He also batted .342 with 9 home runs, thus ending the pitching experiment. Promoted to Omaha of the Class A Western League in 1951, Boyer continued to hone his batting and defensive play at third. He hit .306 with 28 doubles, 7 triples, and 14 home runs. Drafted into the Army in 1951 he spent 1952 and ’53 in the military. Returning to baseball in 1954, Boyer was next assigned to the Houston Buffaloes of the Class AA Texas League where he hit .319 with 21 home runs and 116 RBIs. He played winter ball in Havana until suffering a severe concussion due to a beaning. The Cardinals traded starting third baseman Ray Jablonski to open a spot for Boyer in the lineup for 1955. He had a solid rookie season, appearing in 147 games and hitting .264 with 18 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .311 on-base percentage. Boyer improved to .306 with 26 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .347 OBP, and a .494 slugging percentage in 1956 and was an All-Star for the first time. He shifted to centerfield in 1957 to make room for rookie Eddie Kasko at third and to add some batting punch to the outfield. The shift caused no defensive lapse as he led all NL outfielders in fielding percentage (.996). He also hit .265 with 19 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .318 OBP. With Kasko injured in 1958 together with the arrival of centerfielder Curt Flood, Boyer returned to third base and earned his first Gold Glove. He also hit .307 with 21 doubles, 9 triples, 23 home runs, 90 RBIs, a .360 OBP, and a .496 slugging percentage. It was more of the same in 1960 as he batted .304 with 26 doubles, 10 triples, 32 home runs, 97 RBIs, a .370 OBP, and a .562 slugging percentage. In 1961 the numbers were .329 with 26 doubles, 11 triples, 24 home runs, 95 RBIs, a .397 OBP, and a .533 slugging percentage. The Cardinals contended in 1963 when Boyer was one of four St. Louis infielders who started for the NL (along with 1B Bill White, 2B Julian Javier, and SS Dick Groat). Boyer went on to bat .285 despite a midseason slump with 28 doubles, 24 home runs, 111 RBIs, a .358 OBP, and a .454 slugging percentage. He received another Gold Glove and placed thirteenth in league MVP voting. In 1964 the Cardinals came from behind to win the NL pennant with the help of an epic September collapse by the Philadelphia Phillies. Boyer, the team captain, spearheaded the charge as he hit .295 with 30 doubles, 10 triples, 24 home runs, a league-leading 119 RBIs, a .365 OBP, and a .489 slugging percentage. In the World Series against the New York Yankees, where he was matched up against his brother Clete, the starting third sacker for the Yanks, he provided the winning runs in a pivotal 4-3 win with a grand slam at Yankee Stadium as St. Louis went on to take the Series in seven games. Afterward he was named National League MVP. 1965 was a down year for the Cardinals and Boyer, who battled a back injury, batted .260 with only 13 home runs and 75 RBIs. In the offseason he was traded to the Mets for LHP Al Jackson and third baseman Charley Smith.

1966 Season Summary

Appeared in 136 games

3B – 130, PH – 8, 1B – 2, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 534

At Bats – 496

Runs – 62

Hits – 132

Doubles – 28 [10, tied with Gene Alley & Rusty Staub]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 14

RBI – 61

Bases on Balls – 30

Int. BB – 5

Strikeouts – 64

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .266

OBP - .304

Slugging Pct. - .415

Total Bases – 206

GDP – 15 [12, tied with Rico Carty & Ernie Banks]

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 7 [5, tied with Denis Menke, Deron Johnson & Rico Carty]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 15, HR – 8, RBI - 34, AVG - .275, OBP - .315

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Pittsburgh 8/11

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 4

Most home runs, game – 1 on fourteen occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Chi. Cubs 4/26

Pinch-hitting/running – 2 for 7 (.286) with 1 R & 1 BB

Fielding

Chances – 426

Put Outs – 113

Assists – 292

Errors – 21

DP – 33

Pct. - .951

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The Mets went 66-95 to finish ninth in the NL, 28.5 games behind the pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers while leading the league in batting strikeouts (1129), fewest hits (1286),fewest doubles (187), fewest home runs (98), fewest total bases (1837), lowest batting average (.239), lowest OBP (.277), and lowest slugging percentage (.342). With West Westrum in his first full year as manager, the roster was sorted out during the season that got off to a 3-6 start. 35-48 at the midway point, a seven-game July winning streak propelled them to a winning month and the club went on to escape the NL cellar for the first time ever, finishing 7.5 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs. It was also the first time the Mets lost fewer than 100 games in a season. The club continued to draw well at Shea Stadium, pulling in 1,932,693 fans, many of which were called the “New Breed”.

Aftermath of 1966:

Boyer started the 1967 season with the Mets and was dealt to the Chicago White Sox, who were in the midst of a torrid pennant race, in July. Altogether, he appeared in 113 games and hit .249 with 7 home runs and 34 RBIs. Released by the White Sox early in the 1968 season, Boyer signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to provide veteran bench strength and finished up his career with LA in 1969. Overall, for his major league career Boyer batted .287 with 2143 hits that included 318 doubles, 68 triples, and 282 home runs. He also accumulated 1141 RBIs, scored 1104 runs, and produced a .349 OBP and .462 slugging percentage. With the Mets he hit .258 with 171 hits, 35 doubles, 4 triples, 17 home runs, 74 RBIs, a .312 OBP, and a .400 slugging percentage. He was an 11-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove recipient. Following his playing career, Boyer became a coach and managed in the Cardinals’ and Orioles’ farm systems. He replaced Vern Rapp as manager of the Cardinals during the 1978 season and stayed until he was let go in 1980, having compiled an overall record of 166-190. He died of lung cancer in 1982 at the age of 51. The Cardinals retired his #14. Boyer was elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

Highlighted Year: Ed Kranepool, 1965

First Baseman, New York Mets

Age: 20

3^rd season with Mets

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 205 

Prior to 1965:

A New York City native from the Bronx, Kranepool’s father was killed in World War II action in France a few months before he was born. Raised by his widowed mother he began playing Little League baseball at age 10. At James Monroe High School he reached his full height and filled out physically while excelling at baseball and basketball. He hit a total of 19 home runs as a varsity baseball player, setting a school record with 9 in his senior year. Preferring baseball to basketball, Kranepool turned down college scholarship offers to sign with the expansion Mets as a 17-year-old, who were attracted to the idea of bringing a native New Yorker into the fold. His contract included an $80,000 bonus. Joining the Mets for a week, he was farmed out to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League where he hit poorly and was demoted to Knoxville of the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League. A week later he was with Auburn of the Class D New York-Pennsylvania League where over the course of 20 games Kranepool batted .351 with 18 RBIs and a .446 on-base percentage which earned him a September call-up to the floundering Mets. He got to start at first base in the club’s final home game and doubled for his first major league hit. Following an offseason of winter ball, Kranepool started the 1963 season with the Mets and was hitting only .190 in July when he was sent back to the International League, this time with the Buffalo Bisons where he batted .310 with 9 doubles, 8 triples, 5 home runs, 33 RBIs, a .372 OBP, and a .507 slugging percentage. Returning to the Mets in September he hit .274 for the month and finished with major league totals of .209 with 16 extra-base hits, 14 RBIs, and a .256 OBP. During spring training in 1964 Kranepool was criticized by manager Casey Stengel after pulling a hamstring (implying that the 19-year-old was not in shape) and the press for a lack of hustle. Once again off to a poor start at the plate, Kranepool was sent down to Buffalo in May, where his batting stroke recovered over 15 games and he returned to the Mets as the starting first baseman and went on to hit .257 with 19 doubles, 10 home runs, 45 RBIs, and a .310 OBP. Having shown improvement, Kranepool entered 1965 with a secure spot in the lineup.

1965 Season Summary

Appeared in 153 games

1B – 147, PH – 12

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 575

At Bats – 525

Runs – 44

Hits – 133

Doubles – 24

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 10

RBI – 53

Bases on Balls – 39

Int. BB – 7

Strikeouts – 71

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .253

OBP - .303

Slugging Pct. - .371

Total Bases – 195

GDP – 13

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 8 [4, tied with Hank Aaron]   

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 18, HR - 7, RBI - 37, AVG - .287, OBP - .334

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Chi. Cubs 5/31

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 4

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at San Francisco 4/24

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 3 on six occasions

Pinch-hitting – 4 for 11 (.364) with 1 R, 1 RBI & 1 BB

Fielding

Chances – 1480

Put Outs – 1375

Assists – 93

Errors – 12

DP – 116

Pct. - .992 

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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The Mets went 50-112 to finish tenth (last) in the NL, 47 games behind the pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers while leading the league in batting strikeouts (1129), fewest runs scored (495), fewest hits (1202),fewest triples (27), fewest stolen bases (28), fewest walks drawn (392), fewest total bases (1780), lowest batting average (.221), lowest OBP (.277), and lowest slugging percentage (.327). The Mets were in last place by the end of May at 6-10. They were 31-64 in July when a broken hip ended Casey Stengel’s managerial career. Under his successor Wes Westrum, the club finished out at 19-48, but with the help of some young pitchers they perked up slightly in September. The team continued to draw well at Shea Stadium, despite their losing ways, where they drew 1,768,389 fans.

Aftermath of 1965:

In 1966 Kranepool occasionally saw action in the outfield as Jim Hickman and veteran first sacker Dick Stuart occasionally played at first, but he led the club, which didn’t finish in the NL cellar for the first time, with 16 home runs while batting .254 with 15 doubles, 57 RBIs, and a .316 OBP. Playing exclusively at first base in 1967, Kranepool hit .269 with 17 doubles, 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, and a .321 OBP. The Mets showed progress in 1968 thanks to the leadership of manager Gil Hodges and the development of promising young talent, especially among the pitchers. Hitting remained a problem during what was a pitcher-dominated season in major league baseball and Kranepool’s batting production dropped to .231 with 13 doubles, 3 home runs, 20 RBIs, and a .271 OBP. 1969 brought the advent of divisional play and the Mets topped the new NL East, catching and outlasting the Chicago Cubs with a 100-win season. The arrival of right-handed power-hitting Donn Clendenon in June led to his being platooned with Kranepool, who went on to hit .238 with 9 doubles, 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, and a .307 OBP. He played in all three games of the NLCS sweep of the Braves but drew only one start during the five-game World Series upset of the Baltimore Orioles. He homered in the 5-0 Game 3 win. With his playing time dwindling in 1970, the Mets waived Kranepool in June and when there were no takers for his servces, the team, unwilling to release him, optioned him to Tidewater of the Class AAA International League. He considered retirement to fall back on his off-field jobs as a licensed stockbroker and operating a Long Island restaurant he co-owned with Mets teammate Ron Swoboda but accepted the demotion and batted .310 with a .408 OBP in 47 games. Called up to the Mets in August he was utilized almost exclusively as a pinch-hitter and finished with a major league average of .170 with a .250 OBP. The player known as “The Krane” and “Steady Eddie” was back as a starting first baseman for the Mets in 1971, although still splitting time with Clendenon, and had his finest offensive season, hitting .280 with 20 doubles, 14 home runs, 58 RBIs, a .340 OBP, and a .447 slugging percentage. Still the primary first baseman in 1972, Kranepool batted .269 with 15 doubles, 8 home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .336 OBP. The 1973 Mets caught fire late in the season following a sluggish start and narrowly won the NL East title. Kranepool found himself displaced at first base by power-hitting John Milner, and he appeared as an outfielder and pinch-hitter. Playing in 100 games he hit .239 with 15 extra-base hits, 35 RBIs, and a .310 OBP. He started the deciding Game 5 of the NLCS vs. Cincinnati and contributed a two-run single as the Mets won the series. In the seven-game World Series loss to the Oakland Athletics, he went hitless in three at bats. By 1974 Kranepool was a reserve first-baseman and outfielder, who was especially effective as a pinch-hitter, a role in which he batted .486 with a .526 OBP. Overall, he hit .300 with 11 doubles, 4 home runs, 24 RBIs, and a .350 OBP in 237 plate appearances. He remained an effective fill-in and pinch-hitter in 1975, batting .323 with 4 home runs, 43 RBIs, a .370 OBP, and a pinch-hitting average of .400 in 20 at bats. Kranepool stayed on until 1979, with his relationship with the front office steadily deteriorating and his playing time dwindling. Having indicated that 1979 would likely be his last year, he was released in the offseason. For his long career, spent entirely with the Mets, Kranepool batted .261 with 1418 hits that included 225 doubles, 25 triples, and 118 home runs. He scored 536 runs and compiled 614 RBIs, a .316 OBP, and a .377 slugging percentage. As a pinch-hitter he batted .277 with 16 doubles, one triple, 55 RBIs, and a .343 OBP. Kranepool appeared in 9 postseason games and hit .238 with a home run and 4 RBIs. 1965 marked his only All-Star selection. A diabetic, he promoted diabetes awareness in the years following his playing career in addition to charitable activities. Kranepool was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 1990. He died in 2024 at age 79.  

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.