Rookie of the Year: Johnny Bench, 1968

Catcher, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  20

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 197

Prior to 1968:

Bench, a native of Oklahoma, was an All-State performer in both baseball and basketball in high school and was his class valedictorian as well. He was chosen by the Reds in the first amateur free agent draft in 1965 and followed up a promising season with Tampa of the Class A Florida State League by achieving Player of the Year recognition after batting .294 with 22 home runs with the Peninsula Grays of the Class A Carolina League in 1966. Following promotion to Class AAA Buffalo, he suffered a broken thumb that ended his ’66 campaign. Returning to Buffalo in 1967 Bench hit 23 home runs while batting .259 and impressed with his defensive play behind the plate. He was selected as Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News after the season and was promoted to the Reds for the last month of the ’67 season, hitting a meager .163 with a home run and 6 RBIs in 26 games.

1968 Season Summary

Appeared in 154 games

C – 152

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 607

At Bats – 564 [20]

Runs – 67

Hits – 155 [17]

Doubles – 40 [3]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 15 [16, tied with Mike Shannon & Ed Charles]

RBI – 82 [9]

Bases on Balls – 31

Int. BB – 8

Strikeouts – 96 [12, tied with Orlando Cepeda]

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .275

OBP - .311

Slugging Pct. - .433 [14]

Total Bases – 244 [12]

GDP – 14 [17, tied with Donn Clendenon, Ron Swoboda & Tony Gonzalez]

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 2

Sac Flies – 8 [2, tied with Willie McCovey & Donn Clendenon]

Midseason snapshot: HR - 7, RBI - 44, AVG - .267, OBP - .300

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) at Pittsburgh 7/23 – 12 innings

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – one on 15 occasions

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 5

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Pittsburgh 5/19

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 4 (.000) with 1 R

Fielding

Chances – 1053

Put Outs – 942

Assists – 102

Errors – 9

DP - 10

Pct. - .991

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

Gold Glove

16^th in NL MVP voting (11 points, 4% share)

NL ROY Voting:

Johnny Bench, Cin.: 10.5 of 20 votes, 52.5% share

Jerry Koosman, NYM.: 9.5 votes, 47.5% share

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Reds went 83-79 to finish fourth in the NL, 14 games behind the pennant-winning St. Louis Cardinals while leading the league in batting (.273), runs scored (690), hits (1573), and slugging percentage (.389).  

Aftermath of ‘68:

The first catcher to receive Rookie of the Year honors, Bench followed up with 26 home runs, 90 RBIs, and a .293 batting average in 1969, again receiving an All-Star selection and Gold Glove. He broke out in a big way in 1970, leading the NL in home runs (45) and RBIs (148) and being chosen as league MVP. The heavy-hitting Reds won the NL pennant as well. Bench was MVP for a second time in 1972, when he again topped the league in home runs (40) and RBIs (125) for a pennant-winning club. With outstanding ability behind the plate that included an excellent throwing arm, Bench won 10 Gold Gloves and was selected to 14 All-Star Games over the course of a career that lasted until 1983 and included being part of two World Series-winning Cincinnati squads. Capable of playing at first base and in the outfield to reduce wear on his body from catching, Bench ultimately ended up appearing primarily at third and first base in the final stages of his Hall of Fame career (he was elected in 1989).  Overall in a tenure spent entirely with the Reds, who retired his #5, he hit 389 home runs with 1376 RBIs and a .267 batting average. Bench had another 10 home runs and 20 RBIs in 45 postseason games and was named MVP of the 1976 World Series.

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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: Tommie Agee, 1966

Outfielder, Chicago White Sox

Age:  24 (Aug. 9)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 195

Prior to 1966:

A native of Alabama, Agee starred in baseball and football in high school at Mobile County Training School. He went on to Grambling State University on a baseball scholarship and signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1961. He batted .261 with 15 home runs while playing for Dubuque of the Class D Midwest League in 1961 and followed up with a .258 average with Burlington in Class B in ’62, before being briefly promoted to the AAA Jacksonville Suns and for a brief late-season stint with the Indians in ’62. He moved between the minors and the parent club several times in 1963 and ’64 before being traded to the White Sox in 1965 along with LHP Tommy John and catcher John Romano. A broken hand in spring training hindered his progress, and he hit only .226 with Class AAA Indianapolis, but Agee benefited from winter action in the Florida Instructional League. With good speed and power potential with his bat, Agee took over the starting center field job from opening day in 1966.

1966 Season Summary

Appeared in 160 games

CF – 156, LF – 8, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 689 [4]

At Bats – 629 [2]

Runs – 98 [3, tied with Norm Cash]

Hits – 172 [4]

Doubles – 27 [10, tied with Harmon Killebrew & Mike Hershberger]

Triples – 8 [4, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 22 [19]

RBI – 86 [11]

Bases on Balls – 41

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 127 [3]

Stolen Bases – 44 [3]

Caught Stealing – 18 [2]

Average - .273 [15]

OBP - .326 [19]

Slugging Pct. - .447 [13]

Total Bases – 281 [5]

GDP – 17 [6, tied with four others]

Hit by Pitches – 10 [2, tied with Frank Robinson & Fred Valentine]

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: HR - 9, RBI – 38, AVG - .264, SB – 27, OBP - .321

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. Detroit 8/31

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

Most HR, game – 1 on 22 occasions

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Baltimore 9/2

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 395

Put Outs – 376

Assists – 12

Errors – 7

DPs – 7

Pct. - .982

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

8^th in AL MVP voting (63 points, 23% share)

  

AL ROY Voting:

Tommie Agee, ChiWS.: 16 of 20 votes, 80% share

Jim Nash, KC.: 2 votes, 10% share

Dave Johnson, Balt.: 1 vote, 5 % share

George Scott, Bos.: 1 vote, 5% share

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White Sox went 83-79 to finish fourth in the AL, 15 games behind the pennant-winning Baltimore Orioles while leading the league in stolen bases (153) and fielding errors (160).   

Aftermath of ‘66:

Agee’s hitting tailed off in 1967 as he sought to cut down on strikeouts (he ended up with two more than in ’66, a total of 129). Still a fine fielder, he was again an All-Star selection, but finished off the year with a .234 average and just 10 home runs. In the offseason Agee was traded to the New York Mets along with infielder Al Weis, where he was reunited with former high school teammate OF Cleon Jones. Following a poor 1968 season at the plate, as he hit just .217 for the ninth-place club, Agee became a key player as the Mets won the NL pennant and World Series in 1969, typically batting leadoff and hitting .271 with 26 home runs and playing a solid center field. He received a Gold Glove for his outfield play in 1970, a year in which he hit 24 home runs, knocked in 75 runs, stole 31 bases and batted .286. Knee problems hindered Agee’s performance in 1971 and ’72 and he was dealt to the Houston Astros for 1973. He was traded to St. Louis in August and he finished the year with 11 home runs, 22 RBIs, and a .222 batting average. Traded once again, this time to the Dodgers, he was released during spring training in 1974, thus ending his career.  Overall in the major leagues, Agee batted .255 with 130 home runs, 433 RBIs, and 167 stolen bases. Of that, 36 home runs, 141 RBIs, and 72 stolen bases came with the White Sox, where his average was .254 and he had his only two All-Star Game appearances. Agee was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2002, a year after his death at age 58 from a heart attack.

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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: Ernie Banks, 1958

Shortstop, Chicago Cubs

Age: 27

6th season with Cubs

Bats – Right, Throws – Right
Height: 6’1”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1958:

Banks, a native of Dallas, Texas, was signed away from the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs by the Cubs.  Moving directly to the major league club, he played in the last ten games for the Cubs in 1953 and took over at shortstop in ’54. He was selected to the All-Star game for the first time in 1955, a season in which he totaled 44 home runs (a record 5 of them grand slams) and 117 RBIs. After playing in 424 straight games, an infection in his right hand sidelined him for part of the ’56 season and his numbers dropped accordingly. But he was back over forty home runs in 1957 (43) and a hundred RBIs (102) while playing in every contest.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in 154 games

SS – 154

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 682 [3]

At Bats – 617 [1]

Runs – 119 [2]

Hits – 193 [4]

Doubles – 23

Triples – 11 [2, tied with Willie Mays & Bill Virdon]

Home Runs – 47 [1]

RBI – 129 [1]

Bases on Balls – 52 [19, tied with Gil Hodges & Bill Virdon]

Int. BB – 12 [4, tied with Willie Mays]

Strikeouts – 87 [5, tied with Gil Hodges]

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 4 [14, tied with four others]

Average - .313 [6]

OBP - .366 [9]

Slugging Pct. - .614 [1]

Total Bases – 379 [1]

GDP – 14

Hit by Pitches – 4 [15, tied with eleven others]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 8 [2, tied with four others]

League-leading at bats were +2 ahead of runner-up Richie Ashburn

League-leading home runs were +12 ahead of runner-up Frank Thomas

League-leading RBIs were +20 ahead of runner-up Frank Thomas

League-leading slugging pct. was +.031 ahead of runner-up Willie Mays

League-leading total bases were +29 ahead of runner-up Willie Mays

Midseason snapshot: HR – 21, RBI - 59, AVG. – 303, SLG PCT.- 602

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Philadelphia 6/3, (in 6 AB) vs. San Francisco 8/5 – 10 innings, (in 5 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 9/21

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 30

HR on road – 17

Most home runs, game – 2 on six occasions

Multi-HR games – 6

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Pittsburgh 8/21

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding 

Chances – 792

Put Outs – 292

Assists – 468

Errors – 32

DP – 100

Pct. - .960

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (started for NL at SS)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Ernie Banks, ChiC.: 283 pts. - 16 of 24 first place votes, 84% share

Willie Mays, SF: 185 pts. – 3 first place votes, 55% share

Hank Aaron, Mil: 166 pts. – 49% share

Frank Thomas, Pitt.: 143 pts. – 2 first place votes, 43% share

Warren Spahn, Mil.: 108 pts. – 1 first place vote, 32% share

(1 first place vote apiece for Bill Mazeroski, Pitt., who ranked eighth and Bob Skinner, Pitt., who ranked 15th)

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Cubs went 72-82 to finish tied for fifth place in the NL with the St. Louis Cardinals, 20 games behind the pennant-winning Milwaukee Braves, while leading the league in home runs (182) and slugging percentage (.426).

Aftermath of ‘58:

Banks repeated as NL MVP in 1959 as he led the league with 143 RBIs. He had his fourth straight 40-home run season in ’60 (a league-leading 41). Sure-handed at shortstop but without much range, Banks was moved to first base full time in 1962, following a trial in left field in ‘61. Despite issues with injuries and illness, he played until age 40 in 1971, ending up with a total of 512 home runs, 2583 hits, and a .274 lifetime batting average. He had 30 or more home runs in seven seasons and reached 100 RBIs eight times. With a pleasant and friendly personality, Banks was highly popular with Cubs fans, a team he played with for all his 19 major league seasons (without ever seeing postseason action), and his #14 was retired by the club. The player known as “Mr. Cub” was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.

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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.

MVP & Cy Young Profile: Roger Clemens, 1986

Pitcher, Boston Red Sox

Age:  24 (Aug. 4)

3^rd season in major leagues & with Red Sox

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 205

Prior to 1986:

A native of Ohio who moved to Texas in high school, Clemens attended San Jacinto Junior College, which had a strong baseball program, before moving on to the University of Texas, passing up a contract offer from the New York Mets, who drafted him as an amateur in 1981. He was a power-pitching member of the Texas squad that won the 1983 College World Series before signing with the Red Sox, who made him a first round draft pick that year. The highly driven Clemens climbed readily through Boston’s minor league system and joined the parent club in 1984. Somewhat unsteady as a rookie, Clemens compiled a 9-4 record with a 4.32 ERA and was shut down in September due to a tendon injury in his pitching arm. Several injuries marred his 1985 season that concluded with surgery on his right shoulder after posting a 7-5 record with 3.29 ERA in just 15 starts.

1986 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [15, tied with ten others]

Complete Games – 10 [8, tied with Kirk McCaskill & Dennis Boyd]

Wins – 24 [1]

Losses – 4

PCT - .857 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1

Innings Pitched – 254 [5]

Hits – 179

Runs – 77

Earned Runs – 70

Home Runs – 21

Bases on Balls – 67

Strikeouts – 238 [2]

ERA – 2.48 [1]

Hit Batters – 4

Balks – 3 [6, tied with four others]

Wild Pitches – 11 [9]

League-leading wins were +3 ahead of runner-up Jack Morris

League-leading win percentage was +.107 ahead of runner-up Dennis Rasmussen

League-leading ERA was -0.31 lower than runner-up Teddy Higuera

Midseason Snapshot: 15-2, ERA - 2.48, SO - 146 in 145 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 20 (in 9 IP) vs. Seattle 4/29 (set MLB record)

10+ strikeout games – 8

Fewest hits allowed, game – 2 (in 9 IP) at Texas 5/25, (in 9 IP) at California 7/25, (in 9 IP) at Minnesota 8/20

Fielding

Chances – 52

Put Outs – 27

Assists – 21

Errors – 4

DP – 0

Pct. - .923

Postseason Pitching:

G – 5 GS – 5 (ALCS vs. California – 3G; World Series vs. NY Mets – 2G)

CG – 0, Record – 1-1, PCT – .500, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 34, H – 31, R – 17, ER – 15, HR – 1, BB – 13, SO – 28, ERA – 3.97, HB – 2, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Starting P for AL)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Roger Clemens, Bos. 339 pts. – 19 of 28 first place votes, 86% share

Don Mattingly, NYY: 258 pts. – 5 first place votes, 66% share

Jim Rice, Bos.: 241 pts. – 4 first place votes, 61% share

George Bell, Tor: 125 pts. – 32% share

Jesse Barfield, Tor.: 107 pts. – 27% share

AL Cy Young voting:

Roger Clemens, Bos.: 140 pts. – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Teddy Higuera, Mil.: 42 pts. – 30% share

Mike Witt, Cal.: 35 pts. – 25% share

Dave Righetti, NYY: 20 pts. – 14% share

Jack Morris, Det.: 13 pts. – 9% share

Mark Eichhorn, Tor.: 2 pts. – 1% share

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Red Sox went 95-66 to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 5.5 games over the New York Yankees. Won ALCS over California Angels, 4 games to 3, overcoming a 3-1 deficit. Lost World Series to New York Mets, 4 games to 3, facilitated by a dramatic sixth-game collapse in the tenth inning.

Aftermath of ‘86:

“The Rocket” spent ten more seasons with the Red Sox, often highlighted by controversy. He briefly walked out during spring training in 1987 over a contract dispute and overcame a slow 4-6 start to end up with another Cy Young Award-winning season, ultimately posting a 20-9 record with the fifth place Red Sox. In 1988 he returned to the All-Star Game and compiled an 18-12 tally and topped the AL in complete games (18) and shutouts (7). Boston returned to the top of the AL East. Clemens led the AL in ERA for three straight years from 1990 to ’92 and won a third Cy Young Award in 1991. His performance slipped thereafter as his record dropped to 11-14 with a 4.46 ERA in 1993, and after a fair year in 1994, he slipped badly again in ’95. Clemens had another 20-strikeout single-game performance in 1996 on his way to a 10-13 record with a league-leading 257 strikeouts. “The Rocket” signed a three-year free agent contract worth $24.75 million with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 and won the AL Cy Young Award that year with a fifth-place team that went 76-86 and again in 1998, when he was 20-6 and topped the circuit in ERA (2.65) and strikeouts (271). The Blue Jays rose to third at 88-74 and Clemens requested a trade to a contending team and was dealt to the New York Yankees just prior to the ’99 season. Clemens spent five years with the Yanks, who won three AL pennants and two World Series titles during that time. “The Rocket” won another Cy Young Award in 2001 and compiled 77 wins in all during that period. Hinting at retirement in 2003, he moved on to the Houston Astros as a free agent in 2004 and had an 18-4 record with a 2.98 ERA and received a seventh Cy Young Award. At age 43 in 2005, he led the NL with a 1.87 ERA as the Astros won the league pennant for the first time in franchise history. Clemens re-signed with Houston in ’06 and ended up with a 7-6 record and 2.30 ERA while the club failed to reach the postseason. Clemens returned to the Yankees for one final year in 2007. Clemens returned to organized baseball in 2012 at the age of 50, appearing with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. He started two games and had no decisions.  Overall in the major leagues, he had a 354-184 record and 3.12 ERA with 4672 strikeouts over the course of 4916.2 innings. In the postseason he was 12-8 with a 3.75 ERA and 173 strikeouts. His numbers with Boston alone were 192-111 with a 3.06 ERA and 2590 strikeouts. Controversy erupted over his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs during the later stages of his career, thus far keeping him from gaining election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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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 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.  

Rookie of the Year: Curt Blefary, 1965

Outfielder, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  22 (July 5)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1965:

Having grown up in Mahwah, NJ, where he starred in baseball and football in high school, Blefary was signed by the New York Yankees out of Wagner College in 1962. Waived after two minor league seasons, he was claimed by the Orioles. Following a 31-home run season with Rochester in the Class AAA International League in 1964, he earned a chance with the parent club in ’65. Initially platooned to avoid lefthanded pitchers, Blefary proved that he could succeed as an everyday player.

1965 Season Summary

Appeared in 144 games

LF – 63, RF – 73, PH – 12

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 561

At Bats – 462

Runs – 72 [19, tied with Jerry Lumpe & Al Kaline]

Hits – 120

Doubles – 23 [16, tied with six others]

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 22 [11, tied with Lee Thomas]

RBIs – 70

Bases on Balls – 88 [2]

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 73

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .260

OBP - .381 [3]

Slugging Pct. - .470 [9]

Total Bases – 217

GDP – 10

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 7

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: HR - 13, RBI - 40, AVG - .272, SLG - .510

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Cleveland 7/3

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Boston 4/17, (in 4 AB) vs. Cleveland 7/3, (in 4 AB) vs. Cleveland 9/5

HR at home – 11

HR on road – 11

Multi-HR games – 3

Grand Slams – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Cleveland 9/5

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 9 (.111) with 2 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 242

Put Outs – 227

Assists – 10

Errors – 5

DP -3

Pct. - .979

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting:

Curt Blefary, Balt.: 12 of 20 votes, 60% share

Marcelino Lopez, Cal.: 8 votes, 40% share

Orioles went 94-68 to finish third in the AL, eight games behind the pennant-winning Minnesota Twins.    

Aftermath of ‘65:

Blefary shifted to left field in 1966, where his defensive play improved (his early limitations led to his being nicknamed “Clank”), and he contributed to Baltimore’s World Series-winning season offensively with 23 home runs, 64 RBIs, and a .255 batting average. The temperamental slugger hit 22 home runs and knocked in a career-high 81 RBIs in 1967 while his batting average dropped to .242. Blefary saw considerable action at first base as well as the outfield and was also utilized as a catcher in ’68, and the juggling of positions seemed to damage his offensive performance, with his home runs dropping to 15 and RBIs to 39, and batting average to .200 in a season in which pitching dominated overall. The Orioles traded Blefary to Houston as part of the deal that brought LHP Mike Cuellar to Baltimore. A misfit with the Astros who played poorly at first base, he hit 12 home runs and knocked in 67 runs in 1969, while batting .253. In the offseason Blefary was traded again, this time to the Yankees. He was utilized primarily as an outfielder/first baseman and pinch hitter with New York, until traded once again early in the ’71 season to Oakland. While the A’s were on the rise, Blefary wasn’t, and he batted just .241 with five home runs in his 58-game stint with the club before being traded one last time, to San Diego in May of 1972. After hitting just .196 as a utility player for the remainder of ‘72, he was released by the Padres. An attempt to catch on with Atlanta in the spring of 1973 failed, ending his career. Overall, Blefary hit 112 home runs with 382 RBIs and a .237 batting average. 82 of the home runs, 254 RBIs and a .239 average occurred with the Orioles, the team with which he demonstrated early promise.  

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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: Hank Aaron, 1957

Outfielder, Milwaukee Braves

Age:  23

4^th season with Braves

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 170

Prior to 1957:

A native of Mobile, Alabama Aaron, who was a shortstop playing sandlot ball, started out professionally with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League in 1952, utilizing a cross-handed batting grip that he eliminated before moving on to the majors. He signed with the Braves and joined the club in 1954 after two minor league seasons, one in which he led the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League in batting (.362). Joining the Braves in 1954, he was installed in the outfield and was selected to his first All-Star Game in 1955, a season in which he led the NL in doubles (37) and formed a highly productive slugging duo with third baseman Eddie Mathews. An impressive “bad ball” hitter with his quick wrists and line-drive power, he topped the league in batting (.328) and hits (200), and once again in doubles (34) in 1956. Apart from his outstanding hitting and fielding, he was known for his calm and serene demeanor from the time he came up with the Braves until the end of his career.

1957 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

RF – 84, CF – 69, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 675 [7]

At Bats – 615 [5]

Runs – 118 [1]

Hits – 198 [2]

Doubles – 27 [15, tied with Bill Mazeroski & Danny O’Connell]

Triples – 6 [18, tied with Ernie Banks & Bob Skinner]

Home Runs – 44 [1]

RBI – 132 [1]

Bases on Balls – 57 [17]

Int. BB – 15 [2, tied with Willie Mays]

Strikeouts – 58

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .322 [3, tied with Frank Robinson]

OBP - .378 [8, tied with Dale Long]

Slugging Pct. - .600 [3]

Total Bases – 369 [1]

GDP – 13 [13, tied with six others]

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 3

League-leading runs were +5 ahead of runner-up Ernie Banks

League-leading home runs were +1 ahead of runner-up Ernie Banks

League-leading RBIs were +27 ahead of runner-up Del Ennis

League-leading total bases were +3 ahead of runner-up Willie Mays

Midseason snapshot: 27 HR, 73 RBI, .347 AVG., .659 SLG PCT.

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Pittsburgh 5/2 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 18

HR on road – 26

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh, (in 5 AB) at Cincinnati 8/15

Multi-HR games – 2

Grand Slams – 1

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Chi. Cubs 9/2

Pinch-hitting – 1 PA, 1 BB, no at bats

Fielding

Chances – 361

Put Outs – 346

Assists – 9

Errors – 6

DP – 0

Pct. - .983

Postseason: 7 G (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 29, AB – 28, R – 5, H – 11, 2B – 0, 3B – 1, HR – 3, RBI – 7, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 6, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .393, OBP - .414, SLG - .786, TB – 22, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for NL in RF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Hank Aaron, Mil.: 239 pts. - 9 of 24 first place votes, 71% share

Stan Musial, StL.: 230 pts. – 5 first place votes, 68% share

Red Schoendienst, NYG/Mil.: 221 pts. – 8 first place votes, 66% share

Willie Mays, NYG: 174 pts. – 1 first place vote, 52% share

Warren Spahn, Mil.: 131 pts. – 1 first place vote, 39% share

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Braves went 95-59 to win NL pennant by 8 games over St. Louis Cardinals after finishing second the previous two years. They led the NL in runs scored (772) and home runs (199). Won World Series over New York Yankees, 4 games to 3.  

Aftermath of ‘57:

Aaron hit 30 home runs, knocked in 95, and batted .326 as the Braves again won the NL pennant in 1958. Aaron won a second batting title in 1959 (.355) while also topping the NL in hits (223) and slugging percentage (.636) and total bases (400) to go along with 46 doubles, 39 home runs, and 123 RBIs. Still outstanding in 1960 although his average dropped to .292, Aaron topped the league in RBIs (126) and total bases (334) while producing 40 home runs, a .352 OBP, and a .556 slugging percentage. An outstanding outfielder in addition to his hitting, Aaron was most comfortable in right field but often saw action in center, as was the case in 1961. His offense never suffered and he led the NL in total bases for the third straight year with 358 and also topped the circuit in doubles (39) to go along with 10 triples, 34 home runs, 120 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, a .381 OBP, and a .594 slugging percentage. The player known as “Hammerin’ Hank” or “Bad Henry” maintained his excellence in 1962. Helped by an August surge he finished at .323 with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 45 home runs, 128 RBIs, a .390 OBP, and a .618 slugging percentage. In 1963 he led the NL in runs scored (121), home runs (44), RBIs (130), slugging percentage (.586), and total bases (370). He also stole 31 bases. Aaron batted .328 in 1964 but his home run total dropped to 24 although he drove in 95 runs with a .393 OBP and .514 slugging percentage helped along by his 30 doubles. In 1965, following ankle surgery, he went on to hit .318 with a league-leading 40 doubles,32 home runs, and relatively modest total of 89 RBIs. His OBP was .379 and he produced a .560 slugging percentage. With the Braves move to Atlanta in 1966 Aaron’s average dropped to .279 but he topped the league in home runs (44) and RBIs (127) and had a .356 OBP and .539 slugging percentage. He again led the league in home runs with 39 in 1967, and also topped the NL with 113 runs scored, a .573 slugging percentage, and 344 total bases. Aaron followed up with another solid performance in the pitching-dominated 1968 season, batting .287 with 33 doubles, 29 home runs, a disappointing 86 RBIs, 28 steals, a .354 OBP, and a .498 slugging percentage. In the first season of divisional play in 1969, the Braves won the NL West and “Hammerin’ Hank” contributed by hitting..300 with 30 doubles, 44 home runs, 97 RBIs, a .396 OBP, and a .607 slugging percentage. Atlanta was swept by the New York Mets in the first NLCS despite Aaron’s 3 homers and 7 RBIs. Having already surpassed 500 career home runs, he reached 3000 hits in 1970, while batting .298 with 38 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .385 OBP, and a .574 slugging percentage and showing no sign of slowing down at age 36. Playing primarily at first base in 1971, Aaron kept up his hitting production by batting .327 with a career-high 47 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .410 OBP, and a league-leading .669 slugging percentage. He placed third in league MVP voting. The story for the next two seasons was Aaron’s advance toward the career home run record. He added 34 home runs in 1972 to put him 41 behind Babe Ruth’s mark, although his RBI total dropped to 77 and he hit only .265. A 40-homer season in 1973 left him one short of the record which he tied in the first game of the 1974 season in Cincinnti and broke at home four days later. He went on to appear in only 112 games that season, mostly in left field, and batted .268 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, a .341 OBP, and a .491 slugging percentage at age 40. In the offseason he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing him back to the city where he had achieved much success, in return for outfielder Dave May and a minor league pitcher. Aaron spent two seasons with the Brewers, utilized almost exclusively as a Designated Hitter and retired following the 1976 season with a final total of 755 home runs, which remained as the MLB record until 2007. His 3771 hits ranked second at the time his career ended and 2297 RBIs placed first. Aaron batted .305 (.310 with the Braves alone), with 624 doubles and 98 triples. He had seven 40-homer seasons and scored 2174 runs along with a .374 OBP and .555 slugging percentage. While not primarily known for his base stealing, he finished with 240 steals and reached double figures in every season from 1960 to ’68. Appearing in 17 postseason games, he hit .362 with 6 home runs and 16 RBIs. Aaron was a 25-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves for his play in right field. The Braves and Brewers both retired his #44. The unpretentious and workmanlike Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His brother Tommie, primarily an outfielder and first baseman, played in 437 games with the Braves spread out over seven years. He hit 13 home runs, giving the siblings a combined total of 768. Aaron served as vice president of player development for the Braves following his retirement as a player. Among many honors he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. A respected baseball elder statesman, he died in 2021 at the age of 86. Following his stressful pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record, he summed up his approach and perspective by saying, “I’m not trying to make anyone forget the Babe, but only to remember Hank Aaron.” Often overshadowed by contemporaries such as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle during his long career, in the end he out-slugged them all.

[Revised 9/22/25]

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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: Randy Johnson, 1999

Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks

Age:  36 (Sept. 10)

1^st season with Diamondbacks

Bats – Right, Throws – Left

Height: 6’10” Weight: 225

Prior to 1999:

A native of California, Johnson starred in baseball and basketball in high school. He received a scholarship to USC for both sports and was originally drafted as an amateur by the Braves in 1982, without signing a contract. Johnson spent three seasons playing college baseball and was drafted by Montreal in 1985, this time signing. With his great pitching speed, he moved up quickly through the minor league system, where he worked on his control. Johnson made his first major league appearance with the Expos late in the 1988 season and started four games, compiling a 3-0 record and 2.42 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 26 innings. Off to an 0-4 start in 1989, “The Big Unit” was traded to Seattle in May and went 7-9 in 22 starts with his new club and had a 4.40 ERA. In 1990, Johnson pitched the first no-hitter in franchise history against Detroit as part of a breakout season in which he compiled a 14-11 record with 3.65 ERA and continued to struggle with his control while leading the AL with 120 walks to go along with 194 strikeouts in 219.2 innings. He was also chosen to his first All-Star game. Continuing to improve, Johnson accumulated over 200 strikeouts for the first time in 1991 (228) and led the league for the first of four consecutive years with 241 in ’92 (the last of three straight seasons in which he topped the circuit in walks). He was again an All-Star in 1993, a year in which he compiled a 19-8 record and was 13-6 during the strike-abbreviated 1994 season. In 1995 the Mariners reached the postseason for the first time in franchise history and Johnson contributed mightily with an 18-2 record and AL-leading 294 strikeouts and 2.48 ERA. He received the AL Cy Young Award for his performance. In 1996 major back surgery limited “The Big Unit” to eight games, but he rebounded with a 20-4 record and 291 strikeouts in ’97. With talk of a trade swirling throughout the 1998 season, Johnson got off to a 9-10 record and 4.33 ERA before being dealt to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline. He helped his new club to a division title with a 10-1 record and 1.28 ERA. Entering the free agent market, Johnson signed a four-year contract worth $52 million with the second-year Diamondbacks in 1999.  

1999 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35

Games Started – 35 [1, tied with four others]

Complete Games – 12 [1]

Wins – 17 [8, tied with Pedro Astacio]

Losses – 9

PCT - .654 [9]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [2, tied with five others]

Innings Pitched – 271.2 [1]

Hits – 207

Runs – 86

Earned Runs – 75

Home Runs – 30 [12, tied with Brian Bohanon & Jose Lima]

Bases on Balls – 70

Strikeouts – 364 [1]

ERA – 2.48 [1]

Hit Batters – 9 [9, tied with Al Leiter & Matt Clement]

Balks – 2 [10, tied with fifteen others]

Wild Pitches – 4

League-leading complete games were +4 ahead of runner-up Curt Schilling

League-leading innings pitched were +19.1 ahead of runner-up Kevin Brown

League-leading strikeouts were +143 ahead of runner-up Kevin Brown

League-leading ERA was -0.20 lower than runner-up Kevin Millwood

Midseason Snapshot: 9-7, ERA - 2.95, SO - 211 in 152.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 17 (in 8 IP) at Cincinnati 6/30

10+ strikeout games – 23

Fewest hits allowed, game – 2 (in 7 IP) vs. Florida 6/14

Batting

PA – 104, AB – 97, R – 1, H – 12, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 6, BB – 0, SO – 46, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .124, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 37

Put Outs – 4

Assists – 28

Errors – 5

DP – 2

Pct. - .889

Postseason Pitching:

G – 1 GS – 1 (NLDS vs. NY Mets)

CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 8.1, H – 8, R – 7, ER – 7, HR – 2, BB – 3, SO – 11, ERA – 7.56, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

All-Star

15^th in NL MVP voting (21 points, 5% share)

NL Cy Young voting:

Randy Johnson, Ariz.: 134 pts. – 20 of 32 first place votes, 84% share

Mike Hampton, Hou: 110 pts. – 11 first place votes, 69% share

Kevin Millwood, Atl.: 36 pts. – 1 first place vote, 23% share

Jose Lima, Hou: 3 pts. – 2% share

Billy Wagner, Hou.: 3 pts. – 2% share

Kevin Brown, LAD: 1 pt. – 1% share

Trevor Hoffman, S.D: 1 pt. – 1% share

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Diamondbacks went 100-62 to finish first in the NL Western Division by 14 games over the San Francisco Giants in their second season of existence. Lost NLDS to New York Mets, 3 games to 1.

Aftermath of '99:

“The Big Unit” followed up with another Cy Young award-winning season in 2000, compiling a 19-7 record with 347 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA for the 85-77 Diamondbacks. Johnson made it three straight Cy Young awards in 2001, going 21-6 with a 2.49 ERA and 372 strikeouts. He created a productive tandem with RHP Curt Schilling, and Arizona went on to win the World Series, in which Johnson and Schilling were co-MVPs, with Johnson winning Game 7 in relief. Johnson was recipient of another Cy Young award in 2002 following a 24-5 tally and a 2.32 ERA with 334 strikeouts. The Diamondbacks fell short in the postseason but “The Big Unit” was re-signed. Knee surgery cut short his ’03 season and Johnson dropped to 6-8 with a 4.26 ERA.  Off to a 3-4 start at age 40 in 2004, Johnson pitched a perfect game against Atlanta. He went on to a 16-14 record and a 2.60 ERA and league-leading 290 strikeouts. Looking to shed salary in 2005, the Diamondbacks dealt Johnson to the New York Yankees where he won another 34 games over two seasons before returning to Arizona in 2007. Johnson spent 2007 and ’08 with the Diamondbacks before finishing out his great career with San Francisco in 2009. For his major league career, Johnson appeared in 618 games, 603 of which were starts, and compiled 303 wins and 166 losses with a 3.29 ERA and 4875 strikeouts, the second highest total in MLB history to date. His record with Arizona alone was 118-62 with a 2.83 ERA and 2077 strikeouts.  He added another 14 wins in the postseason against 18 losses. He compiled five 300-strikeout seasons, was chosen to ten All-Star Games and won five Cy Young awards (one in the AL and 4 in the NL with the Diamondbacks). Johnson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. His #51 was retired by the Diamondbacks.

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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.