Shortstop, Baltimore
Orioles
Age: 22 (Apr. 5)
Bats – Right,
Throws – Right
Height: 6’3” Weight: 190
Prior to 1960:
Born in
Nebraska, Hansen and his family moved to Albany, California shortly thereafter.
In high school he was a star third baseman on the baseball team and outstanding
football and basketball player as well. Turning down a scholarship to the Univ.
of California after graduation, he signed with the Orioles in 1956. He started
out with the Stockton Ports of the Class C California League that year where he
was shifted to shortstop. He batted .289 with 20 doubles, 9 triples, and 8 home
runs. Following a winter playing in the Mexican League, Hansen went to spring
training in 1957 with the Orioles. A major back injury that required surgery
cost him the entire ’57 season but he started the 1958 season with the Orioles.
Having lost his batting stroke, Hansen was quickly sent down to Knoxville of
the Class A South Atlantic League where he was sidelined for a time due to a
hand injury and hit just .216 with 6 home runs and 36 RBIs. Tall for a
shortstop during that era, he had good range, a strong throwing arm, and was
sure-handed in the field. After a good winter performance in Nicaragua, Hansen
was promoted to the Vancouver Mounties of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in
1959. He hit .256 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs, and also led PCL shortstops
with 321 put outs, 496 assists, and 96 double plays. Receiving a late call-up
to the Orioles, he went hitless in two games. Thanks to a strong spring
performance in 1960, Hansen earned the starting shortstop job for the Orioles.
1960 Season Summary
Appeared in 153
games
SS – 153, PH –
1
[Bracketed
numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]
Batting
Plate Appearances
– 606 [18]
At Bats – 530 [18]
Runs – 72
Hits – 135
Doubles – 22
Triples – 5 [14,
tied with five others]
Home Runs – 22 [10]
RBI – 86 [11]
Bases on Balls
– 69 [12]
Int. BB – 5 [14,
tied with nine others]
Strikeouts – 94
[5, tied with Bob Allison]
Stolen Bases – 3
Caught Stealing
– 3
Average - .255
OBP - .342
Slugging Pct. -
.440 [14, tied with Brooks Robinson & Charlie Maxwell]
Total Bases – 233
[15]
GDP – 18 [5,
tied with Al Smith & Al Kaline]
Hit by Pitches
– 2
Sac Hits – 1
Sac Flies – 2
Midseason
snapshot: HR – 9, RBI – 51, AVG – .254, SLG PCT – .424
---
Most hits, game
– 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Boston 8/14
Longest hitting
streak – 10 games
Most HR, game –
1 on 22 occasions
HR at home – 8
HR on road – 14
Multi-HR games
– 0
Most RBIs, game
– 3 on eight occasions
Pinch-hitting –
0 of 1 (.000)
Fielding
Chances – 810
Put Outs – 325
Assists – 456
Errors – 29
DP – 110
Pct. - .964
Awards & Honors:
AL Rookie of
the Year: BBWAA
All-Star
(started for AL at SS in both games)
5th in
AL MVP voting (110 points, 1 first place vote, 33% share)
AL ROY Voting:
Ron Hansen,
Balt.: 22 of 24 votes, 92% share
Chuck Estrada,
Balt.: 1 vote, 4% share
Jim Gentile,
Balt.: 1 vote, 4% share
---
Orioles went 89-65
to finish second in the AL, eight games behind the pennant-winning New York
Yankees, which was the club’s best performance since it won the AL pennant in
1944 while still located in St. Louis.
Aftermath of ‘60:
Following an
offseason of Army Reserve duty that cut into his spring training preparation, Hansen’s
batting production dropped off in 1961 as he hit .248 with 12 home runs and 51
RBIs but he still ranked among the league leaders defensively at shortstop. His
1962 production declined due to being limited to playing weekends as a result
of again being called up for Army Reserve service and a broken hand suffered in
August; he finished with a .173 average and 3 home runs with 17 RBIs. Once
again, his play in the field did not suffer. In the offseason Hansen was traded
to the Chicago White Sox along with outfielders Dave Nicholson and Pete Ward
and RHP Hoyt Wilhelm for shortstop Luis Aparicio and outfielder/third baseman
Al Smith. His power production improved to 17 doubles, 13 home runs, and 67
RBIs in 1963, while his batting average remained low at .226. He led AL
shortstops with 483 assists and was second with 95 double plays. The White Sox
were pennant contenders in 1964 and Hansen contributed a .261 batting average
with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs. In the field he led AL shortstops in total
chances (827), put outs (292), assists (514), and DPs (105). He remained a top
fielder in 1965 as he again topped AL shortstops in chances (840, including a
record 28 in a double header against the Red Sox) and assists (527). His
batting production dropped to a.235 average with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs. A
back injury that required surgery limited Hansen to 23 games in 1966, but he
returned to play in 157 games in 1967 and led AL shortstops in chances (752)
and assists (482). He batted .233 with just 8 home runs and 51 RBIs. In the
offseason, shortstop Luis Aparicio returned to the White Sox by trade and Hansen
was part of a six-player deal that sent him to the Washington Senators. During
the 1968 season with Washington, he pulled off an unassisted triple play during
a game against Cleveland. Two days later, he was traded back to the White Sox,
where due to Aparicio’s presence, he was shifted to third base. Overall at the
plate, Hansen hit .196 with 9 home runs and 32 RBIs. Utilized as a utility
infielder in 1969, he appeared in 85 games and batted .259. He was sold to the
New York Yankees in 1970 where he spent two seasons as a utility player and
pinch-hitter. Released by the Yankees in 1972, he finished his career with the
Kansas City Royals. Overall in the major leagues, Hansen batted .234 with 1007
hits that included 156 doubles, 17 triples, and 106 home runs. He also compiled
501 RBIs. With the Orioles, his production was a .235 average with 301 hits, 42
doubles, 7 triples, 37 home runs, and 155 RBIs. His rookie batting production
remained the best of his career. More impressive in the field, he had a
lifetime .968 fielding percentage.
--
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.
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