MVP Profile: Joe Morgan, 1975

Second Baseman, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  32 (Sept. 19)

4^th season with Reds

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’7”    Weight: 160

Prior to 1975:

Born in Texas, Morgan moved to Oakland, California with his family as a child. He played basketball as well as baseball at Castlemont High School. Following two outstanding seasons at Oakland City College, Morgan signed with the expansion Houston Colt .45s for $500 per month and a $3000 signing bonus in 1962. Assigned to Modesto of the Class A California League in 1963 he batted .263 in 45 games with 5 home runs, 27 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. Advancing to the Durham Bulls of the Class A Carolina League later in the season, he benefited from the coaching of manager Billy Goodman, a former major league batting star, who helped him learn patience at the plate. He hit .332 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. Called up to Houston in September, the diminutive “Little Joe” appeared in eight games and batted .240. Moving on to the San Antonio Bullets of the Class AA Texas League in 1964, Morgan batted .323 with 42 doubles, 8 triples, 12 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 47 stolen bases. He was named league MVP and again received a September call-up to the Colt .45s. He stayed with the renamed Astros in 1965 and became the regular second baseman. He hit .271 with 14 home runs, 40 RBIs, 100 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases, placing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. His speed and surprising power considering his size, made Morgan appear to be a star in the making. He developed a distinctive arm flap that served as a reminder to keep his back elbow up when at the plate. He missed 40 games in 1966 due to a fractured kneecap which kept him from appearing in his first All-Star Game. Playing in 122 games he batted .285 with 8 triples, 5 home runs, 42 RBIs, 60 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. Morgan rebounded in 1967 by playing in 133 games and hitting .275 with 27 doubles, 11 triples, 6 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases while performing well in the field. He was limited to ten games in 1968 due to torn knee ligaments that required surgery. Morgan returned in 1969 to bat .236 with 15 home runs, 43 RBIs, 94 runs scored, and 49 stolen bases as the Astros proved to be surprise contenders in the new NL Western Division. He was an All-Star in 1970 on his way to hitting .268 with 8 home runs, 52 RBIs, 102 runs scored, and 42 stolen bases. Morgan remained productive in 1971, batting .256 with a league-leading 11 triples, 13 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases, while committing only 12 errors at second base. He also clashed with manager Harry Walker, who criticized his attitude, and in the offseason he was dealt to the Reds along with four other players for second baseman Tommy Helms, first baseman Lee May, and utilityman Jimmy Stewart. Morgan proved to be a solid addition to a pennant-winning team in 1972, leading the NL in runs scored (122), walks drawn (115), and on-base percentage (.417) while hitting .292 with 16 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 58 stolen bases. In addition to being chosen as an All-Star he placed fourth in league MVP voting. He received his first Gold Glove in 1973 and batted .290 with 26 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 67 stolen bases for the division-winning Reds. In 1974 he topped the NL with a .427 on-base percentage while hitting .293 with 22 home runs, 67 RBIs, 107 runs scored, and 58 stolen bases.

1975 Season Summary

Appeared in 146 games

2B – 142, PH – 5

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 639 [19]

At Bats – 498

Runs – 107 [4]

Hits – 163 [15, tied with Lou Brock]

Doubles – 27

Triples – 6 [17, tied with six others]

Home Runs – 17

RBI – 94 [11]

Bases on Balls – 132 [1]

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 52

Stolen Bases – 67 [2]

Caught Stealing – 10 [10, tied with Von Joshua]

Average - .327 [4]

OBP - .466 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .508 [7]

Total Bases – 253 [12]

GDP – 3

Hit By Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 6 [17, tied with seven others]

League-leading bases on balls were +22 ahead of runner-up Jim Wynn

League-leading OBP was +.060 ahead of runner-up Pete Rose

Midseason snapshot: HR – 13, SB – 40, RBI – 60, AVG – .345, SLG – .547

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Most hits, game – 3 on thirteen occcasions

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 1 on seventeen occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Houston 4/20

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 4 (.250) with 1 R, 1 BB & 3 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 792

Put Outs – 356

Assists – 425

Errors – 11

DP – 96

Pct. - .986

Postseason: 10 G (NLCS vs. Pittsburgh – 3 G; World Series vs. Boston – 7 G)

PA – 47, AB – 38, R – 6, H – 10, 2B – 4,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 4, BB – 7, IBB – 0, SO – 3, SB – 6, CS – 1, AVG - .263, OBP - .383, SLG - .368, TB – 14, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – 1

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Major League Player of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

All-Star (Started for NL at 2B)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Joe Morgan, Cin.: 321 pts. - 21 of 23 first place votes, 96% share

Greg Luzinski, Phila.: 154 pts. – 46% share

Dave Parker, Pitt.: 120 pts. – 36% share

Johnny Bench, Cin.: 117 pts. – 35% share

Pete Rose, Cin.: 114 pts. – 2 first place votes, 34% share

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Reds went 108-54 to finish first in the NL Western Division by 20 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers, while leading the league in runs scored (840), RBIs (779), stolen bases (168), walks drawn (691), and OBP (.353). The Reds got off to a 35-5 coasted to the NL West title, clinching on September 7. Won NLCS over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3 games to 0. Won World Series over the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 3 in a drama-filled battle that came down to Morgan’s RBI single in Game 7.

Aftermath of ‘75:

Morgan followed up with an even better season in 1976, topping the NL in on-base percentage (.444) and slugging percentage (.576) while batting .320 with 27 home runs, 111 RBIs, and 60 stolen bases. The Reds again won the World Series and Morgan repeated as National League MVP. Cincinnati was a second-place club in 1977 but Morgan hit .288 with 22 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 49 stolen bases. Hampered by a pulled stomach muscle in 1978, Morgan’s batting average dropped to .236 with 13 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases. Injuries slowed Morgan again in 1979 and he batted .250 with 9 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases for the division-winning Reds. In the offseason, the fading 36-year-old returned to the Astros as a free agent. Following a slow start in 1980 Morgan became a key to Houston winning its first NL West title, batting .243 with a .367 on-base percentage fueled by his league-leading 93 walks drawn. He also produced 11 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases. Moving on to the San Francisco Giants in 1981 he helped to solidify the infield defensively while providing leadership during the strike-interrupted season. “The Little General” hit .240 with a .371 on-base percentage, 66 walks drawn, 8 home runs, and 31 RBIs. He followed up with an impressive season in 1982, by the end of which he was 39 years old, batting .289 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases while the Giants contended in the NL West. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason, which reunited him with former Cincinnati teammates Pete Rose and Tony Perez. The Phillies won the division and NL pennant as Morgan contributed a .230 average with 16 home runs and 59 RBIs. He added two home runs in the World Series loss to Baltimore. Released by the Phillies in the offseason, Morgan played one last year with the Oakland Athletics in 1984 in which he hit .244 with 6 home runs and 43 RBIs. Overall for his major league career, he batted .271 with 2517 hits that included 449 doubles, 96 triples, and 268 home runs. He further compiled 1650 runs, 1133 RBIs, 689 stolen bases, and 1865 walks drawn. With the Reds he batted .288 with 1155 hits, 816 runs scored, 220 doubles, 27 triples, 152 home runs, 612 RBIs, 406 stolen bases, and 881 walks drawn. In 50 postseason games he hit just .182 with 5 home runs, 13 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. Morgan was a 10-time All-Star (8 straight with the Reds) and received five Gold Gloves. The Reds retired his #8 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990. In retirement he went into broadcasting.

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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: Jack McDowell, 1993

Pitcher, Chicago White Sox

Age:  27

5^th season with White Sox

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’5”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1993:

A native of Van Nuys, California, McDowell played football, basketball, and soccer in addition to baseball as a youth. Following high school, he turned down an offer from the Boston Red Sox, who made him a low-round selection in the 1984 amateur draft, and instead attended Stanford University, where he was a second-team All-American in 1986, and third-team in 1987, a year in which Stanford won the College World Series. Chosen by the White Sox in the first round of the ’87 amateur draft (fifth overall) he signed for a $175,000 bonus. McDowell pitched in four games with Birmingham of the Class AA Southern League and the 21-year old was then called up to the White Sox in September where he started another four games and went 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA. He struggled as a rookie in 1988, starting 26 games and posting a 5-10 record with a 3.97 ERA. Following a poor spring performance in 1989, McDowell was demoted to Vancouver of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he went 5-6 with a 6.13 ERA. Returning to the White Sox in 1990 he abandoned his slider and relied on a split-fingered fastball and curve to good effect. He compiled a 14-9 record with a 3.82 ERA and 165 strikeouts. He also became known for outspokenness and feuding with the front office. Highly competitive and with an intimidating mound presence that resulted in his being bestowed with the nickname “Black Jack” McDowell followed up with a fine 17-10 performance in 1991 along with a 3.41 ERA, 191 strikeouts, and league-leading 15 complete games. Along the way he was also named as an All-Star for the first time. An unorthodox athlete who played with a rock band on the side, McDowell produced a 20-10 record in 1992 with a 3.18 ERA and league-high 13 complete games and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting.

1993 Season Summary

Appeared in 34 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 34

Games Started – 34 [6, tied with ten others]

Complete Games – 10 [3, tied with Randy Johnson]

Wins – 22 [1]

Losses – 10

PCT - .688 [7]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [1]

Innings Pitched – 256.2 [2]

Hits – 261 [2]

Runs – 104 [19, tied with John Doherty, Tim Leary & Fernando Valenzuela]

Earned Runs – 96 [16]

Home Runs – 20

Bases on Balls – 69

Strikeouts – 158 [13]

ERA – 3.37 [11]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 1

Wild Pitches – 8 [14, tied with twelve others]

League-leading wins were +3 ahead of runners-up Randy Johnson & Pat Hentgen

League-leading shutouts were +1 ahead of runners-up Randy Johnson, Mike Moore & Kevin Brown

Midseason Snapshot: 13-6, ERA - 3.88, SO - 75 in 141.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 10 (in 9 IP) at Minnesota 8/22

10+ strikeout games – 1

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) at Seattle 8/1

Fielding

Chances – 69

Put Outs – 23

Assists – 43

Errors – 3

DP – 2

Pct. - .957

Postseason Pitching:

G – 2 (ALCS vs. Toronto)

GS – 2, CG – 0, Record – 0-2, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 9, H – 18, R – 10, ER – 10, HR – 1, BB – 5, SO – 5, ERA – 10.00, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 1

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

9^th in AL MVP voting (51 points, 13% share)

AL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Jack McDowell, ChiWS.: 116 pts. – 21 of 28 first place votes, 89% share

Randy Johnson, Sea.: 75 pts. – 6 first place votes, 54% share

Kevin Appier, KC: 30 pts. – 1 first place vote, 21% share

Jimmy Key, NYY.: 14 pts. – 10% share

Duane Ward, Tor.: 5 pts. – 4% share

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White Sox went 94-68 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 8 games over the Texas Rangers. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.70) & fewest runs allowed (664). The White Sox moved into first place to stay on July 7, and paced by young starting pitchers McDowell, RHP Alex Fernandez, LHP Wilson Alvarez & RHP Jason Bere, coasted to the AL West title. Lost ALCS to the Toronto Blue Jays, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘93:

McDowell dropped to 10-9 with a 3.73 ERA in the strike-shortened 1994 season. Traded to the New York Yankees in the offseason, he was 15-10 in 1995 with a 3.93 ERA and AL-leading 8 complete games although he was hindered by a sore back in the season’s latter stages. Departing as a free agent, he moved on to the Cleveland Indians in 1996 where he missed time due to an arm injury and finished at 13-9 with a 5.11 ERA and 141 strikeouts. Limited to six starts in 1997 due to a sore elbow that required surgery he was just 3-3 with a 5.09 ERA. With the Anaheim Angels in 1998 and ’99 “Black Jack” endured two bleak injury-marred seasons and retired. Overall for his major league career, which was highlighted by the three-season period from 1991-93, McDowell posted a 127-87 record with a 3.85 ERA, 62 complete games, and 1311 strikeouts over 1889 innings pitched. With the White Sox he was 91-58 with a 3.50 ERA, 49 complete games, and 918 strikeouts over 1343.2 innings. In five postseason appearances he went 0-4 with an 8.72 ERA and 16 strikeouts. “Black Jack” was a three-time All-Star. In retirement he went into coaching at the scholastic, minor league, and collegiate levels.

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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: Ryne Sandberg, 1984

Second Baseman, Chicago Cubs

Age:  25 (Sept. 18)

3^rd season with Cubs

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1984:

A native of Spokane, Washington, Sandberg was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren. He starred in football (where he was a Parade magazine high school All-American quarterback) and basketball, as well as baseball at North Central High School. Heavily recruited for football by major colleges, he preferred baseball and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, who chose him in the 1978 amateur draft. Initially assigned to Helena of the Rookie-level Pioneer League in ’78, Sandberg played shortstop (his high school position) and batted .311 in 56 games. In 1979 Sandberg advanced to Spartanburg of the Class A Western Carolinas League where he led the team with 83 runs scored despite batting just .247. Moving up to Reading of the Class AA Eastern League in 1980, he hit .310 with 21 doubles, 12 triples, 11 home runs, and 79 RBIs, while stealing 32 bases, and was named to the league All-Star team. With the Oklahoma City 89ers of the Class AAA American Association in 1981 he batted .293 with 9 home runs and 62 RBIs with another 32 stolen bases. Having demonstrated solid hitting ability along with speed and defense, Sandberg was called up to the Phillies in September and the utility infielder batted .167 with one hit in six at bats. Dangled as trade bait in the offseason, he was dealt to the Cubs along with veteran shortstop Larry Bowa. Sandberg won the starting job at third base during spring training in 1982 and played there until September, when he was shifted to second. For the year he hit .271 with 33 doubles, 5 triples, 7 home runs, 54 RBIs, 103 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases. He finished sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Still not a power hitter, he followed up in 1983 by batting .261 with 8 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 37 stolen bases. He also received his first Gold Glove for his play at second base. Prior to the 1984 season, the quiet and hard-working “Ryno” signed a six-year $3.85 million contract. Coached by new manager Jim Frey, he began to work on developing his power stroke.

1984 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 700 [4]

At Bats – 636 [3]

Runs – 114 [1]

Hits – 200 [2]

Doubles – 36 [3, tied with Juan Samuel]

Triples – 19 [1, tied with Juan Samuel]

Home Runs – 19 [14, tied with Jody Davis]

RBI – 84 [15]

Bases on Balls – 52

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 101 [11, tied with Tim Wallach]

Stolen Bases – 32 [13, tied with Wally Backman]

Caught Stealing – 7

Average - .314 [4]

OBP - .367 [11]

Slugging Pct. - .520 [3]

Total Bases – 331 [2]

GDP – 7

Hit by Pitches – 3 [18, tied with ten others]

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – 4

League-leading runs scored were +8 ahead of runners-up Tim Raines & Alan Wiggins

Midseason snapshot:3B – 11, HR – 11, RBI – 52, AVG - .335, SLG PCT - .548

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) vs. St. Louis 6/23 – 11 innings

Longest hitting streak – 18 games

HR at home – 11

HR on road – 8

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 6 AB) at Philadelphia 6/1, (in 6 AB) vs. St. Louis 6/23 - 11 innings

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 7 vs. St. Louis 6/23 - 11 innings

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 870

Put Outs – 314

Assists – 550

Errors – 6

DP – 102

Pct. - .993

Postseason Batting: 5 G (NLCS vs. San Diego)

PA – 22, AB – 19, R – 3, H – 7, 2B – 2,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 3, IBB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 3, CS – 1, AVG - .368, OBP - .455, SLG - .474, TB – 9, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for NL at 2B)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Ryne Sandberg, ChiC.: 326 pts. - 22 of 24 first place votes, 97% share

Keith Hernandez, NYM: 195 pts. – 1 first place vote, 58% share

Tony Gwynn, SD: 184 pts. – 1 first place vote, 55% share

Rick Sutcliffe, ChiC.: 151 pts. – 45% share

Gary Matthews, ChiC.: 70 pts. – 21% share

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Cubs went 96-65 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 6.5 games over the New York Mets while leading the league in runs scored (762), RBIs (703), and walks drawn (567). The Cubs reached the postseason for the first time since 1945 by battling the Mets until moving into first place to stay on August 1. Lost NLCS to the San Diego Padres, 3 games to 2 after taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

Aftermath of ‘84:

The Cubs dropped to fourth place in 1985, but Sandberg had another strong season, batting .305 with 26 home runs, 83 RBIs, 113 runs scored, and 54 stolen bases. He was an All-Star for the second consecutive year, received his third straight Gold Glove, and placed thirteenth in NL MVP balloting. In 1986 he committed only five errors in the field, and although he hit .284 his home run total dropped to 14 and RBIs to 76. With a last-place team in 1987, Sandberg batted .294 with 16 home runs and 59 RBIs and was still a Gold Glove second baseman in the field. On a team revitalized by an infusion of young talent in 1988, Sandberg hit .264 with 19 home runs and 69 RBIs. The stage was set for the Cubs to return to the top of the NL East in 1989 and the veteran second baseman contributed a league-leading 104 runs scored while batting .290 with 30 home runs and 76 RBIs and still providing Gold Glove play in the field. Early in the spring he also signed a three-year, $6.1 million contract extension. In 1990 Sandberg hit 40 home runs, to become the first second baseman to lead the NL in that category since 1925. He also hit .306 while topping the circuit in runs scored (116) and total bases (344), while establishing a major league record with 123 straight errorless games at second base. Sandberg had solid seasons in 1991, ’92, and ‘93, batting .291, .304, and .309 respectively with home run totals of 26, 26, and 9 while driving in 100, 87, and 45 RBIs. In 1993 he was hindered by a broken hand and a finger injury as well. Sandberg abruptly announced his retirement in June of 1994. Unhappy with the team’s direction, he remained inactive until 1996, when he returned to the Cubs. He played two more seasons in ’96 and 1997 until retiring for good. He hit .244 in ’96 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs and .264 in ’97 with 12 home runs and 64 RBIs. Overall for his major league career, spent almost entirely with the Cubs, he batted .285 with 2386 hits that included 403 doubles, 76 triples, and 282 home runs. He further compiled 1061 RBIs, 1318 runs, and 344 stolen bases. In 10 postseason games Sandberg hit .385 with a home run and 6 RBIs. A 10-time All-Star, the Cubs retired his #23 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. Sandberg also was awarded nine Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers. He became a minor league manager for the Cubs and Phillies and managed at the major league level with the Phillies from 2013 to ’15. His teams compiled a 119-159 record.

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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 Profile: Fred Lynn, 1975

Outfielder, Boston Red Sox

Age:  23

1^st season with Red Sox

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1975:

Born in Chicago, Lynn grew up in suburban Los Angeles. At El Monte High School he lettered in football and basketball as well as baseball, where he pitched and played center field. He turned down an offer from the New York Yankees to attend USC. Lynn was chosen by the Red Sox in the second round of the 1973 amateur draft and signed for $40,000. Assigned to Bristol of the Class AA Eastern League, he batted .259 with 6 home runs and 36 RBIs. He advanced to Pawtucket of the Class AAA International League where he hit .282 in 1974 with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs. Named a league All-Star he earned a late-season call-up to the Red Sox where in 15 games he batted .419 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Along with left fielder/DH Jim Rice, a teammate in Bristol and Pawtucket, Lynn moved into the lineup for the Red Sox in 1975 amid high expectations thanks to his all-around hitting ability, speed, and defensive prowess.

1975 Season Summary

Appeared in 145 games

CF – 144, PH – 2, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 605

At Bats – 528

Runs – 103 [1]

Hits – 175 [7, tied with Mickey Rivers]

Doubles – 47 [1]

Triples – 7 [5, tied with Claudell Washington, Lenny Randle & Pat Kelly]

Home Runs – 21 [13, tied with Joe Rudi & Graig Nettles]

RBI – 105 [3]

Bases on Balls – 62

Int. BB – 10 [11, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 90 [15]

Stolen Bases – 10

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .331 [2]

OBP - .401 [5]

Slugging Pct. - .566 [1]

Total Bases – 299 [4]

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 6

Sac Flies – 6 [15, tied with eleven others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 23, HR - 16, RBI – 71, AVG – .342, SLG - .620

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League-leading runs scored were +8 ahead of runner-up John Mayberry

League-leading doubles were +8 ahead of runner-up Reggie Jackson

League-leading slugging pct was +.019 ahead of runner-up John Mayberry

Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Detroit 6/18

Longest hitting streak – 20 games

HR at home – 9

HR on road – 12

Most home runs, game – 3 (in 6 AB) at Detroit 6/18

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 10 at Detroit 6/18

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

Fielding

Chances – 422

Put Outs – 404

Assists – 11

Errors – 7

DP – 1

Pct. - .983

Postseason Batting: 10 G (ALCS vs. Oakland – 3 G; World Series vs. Cincinnati – 7 G)

PA – 41, AB – 36, R – 4, H – 11, 2B – 2,3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 8, BB – 3, IBB – 0, SO – 5, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .306, OBP - .350, SLG - .444, TB – 16, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 1

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

Gold Glove

All-Star

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Fred Lynn, Bos.: 326 pts. – 22 of 24 first place votes, 97% share

John Mayberry, KC: 157 pts. – 47% share

Jim Rice, Bos.: 154 pts. – 46% share

Rollie Fingers, Oak.: 129 pts. – 2 first place votes, 38% share

Reggie Jackson, Oak.: 118 pts. – 35% share

AL ROY Voting:

Fred Lynn, Bos.: 23.5 of 24 votes, 98% share

Jim Rice, Bos.: 0.5 vote, 2% share

Red Sox went 95-66 to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 4.5 games over the Baltimore Orioles while leading the league in runs scored (796), hits (1500), doubles (284), RBIs (756), batting (.275), OBP (.344), slugging (.417) & total bases (2274). Young players, most notably Lynn and Jim Rice, propelled the Red Sox to an unexpected division title. Won ALCS over the Oakland Athletics, 4 games to 3. Lost World Series to Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 3 in a drama-filled battle.

Aftermath of ‘75:

With expectations high following his phenomenal rookie season, Lynn staged a prolonged holdout in 1976. He had a somewhat lesser year, batting .314 over 132 games with 32 doubles, 8 triples, 10 home runs, and 65 RBIs while the team sagged to third in the AL East. He was once again an All-Star and remained impressive defensively in center field. Lynn began the 1977 season on the disabled list due to an ankle injury and appeared in just 129 games. His batting average fell to .260 and he hit 18 home runs with 76 RBIs. He came back strong in 1978 hitting .298 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs while Boston jumped out to a big lead in the division that failed to hold up as the Yankees caught them and won a one-game playoff for the title. Lynn also received his second Gold Glove in recognition of his outstanding defensive play. In 1979, he had the best season since his Rookie of the Year performance, winning the AL batting title with a .333 average and topping the circuit with a .423 on-base percentage and .637 slugging percentage, thanks to his 42 doubles and 39 home runs. He also drove in 122 RBIs as a result of his career-best power production. Lynn’s 1980 season ended in August when he suffered a broken toe. In 110 games he hit .301 with 12 home runs and 61 RBIs. In the offseason he was dealt to the California Angels along with RHP Steve Renko for three players that included outfielder Joe Rudi. The Angels signed him to a four-year $5.25 million contract but he battled a knee injury during the strike-interrupted season and batted only .219 with 5 home runs and 31 RBIs while appearing in 76 games. In 1982 the Angels topped the AL West and Lynn contributed a .299 average along with 38 doubles, 21 home runs, and 86 RBIs despite being hindered by a rib injury down the stretch. In the five-game ALCS loss to the Brewers he hit .611 with 11 hits and 5 RBIs and was named series MVP despite playing for the losing club. In 1983 Lynn was an All-Star for the ninth consecutive year and hit the first grand slam in All-Star Game history to earn game MVP honors. It was part of a season in which injuries ultimately limited him to 117 games and he batted .272 with 22 home runs and 74 RBIs. He appeared in 142 games in 1984 (his most with the Angels) and hit .271 with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs. Lynn signed with the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent in the offseason. Back and ankle injuries held him to 124 games in 1985 and he hit .263 with 23 home runs and 68 RBIs while striking out a career-high 100 times. Hampered by injuries again in 1986, Lynn again slugged 23 home runs and drove in 67 RBIs while batting .287 in 112 games for the last place Orioles. Injuries limited him to 111 games in 1987 and he once more hit 23 home runs while batting .253 with 60 RBIs. In 1988 Lynn had 18 home runs with 37 RBIs and a .252 average by the end of August when Baltimore dealt him to the Detroit Tigers for prospects. With the Tigers battling for the AL East title Lynn accounted for 7 home runs and 19 RBIs in the final month. Detroit fell short and placed second to the Red Sox but descended to the cellar in 1989 while Lynn appeared in 117 games as a left fielder and DH, hitting .241 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs. He signed as a free agent with the San Diego Padres in 1990, playing one last season at age 38. In 90 games he batted .240 with 6 home runs and 23 RBIs. Overall in the major leagues Lynn batted .283 with 1960 hits that included 388 doubles, 43 triples, and 306 home runs. He further compiled 1111 RBIs and stole 72 bases. With the Red Sox he hit .308 with 944 hits, 217 doubles, 29 triples, 124 home runs, and 521 RBIs. In 15 postseason games he produced a .407 average with 22 hits, 2 home runs, and 13 RBIs. A nine-time All-Star (six with Boston), he also received four Gold Gloves (all with the Red Sox). Lynn went into broadcasting for a time following his retirement. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2002.

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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 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: Gregg Olson, 1989

Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  22

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1989:

A native of Nebraska, Olson was the son of a high school baseball coach. He played for his father’s team at Northwest High School in Omaha and produced a 27-0 record over four years with a 0.76 ERA and 276 strikeouts. Moving on to Auburn University he was developed into a bullpen closer and, appearing in a total of 78 games, Olson compiled an 18-4 record with 20 saves and 209 strikeouts. After his junior year the Orioles made him the fourth overall pick in the 1988 amateur draft. Initially assigned to Hagerstown of the Class A Carolina League, he was 1-0 with 4 saves in eight appearances before advancing to Charlotte of the Class AA Southern League where he logged a save and struck out 22 batters over 15.1 innings pitched. Called up to the Orioles in September, Olson appeared in 10 games and was 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA. With his excellent fastball and curve, he took over as the team’s bullpen closer early in 1989.

  

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 64 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 64 [12, tied with Tom Henke, Rick Honeycutt & Lee Smith]

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 5

Losses – 2

PCT - .714 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 27 [8]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 85

Hits – 57

Runs – 17

Earned Runs – 16

Home Runs – 1

Bases on Balls – 46

Strikeouts – 90

ERA – 1.69 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 1

Balks – 3 [10, tied with six others]

Wild Pitches – 9 [11, tied with Charlie Leibrandt & Mark Gubicza]

Midseason Snapshot: 3-0, ERA - 1.89, G – 35, SV – 14, SO - 50 in 47.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 4 (in 3 IP) vs. Minnesota 4/22, (in 2 IP) at Oakland 4/26

Fielding

Chances – 18

Put Outs – 5

Assists – 12

Errors – 1

DP – 0

Pct. - .944

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

12^th in AL MVP voting (35 points, 9% share)

6^th in AL Cy Young voting, tied with Jeff Ballard, Balt. & Dennis Eckersley, Oak. (3 points, 2% share)

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Gregg Olson, Balt.: 136 pts. – 26 of 28 first place votes, 97% share

Tom Gordon, KC: 67 pts. – 1 first place vote, 48% share

Ken Griffey Jr, Sea.: 21 pts. –  1 first place vote, 15% share

Craig Worthington, Balt: 16 pts. – 11% share

Jim Abbott, Cal.: 10 pts. – 7% share

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Orioles went 87-75 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, two games behind the division-winning Toronto Blue Jays, which was the club’s best performance since it won the AL East and World Series in 1983.The Orioles, who had been a last-place team in 1988, benefited from an infusion of youth, including Olson, and led the division for 98 straight days, opening up a lead of 7.5 games in mid-July. They fell behind the Blue Jays in September, who eliminated them in a season-ending series at Toronto.

Aftermath of ‘89:

The Orioles dropped back to fifth in the AL East in 1990, but Olson had another outstanding season, posting a 6-5 record with 37 saves and a 2.42 ERA. He was also an All-Star selection for the only time in his career.  The pitcher nicknamed “Otter” was solid again in 1991, going 4-6 with 31 saves and a 3.18 ERA. One save came as the result of pitching the last inning of a combined no-hitter with three other pitchers against Oakland. It was more of the same in 1992 as Olson compiled a 1-5 tally with 36 saves and a 2.05 ERA. Off to another fine start in 1993, he suffered a torn ligament in his right arm at the end of July. Seeing little action in the final two months of the season, he finished at 0-2 with 29 saves and a 1.60 ERA. While the injury seemingly healed without surgery, the Orioles allowed him to depart as a free agent in the offseason. Signing with the Atlanta Braves in 1994, it quickly became apparent that he had not fully recovered from the arm injury and was no longer as effective as he had previously been. Spending time on the disabled list and in rehab assignments with Class AAA Richmond, Olson appeared in just 16 games for the Braves in the strike-shortened season and was 0-2 with one save and a 9.20 ERA. Signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1995, he started the year with the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA American Association where he saved 13 games in 18 appearances. Called up to the Indians, he was ineffective in three games. The Kansas City Royals purchased his contract in July and he went 3-3 with three saves the rest of the way. Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996, he was released when he was injured during spring training. The Cincinnati Reds signed him next and after saving four games for Indianapolis of the American Association, Olson was dealt to the Detroit Tigers where he appeared in 43 games and produced a 3-0 record with 8 saves and a 5.23 ERA before being traded once again to the Houston Astros in late August. His combined major league record for the year was 4-0 with 8 saves and a 4.99 ERA. He next signed with the Minnesota Twins in 1997,  who released him in May after posting an atrocious 18.36 ERA in 11 appearances. He returned to the Royals next, who farmed him to Omaha of the American Association, where he saw action as a starter as well as reliever, before being called up to the Royals where he went 4-3 with one save and a 3.02 ERA in 34 games as he began to regain effectiveness. Released after the season, he joined the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. Expected to be a setup man in the bullpen, he took over the closer role in May and went on to accumulate 30 saves in 34 save situations. He also hit the only home run of his career during a rare plate appearance. Olson spent another year with the Diamondbacks in 1999, when he returned to a setup role after struggling early in the season and having back problems. He still compiled 14 saves with a 3.71 ERA while appearing in 61 games. Olson moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000 and 2001 where he was hindered by a sore arm and was released at the end of June in ’01, thus ending his career. Overall, Olson produced a 40-39 record with a 3.46 ERA and 217 saves. He also recorded 588 strikeouts over the course of 672 innings. With the Orioles he was 17-21 with 160 saves and 347 strikeouts. He has been inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame as well as the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame (along with his father).

  

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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.