Rookie of the Year: John Castino, 1979

Third Baseman, Minnesota Twins

Age:  24

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175

Prior to 1979:

An Illinois native, Castino played basketball and football as well as baseball at New Trier High School. He moved on to Rollins College in Florida where he was offered a dual scholarship in basketball and baseball, a broken hand finishing his college basketball career before it started. Focusing on baseball Castino became a third baseman as a junior. He performed well and was selected by the Twins in the third round of the 1976 amateur draft. First assigned in ‘76 to Wisconsin Rapids of the Class A Midwest League, Castino batted .286 with 6 home runs and 41 RBIs over the course of 65 games. Starting 1977 with Orlando of the Class AA Southern League, Castino hit only .189 in 36 games and was demoted to Visalia of the Class A California League where he raised his average to .327 and hit 16 home runs with 54 RBIs in 72 games. Returning to Orlando in 1978 he produced a .275 average with 11 home runs and 63 RBIs and performed well in the field, leading all Southern League third basemen with 122 put outs and a .967 fielding percentage. Initially slated to play in Class AAA in 1979 Castino made it to the Twins due to back problems that hindered third baseman Mike Cubbage.

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in 148 games

3B – 143, SS – 5, PH – 11, PR – 4

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 445

At Bats – 393

Runs – 49

Hits – 112

Doubles – 13

Triples – 8 [10, tied with Alan Bannister, Mickey Rivers & Lou Whitaker]

Home Runs – 5

RBI – 52

Bases on Balls – 27

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 72

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .285

OBP - .331

Slugging Pct. - .397

Total Bases – 156

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 22 [2]

Sac Flies – 2

Midseason snapshot: 3B – 4, HR – 2, RBI - 31, AVG - .274, OBP - .339

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Kansas City 9/5

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – 1 on five occasions

HR at home – 4

HR on road – 1

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at Toronto 7/15, vs. NY Yankees 9/20

Pinch-hitting/running – 3 of 8 (.375) with 4 R & 2 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 376

Put Outs – 85

Assists – 277

Errors – 14

DP - 31

Pct. - .963

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA (co-winner)

AL ROY Voting:

John Castino, Min..: 7 of 28 votes, 25% share

Alfredo Griffin, Tor.: 7 votes, 25% share

Mark Clear, Cal.: 5 votes, 18% share

Ross Baumgarten, ChiWS.: 3 votes, 11% share

Ron Davis, NYY: 3 votes, 11% share

Pat Putnam, Tex.: 3 votes, 11% share

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Twins went 82-80 to finish fourth in the AL Western Division, 6 games behind the division-winning California Angels. The club got off to a quick 22-8 start and contended until the last week of the season.

Aftermath of ‘79:

Following a slow start in 1980, Castino went on to bat .302 with 23 home runs and 64 RBIs while continuing to perform impressively in the field. The Twins were a last-place club in the strike-interrupted 1981 season but Castino continued to play well, hitting .268 with a league-leading 9 triples to go along with 6 home runs and 36 RBIs. An injury in September aggravated a congenital back problem that required surgery. He returned to the rebuilding Twins in 1982, primarily playing at second base to clear the way for the up-and-coming Gary Gaetti at third. Castino’s batting average dropped to .241 along with 6 home runs and 37 RBIs. He got off to a strong start in 1983 and ended up hitting .277 with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs. Castino reinjured his back in 1984 and chose to retire at age 29. For his career, spent entirely with the Twins, he batted .278 with 646 hits that included 86 doubles, 34 triples, and 41 home runs. He also accumulated 249 RBIs.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

Rookie of the Year: Pat Listach, 1992

Shortstop, Milwaukee Brewers

Age:  25 (Sept. 12)

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 170

Prior to 1992:

A native of Natchitoches, Louisiana, Listach developed his baseball skills from Little League through high school and then moved on to McClennan Junior College in Texas and Arizona State University, after which he was drafted by the Brewers in 1987. First assigned to Beloit of the Class A Midwest League, Listach played 50 games at shortstop and batted .240 with 20 stolen bases. Moving on to Stockton of the Class A California League in 1989 his batting average dropped to .229 while he played at second base as well as shortstop. He was back with Stockton in 1990 where he raised his average to .272 and stole 78 bases while leading the league with 116 runs scored. Listach also led all second basemen with 276 put outs. He spent 1991 with El Paso of the Class AA Texas League and Denver of the Class AAA American Association. He hit a combined .252 and stole 23 bases and primarily saw action at second base and shortstop. Listach was slated to return to the minors in 1992 but was instead called up to the Brewers in April to fill in for injured shortstop Bill Spiers and established himself as the sparkplug of the team’s offense.

1992 Season Summary

Appeared in 149 games

SS – 148, PR – 2, 2B – 1, CF – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 649

At Bats – 579

Runs – 93 [13]

Hits – 168 [17]

Doubles – 19

Triples – 6 [12, tied with Shane Mack & Chuck Knoblauch]

Home Runs – 1

RBI – 47

Bases on Balls – 55

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 124 [12]

Stolen Bases – 54 [2]

Caught Stealing – 18 [2, tied with Chad Curtis]

Average - .290 [15, tied with Dave Winfield]

OBP - .352

Slugging Pct. - .349

Total Bases – 202

GDP – 3

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 12 [4, tied with Steve Sax & Greg Gagne]

Sac Flies – 2

Midseason snapshot: HR - 0, RBI – 21, SB – 29, AVG – .293, OBP - .356

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Detroit 8/22, (in 6 AB) at Toronto 8/28

Longest hitting streak – 17 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 5 AB) at Boston 9/17

HR at home – 0

HR on road – 1

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 2 on eleven occasions

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 .000

Pinxh-running – 1 SB & 2 runs scored

Fielding

Chances – 711

Put Outs – 238

Assists – 449

Errors – 24

DP – 89

Pct. - .966

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

18^th in AL MVP voting (8 points, 2% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Pat Listach, Mil..: 122 pts. – 20 of 28 first place votes, 87% share

Kenny Lofton, Clev..: 85 pts. –7 first place votes, 61% share

Dave Fleming, Sea.: 23 pts. – 16% share

Cal Eldred, Mil.: 22 pts. – 1 first place vote,16% share

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Brewers went 92-70 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, 4 games behind the division-winning Toronto Blue Jays while leading the league in stolen bases (256). Surprise contenders in the AL East, the Brewers went 21-7 in the season’s last month to pull within 2 games of Toronto heading into the final weekend when they were swept by the Yankees.

Aftermath of ‘92:

Listach followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign with an injury-plagued season in 1993 in which he was limited to 98 games and batted .244 with 18 stolen bases and 50 runs scored. Further injuries limited him to just 16 games in the strike-abbreviated 1994 season and significantly robbed him of his speed. Returning in 1995 he appeared in 101 games but hit only .219 with 13 stolen bases. In August of 1996 Listach was traded to the New York Yankees but was returned to the Brewers when it was discovered that he had a broken foot. In 87 games he hit .240 with 25 stolen bases and 51 runs scored and played primarily in the outfield. A free agent in the offseason, he signed with the Houston Astros in 1997, appeared in 52 games in which he batted a paltry .182, and was released in July. Signed by the Cleveland Indians, he was assigned to Buffalo of the American Association where he hit .260 in 25 games. Listach started the 1998 season with Buffalo until he was released in May. The Philadelphia Phillies gave him a trial with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Class AAA International League during which he batted .221 in 55 games, which marked the end of his active playing career. Overall for his major league career, Listach hit .251 with 444 hits that included 63 doubles, 13 triples, and 5 home runs. He also accumulated 143 RBIs and 116 stolen bases. His rookie season was by far the best of his injury-shortened career. Listach went on to become a coach at the major and minor league levels, and managed minor league teams as well.  

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

Rookie of the Year: Jose Fernandez, 2013

Pitcher, Miami Marlins

Age:  21 (July 31)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 240

Prior to 2013:

A native of Santa Clara in Cuba, Fernandez began playing youth baseball there. After his stepfather defected to the United States, he attempted to follow suit. Captured and imprisoned three times, Fernandez finally succeeded in 2008 in a perilous crossing to Florida at age 15 and settled in Tampa the next year. At Braulio Alonso High School he was part of teams that won state championships during his sophomore and senior years. Initially declared ineligible as a senior because he entered the ninth grade in Cuba in 2006 he successfully appealed the ruling and went on to compile a 13-1 record that included two no-hitters, with a 2.34 ERA and 134 strikeouts. Selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft, he received a $2 million signing bonus. Fernandez started a game apiece for two Rookie-level teams in 2011 and was 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA. Moving on to Greensboro of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2012, he went 7-0 with a 1.59 ERA with 99 strikeouts over 79 innings pitched. Moving on to the Jupiter Hammerheads of the advanced Class A Florida State League, Fernandez produced a 7-1 record with a 1.96 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. As a result, instead of being advanced to Class AA, he made the jump to Miami’s opening day roster in 2013 as a result of injuries among the pitching staff.

2013 Season Summary

Appeared in 28 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 28

Games Started – 28

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 12

Losses – 6

PCT - .667 [5, tied with Mat Latos & Mike Leake]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 172.2

Hits – 111

Runs – 47

Earned Runs – 42

Home Runs – 10

Bases on Balls – 58

Strikeouts – 187 [14, tied with Mat Latos]

ERA – 2.19 [2]

Hit Batters – 5

Balks – 1 [14, tied with many others]

Wild Pitches – 3

Midseason Snapshot: 5-5, ERA - 2.75, SO - 103 in 104.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 8 IP) vs. Cleveland 8/2

10+ strikeout games – 4

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 7 IP) at Philadelphia 5/4, vs. Washington 9/6

Batting

PA – 58, AB – 50, R – 5, H – 11, 2B – 1, 3B – 1, HR – 1, RBI – 5, BB – 0, SO – 20, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .220, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances – 38

Put Outs – 22

Assists – 15

Errors – 1

DP – 0

Pct. - .974

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

3^rd in NL Cy Young voting (62 points, 30% share)

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Jose Fernandez, Mia.: 142 pts. – 26 of 30 first place votes, 95% share

Yasiel Puig, LAD: 95 pts. – 4 first place votes, 63% share

Shelby Miller, StL.: 12 pts. – 8% share

Hyun-Jin Ryu, LAD.: 10 pts. – 7% share

Julio Teheran, Atl.: 7 pts. – 5% share

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Marlins went 62-100 to finish fifth in the NL Eastern Division.

Aftermath of ‘13:

Fernandez got off to a 4-2 start with a 2.44 ERA in 2014 when his season was cut short due to having “Tommy John” surgery on his pitching elbow. He returned to the Marlins in July of 2015 and started 11 games, producing a 6-1 record with a 2.92 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched. Fernandez profited from his outstanding fastball, slurve, and changeup. His exuberant personality led to his being nicknamed “Nino” by his teammates. He was an All-Star once again in 2016 as he compiled a 16-8 record with a 2.86 ERA and 253 strikeouts until tragedy struck in September when he was killed in a boating accident off of Miami Beach at age 24. In his all-too- brief career Fernandez went 38-17 with a 2.58 ERA and 589 strikeouts in 471.1 innings pitched. The Marlins retired his #16.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

MVP Profile: Roy Campanella, 1951

Catcher, Brooklyn Dodgers

Age:  29

4^th season with Dodgers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 190

Prior to 1951:

The product of an interracial marriage and a native of Philadelphia, Campanella played football and basketball, as well as baseball, in school. A fine ballplayer he signed with the semipro Bacharach Giants at age 15 in 1937 to play on weekends. His good performance caught the attention of the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League who signed him to back up at catcher on weekends while he continued his schooling. After spending the summer barnstorming with the Elite Giants he quit school at 16 to play baseball full-time. He became the regular catcher for the Elite Giants in 1939 and batted .273. Campanella stayed with the team until 1942 when he jumped to the Monterrey Sultans of the Mexican League due to a contract dispute. With a low draft status during 1942 due to his being married with two young children, he was never called to military service and stayed with Monterrey through the 1943 season before returning to the Elite Giants for two years. Chosen to catch for a black all-star team that played a series of exhibition games against a team made up of major leaguers in Brooklyn. Coming to the attention of the Dodgers as a result, Campanella was signed in 1946. Originally slated to play in the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League, he was rejected because the league refused to integrate. Instead assigned to Nashua of the Class B New England League, Campanella took a pay cut from the $600 per month that he was paid by the Elite Giants to $185 per month to compete against far less experienced players. Campanella distinguished himself by hitting .290 with 13 home runs and 90 RBIs and was chosen as the league’s MVP. In 1947 with Jackie Robinson integrating the NL with the Dodgers, Campanella was assigned to the Montreal Royals of the Class AAA International League and batted .273 with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs. With Brooklyn already in possession of an outstanding catcher in Bruce Edwards, the plan for 1948 was to keep Campanella in the minors. Edwards suffered an arm injury before the season and Campanella started the year with the Dodgers as a backup to Gil Hodges, who filled in behind the plate for Edwards. Campanella was sent down to St. Paul of the Class AAA American Association in May where he went on a tear, hitting .325 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs over the course of 35 games before he was recalled to Brooklyn. The Dodgers were struggling in seventh place at the point that Campanella returned in July. Hodges was moved to first base and Jackie Robinson to second and the team rallied to third place following Campanella’s installation at catcher. In his time with the Dodgers he batted .258 with 9 home runs and 45 RBIs in 83 games. “Campy” followed up with a strong season in 1949, batting .287 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs. He was named an All-Star for the first time and proved to be adept defensively, with great quickness despite his portly build, leading all NL catchers in chances (750) and put outs (684) as well as by throwing out 59% of baserunners who attempted to steal on him. He also proved to be an adept handler of pitchers. Campanella produced a .281 batting average in 1950 with 31 home runs and 89 RBIs. A broken thumb in September cost him 11 games in which the Dodgers struggled on the way to finishing a close second to the Phillies in the NL pennant race.

1951 Season Summary

Appeared in 143 games

C – 140, PH – 9

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 562

At Bats – 505

Runs – 90 [14]

Hits – 164 [12, tied with Ralph Kiner]

Doubles – 33 [3, tied with Jackie Robinson]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 33 [3]

RBI – 108 [4, tied with Stan Musial]

Bases on Balls – 53

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 51

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .325 [4]

OBP - .393 [7, tied with Richie Ashburn]

Slugging Pct. - .590 [3]

Total Bases – 298 [4]

GDP – 19 [6, tied with Pee Wee Reese]

Hit by Pitches – 4 [13, tied with seven others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: HR – 10, RBI – 38, AVG – .326, SLG PCT – .508

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Bos. Braves 5/25, (in 5 AB) vs. Bos. Braves 5/26, (in 4 AB) vs. Bos. Braves 9/3, (in 4 AB) vs. Phila. Phillies 9/23

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 21

HR on road – 12

Most home runs, game – 2 on five occasions

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 5 on five occasions

Pinch-hitting – 3 of 8 (.375) with 1 HR & 2 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 805

Put Outs – 722

Assists – 72

Errors – 11

DP – 12

Pct. - .986

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for NL at C)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Roy Campanella, Brook.: 243 pts. - 11 of 24 first place votes, 72% share

Stan Musial, St.LC.: 191 pts. – 2 first place votes, 57% share

Monte Irvin, NYG.: 166 pts. – 5 first place votes, 49% share

Sal Maglie, NYG.: 153 pts. – 1 first place vote, 46% share

Preacher Rowe, Brook.: 138 pts. – 2 first place votes, 41% share

(1 first place vote apiece for Jackie Robinson, Brook., who ranked sixth, Bobby Thomson, NYG, who ranked eighth & Murry Dickson, Pitt., who ranked ninth)

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Dodgers went 96-58 to finish tied for first in the NL with the New York Giants, which necessitated a season-extending best-of-3 playoff. The teams split the first two contests but the Giants won the deciding game on Bobby Thomson’s walk-off home run. Campanella sat out the last two games of the series with a leg injury as Brooklyn finished second in the NL with a final record of 97-60. The Dodgers led the league in runs scored (855), hits (1511), doubles (249), home runs (184), stolen bases (89), total bases (2386), batting (.275), and batter strikeouts (649). The Dodgers dominated the NL for most of the season and were 13.5 games in front on August 11. The slow-starting Giants put together a 16-game August winning streak and went 20-5 in September to catch Brooklyn and force the climactic playoff.

Aftermath of ‘51:

Campanella suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1952 and his batting average dropped to .269 with 22 home runs and 97 RBIs. He rebounded strongly in 1953 to hit 41 home runs with a league-leading 142 RBIs and batted .312, winning his second NL MVP award as a result. A hand injury that required surgery significantly marred Campanella’s 1954 performance. Appearing in only 111 games he batted just .207 with 19 home runs and 51 RBIs. There was again a solid rebound in 1955 as he won his third MVP award after hitting .318 with 32 home runs and 107 RBIs. The Dodgers won the pennant and the ensuing World Series for the first time in franchise history and Campanella contributed two home runs to the effort. Hand and thumb injuries held him to 124 games in 1956 and his production dropped to 20 home runs, 73 RBIs, and a .219 average in what was his last All-Star season. Having had an offseason hand operation Campanella had another down year in 1957, the last year for the Dodgers in Brooklyn. He appeared in 103 games and batted .242 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. In January of 1958 Campanella was involved in a car accident in which he suffered a broken neck and spinal cord damage that left him paralyzed from the chest down. For his major league career, played entirely with the Dodgers, he batted .276 with 1161 hits that included 178 doubles, 18 triples, and 242 home runs. He also accumulated 856 RBIs. Campanella was an eight-time All-Star as well as three-time National League MVP. The Dodgers retired his #39 and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. The wheelchair-bound Campanella worked for the Dodgers in community relations and as a special instructor during spring training and died at age 71 in 1993.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

Cy Young Profile: Bartolo Colon, 2005

Pitcher, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Age:  32 (May 24)

2^nd season with Angels

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185

Prior to 2005:

A native of the town of Altamira in the Dominican Republic, Colon learned baseball from his father and grew strong working in the fields. He drew attention as a youth league pitcher of large size who lied to suggest that he was two years younger than his actual age. Colon signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1993. In his first professional action in the Dominican Summer League in 1994 he produced a 6-1 record with a 2.59 ERA. Moving on to Burlington of the short-season Appalachian League he was 7-4 with a 3.14 ERA and 84 strikeouts over the course of 66 innings pitched. Colon moved on to Kinston of the Class A Carolina League in 1995 and was honored as the league’s Pitcher of the Year after compiling a 13-3 record with a 1.96 ERA and 152 strikeouts over 128.2 innings pitched although his season was cut short by a bruised elbow. He started out the 1996 season in the Class AA Eastern League before being quickly promoted to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA American Association where a recurrence of the elbow injury knocked him out of action for six weeks. Following an outstanding stint in the Dominican Winter League Colon moved back and forth between Buffalo and the Indians in 1997. He was 7-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 10 Class AAA starts that included a no-hitter and 4-7 with a 5.65 ERA with Cleveland. Most significantly, he had no injury problems. With his outstanding fastball Colon broke out with a 14-9 record and 3.71 ERA for the Indians in 1998, garnering his first All-Star selection. He also went the distance in a win over the Yankees in the ALCS. He followed up with an 18-5 tally and 3.95 ERA in 1999, when he was one of only seven AL starting pitchers to register an ERA under 4.00 and he placed fourth in the league’s Cy Young Award voting. Colon won his last 6 decisions after a slow start due to injury in 2000 to end up at 15-8 with a 3.88 ERA and 212 strikeouts.  In 2001 he was 14-12 with a 4.09 ERA and 201 strikeouts. Colon started the 2002 season with the Indians and was 10-4 with a 2.55 ERA before being traded to the Montreal Expos in June. He was 10-4 again the rest of the way with the Expos to give him a combined record of 20-8 with a 2.93 ERA and 149 strikeouts. He placed sixth in NL Cy Young Award balloting. With the Expos in financial trouble they dealt Colon to the Chicago White Sox in the offseason. He was 15-13 with the White Sox in 2003, with a 3.87 ERA and 9 complete games as he compiled a career-high 242 innings pitched. A free agent after the season, Colon signed a four-year $51 million contract with the Angels. Overweight and out of shape entering into the 2004 season, he had a strong second half to finish at 18-12 with a 5.01 ERA and 158 strikeouts.

2005 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [8, tied with nine others]

Complete Games – 2 [10, tied with fifteen others]

Wins – 21 [1]

Losses – 8

PCT - .724 [3]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 222.2 [7]

Hits – 215 [15]

Runs – 93

Earned Runs – 86

Home Runs – 26 [12, tied with four others]

Bases on Balls – 43

Strikeouts – 157 [8, tied with Daniel Cabrera]

ERA – 3.48 [8]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 1 [12, tied with many others]

Wild Pitches – 2

League-leading wins were +3 ahead of runners-up Jon Garland & Cliff Lee

Midseason Snapshot: 11-5, ERA - 3.42, SO - 89 in 123.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 11 (in 6 IP) at Boston 6/4

10+ strikeout games – 1

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 7.1 IP) at Minnesota 5/1, (in 7 IP) at Oakland 4/15

Batting

PA – 3, AB – 3, R – 0, H – 1, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .333, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 24

Put Outs – 8

Assists – 16

Errors – 0

DP – 0

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching:

G – 2 (ALDS vs. NY Yankees, did not appear in ALCS)

GS – 2, CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 8, H – 10, R – 4, ER – 4, HR – 0, BB – 2, SO – 7, HB – 1, BLK – 0, WP – 0, ERA – 4.50

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

23^rd in AL MVP voting, tied with Grady Sizemore, Clev. (3 points, 1% share)

AL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Bartolo Colon, LAA: 118 pts. – 17 of 28 first place votes, 84% share

Mariano Rivera, NYY: 68 pts. – 8 first place votes, 49% share

Johan Santana, Min.: 51 pts. – 3 first place votes, 36% share

Cliff Lee, Clev.: 8 pts. – 6% share

Mark Buehrle, ChiWS: 5 pts., 4% share

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Angels went 95-67 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 7 games over the Oakland Athletics. The pitching staff led the league in saves (54) and strikeouts (1126). Won ALDS over the New York Yankees, 3 games to 2. Lost ALCS to the Chicago White Sox, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘05:

Suffering from a partial rotator cuff tear in 2006 Colon was limited to 10 games and produced a 1-5 record with a 5.11 ERA. Upon his return in 2007 he was forced to begin the transition from power pitcher to finesse pitcher with good control. His record was a mediocre 6-8 with a 6.34 ERA. He signed a free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox for 2008 and split the season between the Red Sox and Pawtucket of the Class AAA International League. His minor league record was 3-1 with a 2.27 ERA, while with Boston he went 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA in 7 starts. Colon returned to the White Sox as a free agent for $1 million in 2009 where he was hindered by a knee injury and spent time in the minors on rehab assignment before being released in September following a 3-6 record and 4.19 ERA. He sat out the 2010 season due to shoulder issues and received a stem cell transplant. Following a successful winter league stint, Colon signed with the New York Yankees for 2011. Utilized initially as a reliever, he soon moved into the starting rotation and produced an 8-10 record with a 4.00 ERA. Colon next joined the Oakland Athletics, receiving $2 million for one year. He went 10-9 in 24 starts with a 3.43 ERA until August when he was suspended for 50 games for use of a performance-enhancing substance. He returned to the A’s in 2013 and was 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA and registered 3 shutouts. In addition to being an All-Star he finished sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting. In the offseason Colon signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the New York Mets. Turning 41 during the 2014 season Colon, who, now weighing 285 pounds, was nicknamed “Big Sexy”, turned in a solid campaign with a 15-13 record and 4.09 ERA in 31 starts. Colon’s 2015 season with the Mets was highlighted by a 32.2 scoreless innings streak. He finished with a 14-13 tally and 4.16 ERA. In the postseason he became the oldest pitcher to lose a World Series game at age 42 in a Game 1 relief appearance against the Royals. Colon spent one more season with the Mets in 2016, producing a 15-8 record with a 3.43 ERA and he was named as an All-Star for the fourth time in his career. As a batter he hit his first major league home run, making him the oldest player in major league history to do so. Colon spent 2017 with the Atlanta Braves, who released him in July after having gotten off to a 2-8 start with an 8.14 ERA, and the Minnesota Twins, where he produced a 5-6 record and 5.18 ERA over the second half of the season. Moving on to the Texas Rangers in 2018, Colon went 7-12 with a 5.78 ERA over the course of 146.1 innings pitched. Overall for his major league career through 2018 Colon has produced a 247-188 record with a 4.12 ERA and 2535 strikeouts. With the Angels he was 46-33 with a 4.66 ERA and 422 strikeouts. He has been a four-time All-Star, once with the Angels. Utilizing skill and guile, his career lasted far longer than the power behind his fastball.  

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

MVP Profile: George Brett, 1980

Third Baseman, Kansas City Royals

Age:  27 (May 15)

7^th season with Royals

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1980:

Born in West Virginia, Brett grew up in El Segundo, California as the fourth of a string of baseball-playing brothers (another of them, Ken, became a major league pitcher). As a senior shortstop he batted .339 with 7 home runs as the El Segundo High School team won the state championship. Following high school Brett was chosen by the Royals in the second round of the 1971 amateur draft. Playing in the Rookie-level Pioneer League in ‘71 with the Billings Mustangs he was shifted to third base and batted .291 in 68 games. Moving up to San Jose of the Class A California League in 1972 he hit .274 with 10 home runs and 68 RBIs. In 1973 Brett played for Omaha of the Class AAA American Association where he batted .284 with 8 home runs and 64 RBIs, thus earning an August promotion to the Royals. He appeared in 13 games and hit .125. Starting the 1974 season with Omaha Brett returned to the Royals in May and took over at third base. Having difficulty with hitting consistently, he received instruction from esteemed batting instructor Charlie Lau, who changed him from a pull hitter to one who hit to all fields and improved his patience at the plate. Over the course of 133 games he batted .282 with just two home runs and 47 RBIs and impressed with his fielding. He broke out in 1975 with a .308 average and league-leading 195 hits and he also tied for the AL lead with 13 triples. His home run total was a modest 11 but he drove in 90 runs. In 1976 Brett was an All-Star for the first time and narrowly won his first batting title (.333) while once again topping the AL with 215 hits and 14 triples. In one stretch he had six consecutive three-hit games. He finished second in AL MVP voting as the Royals won their first of three straight AL West titles. In 1977 his home run total rose to 22 and he hit .312 with 88 RBIs, along with 32 doubles and 13 triples. Battling injuries in 1978 the home runs dropped to 9 but Brett topped the AL with 45 doubles and he batted .294. While the Royals dropped to second place in 1979 Brett led the AL with 212 hits and 20 triples to go along with his 23 home runs and 107 RBIs. An intense and ever-hustling performer, he was an All-Star for the fourth straight season and well established as one of baseball’s best players.    

1980 Season Summary

Appeared in 117 games

3B – 112, PH – 4, 1B – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 515

At Bats – 449

Runs – 87 [17, tied with Tony Armas & Carney Lansford]

Hits – 175 [15, tied with Tony Armas]

Doubles – 33 [10, tied with Cecil Cooper & Dave Stapleton]

Triples – 9 [6, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 24 [9, tied with Lance Parrish, Jim Rice & Ken Singleton]

RBI – 118 [2, tied with Ben Oglivie]

Bases on Balls – 58

Int. BB – 16 [2]

Strikeouts – 22

Stolen Bases – 15

Caught Stealing – 6

Average - .390 [1]

OBP - .454 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .664 [1]

Total Bases – 298 [8]

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 7 [16, tied with six others]

League-leading batting average was +.038 ahead of runner-up Cecil Cooper

League-leading OBP was +.027 ahead of runner-up Willie Randolph

League-leading slugging pct. was +.067 ahead of runner-up Reggie Jackson

Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) at Milwaukee 8/26

Longest hitting streak – 30 games

HR at home – 13

HR on road – 11

Most home runs, game – 1 on 24 occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Toronto 8/17

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 3 (.333) with 1 HR & 4 RBI

Fielding

Chances - 376

Put Outs – 103

Assists – 256

Errors – 17

DP – 28

Pct. - .955

Postseason Batting: 9 G (ALCS vs. NY Yankees – 3 G; World Series vs. Philadelphia – 6 G)

PA – 38, AB – 35, R – 6, H – 12, 2B – 3,3B – 1, HR – 3, RBI – 7, BB – 3, IBB – 1, SO – 4, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .343, OBP - .395, SLG -.743, TB – 26, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

All-Star

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

George Brett, KC: 335 pts. - 17 of 28 first place votes, 85% share

Reggie Jackson, NYY: 234 pts. –5 first place votes, 60% share

Rich Gossage, NYY: 218 pts. – 4 first place votes, 56% share

Willie Wilson, KC: 169 pts. – 1 first place vote, 43% share

Cecil Cooper, Mil.: 160 pts. – 41% share

(1 first place vote for Rick Cerone, NYY, who ranked seventh)

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Royals went 97-65 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 14 games over the Oakland Athletics while leading the league in hits (1633), triples (59), stolen bases (185), and batting (.286). Won ALCS over the New York Yankees, 3 games to 0, highlighted by Brett’s 3-run home run at Yankee Stadium to cap the sweep. Lost World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘80:

Brett and the Royals had a tougher time during the strike-interrupted 1981 season. Hemorrhoid surgery cost him two weeks during spring training and his batting average dropped to .314 although he was still an All-Star, but his typically affable nature gave way to some temperamental outbursts during the frustrating season. He batted .301 with 21 home runs and 82 RBIs in a 1982 season in which he missed 16 games due to injury. Brett’s 1983 season was highlighted by “The Pine Tar Incident” in which his apparent game-leading home run against the Yankees was negated when New York manager Billy Martin challenged the legality of Brett’s bat due to the extent of pine tar on the handle in violation of major league rules. The umpire crew called Brett out, negating the home run, drawing the protest of a furious Brett. AL President Lee MacPhail ultimately overturned the umpires’ decision. For the year Brett hit .310 with 25 home runs and 93 RBIs and led the AL with a .563 slugging percentage. He missed the first 33 games of the 1984 season due to knee surgery and finished up with 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, and a .284 batting average. Brett followed up with a big year in 1985 in which he hit .335 with 30 home runs and 112 RBIs and finished second in AL MVP voting as the Royals won the pennant and World Series. Brett suffered through injury-marred seasons in 1986 and ’87 and was shifted to first base in ’87 (still garnering All-Star recognition). He bounced back offensively in 1988 to hit .306 with 42 doubles, 24 home runs, and 103 RBIs. Following an off-year in 1989, Brett came back in 1990 to win his third (and final) batting championship with a .329 average to go along with a league-leading 45 doubles, 14 home runs, and 87 RBIs. His career continued until 1993, with Brett primarily appearing as a Designated Hitter in his last few seasons. For his major league career, played exclusively with the Royals, he batted .305 with 3154 hits that included 665 doubles, 137 triples, and 317 home runs. He also compiled 1596 RBIs and scored 1583 runs. In the postseason he added 10 home runs, 23 RBIs, and a .337 average in 43 total games, and was MVP of the 1985 World Series. Brett was a 13-time All-Star and was awarded one Gold Glove and three Silver Sluggers. The Royals retired his #5 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

Cy Young Profile: Mike Scott, 1986

Pitcher, Houston Astros

Age:  31 (Apr. 26)

4^th season with Astros

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1986:

A native of California, Scott captained both the baseball and basketball teams at Hawthorne High School. As a senior he compiled a 9-1 pitching record with a 0.67 ERA. Moving on to Pepperdine University he produced a 26-14 tally and a 2.10 ERA and received All-West Coast Athletic Conference honors three straight years. He was chosen by the New York Mets in the 1976 amateur draft. Assigned to Jackson of the Class AA Texas League he started 7 games in ’76 and was 3-3 with a 2.86 ERA. Returning to Jackson in 1977 Scott compiled a 14-10 record with a 2.94 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 187 innings pitched and ended the year in the Class AAA International League with the Tidewater Tides. He returned to Tidewater in 1978 and was 10-10 with a 3.94 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 192 innings pitched. Scott started the 1979 season with the Mets and was sent back to Tidewater in June where he produced an 8-4 record with a 3.18 ERA and returned to the parent club in a late-season call-up. In his stints with the Mets Scott appeared in 18 games, 9 of them starts, and was 1-3 with a 5.33 ERA. Scott was with Tidewater for further seasoning in 1980 and went 13-7 with a 2.96 ERA before receiving another late-season call-up to the Mets where he started six games and produced a 1-1 record with a 4.30 ERA. Sticking with the Mets in 1981, Scott was a mediocre 5-10 in 23 starts with a 3.90 ERA. The situation was no better in 1982 as he started 22 of his 37 appearances and went 7-13 with a 5.14 ERA. Considered to be a huge disappointment thus far, the Mets traded Scott to the Astros in the offseason for OF/1B Danny Heep. He missed the first month of the 1983 season due to shoulder tendinitis but went on to start 24 games and compile a respectable 10-6 record with a 3.72 ERA. Scott fell to 5-11 with a 4.68 ERA in 1984. In the offseason he learned how to throw the split-fingered fastball and turned his career around. He improved to 18-8 with a 3.29 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 1985, although accusations of ball-scuffing came to be levelled at him and would follow into the ’86 season.

1986 Season Summary

Appeared in 38 games

P – 37, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 37

Games Started – 37 [4, tied with Bill Gullickson]

Complete Games – 7 [8, tied with five others]

Wins – 18 [3, tied with Bob Ojeda]

Losses – 10

PCT - .643 [8]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 5 [1, tied with Bob Knepper]

Innings Pitched – 275.1 [1]

Hits – 182

Runs – 73

Earned Runs – 68

Home Runs – 17 [20, tied with six others]

Bases on Balls – 72 [19]

Strikeouts – 306 [1]

ERA – 2.22 [1]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 3

League-leading innings pitched were +6 ahead of runner-up Fernando Valenzuela

League-leading strikeouts were +64 ahead of runner-up Fernando Valenzuela

League-leading ERA was -0.35 lower than runner-up Bob Ojeda

Midseason Snapshot: 9-6, 2.29 ERA, SO – 167 in 161 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 8.1 IP) at San Diego 9/14

10+ strikeout games – 11

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 0 (in 9 IP) vs. San Francisco 9/25 (No-hitter with 2 BB, 1 HB & 13 strikeouts. Astros won 2-0)

Batting

PA – 107, AB – 95, R – 7, H – 12, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 2, SO – 48, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .126, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 10, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 65

Put Outs – 24

Assists – 39

Errors – 2

DP – 2

Pct. - .969

Postseason Pitching:

G – 2 (NLCS vs. NY Mets)

GS – 2, CG – 2, Record – 2-0, PCT – 1.000, SV – 0, ShO – 1, IP – 18, H – 8, R – 1, ER – 1, HR – 0, BB – 1, SO – 19, ERA – 0.50, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0  NLCS MVP

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

10^th in NL MVP voting (33 points, 10% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Mike Scott, Hou.: 98 pts. – 15 of 24 first place votes, 82% share

Fernando Valenzuela, LAD: 88 pts. – 9 first place votes, 73% share

Mike Krukow, SF.: 15 pts. – 13% share

Bob Ojeda, NYM.: 9 pts. – 8% share

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Astros went 96-66 to finish first in the NL Western Division by 10 games over the Cincinnati Reds. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (19), saves (51), strikeouts (1160), fewest hits allowed (1203), and fewest runs allowed (569). Relying on pitching, speed, and defense the Astros clinched the AL West title on Scott’s September no-hitter. Lost NLCS to the New York Mets, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘86:

Scott followed up with a 16-13 record in 1987 with a 3.23 ERA and 233 strikeouts while the Astros dropped to third place and 76-86. He was again an All-Star selection and finished seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting. Still a solid pitcher in 1988 Scott produced a 14-8 record with a 2.92 ERA and 190 strikeouts. Scott’s last significant year was in 1989 when he was 20-10 with 3.10 ERA and 172 strikeouts and he finished second in NL Cy Young Award balloting. Troubled with a sore shoulder in 1990, Scott fell to 9-13 with a 3.81 ERA, although he still pitched 205.2 innings. Off to a poor start in 1991 Scott, suffering from extreme shoulder pain, ended his career at age 36. Overall he compiled a 124-108 major league record with a 3.54 ERA and 1469 strikeouts in 2068.2 innings pitched. With the Astros he was 110-81 with a 3.30 ERA and 1318 strikeouts over 1704 innings. He was a three-time All-Star and the Astros retired his #33.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.