MVP Profile: Robin Yount, 1989

Outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers

Age:  34 (Sept. 16)

16^th season with Brewers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 165

Prior to 1989:

Born in Illinois, Yount grew up in Woodland Hills, California, where he excelled in playing shortstop at Taft High School and was the third overall pick by the Brewers in the 1973 amateur draft. Assigned to the Newark Co-Pilots of the Class A NewYork-Pennsylvania League, he batted .285 in 64 games and made the jump to the shortstop-deficient Brewers at age 18 in 1974. “The Kid” showed his potential while honing his craft at the major league level, hitting .250 in 107 games until he was sidelined by a foot injury. His range and throwing arm at short was also very satisfactory. Yount started off strong in 1975 until he was again hindered by a foot injury and tailed off in the field, where he committed 44 errors, as well as at the plate where he batted .267 with 28 doubles, 8 home runs, and 52 RBIs.  He stayed healthy in 1976, appearing in 161 games, and hit .252 while leading AL shortstops in total chances (831) and put outs (290), and dropped his errors to 31 for the last place Brewers. A 1977 season in which his batting average rose to .288 was followed by his walking out of spring training in 1978, indicating that he might prefer to become a professional golfer rather than continue with baseball. Returning to the Brewers, Yount missed the first month of the season but still hit .293 with 9 home runs and 71 RBIs. The Brewers rose to second place in the AL East in 1979 and Yount contributed a .267 average with 8 home runs and 51 RBIs along with steady play in the field. With the team desiring greater power production out of his bat, he engaged in a weight-training program in the offseason that paid off with 49 doubles, 10 triples, 23 home runs, and 87 RBIs, his first All-Star selection, and a Silver Slugger in 1980. The Brewers reached the postseason for the first time in the strike-interrupted 1981 season and “Rockin’ Robin” hit well down the stretch while batting .273 overall with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs. In the field he committed only 8 errors. Yount followed up with another strong season in 1983, even though he was hampered by a back injury while the Brewers dropped to fifth in the AL East. Bothered by a sore shoulder in 1984, he finished the season as a Designated Hitter and hit .298 with 27 doubles, 7 triples, 16 home runs and 80 RBIs. Yount was shifted to the outfield in 1985 and was limited to 122 games as his shoulder injury required surgery. Still, he batted .277 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs. Installed in center field in 1986, the position he would play for the remainder of his career, Yount hit .312 with 9 home runs and 46 RBIs while scoring a team-leading 82 runs. He was better offensively in 1987, again batting .312 with 21 home runs and 103 RBIs. In 1988 Yount tied for the AL lead with 11 triples to go along with 38 doubles, 13 home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .306 average. He placed eleventh in league MVP voting.  

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 160 games

CF – 144, DH – 16

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 690 [8]

At Bats – 614 [11]

Runs – 101 [3, tied with Ruben Sierra]

Hits – 195 [4]

Doubles – 38 [5]

Triples – 9 [4, tied with Ivan Calderon, Tony Fernandez & Harold Reynolds]

Home Runs – 21 [16, tied with Pete Incaviglia, Alvin Davis & Cal Ripken]

RBI – 103 [7]

Bases on Balls – 63

Int. BB – 9 [14, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 71

Stolen Bases – 19

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .318 [4]

OBP - .384 [10]

Slugging Pct. - .511 [3]

Total Bases – 314 [2]

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 6 [9, tied with eleven others]

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: HR - 10, RBI - 54, AVG - .299, SLG - .468

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Cleveland 8/10

Longest hitting streak – 19 games

HR at home – 14

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Seattle 5/26

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 at NY Yankees 7/2

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances - 376

Put Outs – 361

Assists – 8

Errors – 7

DP – 2

Pct. - .981

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Robin Yount, Mil.: 256 pts. - 8 of 28 first place votes, 65% share

Ruben Sierra, Tex.: 228 pts. – 6 first place votes, 58% share

Cal Ripken, Balt.: 216 pts. – 6 first place votes, 55% share

George Bell, Tor.: 205 pts. – 4 first place votes, 52% share

Dennis Eckersley, Oak.: 116 pts. – 3 first place votes, 30% share

(1 first place vote for Carney Lansford, Oak., who ranked 17^th)

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Brewers went 81-81 to finish fourth in the AL Eastern Division, 8 games behind the division-winning Toronto Blue Jays while leading the league in stolen bases (165).

Aftermath of ‘89:

Yount followed up in 1990 by dropping to .247 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs. He remained with the Brewers, his only major league team, until 1993, after which he retired at age 38. For his 20-year career he batted .285 with 3142 hits that included 583 doubles, 126 triples, and 251 home runs. He further accumulated 1406 RBIs and 271 stolen bases. The two-time AL MVP was also a three-time All-Star who won one Gold Glove at shortstop and was awarded three Silver Sluggers. The Brewers retired his #19 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

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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: Steve Garvey, 1974

First Baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  25

5^th season with Dodgers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 192

Prior to 1974:

A native of Tampa, Florida, Garvey excelled at football and baseball at Chamberlain High School. Rejecting an offer from the Minnesota Twins, who selected him in the 1966 amateur draft, he went on to Michigan State University, where he hit impressively but had a poor throwing arm at third base, where he was also hindered by a football injury. Chosen by the Dodgers in the 1968 amateur draft, Garvey signed and was assigned to Ogden of the Rookie-level Pioneer League where he batted .338 with a league-leading 20 home runs and 59 RBIs in 62 games. He was named to the league’s All-Star team. In 1969 Garvey advanced to Albuquerque of the Class AA Texas League where he hit .373 in 83 games with 14 home runs and 85 RBIs. He received a late-season call-up to the Dodgers and got one-hit in three plate appearances. Garvey started the 1970 season with the Dodgers, but after getting off to a poor start was sent to Spokane of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he batted .319 with 15 home runs and 87 RBIs which led to his return to LA where he finished up with a .269 average in 34 major league games. With the Dodgers in 1971, Garvey had a poor year at third base, committing 14 errors in 79 games at the position while batting .227 with 7 home runs and 26 RBIs in a season in which he suffered a broken wrist. His batting production improved to .269 with 9 home runs and 30 RBIs in 1972 while he led all NL third basemen in errors with 28. With his career at a crossroads with the Dodgers, Garvey started off the 1973 season as a pinch-hitter and occasional left fielder until injuries forced the move of first baseman Bill Buckner to left field. Garvey, who had played some first base in the minors, took over at the position and over the course of 114 games hit .304 with 8 home runs and 50 RBIs. He remained set at first base for 1974 and became part of a long-lasting infield with second baseman Dave Lopes, shortstop Bill Russell, and third baseman Ron Cey.

1974 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

1B – 156

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 685 [10]

At Bats – 642 [5]

Runs – 95 [12, tied with Cesar Cedeno & Dave Lopes]

Hits – 200 [3]

Doubles – 32 [9]

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 21 [12, tied with Bobby Bonds]

RBI – 111 [3]

Bases on Balls – 31

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 66

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .312 [7]

OBP - .342

Slugging Pct. - .469 [10]

Total Bases – 301 [4]

GDP – 8

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 8 [7, tied with Cesar Cedeno, Tony Perez & Reggie Smith]

Midseason snapshot: HR – 15, RBI – 65, AVG - .313, OBP - .342

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. Chi. Cubs 8/28

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 8

HR on road – 13

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Cincinnati 4/17, (in 3 AB) at San Francisco 5/23

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Cincinnati 4/17, vs. Cincinnati 5/22, at Chi. Cubs 8/20

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 1606

Put Outs – 1536

Assists – 62

Errors – 8

DP – 108

Pct. - .995

Postseason: 9 G (NLCS vs. Pittsburgh – 4 G, World Series vs. Oakland – 5 G)

PA – 40, AB – 39, R – 6, H – 15, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 6, BB – 1, IBB – 1, SO – 4, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .385, OBP - .400, SLG - .564, TB – 22, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

All-Star (Started for NL at 1B)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Steve Garvey, LAD: 270 pts. - 13 of 22 first place votes, 80% share

Lou Brock, StL.: 233 pts. – 8 first place votes, 69% share

Mike Marshall, LAD: 146 pts. – 1 first place vote, 43% share

Johnny Bench, Cin.: 141 pts. – 42% share

Jim Wynn, LAD: 137 pts. – 41% share

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Dodgers went 102-60 to finish first in the NL Western Division by 4 games over the Cincinnati Reds while leading the league in runs scored (798), home runs (139), RBIs (744), and slugging (.401).The Dodgers were up by 10.5 games on July 10 and held off the Reds the rest of the way to secure the NL West title. Won NLCS over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3 games to 1, helped by Garvey’s four-hit, two-home run performance in Game 4. Lost World Series to the Oakland Athletics, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘74:

Garvey followed up in 1975 by batting .319 with 210 hits, 18 home runs and 95 RBIs, and in addition to again being an All-Star, finished eleventh in league MVP balloting. He also received a second Gold Glove in recognition of his defensive play at first base. The media and team promoted his ultra-clean All-American image, which generated some resentment among teammates. His consistent bat produced seasons of .317 with 13 home runs and 80 RBIs in 1976 and .297 with 33 home runs and 115 RBIs in 1977, a year in which the pennant-winning Dodgers became the first major league team with four batters slugging 30 home runs (the others being Reggie Smith with 32 and Ron Cey and Dusty Baker with an even 30 apiece). Festering teammate resentment led to a locker room fight with RHP Don Sutton in 1978, a year in which Garvey hit .316 with a NL-leading 202 hits along with 21 home runs and 113 RBIs. He placed second in league MVP voting. He remained a consistent performer in 1979 by batting .315 with 204 hits, 28 home runs, and 110 RBIs, and 1980 by hitting .304 with 200 hits, 26 home runs, and 106 RBIs. Following another solid campaign in the strike-shortened 1981 season in which Garvey batted .283 with 10 home runs and 64 RBIs, he came through with some timely hits in the postseason including two home runs in the NLDS triumph over Houston and another as the Dodgers defeated Montreal in the NLCS. In the World Series, in which they defeated the Yankees, Garvey hit .417. In 1982, the final year of his six-year, $1.971 million contract, he had a relative off-year, hitting .282 with 176 hits, 16 home runs and 86 RBIs. His string of eight consecutive All-Star selections was snapped. In the offseason he signed a five-year, $6.6 million contract with the San Diego Padres. In 1983, at the end of July the durable Garvey’s streak of 1207 consecutive games, as well as his season, came to an end due to a broken thumb. He ended up hitting .294 in 100 games with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs. He was an All-Star in 1984 despite a statistical decline to .284 with 8 home runs and 86 RBIs. The Padres won the NL West and the league pennant thanks to Garvey’s MVP performance against the Cubs in the NLCS in which he batted .400 with a game-winning home run and seven RBIs. He had one last All-Star season in 1985 in which he hit .281 with 17 home runs and 81 RBIs. After a year of further decline in 1986, Garvey’s career came to an end during the 1987 season due to a shoulder injury. Overall for his major league career, Garvey batted .294 with 2599 hits that included 440 doubles, 43 triples, and 272 home runs. He further scored 1143 runs and compiled 1308 RBIs. With the Dodgers the numbers were .301 with 1968 hits, 333 doubles, 35 triples, 211 home runs, 852 runs scored, and 992 RBIs. He had six 200-hit seasons with LA, leading the NL twice and was a 10-time All-Star (8 with the Dodgers). He also received four Gold Gloves. In 55 postseason games he hit .338 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs and was a two-time NLCS MVP (1978 with LA and 1984 with San Diego). The Padres retired his #6. Garvey’s ultra-clean image was damaged in retirement by scandals in his personal life, but nothing could dim his steady and consistent playing 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: Lou Piniella, 1969

Outfielder, Kansas City Royals

Age:  26 (Aug. 28)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 182

Prior to 1969:

A native of Tampa, Florida, Piniella early on demonstrated a natural leadership ability as well as athletic talent and a fiery temper. He was a high school All-American basketball player at Jesuit High School, where he once scored 54 points in a game, as well as baseball up to his senior year when he sat out due to a dispute with the coach. Moving on to the University of Tampa, Piniella’s basketball career came to an end due to an ankle injury, but his baseball performance was strong enough to draw the interest of the Cleveland Indians, who signed him for $25,000 in 1962. Initially assigned to Selma of the Class D Alabama-Florida League he batted .270 in 70 games with 8 home runs and 44 RBIs. In the offseason he was chosen by the Washington Senators in the First-Year Draft. Piniella spent 1963 with Peninsula of the Class A Carolina League and hit .310 with 16 home runs and 77 RBIs. During the 1964 season he served a stint in the National Guard during which he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Assigned to Aberdeen of the Class A Northern League later in the year he batted .270 in 20 games. After also putting in 47 games in the Florida Instructional League Piniella received a September call-up to the Orioles where he went hitless in his only plate appearance. In 1965 he was promoted to the Elmira Pioneers of the Class AA Eastern League and hit .249 with 11 home runs and 64 RBIs. In 1966 Piniella was reacquired by the Indians and assigned to the Portland Beavers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he batted .289 with 7 home runs and 52 RBIs. He remained with Portland in 1967 and improved his batting average to .308. Back with Portland again in 1968 he hit .317 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs, and this time received a late-season call-up to the Indians. He was 0-for-5 in his second major league “cup of coffee”. Having spent seven years in the minors at age 25, Piniella was chosen by the Seattle Pilots in the expansion draft, who then dealt him to the other American League expansion team, the Royals, during spring training.

1969 Season Summary

Appeared in 135 games

LF – 126, CF – 4, PH- 9

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 539

At Bats – 493

Runs – 43

Hits – 139

Doubles – 21

Triples – 6 [4, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 11

RBI – 68

Bases on Balls – 33

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 56

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .282 [18]

OBP - .325

Slugging Pct. - .416

Total Bases – 205

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 9 [3, tied with Leo Cardenas & Joe Foy]

Midseason snapshot: 3B – 4, HR - 10, RBI - 52, AVG. - .302, OBP - .336

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Minnesota 4/8 – 12 innings, (in 4 AB) at Washington 5/23, (in 5 AB) at NY Yankees 6/11 – 11 innings

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

Most HR, game – 1 on eleven occasions

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 6

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at NY Yankees 6/10

Pinch-hitting – 3 of 9 (.333) with 1 2B & 3 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 298

Put Outs – 278

Assists – 13

Errors – 7

DP – 1

Pct. – .977

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

35^th in AL MVP voting, tied with Jim Northrup, Det. (1 point, 0% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Lou Piniella, KCR.: 9 of 24 votes, 38% share

Mike Nagy, Bos.: 6 votes, 25% share

Carlos May, ChiWS.: 5 votes, 21% share

Ken Tatum, Cal.: 4 votes, 17% share

In their inaugural season, the Royals went 69-93 to finish fourth in the AL Western Division, 28 games behind the division-winning Minneesota Twins, giving them the best record of any of the four major league expansion teams that year.

  

Aftermath of ‘69:

Piniella followed up in 1970 by batting .301 with 11 home runs and 88 RBIs despite missing 24 games with a foot injury. Hindered by a thumb injury in 1971 he hit well in the second half of the season and ended up with a .279 average and 51 RBIs while clubbing only three home runs. Following an offseason of winter ball where he was coached by Charlie Lau, an outstanding batting instructor, Piniella rebounded in 1972 with an All-Star season in which he batted .312 with an AL-leading 33 doubles along with 11 home runs and 72 RBIs. He dropped off to .250 in 1973 with 28 doubles, 9 home runs, and 69 RBIs while also running afoul of manager Jack McKeon. In the offseason he was traded to the New York Yankees along with RHP Ken Wright for veteran RHP reliever Lindy McDaniel. With his new team in 1974 he hit a solid .305 with 26 doubles, 9 home runs, and 70 RBIs. Ear problems that required surgery led to a poor season in 1975, in which Piniella was limited to 74 games and batted a miniscule .196. In 1976 he appeared in 100 games, mostly in right field and DH and hit .281 with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 3 home runs, and 38 RBIs while thriving in the aggressive style of play promoted by manager Billy Martin. The Yankees won the AL East and in his first taste of postseason action Piniella hit .273 in the ALCS defeat of the Royals and .333 in the four-game World Series loss to Cincinnati. In 1977 as an outfielder/DH the popular “Sweet Lou” batted .330 with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs while appearing in 103 games amidst a crowded outfield situation. The 1978 season saw the Yanks come back from a 14-game deficit to catch the Red Sox and force a playoff for the AL East title. Piniella demonstrated leadership as well as timely hitting on his way to a .314 average with 34 doubles, 5 triples, 6 home runs, and 69 RBIs. He remained a key contributor to the Yankees in 1979 and ’80, batting .297 and .287 respectively. By 1982 he was more of a DH and was named batting coach during the season in which he hit .307 with 6 home runs and 37 RBIs while appearing in 102 games (his last 100-game year). He continued as a player until he retired at age 40 during the 1984 season while dealing with a torn rotator cuff. A fine pure hitter who worked his way into becoming a decent fielder, Piniella batted .291 for his major league career with 1705 hits that included 305 doubles, 41 triples, and 102 home runs. He further compiled 766 RBIs and scored 651 runs. With the Royals he batted .286 with 734 hits, 258 runs scored, 127 doubles, 21 triples, 45 home runs, and 348 RBIs. Appearing in 44 postseason games (all with the Yankees) he hit .305 with seven doubles, three home runs, and 19 RBIs. An All-Star on one occasion, he received MVP votes after four seasons (never finishing higher than 21^st). Piniella, always an intelligent student of the game, managed five major league teams, enjoying his greatest success with the Cincinnati Reds, who won the 1990 World Series under his guidance, and the Seattle Mariners, who reached the postseason four times with him at the helm. He was a three-time Manager of the Year and finished with an 1835-1713 record.

  

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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: Harvey Kuenn, 1953

Shortstop, Detroit Tigers

Age:  22

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 187

Prior to 1953:

A native of, Wisconsin, Kuenn (pronounced keen) was a star athlete at Milwaukee Lutheran High School who lettered in basketball and football as well as baseball where he batted .425 over his varsity career. Turning down bonus offers from major league teams, he moved on to the Univ. of Wisconsin where he played shortstop and continued to develop as a hitter. After completing his junior year in 1952 he signed with the Tigers for $55,000, despite concerns about a knee injury suffered while playing football. Assigned to Davenport of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or Three I) League, he played in 63 games and batted .340, earning a September call-up to the Tigers where Kuenn hit .325 in 19 games. A line-drive hitter who was tall and rangy he was named the starting shortstop for 1953.

1953 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

SS – 155

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 731 [1]

At Bats – 679 [1]

Runs – 94 [6, tied with Ray Boone]

Hits – 209 [1]

Doubles – 33 [4, tied with Billy Goodman]

Triples – 7 [10, tied with Eddie Yost, Jim Busby & Gil McDougald]

Home Runs – 2

RBI – 48

Bases on Balls – 50

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 31

Stolen Bases – 6 [14, tied with Billy Martin]

Caught Stealing – 5 [15, tied with five others]

Average - .308 [6]

OBP - .356

Slugging Pct. - .386

Total Bases – 262 [6]

GDP – 10

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading plate appearances were +18 ahead of runner-up Eddie Yost

League-leading at bats were +55 ahead of runner-up Nellie Fox

League-leading hits were +4 ahead of runner-up Mickey Vernon

Midseason snapshot: H – 111, HR – 2, RBI – 23, AVG - .310, OBP - .363

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Most hits, game – 3 on 21 occasions

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 4 AB) at Chicago White Sox 5/10, (in 4 AB) at Phila. A’s 6/24

HR at home – 0

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Washington 6/26

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 770

Put Outs – 308

Assists – 441

Errors – 21

DP - 78

Pct. - .973

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

15^th in AL MVP voting (23 points, 7% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Harvey Kuenn, Det.: 23 of 24 votes, 96% share

Tom Umphlett, BosRS.: 1 vote, 4% share

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Tigers went 60-94 to finish sixth in the AL, 40.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in hits (1479) and doubles (259).

Aftermath of ‘53:

Kuenn followed up on his outstanding rookie season by batting .306 in 1954 and again leading the AL in hits (201) while compiling 28 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs, and 48 RBIs and scoring 81 runs. He also led all AL shortstops with 818 chances, 294 put outs, and 496 assists and finished eighth in league MVP voting. In 1955 Kuenn led the league with 38 doubles while hitting .306 with 8 home runs and 62 RBIs. Among AL shortstops he placed second in put outs (253) and, more unfortunately, errors (29). Kuenn was once again the AL leader in hits in 1956 with 196 that included 32 doubles, 7 triples, and a career-high 12 home runs to go along with a .332 batting average and 88 RBIs. He was again among league statistical leaders at shortstop and placed fourth in MVP balloting. He was typically seen on the field with a bulge in his cheek from a chew of tobacco. Injuries caused Kuenn to slump both at the plate and in the field in 1957 as his production dropped to .277 with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, and 44 RBIs, although he was still an All-Star for the fifth consecutive season. Shifted to center field in 1958, where he adapted well, his batting average rebounded to .319 and he topped the league with 39 doubles while also compiling 8 home runs and 54 RBIs. Kuenn was the AL batting champion in 1959, hitting .353 with a circuit-leading 198 hits and 42 doubles while also accumulating 7 triples, 9 home runs, and 71 RBIs. A leader in the Player’s Association who was a tough contract negotiator, Kuenn sought a major pay increase in the offseason. Just prior to the 1960 season he was dealt to the Cleveland Indians in a notorious trade for outfielder Rocky Colavito, the reigning home run champion. Taking Colavito’s spot in right field, Kuenn batted .308 with 9 home runs and 54 RBIs during an injury-riddled season. He was traded again in the offseason, this time to the San Franciso Giants for LHP Johnny Antonelli and outfielder Willie Kirkland. Playing in the outfield and at third base in 1961 his average dropped to .265 with 5 home runs and 46 RBIs. The versatile Kuenn primarily played in left field in 1962 and contributed a .304 average, 10 home runs, and 68 RBIs to the pennant-winning Giants. In his only postseason appearance and playing with a broken finger, he hit just .083 in 12 at bats in the World Series loss to the Yankees. Utilized more in a utility role in 1963 he appeared in 120 games and hit .290 with 6 home runs and 31 RBIs. Playing in 111 games in 1964, with 88 of them in the outfield, Kuenn batted .262. A month into the 1965 season he was traded to the Chicago Cubs where his average dropped to .217 over the course of 54 games. Dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies early during the 1966 season Kuenn appeared in 86 games as a utility player and batted .296 in his final major league campaign. He retired in the spring of 1967 to take an on-air position with a Milwaukee television station. Overall for his major league career he batted .303 with 2092 hits that included 356 doubles, 56 triples, and 87 home runs. He further scored 950 runs and compiled 671 RBIs. His numbers with the Tigers were a .314 batting average with 1372 hits, 619 runs scored, 244 doubles, 43 triples, 53 home runs, and 423 RBIs. Kuenn was an All-Star during eight consecutive seasons, including all seven with Detroit. He finished in the Top 20 in league MVP voting seven times. Following his playing career, Kuenn spent a couple of years working for a television station and then became hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers. He also encountered health problems, one of which resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the knee. He became manager of the Brewers during the 1982 season, guiding the hard-hitting squad known as “Harvey’s Wallbangers” to the AL pennant. He was relieved after the 1983 season and he remained as a minor-league hitting instructor and coach with the Brewers until his death in 1988 at age 57.   

  

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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: Al Rosen, 1953

Third Baseman, Cleveland Indians

Age:  29

4^th season with Indians

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 180

Prior to 1953:

Born in South Carolina, Rosen moved to Miami, Florida with his family as a young child due to his asthma. Tough and determined, he developed into an outstanding baseball player in high school, where he was nicknamed “Flip”, and briefly attended the University of Florida before signing a professional contract with Thomasville of the Class D North Carolina State League in 1942 where he batted .307 in 86 games before joining the Navy for World War II military service. Upon being discharged from the Navy in 1946 and under contract to a Cleveland farm team, the Indians assigned Rosen to Pittsfield of the Class C Canadian-American League where he batted .323 with 15 home runs. He advanced to Oklahoma City of the Class AA Texas League in 1947 where he hit .349 with 25 home runs and was selected as the league’s Player of the Year. Rosen started the 1948 season with the Indians but, stuck behind veteran star third baseman Ken Keltner, and needing to improve his fielding, he was sent down to the Kansas City Blues of the Class AAA American Association. He batted .327 with 25 home runs and 110 RBIs. Recalled to the Indians late in the season, he was used as a pinch-hitter in the World Series where he failed to reach base in his lone plate appearance. Rosen spent 1949 with San Diego of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and hit .319 with 14 home runs and 51 RBIs. He also appeared in 23 games with the Indians and batted just .159 with five RBIs. With Ken Keltner nearing the end of the line by 1950, the Indians replaced him with Rosen who topped the AL with 37 home runs while hitting .287 with 116 RBIs. He also led all AL third basemen with 322 assists. He had a lesser season in 1951, batting .265 with 24 home runs (which included four grand slams) and 102 RBIs. In 1952 he was an All-Star for the first time on his way to batting .302 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 105 RBIs. Rosen also placed tenth in AL MVP balloting.

1953 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

3B – 154, 1B – 1, SS – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 688 [4]

At Bats – 599 [7]

Runs – 115 [1]

Hits – 201 [3]

Doubles – 27 [15, tied with Gil McDougald, Johnny Groth & Tom Umphlett]

Triples – 5 [19, tied with seven others]

Home Runs – 43 [1]

RBI – 145 [1]

Bases on Balls – 85 [5]

Int. BB – 4 [14, tied with eleven others]

Strikeouts – 48

Stolen Bases – 8 [8, tied with Mickey Mantle]

Caught Stealing – 7 [6, tied with four others]

Average - .336 [2]

OBP - .422 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .613 [1]

Total Bases – 367 [1]

GDP – 19 [4, tied with Billy Martin & Jackie Jensen]

Hit by Pitches – 4 [18, tied with nine others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading runs scored were +8 ahead of runner-up Eddie Yost

League-leading home runs were +1 ahead of runner-up Gus Zernial

League-leading RBIs were +30 ahead of runner-up Mickey Vernon

League-leading slugging percentage was +.054 ahead of runner-up Gus Zernial

League-leading total bases were +52 ahead of runner-up Mickey Vernon

Midseason snapshot: HR – 22, RBI – 72, AVG – .313, SLG – .587

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. Detroit 9/25

Longest hitting streak – 20 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 6 AB) at St. Louis Browns 5/10, (in 4 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 8/21, (in 6 AB) vs. Detroit 9/25

HR at home – 25

HR on road – 18

Multi-HR games – 3

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Boston Red Sox 6/25, vs. St. Louis Browns 8/21

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 531

Put Outs – 174

Assists – 338

Errors – 19

DP – 38

Pct. - .964

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Started at 3B for AL)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Al Rosen, Clev.: 336 pts. – 24 of 24 first place votes, 100% share

Yogi Berra, NYY: 167 pts. – 50% share

Mickey Vernon, Wash.: 162 pts.  – 48% share

Minnie Minoso, ChiWS.: 100 pts. – 30% share

Virgil Trucks, StLB/ChiWS.: 81 pts. – 24% share

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Indians went 92-62 to finish second in the AL, 8.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in home runs (160).

Aftermath of ‘53:

The Indians won 111 games and the AL pennant in 1954, while an injury-hampered Rosen contributed a .300 average and 24 home runs with 102 RBIs. “The Hebrew Hammer” was limited to 139 games in 1955 and hit .244 with 21 home runs and 81 RBIs. A chronic back injury and broken finger held him to 121 games in 1956 and he batted .267 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs. He retired following the season at age 32. Overall for his major league career, spent entirely with the Indians, Rosen batted .285 with 1063 hits that included 165 doubles, 20 triples, and 192 home runs. He further compiled 717 RBIs and scored 503 runs. Appearing in four postseason games, he batted .231 with three hits, none for extra bases. A four-time All-Star Rosen finished among the top 15 in league MVP voting three times, including the one win. In retirement he became a stockbroker and later was briefly president and CEO of the New York Yankees under owner George Steinbrenner. He went on to become president and general manager of the Houston Astros from 1980 to ’85 before moving on to a similar job with the San Francisco Giants from 1985-92. Rosen died in 2015 at the age of 91.

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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.