Rookie of the Year: Hanley Ramirez, 2006

Shortstop, Florida Marlins

Age:  22

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 235

Prior to 2006:

A native of Samana in the Dominican Republic, Ramirez displayed strong batting and throwing skills from a young age and he signed with the Boston Red Sox for $55,000 in 2000. The budding shortstop hit over .400 with Boston’s Dominican Summer League club at age 17 in 2001. He spent 2002 with the Gulf Coast League’s Red Sox where he hit .341 with 6 home runs in 45 games and moved on to the Lowell Spinners of the Class A New York-Pennsylvania League where he batted .371 in 22 games. A strong season in 2003 with the Class A Augusta GreenJackets was followed by stints with Sarasota and the Class AA Portland Sea Dogs in 2004. With Portland again in ’05, Ramirez hit .271 with 6 home runs and 52 RBIs and saw some action at second base. He got called up to the Red Sox in September and struck out twice in two at bats. In the offseason he was traded to the Marlins along with two other prospects for RHP Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell. Following a strong spring he won the starting shortstop job for his new team for 2006.

2006 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

SS – 154, PR – 3, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 700 [10]

At Bats – 633 [8]

Runs – 119 [5, tied with Alfonso Soriano, Matt Holliday & Albert Pujols]

Hits – 185 [10]

Doubles – 46 [7, tied with Nick Johnson]

Triples – 11 [6]

Home Runs – 17

RBI – 59

Bases on Balls – 56

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 128 [13, tied with Adam LaRoche]

Stolen Bases – 51 [3]

Caught Stealing – 15 [4]

Average - .292

OBP - .353

Slugging Pct. - .480

Total Bases – 304 [13]

GDP – 7

HBP – 4

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – 2

Midseason snapshot: HR – 13, RBI – 46, AVG. - .278, SLG PCT - .477

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Houston 4/4, (in 5 AB) at Milwaukee 9/3

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 6 AB) at Cincinnati 4/18, (in 4 AB) vs. Cincinnati 9/27

HR at home – 9

HR on road – 8

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Cincinnati 4/18

Pinch-hitting/running – 1 of 1 (1.000) with 2 SB, 2 R & 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances - 695

Put Outs – 258

Assists – 411

Errors – 26

DP - 111

Pct. - .963

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Hanley Ramirez, Fla.: 105 pts. – 14 of 32 first place votes, 66% share

Ryan Zimmerman, Wash.: 101 pts. – 10 first place votes, 63% share

Dan Uggla, Fla.: 55 pts. – 6 first place votes, 34% share

Josh Johnson, Fla.: 11 pts. – 2 first place votes, 7% share

Matt Cain, SF.: 4 pts. – 3% share

Andre Ethier, LAD: 4 pts. – 3% share

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Marlins went 78-84 to finish fourth in the NL Eastern Division. The season was highlighted by the performances of rookie stars Ramirez, 2B Dan Uggla, and RHP Josh Johnson.

Aftermath of ‘06:

Ramirez followed up in 2007 with another strong season as he hit .332 with 29 home runs and 81 RBIs along with 51 stolen bases. He had his first All-Star Game appearance in 2008 on his way to scoring a league-leading 125 runs and hitting .301 with 33 home runs and 67 RBIs. Ramirez signed a six-year contract extension worth $70 million and won the NL batting title in 2009 with a .342 average. He was an All-Star for the third consecutive year in 2010, although, while he hit .300, his extra base hit and RBI totals dropped as he was troubled by a sore elbow and shoulder throughout the season. Shoulder problems continued to be an issue in 2011 as Ramirez appeared in only 92 games and batted .243. Following off-season surgery and the arrival of free agent shortstop Jose Reyes, Ramirez, who was never quite as impressive defensively as anticipated, was shifted to third base in 2012 and was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July where he shifted between third and shortstop. His numbers improved slightly in LA and he batted .257 for the year with 24 home runs and 92 RBIs.  In 2013 he played in only 86 games due to thumb and hamstring injuries and was outstanding at the bat when active, hitting .345 with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs. While there was some decline in 2014 Ramirez hit .283 and knocked in 71 runs while playing in 128 games. He returned to his original team, the Red Sox, as a free agent in 2015. He was shifted to left field, where his defense was deficient, although he hit 19 home runs and batted .249 in 105 games.  Ramirez was moved to first base in 2016, with better results in the field as well as at bat, where he hit .286 with 30 home runs and 111 RBIs. Following a lesser year in 2017, when he was used more often as a designated hitter, and off to a slow start in 2018, his time with the Red Sox came to an end. Overall, up until the point that he was designated for assignment in May after appearing in 44 games with Boston in 2018, Ramirez had a career .290 batting average with 1825 hits, including 269 home runs. He has driven in 909 runs and stolen 281 bases, although his base stealing has dropped off significantly since 2012. 148 home runs, 482 RBIs and 230 stolen bases occurred while playing for the Marlins, where he batted .300 and was a three-time All-Star. 

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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: Joe Black, 1952

Pitcher, Brooklyn Dodgers

Age:  28

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 220

Prior to 1952:

Black, a native of Plainfield, NJ, was an outstanding all-around athlete in high school. He attended Morgan State University and played Negro League baseball with the Baltimore Elite Giants. Black was signed by the Dodgers and advanced readily through their minor league system, compiling an 11-12 record with St. Paul and Montreal in 1951, as well as playing winter ball in Cuba. With his outstanding fastball, Black earned a call-up to the Dodgers in 1952.  

1952 Season Summary

Appeared in 57 games

P – 56, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 56 [2]

Games Started – 2

Complete Games – 1

Wins – 15 [6, tied with Warren Hacker & Hoyt Wilhelm]

Losses – 4

PCT - .789 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 15 [2]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 142.1

Hits – 102

Runs – 40

Earned Runs – 34

Home Runs – 9 

Bases on Balls – 41

Strikeouts – 85

ERA – 2.15 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 1

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 0

Midseason Snapshot: 3-0, ERA - 1.63, SV – 5, SO - 26 in 38.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 6 (in 8 IP) at NY Giants 8/5, (in 7.2 IP) at NY Giants 9/8

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at Boston Braves 9/21

Batting

PA – 42, AB – 36, R – 1, H – 5, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 5, BB – 0, SO – 15, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .139, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 6, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 29

Put Outs – 7

Assists – 18

Errors – 4

DP – 2

Pct. - .862

Postseason Pitching:

G – 3, GS – 3, CG – 1 (World Series vs. NY Yankees)
 Record – 1-2, PCT – .333, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 21.1, H – 15, R – 6, ER – 6, HR – 4, BB – 8, SO – 9, ERA – 2.53, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

3rd in NL MVP voting (208 points, 8 first place votes, 62% share)

NL ROY Voting:

Joe Black, Brook.: 19 of 24 votes, 79% share

Hoyt Wilhelm, NYG.: 3 votes, 13% share

Dick Groat, Pitt.: 1 vote, 4% share

Ed Mathews, BosB.: 1 vote, 4% share

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Dodgers went 96-57 to win NL pennant by 4.5 games over the New York Giants after finishing second the previous two years. The pitching staff led the NL in strikeouts (773). Lost World Series to New York Yankees, 4 games to 3. Black started three games, including the opener, a 4-2 win that made him the first African-American pitcher to win a World Series game. 

Aftermath of '52:

Black was unable to sustain his first-year success with the Dodgers. Once again used almost exclusively as a reliever in 1953, he appeared in 34 games and compiled a 6-3 record with 5 saves and a 5.33 ERA. Black appeared in only five games with Brooklyn in 1954 and had an 11.57 ERA when he was demoted to Class AAA Montreal and, utilized primarily as a starter, had a 12-10 record and 3.60 ERA.  He returned to the Brooklyn bullpen in 1955 and was traded to Cincinnati in June, where he compiled a 5-2 record with a 4.22 ERA while appearing in 32 games, 11 of them starts.  He worked out of the bullpen for the Reds in ’56 with unimpressive results and finished his major league career with the Washington Senators in 1957. Overall in the major leagues, Black had a 30-12 record and 3.91 ERA with 25 saves. He was 22-7 with a 3.45 ERA and 20 saves in 101 games for the Dodgers. Following his playing career, he obtained his master’s degree and became a teacher and also was an executive with the Greyhound Corporation. Black was also active in the civil rights movement and worked for the Baseball Assistance Team providing help to former major league personnel in need. He also served as a consultant to major league baseball and was involved in community relations for the Arizona Diamondbacks prior to his death in 2002.

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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: Don Baylor, 1979

Outfielder/Designated Hitter, California Angels

Age:  30 (June 28)

3^rd season with Angels

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 190

Prior to 1979:

A native of Austin, Texas, Baylor excelled at baseball and football in high school and turned down offers of football scholarships from prominent colleges to sign with the Baltimore Orioles, who chose him in the 1967 amateur draft despite concerns about a shoulder injury that permanently affected his throwing ability. He was Appalachian League Player of the Year with the Bluefield Orioles in ’67, where he batted .346 in 67 games with 8 triples, 8 home runs, and 26 stolen bases. He rose quickly from Class A to Class AAA, where he struggled, in 1968, and batted .310 with two clubs (primarily the Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs of the Texas League) in 1969. Baylor spent 1970 with the Rochester Red Wings of the Class AAA International League where he was shifted from center field to left due to his lack of arm strength. He hit .327 with 22 home runs and 107 RBIs and was called up to the Orioles in September. Blocked by the strength of Baltimore’s roster, he returned to Rochester in 1971 where he had another strong season. The Orioles traded veteran right fielder Frank Robinson in the offseason, opening a roster spot for Baylor in 1972. Appearing in 102 games, he hit .253 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs. Starting off slowly in 1973, Baylor finished up with a .286 average, 11 home runs, and 51 RBIs while appearing in 118 games. By 1975 he was very much a player on the rise and in the spring of 1976 he was part of a six-player trade with Oakland that brought OF Reggie Jackson to Baltimore for a year. Baylor’s offense declined in Oakland but he stole a career-high 52 bases in 1976 and after the season became a free agent and signed a six-year deal with the Angels worth $1.6 million. Baylor overcame a slow start to hit .251 with 25 home runs and 75 RBIs in 1977. His home run total rose to 34 in 1978 and he knocked in 99 runs as well. An adept designated hitter, he occasionally appeared in the outfield or at first base.

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in 162 games

LF – 78, DH – 65, RF – 20, 1B – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 722 [2]

At Bats – 628 [5]

Runs – 120 [1]

Hits – 186 [6]

Doubles – 33 [10, tied with Claudell Washington]

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 36 [4]

RBI – 139 [1]

Bases on Balls – 71 [19]

Int. BB – 6

Strikeouts – 51

Stolen Bases – 22 [14, tied with Alan Bannister]

Caught Stealing – 12 [7, tied with six others]

Average - .296 [18]

OBP - .371 [17]

Slugging Pct. - .530 [10]

Total Bases – 333 [4]

GDP – 10

Hit by Pitches – 11 [3]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 12 [3]

League-leading runs scored were +1 ahead of runner-up George Brett

League-leading RBIs were +9 ahead of runner-up Jim Rice

Midseason snapshot: HR - 23, RBI - 85, AVG - .299, SLG - .551

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

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 17

HR on road – 19

Most home runs, game – 2 on five occasions

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 8 at Toronto 8/25

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding (OF)

Chances – 210

Put Outs – 201

Assists – 4

Errors – 5

Pct. - .976

Postseason Batting: 4 G (ALCS vs. Baltimore)

PA – 17, AB – 16, R – 2, H – 3, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 2, BB – 1, IBB – 1, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .188, OBP - .235, SLG - .375, TB – 6, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for AL in LF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Don Baylor, Cal.: 347 pts. – 20 of 28 first place votes, 89% share

Ken Singleton, Balt.: 241 pts. – 3 first place votes, 61% share

George Brett, KCR: 226 pts. – 2 first place votes, 58% share

Fred Lynn, Bos.: 160 pts. – 41% share

Jim Rice, Bos.: 124 pts. – 32% share

(3 first place votes for Mike Flanagan, Balt. who ranked sixth)

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Angels went 88-74 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 3 games over the Kansas City Royals, who had topped the division the previous three seasons, while leading the league in runs scored (866). on-base percentage (.351), and designated hitting (.318). Lost ALCS to Baltimore Orioles, 3 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘79:

Baylor followed up with a down year in 1980, during which he missed several weeks due to a wrist injury and ended up appearing in just 90 games and batting a miserable .250 with only five home runs while the Angels dropped to sixth place. Baylor’s average dropped to .239 during the strike-shortened ’81 season with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs. Baylor, now exclusively a DH, and the Angels rebounded in 1982 as the club returned to the top of the AL Western Division with Baylor contributing 24 home runs and 93 RBIs. He signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees after the ’82 season. In three seasons with the Yankees, Baylor’s batting average dropped from .303 in 1983 to .231 in 1985 and he hit a total of 71 home runs with 265 RBIs and struck out 211 times. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox during the spring of 1986 and contributed 31 home runs, 94 RBIs, despite a .238 average to aid Boston’s run to the AL Eastern Division title. He hit .346 in the ALCS victory over the Angels. Appreciated for his leadership as well as potent bat, Baylor was obtained by the Minnesota Twins from the Red Sox during the 1987 season. Minnesota went on to win the World Series and Baylor returned to Oakland as a free agent in 1988, putting him on an AL pennant-winning club for the third straight year. He batted just .220 with 7 home runs and 34 RBIs in his final season. Overall in his major league career, Baylor hit 338 home runs, accumulated 1276 RBIs, and batted .260 with 2135 hits. He also stole 285 bases and due to his willingness to crowd the plate with an upright batting stance, was hit by 267 pitches, which set a modern record at the time. In 38 postseason games, he batted .273 with 4 home runs and 21 RBIs. He returned to major league baseball as a hitting coach before becoming the manager of the expansion Colorado Rockies in 1993. The Rockies reached the postseason as a Wild Card entry in 1995 as a third-year club, and Baylor received Manager of the Year recognition. He lasted a total of six seasons with Colorado and compiled a 440-469 record. His overall managerial record was 627-689. A hitting coach when not managing, he battled multiple myeloma for many years until his death in 2017 at age 68.

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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.

Rookie of the Year: Carlos Beltran, 1999

Outfielder, Kansas City Royals

Age:  22 (April 24)

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 215

Prior to 1999:

A native of Puerto Rico, Beltran excelled at volleyball and baseball in school and was chosen by the Royals in the 1995 amateur draft. He hit .278 in 52 Gulf Coast League games in ’95 before moving up to Class A in 1996 where his average dropped to .249 with two teams as the natural right-handed hitter learned to switch-hit. Beltran hit .352 with Class AA Wichita in 1998 and earned a late-season call-up to the Royals. In 14 games he batted .276 and in the spring of 1999 won the starting job in center field.

1999 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

CF – 154, DH – 2, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 723 [3]

At Bats – 663 [2]

Runs – 112 [12, tied with Omar Vizquel]

Hits – 194 [7]

Doubles – 27

Triples – 7 [9, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 22

RBI – 108 [18, tied with Jim Thome & Mo Vaughn]

Bases on Balls – 46

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 123 [13]

Stolen Bases – 27 [12]

Caught Stealing – 8 [17, tied with six others]

Average - .293

OBP - .337

Slugging Pct. - .454

Total Bases – 301 [16]

GDP – 17 [14, tied with Jermaine Dye, Rusty Greer & Ben Grieve]

Hit by Pitches – 4

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 10 [3, tied with John Flaherty, Mike Bordick & Paul O’Neill]

Midseason snapshot: HR - 12, RBI – 59, SB – 27, AVG - .302, OBP - .342

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Cincinnati 6/5

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 3 on eleven occasions

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 423

Put Outs – 395

Assists – 16

Errors – 12

DP – 2

Pct. – .972

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Carlos Beltran, KCR.: 133 pts. – 26 of 28 first place votes, 95% share

Freddy Garcia, Sea.: 45 pts. –1 first place vote, 32% share

Jeff Zimmerman, Tex.: 27 pts. – 19% share

Brian Daubach, Bos.: 16 pts. – 1 first place vote, 11% share

Tim Hudson, Oak.: 13 pts. – 9% share

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Royals went 64-97 to finish fourth in the AL Central Division, 32.5 games behind the division-winning Cleveland Indians while leading the league in triples (52).   

Aftermath of 1999:

Beltran missed most of spring training in 2000 due to a wrist injury and lost his center field job to Johnny Damon. He was shifted to left field and ended up hitting just .247 with 7 home runs and 44 RBIs. With Damon traded to Oakland in 2001, Beltran regained the starting spot in center field and batted .306 with 24 home runs and 101 RBIs. His numbers remained similarly strong in 2002 and ’03. With the club performing badly and looking to rebuild, Beltran became trade bait and he was dealt to the Houston Astros during the 2004 season. He had a .267 average with 38 home runs and 104 RBIs for the year, with 23 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .258 average coming in 90 games with the Astros. Beltran excelled in the postseason, hitting four home runs in the NLDS win over Atlanta and four more in the seven-game NLCS loss to St. Louis. The eight home runs tied the record for most in a single postseason and included a string of one in five consecutive games. As a highly-sought free agent following his impressive 2004 showing, he signed a seven-year contract with the New York Mets for $119 million. Despite a slow start in 2005, Beltran was voted to the National League starting lineup in the All-Star Game. A quadriceps injury hindered him further and he ended up hitting just .266 with 16 home runs and 78 RBIs in 151 games. The performance was better in 2006. Beltran tied the club record with 41 home runs and knocked in 116 RBIs with a .275 batting average. The Mets won the NL Eastern Division title and reached the NLCS before losing to the Cardinals in seven games, with another strong postseason by Beltran marred by his striking out for the final out in the seventh game. Beltran remained with the Mets until he was traded to the San Francisco Giants during the 2011 season. He was selected to three more All-Star Games during that time and won a total of three Gold Gloves while with the Mets, who did not return to the postseason during his tenure with the club after 2006. Knee surgery cost Beltran the first half of the 2010 season and he was shifted to right field in 2011. He played a total of 44 games with San Francisco, during which he hit 7 home runs and batted .323 with 18 RBIs. For 2012 he signed a two-year, $26 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. In his two years with St. Louis Beltran hit 56 home runs and knocked in 181 runs, with a .282 batting average. He was an All-Star each season and the Cards reached the postseason both years as well. Beltran returned to New York in 2014, this time with the Yankees, who offered him $45 million for three years. He appeared in just 109 games in 2014, primarily due to bone spurs in his right elbow that resulted in surgery. His production dropped off to 15 home runs and 49 RBIs with a .233 batting average and he was utilized primarily as a designated hitter. He was back in right field in 2015, although he again spent time on the disabled list. He ended up with 19 home runs, 67 RBIs and a .276 average. Beltran was an All-Star in 2016 prior to being traded to the Texas Rangers, and for the year he hit 29 home runs, knocked in 93, and batted .280. He played one more season in 2017, returning to the Houston Astros and appearing in 129 games as the Astros topped the AL Western Division and went on to win the World Series, after which Beltran retired. Overall for his career, he hit .279 with 2725 hits (899 with the Royals) that included 435 home runs (123 with Kansas City) and produced 1587 RBIs (516 with KC). He was awarded three Gold Gloves and was a nine-time All-Star. In 65 postseason games, Beltran hit .307 with 16 home runs, 11 stolen bases, and 42 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: Jeff Bagwell, 1991

First Baseman, Houston Astros

Age:  23 (May 27)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1991:

A soccer and baseball player in high school in Connecticut, Bagwell received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Hartford, where he played third base and excelled, also playing summer baseball in the Cape Cod League. Chosen by the Boston Red Sox in the 1989 amateur draft, Bagwell hit for average (.310) without much power for Winter Haven in the Class A Florida State League in ’89 and advanced to the Class AA New Britain Red Sox of the Eastern League where he hit .333 with 34 doubles, 7 triples, and 4 home runs in 1990 prior to being traded to the Astros for RHP Larry Andersen. With first baseman Glenn Davis traded to Baltimore, a spot in the lineup was open for Bagwell in 1991, and he successfully adapted to the new position.

1991 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

1B – 155, PH – 4

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 650 [10]

At Bats – 554

Runs – 79

Hits – 163 [12]

Doubles – 26

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 15

RBI – 82 [20]

Bases on Balls – 75 [10, tied with Darryl Strawberry]

Int. BB – 5

Strikeouts – 116 [7, tied with Kal Daniels]

Stolen Bases – 7

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .294 [13, tied with John Kruk]

OBP - .387 [5]

Slugging Pct. - .437

Total Bases – 242 [18, tied with Steve Finley]

GDP – 12 [18, tied with six others]

Hit by Pitches – 13 [1]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 7 [11, tied with nine others]

League-leading times hit by pitches were +4 ahead of runner-up Lonnie Smith

Midseason snapshot: HR - 8, RBI - 36, AVG - .299, OBP - .387

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Most hits, game – 3 on eleven occasions

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

Most HR, game – 1 on fifteen occasions

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 9

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at San Francisco 7/2

Pinch-hitting – 2 of 4 (.500) with 1 HR, 2 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 1388

Put Outs – 1270

Assists – 106

Errors – 12

DP – 97

Pct. - .991

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 4):

Jeff Bagwell, Hou.: 118 pts. – 23 of 24 first place votes, 98% share

Orlando Merced, Pitt.: 53 pts. – 1 first place vote, 44% share

Ray Lankford, StL: 28 pts. – 23% share

Brian Hunter, Atl.: 7 pts. – 6% share

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Astros went 65-97 to finish sixth (last) in the NL Western Division, 29 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves.   

Aftermath of ‘91:

Bagwell followed up with strong seasons in 1992 and ’93, with his home runs rising to 18 and 20, respectively, and he batted .320 in 1993. That set the stage for a MVP performance in the strike-shortened 1994 season, as he hit 39 home runs and drove in a league-leading 116 runs. Bagwell also topped the NL by scoring 104 runs and compiling a .750 slugging percentage and 300 total bases. He was an All-Star selection for the first time. A hand injury in 1995 caused him to miss a few weeks of action, during which the Astros went in a slump that knocked them out of postseason contention. Bagwell followed up with several outstanding seasons, leading the NL in runs scored in 1999 and 2000, drawing 149 walks in ’99, and hitting 42 home runs with 126 RBIs in ’99 and 47 home runs in 2000 with 132 RBIs.  Houston won four Central Division titles from 1997 through 2001, but consistently underperformed in the postseason. A shoulder injury that required surgery hampered Bagwell in 2001 and, while he hit 39 home runs and knocked in 130, his performance began to drop off, both at bat and on the field in 2002 and ‘03. Further shoulder surgery in 2005 limited him to 39 games, although he was active for the postseason that resulted in Houston’s first World Series appearance, a loss to the Chicago White Sox. An unsuccessful attempt to return in the spring of 2006 forced his retirement. Overall, in a major league career spent entirely with the Astros, Bagwell hit 449 home runs with 1529 RBIs and a .297 batting average. He reached 40 home runs three times and 30 on nine occasions. He also reached 100 RBIs eight times with a high of 135 in 1997. A four-time All-Star, Bagwell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017, overcoming concerns about his peak seasons occurring during the “steroid era”. The Astros retired his #5.

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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: Ty Cobb, 1911

Outfielder, Detroit Tigers

Age:  24

7^th season with Tigers

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1911:

A native of Georgia, thus leading to his being nicknamed “the Georgia Peach” despite his combative nature, Cobb initially played semipro baseball before catching on with the Augusta Tourists of the South Atlantic League. Drawing the attention of major league teams due to his fine play, his contract was purchased by the Tigers in 1905 for $700. The 18-year-old Cobb appeared in 41 games with Detroit in ’05 and hit .240. He improved to .316 in 1906 and topped the AL with a .350 average in 1907, also leading the league in hits (212), RBIs (119), and slugging percentage (.468) with the pennant-winning Tigers. A bat-control artist with a split handed grip who could drive the ball, not with great power during the “dead ball era”, the aggressive Cobb made the most of his intelligence as well as speed on the base paths and in the outfield. A highly driven student of the game and demanding of teammates as well as himself, he won three more batting titles through 1910 (the last of which was disputed), as well as the Triple Crown in 1909 with 9 home runs, 107 RBIs, and a .377 batting average.

1911 Season Summary

Appeared in 146 games

CF – 146

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 656 [5]

At Bats – 591 [3]

Runs – 147 [1]

Hits – 248 [1]

Doubles – 47 [1]

Triples – 24 [1]

Home Runs – 8 [2, tied with Tris Speaker]

RBI – 127 [1]

Bases on Balls – 44

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 42

Stolen Bases – 83 [1]

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .420 [1]

OBP - .467 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .621 [1]

Total Bases – 367 [1]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 8 [11, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 11

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading runs scored were +21 ahead of runner-up Joe Jackson

League-leading hits were +15 ahead of runner-up Joe Jackson

League-leading doubles were +2 ahead of runner-up Joe Jackson

League-leading triples were +2 ahead of runner-up Birdie Cree

League-leading RBIs were +12 ahead of runners-up Frank Baker & Sam Crawford

League-leading stolen bases were +25 ahead of runner-up Clyde Milan

League-leading batting average was +.012 ahead of runner-up Joe Jackson

League-leading slugging percentage was +.031 ahead of runner-up Joe Jackson

League-leading total bases were +30 ahead of runner-up Joe Jackson

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 25, 3B – 16, HR - 5, RBI - 34, AVG - .446, OBP - .494

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) vs. Chi. White Sox 6/18

Longest hitting streak – 40 games

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 3

Most home runs, game – 1 on eight occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Boston Red Sox 5/13 – 10 innings, at Phila. A’s 8/1

Pinch-hitting – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 418

Put Outs – 376

Assists – 24

Errors – 18

DP – 10

Pct. - .957

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: Chalmers Award

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Ty Cobb, Det.: 64 pts. - 8 of 8 first place votes, 100% share

Ed Walsh, ChiWS.: 35 pts. – 55% share

Eddie Collins, PhilaA.: 32 pts. – 50% share

Joe Jackson, Clev.: 28 pts. – 44% share

Walter Johnson, Wash.: 19 pts. – 30% share

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Tigers went 89-65 to finish second in the AL, 13.5 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics while leading the league in hits (1544) and stolen bases (276).  

Aftermath of 1911:

Cobb followed up with another strong season in 1912, despite a ten-game suspension due to his beating of a disabled man who had been heckling him during a game in New York. He ended up topping the AL with a .409 batting average and won three more batting titles from 1913 through ’15, the same year that he stole a league-record 96 bases. Cobb won three more batting titles from 1917 to ’19 for a total of 12 in all, while also serving in the military at the close of World War I following the 1918 season. In 1921 Cobb was named player/manager of the Tigers (who had fallen on hard times since last winning a pennant in 1909) and continued in that role until 1926, when he resigned amidst allegations of having fixed a game in 1919 in collusion with Cleveland’s player/manager Tris Speaker. Cleared by Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis, Cobb accepted an offer to play for the Philadelphia Athletics, which he did in 1927 and ’28, his final two seasons. At the time of his retirement he held lifetime major league records for hits (4189), runs scored (2244), stolen bases (897), and batting average (.366), among others. Cobb also remains among career leaders in doubles (724) and triples (295). As a manager his teams went 479-444 over the course of six seasons, during only one of which, 1924, the Tigers contended for the pennant (they finished third in the AL with an 86-68 record). Highly paid for his time (he earned $9000 in 1911), he received $20,000 annually from 1915 to ’20 and a total of $85,000 for his last two years with the A’s. A shrewd investor, Cobb was a millionaire by the time of his retirement at the age of 41 and later became involved in philanthropic endeavors. The dominant player of his era, although widely disliked, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1936. A difficult, complex, and abrasive man, upon Cobb’s death in 1961 at the age of 74, only three people with any connection to major league baseball attended his funeral.

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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.

Rookie of the Year: Jason Jennings, 2002

Pitcher, Colorado Rockies

Age:  24 (July 17)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 235

Prior to 2002:

A native of Texas, Jennings was first drafted as an amateur by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Ralph H. Poteet High School in Mesquite. He chose to attend Baylor University and excelled as a pitcher and hitter, receiving College Player of the Year recognition from Baseball America in 1999. Drafted in the first round by the Rockies that year, he was impressive at the Class A short-season level before moving on to the Asheville Tourists of the Class A South Atlantic League for the remainder of ’99. He played for Carolina of the Class AA Southern League in 2000 and moved up to Class AAA Colorado Springs in 2001. He made his major league debut for the Rockies in August of ’01, pitching a five-hit shutout against the Mets at New York, and hitting a home run to aid his cause. Jennings was 4-1 for Colorado in his brief 2001 stint with a 4.58 ERA, earning a spot in the rotation for 2002.

2002 Season Summary

Appeared in 32 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 32

Games Started – 32 [20, tied with five others]

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 16 [7, tied with Greg Maddux & Hideo Nomo]

Losses – 8

PCT - .667 [8, tied with Damian Moss]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 185.1

Hits – 201 [15, tied with John Thomson]

Runs – 102 [11, tied with Josh Fogg]

Earned Runs – 93 [13, tied with Curt Schilling]

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

Bases on Balls – 70

Strikeouts – 127

ERA – 4.52

Hit Batters – 8 [15, tied with nine others]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 10 [6, tied with Brandon Duckworth]

Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 7 IP) vs. Florida 5/15

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game – 1 (in 7 IP) at Pittsburgh 8/1

Batting

PA – 68, AB – 62, R – 6, H – 19, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 11, BB – 3, SO – 13, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .306, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 2, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 43

Put Outs – 14

Assists – 28

Errors – 1

DP – 1

Pct. - .977

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Jason Jennings, Col.: 150 pts. – 27 of 32 first place votes, 94% share

Brad Wilkerson, Mon.: 57 pts. – 2 first place votes, 36% share

Austin Kearns, Cin.: 40 pts. – 2 first place votes, 25% share

Kazuhisa Ishii, LAD.: 16 pts. – 1 first place vote, 10% share

Damian Moss, Atl.: 12 pts. – 8% share

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Rockies went 73-89 to finish fourth in the NL Western Division, 25 games behind the division-winning Arizona Diamondbacks. The pitching staff had the league’s highest ERA (5.20) and gave up the most runs (898).

Aftermath of 2002:

Jennings regressed to 12-13 with a 5.11 ERA in 2003 (when the 74-88 club’s ERA was again 5.20) and to 11-12 and 5.51 in ’04 (while the staff as a whole had a 5.54 ERA). His ERA remained above 5.00 in 2005 but he regained a measure of his early form in 2006 when he compiled a 9-13 record with a respectable 3.78 ERA with the 81-81 Rockies. Rejecting an offer to extend his contract, Jennings was traded to Houston in the off-season and the Astros moved him into the bullpen with mediocre results. Jennings, suffering from a sore arm, moved on to the Texas Rangers in 2008 and ’09, his last two major league seasons. Efforts to catch on with other clubs failed and in a comeback in 2011 with the independent minor league Grand Prairie AirHogs Jennings ended up with a 10-2 record and 3.58 ERA. Overall for his major league career Jennings compiled a 62-74 record with a 4.95 ERA and 749 strikeouts over the course of 1128.1 innings pitched. His first and last seasons with the Rockies proved to be the best of a career that commenced amid great expectations that went unmet.

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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.