Rookie of the Year: Alfredo Griffin, 1979

Shortstop, Toronto Blue Jays

Age:  21

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 160

Prior to 1979:

A native of the Dominican Republic, Griffin was signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1973 at age 16. In 1974, playing for two teams at the Rookie and Class A levels, he batted a combined .259 and stole 10 bases. Moving on to San Jose of the Class A California League in 1975, the 17-year-old hit only .229 with 82 hits in 124 games, but performed well in the field. Griffin jumped from Class A through AA to AAA in 1976, impressing with his range at shortstop but exhibiting his best hitting in the Class AA Eastern League where he batted .275 in 58 games for the Williamsport Tomahawks. He earned a September call-up to the Indians where he appeared in 12 games and produced his first major league hit. Griffin spent 1977 in the Class AAA International League with the Toledo Mud Hens where he learned to switch-hit and batted .249 and drew 35 walks for a .305 on-base percentage while stealing 26 bases. He received another late-season call-up to the Indians and hit .146 in 14 games. Griffin was farmed out to the Portland Beavers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1978, where his batting average jumped to .291 with 22 doubles, 10 triples, and 5 home runs. He stole 35 bases (but was caught 18 times). In one last late-season call-up to Cleveland, Griffin appeared in five games and produced two hits. In the offseason he was traded to the Blue Jays with one other minor league prospect for right-handed relief pitcher Victor Cruz. Still a major league rookie, Griffin became the starting shortstop for Toronto in ’79.     

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in 153 games

SS – 153

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 689 [8]

At Bats – 624 [7]

Runs – 81

Hits – 179 [11, tied with Eddie Murray]

Doubles – 22

Triples – 10 [5, tied with Darrell Porter & Ron LeFlore]

Home Runs – 2

RBI – 31

Bases on Balls – 40

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 59

Stolen Bases – 21 [16]

Caught Stealing – 16 [2, tied with Mitchell Page]

Average - .287

OBP - .333

Slugging Pct. - .364

Total Bases – 227

GDP – 10

Hit by Pitches – 5 [13, tied with nine others]

Sac Hits – 16 [4]

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: HR - 0, RBI - 14, R – 46, AVG. - .255, OBP – .316

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. Baltimore 5/18 – 11 innings, (in 6 AB) vs. Oakland 6/17, (in 5 AB) at Kansas City 7/31

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 4 AB) vs. Oakland 8/28, (in 4 AB) vs. Oakland 8/29

HR at home – 2

HR on road – 0

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 2 on five occasions

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 809

Put Outs – 272

Assists – 501

Errors – 36

DP – 124

Pct. - .956

Awards & Honors:

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

AL ROY Voting:

Alfredo Griffin, Tor.: 7 of 28 votes, 25% share

John Castino, Min..: 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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Blue Jays went 53-109 to finish seventh in the AL Eastern Division, 50.5 games behind the division-winning Baltimore Orioles.

Aftermath of ‘79:

Griffin followed up in 1980 by batting .254, leading the AL with 15 triples, and teaming well with second baseman Damaso Garcia, although his error total of 37 was still high, and while he stole 18 bases he was caught stealing 23 times. His performance at bat tailed off badly in the strike-interrupted 1981 season, and Griffin hit just .209. He also committed 31 errors in the field, the most of any AL shortstop. His overall performance improved in 1982 as he played in all 162 games and batted .241 and was steadier in the field. Griffin appeared in 162 games again in 1983 and hit .250 with 9 triples and in 1984 he played some second base and split time at short with the up-and-coming Tony Fernandez, ending up with a .241 average and an idiosyncratic All-Star selection. In the offseason he was traded to Oakland with outfielder Dave Collins for reliever Bill Caudill. Griffin had a fine first season with the A’s in 1985, hitting .270, stealing 24 bases, and receiving a Gold Glove for his defensive play. He followed up in 1986 by playing through a variety of ailments to post a .285 batting average and 33 stolen bases and remaining steady in the field. He hit .263 in 1987 and suffered a late-season thumb injury that had him yielding his starting shortstop job to talented rookie Walt Weiss. In the offseason he was part of a big three-team trade that landed him with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Griffin suffered through a miserable 1988 season with LA, missing two months due to a broken hand and hitting just .199 for the year. He came back in 1989 by playing in 136 games and batting .247. Griffin remained with the Dodgers until 1991, after which he returned to Toronto as a free agent. He saw action at shortstop and second and third base in his final two major league seasons which were both capped by World Series victories.  Overall for his major league career, Griffin batted .249, with 1688 hits that included 245 doubles, 78 triples, and 24 home runs. He compiled 527 RBIs and 192 stolen bases and was a one-time All-Star and Gold Glove recipient. With Toronto he hit .249 with 844 hits that included 127 doubles, 50 triples, and 13 home runs while he accumulated 231 RBIs and 79 stolen bases. Griffin went on to become a long-time coach with the Blue Jays and Angels.     

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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: Juan Gonzalez, 1996

Outfielder, Texas Rangers

Age:  26

7^th season with Rangers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1996:

A native of Puerto Rico, the lanky Gonzalez drew attention while playing youth baseball and signed with the Rangers as a 16-year-old in 1986. He appeared in 60 games that year in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and hit .240. Gonzalez moved on to Gastonia of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1987 where he produced 21 doubles, 14 home runs, and 74 RBIs with a .265 batting average over the course of 127 games. In 1988 he was with Port Charlotte of the Class A Florida State League and hit .256 with 8 home runs and 43 RBIs in 77 games. Gonzalez moved up to the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA Texas League in 1989 where he improved to .293 with 30 doubles, 21 home runs, and 85 RBIs while leading the league with 254 total bases. He was named to the Texas League All-Star team for his performance. He also received a late-season call-up to the Rangers where he batted only .150 in 24 games but hit his first major league home run. Gonzalez was with the Oklahoma City 89ers of the Class AAA American Association in 1990, where he hit .258 with 29 home runs and 101 RBIs (the home run and RBI totals led the league). Named MVP of the American Association, Gonzalez received another call-up to the Rangers and batted .289 with 4 home runs and 12 RBIs in 25 games. Sticking with Texas in 1991, despite struggling with a back injury, he split his time between center and left fields and hit .264 with 27 home runs and 102 RBIs. A line-drive hitter with power, Gonzalez, regularly playing center field in 1992, led the AL with 43 home runs and also compiled 109 RBIs and batted .260. “Juan-Gone” topped the league in home runs once again in 1993 with 46 to go along with 118 RBIs and a .310 batting average while also leading the AL with a .632 slugging percentage. He was an All-Star for the first time and placed fourth in league MVP balloting. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, while adjusting to The Ballpark in Arlington, Gonzalez dropped to 19 home runs and 85 RBIs with a .275 average. In an injury-plagued 1995 season, he appeared in 90 games, primarily as a Designated Hitter, and slugged 27 home runs with 82 RBIs and a .295 average. In 1996 he was utilized in right field, his natural position, although he was not an exceptional fielder.   

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in 134 games

RF – 102, DH – 32

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 592

At Bats – 541

Runs – 89

Hits – 170

Doubles – 33

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 47 [5]

RBI – 144 [2]

Bases on Balls – 45

Int. BB – 12 [6, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 82

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .314 [14, tied with Derek Jeter]

OBP - .368

Slugging Pct. - .643 [2]

Total Bases – 348 [5]

GDP – 10

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 3

Midseason snapshot: HR – 22, RBI - 70, AVG - .320, SLG PCT – .652

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. NY Yankees 7/30

Longest hitting streak – 21 games

HR at home – 17

HR on road – 19

Most home runs, game – 2 on five occasions

Multi-home run games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Baltimore 4/19

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 171

Put Outs – 163

Assists – 6

Errors – 2

DP – 0

Pct. - .988

Postseason: 4 G (ALDS vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 19, AB – 16, R – 5, H – 7, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 5, RBI – 9, BB – 3, IBB – 1, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .438, OBP - .526, SLG - 1.375, TB – 22, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Juan Gonzalez, Tex.: 290 pts. - 11 of 28 first place votes, 74% share

Alex Rodriguez, Sea.: 287 pts. – 10 first place votes, 73% share

Albert Belle, Clev.: 228 pts. – 2 first place votes, 58% share

Ken Griffey Jr, Sea.: 188 pts. – 4 first place votes, 48% share

Mo Vaughn, Bos.: 132 pts. – 34% share

(1 first place vote for Ivan Rodriguez, Tex. who ranked tenth)

Rangers went 90-72 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 4.5 games over the Seattle Mariners, the first division title in franchise history. Lost ALDS to the New York Yankees, 3 games to 1, despite Gonzalez's batting heroics.  

Aftermath of ’96:

Gonzalez missed the first 24 games of the 1997 season due to a thumb injury but still had another strong year at bat by hitting 42 home runs with 131 RBIs and a .296 average. That set the stage for another MVP season in 1998 as he batted .318 with 45 home runs, and a league-leading 50 doubles and 157 RBIs. The numbers dropped to 39 home runs with 128 RBIs and a .326 average in 1999, following which he was traded to the Detroit Tigers as part of a nine-player deal. Bothered by a foot injury and playing home games at spacious Comerica Park, Gonzalez had a down year in 2000, hitting just 22 home runs with 67 RBIs and a .289 average. He still received a one-year, $10 million contract to join the Cleveland Indians in 2001. He hit .325 with 35 home runs and 140 RBIs and was voted to the All-Star Game as well as placing fifth in league MVP balloting and receiving a Silver Slugger. In the offseason he signed a two-year, $24 million contract to return to the Rangers. Gonzalez suffered through an injury plagued 2002 season in which he was limited to 70 games and hit just 8 home runs and his 2003 season was cut short by a leg injury that held him to 24 home runs and 70 RBIs in 82 games. Moving on to the Kansas City Royals as a free agent in 2004, Gonzalez played in 33 games due to a bad back and ended up with a mere 5 home runs and 17 RBIs. He signed with Cleveland in 2005 but appeared in only one game. Thus ended his major league career, despite getting a feeler from the St. Louis Cardinals to attempt a comeback in 2008. He did play in 36 games for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League in 2006, hitting 6 home runs and batting .323. Overall for his major league career Gonzalez batted .295 with 1936 hits that included 388 doubles, 25 triples, and 434 home runs. He also compiled 1404 RBIs. With Texas he batted .293 with 320 doubles, 21 triples, and 372 home runs, and knocked in 1180 runs as well. He was a three-time All-Star as well as two-time AL MVP and six-time Silver Slugger Award recipient. Gonzalez was elected to the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2015, but his legacy has been clouded by allegations of steroid use during his career.   

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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: Evan Longoria, 2008

Third Baseman, Tampa Bay Rays

Age:  22

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210

Prior to 2008:

A native of California, Longoria played baseball at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower where he was an All-Sierra League shortstop. Following high school he moved on to Rio Hondo Community College where he hit .430 and received first-team All-State recognition in 2004. Longoria moved on to Long Beach State where he was blocked at shortstop by future major leaguer Troy Tulowitzki, which caused him to be shifted to third base. He batted .320 in 2005 for a team that finished second in the Big West Conference. Playing summer ball with Chatham in the Cape Cod League, he had an outstanding season. With Long Beach State in 2006 he hit .353 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs. Longoria was a first-round amateur draft selection by Tampa Bay in 2006 and signed for $3 million. With three teams from the Short Season Class A to Class AA levels in ’06 he batted a combined .315 in 62 games with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. He moved on to Montgomery of the Class AA Southern League in 2007 where he hit .307 in 105 games with 21 home runs and 76 RBIs before advancing to the Durham Bulls of the Class AAA International League for the remainder of the year where he hit another 5 home runs, giving him 33 in 171 minor league games along with 115 RBIs. He started the 2008 season with Durham but he was called up by the Rays in April and took over as the starting third baseman.   

2008 Season Summary

Appeared in 122 games

3B – 119, SS – 1, DH – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 508

At Bats – 448

Runs – 67

Hits – 122

Doubles – 31

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 27 [13, tied with Vladimir Guerrero]

RBI – 85

Bases on Balls – 46

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 122 [15, tied with Jason Varitek]

Stolen Bases – 7

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .272

OBP - .343

Slugging Pct. - .531 [8]

Total Bases – 238

GDP – 8

Hit by Pitches – 6

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 8 [11, tied with four others]

Midseason snapshot: HR - 16, RBI – 53, AVG – .275, SLG PCT - .513

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Pittsburgh 6/27

Longest hitting streak – 7 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 5 AB) vs. Minnesota 9/18

HR at home – 18

HR on road – 9

Multi-HR games – 3

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Baltimore 5/24

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 1 (1.000) with 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 328

Put Outs – 86

Assists – 230

Errors – 12

DP - 26

Pct. - .963

Postseason Batting: 16 G (ALDS vs. Chi. WS – 4 G; ALCS vs. Boston – 7 G; World Series vs. Philadelphia – 5 G)

PA – 67, AB – 62, R – 10, H – 12, 2B – 3,3B – 0, HR – 6, RBI – 13, BB – 5, IBB – 0, SO – 20, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .194, OBP - .254, SLG - .532, TB – 33, GDP – 3, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

11^th in AL MVP voting (38 points, 10% share)

AL ROY Voting (top 5):

Evan Longoria, TB: 140 pts. – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Alexei Ramirez, ChiWS: 59 pts. – 42% share

Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos.: 26 pts. – 19% share

Mike Aviles, KC: 9 pts. – 6% share

Armando Galarraga, Det.: 9 pts. – 6% share

Rays, newly renamed from Devil Rays, went 97-65 to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 2 games over the Boston Red Sox, to reach the postseason for the first time in franchise history. The team led the AL in stolen bases (142). Won ALDS over the Chicago White Sox, 3 games to 1. Won ALCS over the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 3, overcoming a 3-1 deficit. Lost World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 1. The climactic Game 5 was suspended due to rain in the sixth inning and the Phillies won when play eventually resumed.

Aftermath of ‘08:

Longoria followed up with another strong season in 2009, hitting .281 with 33 home runs and 113 RBIs, garnering another All-Star selection and a Gold Glove for his play at third base as well as a Silver Slugger. He batted .294 in 2010, hitting 22 home runs with 104 RBIs and again being an All-Star and Gold Glove winner who ranked sixth in AL MVP voting. He hit 31 home runs with 99 RBIs in 2011 although his batting average dropped to .244 while the Rays finished second in the AL East and reached the postseason as a Wild Card. A torn hamstring limited Longoria to 74 games in 2012 but the Rays re-signed him to a six-year, $100 million contract extension after the season. He bounced back by playing in 160 games in 2013, batting .269 with 32 home runs and 88 RBIs and polling sixth in league MVP balloting. Longoria remained a consistent and durable performer for the Rays through the 2017 season, a year in which he received his third Gold Glove. He hit a career-high 36 home runs in 2016 as well. In the 2017 offseason he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for four players. His career totals with Tampa Bay included a .270 batting average with 1471 hits, among which were 338 doubles, 19 triples, and 261 home runs. He also drove in 892 runs and was a three-time All-Star and Gold Glove recipient. In 2018 with the Giants Longoria was held to 125 games due to a broken hand and batted .244 with 16 home runs and 54 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. 

MVP Profile: Ken Griffey Jr., 1997

Outfielder, Seattle Mariners

Age:  27

9^th season with Mariners

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1997:

Son and namesake of major league outfielder Ken Griffey, Griffey Jr. shared a birthplace (Donora, Pa.) and birthday (Nov. 21) with Hall of Famer Stan Musial, who was born 49 years earlier. He grew up spending time with his father in major league clubhouses and starred at Cincinnati’s Archbishop Moeller High School, impressing with his speed, all-around hitting ability, and fielding. The Mariners chose him first overall in the 1987 amateur draft. Griffey signed for $160,000 and started out with Bellingham of the Short Season Class A Northwest League where he hit .313 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in 54 games. Griffey moved on to San Bernardino of the Class A California League in 1988 and in 58 games batted .338 with 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. Promoted to Vermont of the Class AA Eastern League later in the season, he appeared in 17 games and hit .279. Following an excellent Cactus League spring training performance in 1989 he made the Mariners roster and started immediately in center field at age 19. He missed a month of his rookie season due to a broken right hand and ended up batting .264 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs, placing third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. In August of 1990 Griffey was joined by his father on the Mariners, who had just been released by Cincinnati at age 40. They became the first father-son teammates in major league history. “Junior” hit .300 with 22 home runs and 80 RBIs and was an All-Star for the first time as well as receiving a Gold Glove for his outstanding outfield play. The progress continued each year and through 1996 Griffey had compiled a .302 batting average with 238 home runs and 725 RBIs. He had reached 40 home runs three times, including the strike-shortened 1994 season when he led the AL with 40, and he had hit 49 in ’96. He had also compiled four 100-RBI seasons, including 140 in ’96, and was a seven-time All-Star and Gold Glove recipient. Griffey also finished second in AL MVP voting in 1994 and fourth in ’96. His only major injury had been a broken wrist suffered while making a backhanded catch in 1995 that cost him 73 games. The Mariners were a steadily improving team that finished first in the AL West in ’95 and advanced to the ALCS. Griffey hit .364 in the 11 postseason games with 6 home runs and 9 RBIs. In the offseason he became major league baseball’s highest-paid player as he signed a four-year contract worth $34 million.

1997 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

CF – 153, DH – 4, LF – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 704 [6]

At Bats – 608 [11]

Runs – 125 [1]

Hits – 185 [6]

Doubles – 34

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 56 [1]

RBI – 147 [1]

Bases on Balls – 76 [16, tied with Geronimo Berroa & Matt Lawton]

Int. BB – 23 [1]

Strikeouts – 121 [14, tied with Brian Hunter]

Stolen Bases – 15

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .304 [15]

OBP - .382 [16, tied with Jeromy Burnitz]

Slugging Pct. - .646 [1]

Total Bases – 393 [1]

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 8 [12, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 12 [2, tied with Jeff King & Paul Molitor]

League-leading runs scored were +3 ahead of runner-up Nomar Garciaparra

League-leading home runs were +12 ahead of runner-up Tino Martinez

League-leading RBIs were +6 ahead of runner-up Tino Martinez

League-leading int. bases on balls were +6 ahead of runner-up Mo Vaughn

League-leading slugging pct. was +.035 ahead of runner-up Frank Thomas

League-leading total bases were +28 ahead of runner-up Nomar Garciaparra

Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Chi. WS 8/17, (in 4 AB) vs. San Diego 9/1

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

HR at home – 27

HR on road – 29

Most home runs, game – 3 (in 5 AB) at Toronto 4/25

Multi-HR games – 8

Most RBIs, game – 4 on seven occasions

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 403

Put Outs – 388

Assists – 9

Errors – 6

DP – 3

Pct. - .985

Postseason Batting: 4 G (ALDS vs. Baltimore)

PA – 16, AB – 15, R – 0, H – 2, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 3, SB – 2, CS – 0, AVG - .133, OBP - .188, SLG -.133, TB – 2, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for AL in CF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Ken Griffey Jr, Sea.: 392 pts. - 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Tino Martinez, NYY.: 248 pts. – 63% share

Frank Thomas, ChiWS.: 172 pts. – 44% share

Randy Myers, Balt.: 128 pts. – 33% share

David Justice, Clev.: 90 pts. – 23% share

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Mariners went 90-72 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 6 games over the Anaheim Angels while leading the league in runs scored (925), home runs (264), and slugging (.485). Lost ALDS to the Baltimore Orioles, 3 games to 1.  

Aftermath of ‘97:

Griffey followed up with another 56-home run season in 1998 to go along with 146 RBIs and a .284 batting average. He placed fourth in AL MVP voting and led the league one more time in home runs in 1999 with 48. In 2000 he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for four players and the Reds signed him to a nine-year, $112.5 million contract. Returning to his home town Griffey had a typically strong season with 40 home runs, 118 RBIs, and a .271 batting average while hindered by a sore hamstring. He was limited by injury to 111 games in 2001 and batted .286 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. A knee injury that required surgery held him to just 70 games in 2002 and an ankle injury that also required surgery limited Griffey to 53 games in 2003. Further injury trouble struck in 2004 but he returned in 2005 to receive Comeback Player of the Year honors after appearing in 128 games and batting .301 with 35 home runs and 92 RBIs. He followed up by hitting .252 in 109 games in 2006 with 27 home runs and 72 RBIs and had one last 30-home run season with Cincinnati in 2007. During the 2008 season Griffey was dealt to the Chicago White Sox and altogether for the year hit 18 home runs, compiled 71 RBIs, and batted .249. A free agent following the season, he returned to Seattle for the last two years of his career in 2009 and ’10. Overall in the major leagues, Griffey batted .284 with 2781 hits that included 524 doubles, 38 triples, and 630 home runs. With Seattle the numbers were a .292 batting average with 1843 hits, breaking down to 341 doubles, 30 triples, and 417 home runs. He also compiled totals of 1662 runs, 1836 RBIs, and 184 stolen bases, with 113 runs, 1216 RBIs, and 167 stolen bases occurring while with the Mariners. He was a 13-time All-Star (10 with Seattle and 3 with the Reds) and was awarded 10 Gold Gloves (all with the Mariners) and 7 Silver Sluggers (also with Seattle only). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with a record 99.32 % of the vote in 2016. The Mariners retired his #24 and he was also inducted into Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame and the Cincinnati Reds 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.

Rookie of the Year: Orlando Cepeda, 1958

First Baseman, San Francisco Giants

Age:  21 (Sept. 17)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1958:

The son of Pedro Cepeda, an outstanding player in his native Puerto Rico as well as the Dominican Republic who was known as “The Bull”. Cepeda later came to be nicknamed “the Baby Bull” and grew up playing baseball in Santurce, Puerto Rico. As he grew and filled out, he developed a power stroke and was signed by the Giants, receiving a $500 bonus. He was first assigned to Salem of the Class D Appalachian League in 1955 where he hit just .247 with one home run in 26 games before moving on to Kokomo of the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League where he performed much better, hitting 21 home runs and knocking in 91 RBIs while batting .393 in 92 games. In 1956 Cepeda was promoted to St. Cloud of the Class C Northern League where he won the Triple Crown with 26 home runs, 112 RBIs, and a batting average of .355. Moving up to the Minneapolis Millers of the Class AAA American Association in 1957, he batted .309 with 25 home runs and 108 RBIs. Cepeda filled an opening at first base for the Giants, newly relocated to San Francisco from New York, in 1958. Concerns about his fielding ability at first proved to be unwarranted.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in 148 games

1B – 147, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 643 [8]

At Bats – 603 [4]

Runs – 88 [10]

Hits – 188 [5]

Doubles – 38 [1]

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 25 [8]

RBI – 96 [4, tied with Willie Mays]

Bases on Balls – 29

Int. BB – 7 [13, tied with nine others]

Strikeouts – 84 [8]

Stolen Bases – 15 [6, tied with Johnny Temple]

Caught Stealing – 11 [3, tied with Jim Gilliam]

Average - .312 [7]

OBP - .342 [20]

Slugging Pct. - .512 [7]

Total Bases – 309 [4]

GDP – 18 [7]

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 9 [1]

League-leading doubles were +2 ahead of runner-up Dick Groat

League-leading sac flies were +1 ahead of five runners-up

Midseason snapshot: HR – 16, RBI - 50, AVG - .305, OBP - .333

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Philadelphia 4/30, (in 6 AB) at LA Dodgers 5/13, (in 6 AB) vs. Milwaukee 6/5 – 12 innings, (in 4 AB) at Pittsburgh 9/10 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 17 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 5/4 – 10 innings, (in 5 AB) at Chi. Cubs 5/17

HR at home – 13

HR on road – 12

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Philadelphia 9/12

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 1435

Put Outs – 1322

Assists – 97

Errors – 16

DP – 131

Pct. - .989

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

9^th in NL MVP voting (57 points, 17% share)

NL ROY Voting:

Orlando Cepeda, SF: 21 of 24 first place votes, 88% share

3 votes not cast

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Giants went 80-74 in their first San Francisco season to finish third in the NL, 12 games behind the pennant-winning Milwaukee Braves while leading the league in runs scored (727), doubles (250) and RBIs (682).      

Aftermath of ‘58:

In 1959 Cepeda started the season at first base and was briefly shifted to third to accommodate the arrival of another power-hitting rookie, Willie McCovey, at first and finished off the year in left field. The positional changes didn’t affect his hitting, as he batted .317 with 27 home runs and 105 RBIs. Cepeda chafed at having to play in the outfield. Shifting between the outfield and first base in 1960, and adjusting to the new Candlestick Park, his home run total dropped to 24 and he knocked in 96 runs and batted .297. Similarly splitting time in the field in 1961, Cepeda had a big year at the plate, batting .311 and leading the NL in home runs (46) and RBIs (142). He placed second in league MVP balloting and was an All-Star for the third of an eventual six consecutive seasons. The Giants won the NL pennant in 1962 and Cepeda, playing regularly at first base while McCovey made the shift to left field, contributed 35 home runs, 114 RBIs, and a .306 average. Battling chronic knee pain and clashing with manager Alvin Dark, Cepeda continued to produce at the plate, batting .316 with 34 home runs and 97 RBIs in 1963 and .304 with 31 home runs and 97 RBIs in 1964. Hobbled by knee pain that ultimately required surgery, Cepeda appeared in only 33 games in 1965, utilized mostly as a pinch hitter. With McCovey now a fixture at first base, Cepeda started the 1966 season in left field until he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for LHP Ray Sadecki in May. Moving back to first base for good, he hit .301 for the year with 20 home runs and 73 RBIs. The Cardinals soared to the NL pennant in 1967 and won the World Series. Cepeda was a popular team leader, nicknamed “Cha Cha” due to his penchant for Latin music. He batted .325 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 111 RBIs and became the first NL player to unanimously be elected MVP. The Cards repeated as pennant winners in ’68 but in the pitching-dominated season Cepeda hit only .248 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs. He was traded to Atlanta the following spring and hit .257 with 22 home runs and 88 RBIs in 1969 for the Braves, who won the NL West in the first season of division play in major league baseball. The team dropped to fifth place in 1970 but Cepeda was better at the plate with a .305 average and 34 home runs with 111 RBIs. He started strongly in 1971 until an injury to his left knee resulted in further surgery that finished his season after 71 games. Cepeda started the 1972 season with the Braves and was dealt to Oakland at mid-season, appearing in only 31 games in all until lingering knee trouble sidelined him again. Released by the A’s it appeared that his career was finished until the American League adopted the designated hitter rule in 1973. Signed by the Boston Red Sox strictly to DH, Cepeda appeared in 142 games, never playing in the field, and batted .289 with 20 home runs and 86 RBIs and was named Designated Hitter of the Year. Released in the spring of 1974 Cepeda played briefly in Mexico until signed by the Kansas City Royals. As a DH in his final major league season he batted .215 with one home run and 18 RBIs. Overall for his career Cepeda batted .297 with 2351 hits that included 417 doubles, 27 triples, and 379 home runs. With the Giants he batted .308 with 1286 hits that included 226 doubles, 22 triples, and 226 home runs. He further compiled 1365 RBIs (767 with the Giants). Cepeda was an 11-time All-Star. Among his struggles in retirement, he served 10 months in prison for smuggling marijuana, after which he turned things around and became a “goodwill ambassador” for the Giants and went on to become honored for his humanitarian work. Cepeda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Giants retired his #30. A statue of Cepeda has been placed outside of San Francisco’s AT&T Park.   

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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. 

Cy Young Profile: Mark Davis, 1989

Pitcher, San Diego Padres

Age:  28

3^rd season with Padres (2^nd complete)

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1989:

A California native, Davis came out of Granada Hills High School and was chosen by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 1979 amateur draft. With Spartanburg of the Class A Western Carolinas League in ’79 he was 11-9 with a 3.20 ERA in 26 starts. Advancing to Reading of the Class AA Eastern League in 1980, Davis had an outstanding season as he produced a 19-6 record with a 2.47 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 193 innings pitched, leading the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and innings pitched. He earned a September call-up to the Phillies where he appeared in two games and started the season finale, and did not produce a decision in his seven innings of major league action. Davis moved on to Oklahoma City of the Class AAA American Association in 1981 and was 5-2 with a 3.88 ERA in 13 starts. Called up to the Phillies in August he started 9 games and had a 1-4 record with a 7.74 ERA. It was back to Oklahoma City in 1982 where Davis was a mediocre 5-12 with a 6.24 ERA in 19 starts. After the season he was traded to the San Francisco Giants along with RHP Mike Krukow and a minor leaguer for second baseman Joe Morgan and LHP Al Holland. Starting the ’83 season with Phoenix in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and recovering from a sore arm, Davis was 6-3 in 13 starts before being Inserted into San Francisco’s starting rotation where he produced a 6-4 record with a 3.49 ERA in 20 starts. He had a dreadful year in 1984, compiling a 5-17 tally for the 66-96 Giants while appearing in 46 games, 27 of them starts with a 5.36 ERA. As a reliever in 1985, Davis appeared in 77 games and produced a 5-12 record with 7 saves and a 3.54 ERA. The Giants rose to third place in 1986 largely due to improved pitching that included Davis, who appeared in 67 games and was 5-7 with a 2.99 ERA. Midway through the 1987 season Davis was part of a seven-player deal with the Padres that brought OF/3B Kevin Mitchell to San Francisco.  Taking up residence in San Diego’s bullpen, Davis appeared in a total of 63 games (20 with the Giants and 43 with the Padres) and was 9-8 with a 3.99 ERA. Making best use of his hard curve and fastball, manager Larry Bowa chose to make Davis the bullpen closer in 1988 and he came through with 28 saves and a 2.01 ERA, garnering an All-Star selection along the way.    

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 70 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 70 [6, tied with Craig Lefferts]

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 4

Losses – 3

PCT - .571 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 44 [1]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 92.2

Hits – 66

Runs – 21

Earned Runs – 19

Home Runs – 6

Bases on Balls – 31

Strikeouts – 92

ERA – 1.85 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 8 [12, tied with five others]

League-leading saves were +8 ahead of runner-up Mitch Williams

Midseason Snapshot: 2-3, ERA - 2.68, G – 34, SV – 22, SO - 47 in 43.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 4 (in.1.2 IP) at LA Dodgers 6/28

10+ strikeout games – 0

Batting

PA – 13, AB – 13, R – 0, H – 0, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, SO – 7, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .000, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 15

Put Outs – 1

Assists – 11

Errors – 3

DP – 0

Pct. - .800

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

6^th in NL MVP voting (76 points, 23% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Mark Davis, SD: 107 pts. – 19 of 24 first place votes, 89% share

Mike Scott, Hou.: 65 pts. – 4 first place votes, 54% share

Greg Maddux, ChiC.: 17 pts. – 14% share

Orel Hershiser, LAD: 7 pts. – 1 first place vote, 6% share

Joe Magrane, StL.: 7 pts. – 6% share

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Padres went 89-73 to finish second in the NL Western Division, 3 games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. The slow-starting Padres caught fire in the final six weeks of the season, going 29-10 in that stretch to briefly contend in September.

Aftermath of ‘89:

A highly-sought free agent in the offseason, Davis signed a four-year $13 million contract with the Kansas City Royals. He had a disastrous season in 1990, saving only 6 games while losing his closer role to Jeff Montgomery. He posted a 5.11 ERA in 53 appearances. The situation was no better in 1991, when he went 6-3 with a 4.45 ERA while appearing in 29 games. Midway through the 1992 season Davis was traded to the Atlanta Braves, with continued ineffective results. He returned to the Phillies via trade in 1993 only to be released in July after compiling a 1-2 record with a 5.17 ERA in 25 appearances. He then signed with the Padres but was unable to recover the old magic and was released in May of ’94, sitting out until an unsuccessful trial with the Brewers in 1997. Overall for his major league career, Davis appeared in 624 games and had a 51-84 record with 96 saves and a 4.17 ERA. Most of his success came with San Diego, where he compiled 78 saves. Davis became a pitching coach following his playing career.

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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: Ken Boyer, 1964

Third Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  33 (May 20)

10^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 190

Prior to 1964:

A Missouri native, Boyer was one of 14 children (two of his brothers, Cloyd and Clete, also played major league baseball). Capable of playing in the infield or outfield, he was signed by the Cardinals out of high school in 1949. With Lebanon of the Class D North Atlantic League he was utilized as a pitcher thanks to his strong throwing arm and was 5-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 12 games. As a hitter, he had a .455 average with three home runs. Moving to Hamilton of the Class D PONY League in 1950, Boyer was given the opportunity to play at third base and impressed with his defensive skills. He also batted .342 with 9 home runs, thus ending the pitching experiment. Promoted to Omaha of the Class A Western League in 1951, Boyer continued to hone his batting and defensive play at third. He hit .306 with 28 doubles, 7 triples, and 14 home runs. Drafted into the Army in 1951 he spent 1952 and ’53 in the military. Returning to baseball in 1954, Boyer was next assigned to the Houston Buffaloes of the Class AA Texas League where he hit .319 with 21 home runs and 116 RBIs. He played winter ball in Havana until suffering a severe concussion due to a beaning. The Cardinals traded starting third baseman Ray Jablonski to open a spot for Boyer in the lineup for 1955. He had a solid rookie season, appearing in 147 games and hitting .264 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs. Boyer improved to .306 with 26 home runs and 98 RBIs in 1956 and was an All-Star for the first time. He shifted to center field in 1957 to make room for rookie Eddie Kasko at third and to add some batting punch to the outfield. The shift caused no defensive lapse, as he led all NL outfielders in fielding percentage (.996). He also hit .265 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs. With Kasko injured in 1958 together with the arrival of center fielder Curt Flood, Boyer returned to third base and earned his first Gold Glove. He also hit .307 with 9 triples, 23 home runs, and 90 RBIs. It was more of the same for the next five years, and through 1963 he had batted .296 with 218 home runs and 807 RBIs and had been selected to five straight All-Star Games, including 1963 when all four St. Louis infielders started for the NL (including 1B Bill White, 2B Julian Javier, and SS Dick Groat). During the same stretch he received four Gold Gloves for his fielding excellence at third base.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in 162 games

3B – 162

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 707 [4]

At Bats – 628 [9]

Runs – 100 [7, tied with Billy Williams]

Hits – 185 [10, tied with Ron Santo]

Doubles – 30 [11, tied with Lou Brock, Hank Aaron & John Callison]

Triples – 10 [5, tied with John Callison]

Home Runs – 24 [9, tied with Hank Aaron & Frank Howard]

RBI – 119 [1]

Bases on Balls – 70 [5]

Int. BB – 12 [8]

Strikeouts – 85

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .295 [17]

OBP - .365 [10, tied with Joe Torre]

Slugging Pct. - .489 [12]

Total Bases – 307 [7]

GDP – 22 [2, tied with Hank Aaron]

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 4

League-leading RBIs were +5 ahead of runner-up Ron Santo

Midseason snapshot: HR – 12, RBI - 54, AVG - .288, OBP - .354, SLG PCT – .470

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Milwaukee 5/16, (in 5 AB) at Houston 6/16

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 12

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Philadelphia 7/25

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Philadelphia 7/25

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 492

Put Outs – 131

Assists – 337

Errors – 24

DP – 30

Pct. - .951

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

PA – 30, AB – 27, R – 5, H – 6, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 6, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 5, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .222, OBP - .241, SLG - .481, TB – 13, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 1

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for NL at 3B)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Ken Boyer, StL.: 243 pts. - 14 of 20 first place votes, 87% share

John Callison, Phila.: 187 pts. – 2 first place votes, 67% share

Bill White, StL.: 106 pts. – 2 first place votes, 38% share

Frank Robinson, Cin.: 98 pts. – 35% share

Joe Torre, Mil.: 85 pts. – 1 first place vote, 30% share

(1 first place vote for Lou Brock, StL. who ranked tenth)

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Cardinals went 93-69 to win the NL pennant by one game over the Cincinnati Reds & Philadelphia Phillies. The team led the league in hits (1531) and batting (.272). The Cards were in fourth place, 11 games behind the first-place Phillies on Aug. 23 before winning six straight and going on to surge into second by Sept. 20. The Phillies lost 10 straight games to fall out of the lead & the Cards went 10-3 to finish the season and move ahead of the Phils and Reds, clinching the pennant in the season finale. Won World Series over the New York Yankees, 4 games to 3. Boyer faced off against his brother Clete, third baseman for the Yanks. His game-deciding grand slam in Game 4 evened the Series at 2 games apiece.

Aftermath of ‘64:

1965 was a down year for the Cardinals and Boyer, who battled a back injury, batted .260 with only 13 home runs and 75 RBIs. In the offseason he was traded to the New York Mets for LHP Al Jackson and third baseman Charley Smith. With the Mets in 1966 Boyer hit .266 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs. He started the 1967 season with the Mets and was dealt to the Chicago White Sox, who were in the midst of a torrid pennant race, in July. Altogether, he appeared in 113 games and hit .249 with 7 home runs and 34 RBIs. Released by the White Sox early in the 1968 season, Boyer signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to provide veteran bench strength and finished up his career with LA in 1969. Overall for his major league career he batted .287 with 2143 hits that included 318 doubles, 68 triples, and 282 home runs, with a high of 32 in 1960. He also knocked in 1141 runs and scored 1104. With the Cardinals he hit .293 with 269 doubles, 61 triples, 255 home runs, and 1001 RBIs. He was a seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove recipient. Following his playing career, Boyer became a coach and managed in the Cardinals’ and Orioles’ farm systems. He replaced Vern Rapp as manager of the Cardinals during the 1978 season and stayed until he was let go in 1980, having compiled an overall record of 166-190. He died of lung cancer in 1982 at the age of 51. The Cardinals retired his #14. Boyer was elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.

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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.