Rookie of the Year: Willie Mays, 1951

Outfielder, New York Giants

Age:  20 (May 6)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 170

Prior to 1951:

An Alabama native, Mays was the son of a father who played semipro baseball and a mother who was a high school track and basketball star. His high school lacking a baseball team, Mays played second base and center field as a teammate of his father with a semipro club in the Fairfield Industrial League. He also played and briefly was with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos in 1947, which was a minor affiliate of the Negro American League Birmingham Black Barons. In 1948, at age 17, he joined the Black Barons on a part-time basis while he finished high school and batted .262 in 61 at bats. Still with Birmingham in 1949, Mays hit .311 in 75 games and was impressive defensively in center field. Following a strong start with Birmingham in 1950, Mays was signed by the Giants for $250 per month with a $4000 signing bonus. Initially assigned to Trenton of the Class B Interstate League, where he was the first black  player, over the course of 81 games he hit .353 with 20 doubles, 8 triples, and 4 home runs. Mays started the 1951 season with the Minneapolis Millers of the Class AAA American Association and was batting .477 after 35 games, when he was called up to the Giants at the behest of manager Leo Durocher. He was immediately installed in center field.   

1951 Season Summary

Appeared in 121 games

CF – 121

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 524

At Bats – 464

Runs – 59

Hits – 127

Doubles – 22

Triples – 5

Home Runs – 20 [14, tied with Wes Westrum]

RBI – 68

Bases on Balls – 57

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 60 [13]

Stolen Bases – 7 [18, tied with Roy Hartsfield, Solly Hemus & Enos Slaughter]

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .274

OBP - .356 [18, tied with Sam Jethroe]

Slugging Pct. - .472 [12]

Total Bases – 219

GDP – 11

Hit By Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: HR – 10, RBI – 31, AVG - .284, SLG - .550, OBP – .379

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Most hits, game – 3 on nine occasions

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Cincinnati 7/22, (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 8/30

HR at home – 13

HR on road – 7

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Cincinnati 7/20

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 374

Put Outs – 353

Assists – 12

Errors – 9

DP – 2

Pct. - .976

Postseason: 6 G (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 24, AB – 22, R – 1, H – 4, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .182, OBP - .250, SLG - .182, TB – 4, GDP – 3, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting:

Willie Mays, NYG: 18 of 24 votes, 75% share

Chet Nichols, BosB.: 4 votes, 17% share

Clem Labine, Brook.: 2 votes, 8% share

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Giants went 96-58 to finish tied for first in the NL with the Brooklyn Dodgers, which necessitated a season-extending best-of-3 playoff. The teams split the first two contests, but the Giants won the deciding game on Bobby Thomson’s walk-off home run to clinch the NL pennant with a final record of 98-59. The Giants led the league in walks drawn (671). The slow-starting Giants were in fifth place at 17-19 when Mays joined the club. The Dodgers dominated the NL for most of the season and were 13.5 games in front on August 11. The Giants put together a 16-game August winning streak and went 20-5 in September to catch Brooklyn and force the climactic playoff. They lost the World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘51:

Mays was limited to 34 games in 1952 before being inducted into the Army. He missed the remainder of the ’52 season and all of 1953, but he played service baseball. Returning to the Giants in 1954 he went on a home run tear to start the season on the way to batting a league-leading .345 with 33 doubles, a NL-high 13 triples, 41 home runs, and 110 RBIs. The Giants won the pennant and Mays was the league MVP. In the World Series sweep of the Cleveland Indians, he made a brilliant defensive play in Game 1 at the Polo Grounds to chase a ball hit over his head by Cleveland first baseman Vic Wertz, making an over-the shoulder catch and whirling to make a throw to the infield that kept runners from advancing. The Giants dropped to third in 1955 but Mays hit .319 with 127 RBIs and topped the league with 13 triples, 51 home runs, a .659 slugging percentage, and 382 total bases. He also led all NL outfielders in assists (23) and double plays (8). The home runs dropped to 36 in 1956, but with his speed and daring on the basepaths he led the league with 40 stolen bases. He further compiled 84 RBIs and hit .296. In the Giants’ final season in New York in 1957, Mays led the NL in triples (20), slugging (.625), and stolen bases (38), while hitting 35 home runs with 97 RBIs and a .333 batting average. With the move to San Francisco in 1958, he was joined in the lineup by power-hitting rookie first baseman Orlando Cepeda and Mays led the NL with 121 runs scored and 31 stolen bases to go along with 33 doubles, 11 triples, 29 home runs, 96 RBIs, and a .347 average. After being enormously popular in New York, he found the San Francisco fans slow to warm up to him and there was a racial incident when he sought to buy a house in the city. The local sportswriters were slow to warm up as well and he had a less pleasant relationship with manager Bill Rigney than the one he had enjoyed with Leo Durocher. A charismatic, enthusiastic, and energetic player known as “the Say Hey Kid” due to his standard greeting, who did flashy things on the field like utilize a basket catch, he was prone to bouts of nervous exhaustion throughout his career and was briefly hospitalized during the season for rest. Another power-hitting rookie first baseman, Willie McCovey, joined the Giants during the 1959 season and the team contended for the NL pennant (McCovey would later go on to become the strong lefthanded bat behind Mays in the lineup). Mays contributed a .313 average, 34 home runs, 104 RBIs, 27 stolen bases, and his usual impressive play in center field, despite suffering leg and hand injuries. The move into Candlestick Park in 1960 diminished Mays’ power numbers, although he hit well on the road and led the NL with 190 hits while also batting .319 with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs. In 1961 he had his greatest single-game hitting performance as he homered a record-tying four times in a game against the Braves at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Benefiting from the presence of Cepeda batting behind him, Mays hit .308 with 40 home runs, 123 RBIs, and scored a league-leading 129 runs. The Giants won the NL pennant in 1962 and “the Say Hey Kid” contributed a league-high 49 home runs along with 141 RBIs and a .304 average. He was at his best down the stretch, despite passing out in the dugout in Cincinnati as a result of fatigue, as the Giants battled the Dodgers and ended up facing off in a season-extending playoff. He was narrowly edged out in the league MVP voting by LA shortstop Maury Wills. Mays, now the highest paid player at $105,000, had a rough first half in 1963 that led some observers to speculate that he was slowing down at age 32. He picked up the pace in the season’s second half to finish at .314 with 38 home runs and 103 RBIs. With the Giants contending in 1964, Mays led the NL with 47 home runs and a .607 slugging percentage while batting .296 with 111 RBIs. He followed up with his second MVP season in 1965 by again topping the NL with 52 home runs, a .398 on-base percentage, and a .645 slugging percentage while hitting .317 with 112 RBIs. Mays remained highly productive in 1966, hitting .288 with 37 home runs and 103 RBIs. Along the way he passed Jimmie Foxx to reach second on the all-time home run list at the time. Problems with injury and illness limited him to a .263 average with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs in 1967, although he still was an All-Star and received a Gold Glove. His average rebounded to .289 in 1968 along with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs. Mays reached 600 career home runs in 1969 in a year in which he totaled only 13 with 58 RBIs and a .283 average. He reached 3000 hits in 1970 as he batted .291 with 28 home runs and 83 RBIs. The Giants won the NL West in 1971 and Mays contributed 18 home runs, 61 RBIs, and league-leading totals in walks drawn (112) and on-base percentage (.425). He played 48 games at first base in addition to 84 in center field to rest his aging legs. Seeking a long-term contract entering 1972, and now making $160,000 per year, he was dealt to the New York Mets in May. In his return to New York he homered in his first at bat, one of 8 for the year for the 41-year-old slugger. He again split his time between center field and first base and received a salary boost from his new club to $175,000 with a guarantee of $50,000 per year following his retirement if he remained a coach for the team. He lasted one more year as a player in 1973, struggling with rib and knee injuries and appearing in 66 games. For his career, Mays batted .302 with 3283 hits that included 523 doubles, 140 triples, and 660 home runs. He further scored 2062 runs and compiled 1903 RBIs and 338 stolen bases, as well as drawing 1464 walks. He compiled 12 100-run seasons, eleven 30-home run seasons, which included two over 50 and six with at least 40, and ten 100-RBI years. With the Giants he batted .304 with 3187 hits, 504 doubles, 139 triples, 646 home runs, 1859 RBIs, 336 stolen bases, and 2011 runs scored. Appearing in 25 postseason games, Mays hit .247 with a home run and 10 RBIs. A 24-time All-Star (where he often showcased his impressive talents) he placed in the top ten in NL MVP voting twelve times, including two wins. He also received 12 Gold Gloves. The Giants retired his #24 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

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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 & Cy Young Profile: Bob Gibson, 1968

Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  32

10^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 189

Prior to 1968:

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Gibson, who was sickly as a child, grew up playing sports at a recreation center where his oldest brother was the program director. Moving on to Omaha Technical High School, he starred on the basketball and track teams and pitched and played in the outfield on the baseball squad. After high school he tried for a basketball scholarship to Indiana University but was turned down because the school indicated it had already filled its quota of black students. He instead attended Creighton University where he set several school basketball records and played baseball. As a senior he batted .333 as a pitcher/outfielder/third baseman and posted a 6-2 pitching record. Recruited to play for the Harlem Globetrotters following college, Gibson was also signed by the Cardinals in 1957. Playing for teams at the Class A and AAA levels in ’57 he produced a combined 6-4 record with a 4.02 ERA. Gibson, now concentrating totally on baseball, played for Class AAA Omaha and Rochester in 1958 and was a combined 8-9 with a 2.84 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 190 innings, impressing with his fastball. He bounced between the Cardinals and Class AAA in 1959 and ’60, hindered by the prejudice of St. Louis manager Solly Hemus. With improved control of his fastball and slider, as well as a new manager in Johnny Keane, who had confidence in Gibson, he produced a 13-12 record in 1961 with a 3.24 ERA and 166 strikeouts, as well as a league-leading 119 walks. With his control improving Gibson was an All-Star in 1962 on his way to a 15-13 tally with a 2.85 ERA and 208 strikeouts and 95 walks before his season was cut short in September by a broken ankle. Off to a slow start in 1963, Gibson still improved his record to 18-9 with a 3.39 ERA and 204 strikeouts. The Cardinals won the NL pennant in a close race in 1964 and Gibson contributed a 19-12 record with a 3.01 ERA and 245 strikeouts to the effort. In the World Series victory against the Yankees he won two more games, against one loss, struck out 31 batters and was named MVP of the Series. Manager Keane, his mentor, resigned following the Series and was replaced by Red Schoendienst. The Cards had a lesser season in 1965 although Gibson went 20-12 with a 3.07 ERA and 270 strikeouts. Tall, lean, intense, quiet and aloof, and a fierce competitor with an intimidating mound presence who did not fraternize with players from other teams, he improved his record to 21-12 in 1966 with a 2.44 ERA and 225 strikeouts. The Cardinals got off to a fast start in 1967 and Gibson had a 10-6 record in mid-July when he suffered a broken leg when struck by a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente. St. Louis stayed on track to win the pennant and Gibson returned in September to win three more games, including the pennant-clincher. He finished with a 13-7 mark and 147 strikeouts over 175.1 innings and a 2.98 ERA. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox he won all three of his starts, including the title-clinching seventh game, which were all complete games. He had a 1.00 ERA and recorded 26 strikeouts over the course of his 27 innings pitched and was once again the Series MVP. With both a rising and sinking fastball, slider, curve, and changeup, and always working at a fast pace, he came into the 1968 season recognized as one of baseball’s best pitchers.

1968 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

P – 34, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 34

Games Started – 34 [10, tied with six others]

Complete Games – 28 [2]

Wins – 22 [2]

Losses – 9

PCT - .710 [3]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 13 [1]

Innings Pitched – 304.2 [3]

Hits – 198

Runs – 49

Earned Runs – 38

Home Runs – 11

Bases on Balls – 62 [18]

Strikeouts – 268 [1]

ERA – 1.12 [1]

Hit Batters – 7 [10, tied with Nelson Briles]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4

League-leading shutouts were +5 ahead of runner-up Don Drysdale

League-leading strikeouts were +8 ahead of runner-up Ferguson Jenkins

League-leading ERA was -0.87 lower than runner-up Bob Bolin

Midseason Snapshot: 11-5, ERA - 1.06, SO - 118 in 160.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 15 (in 9 IP) vs. Pittsburgh 8/24

10+ strikeout games – 11

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 8 IP) vs. LA Dodgers 5/22

Batting

PA – 110, AB – 94, R – 3, H – 16, 2B – 5, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 6, BB – 7, SO – 32, SB – 1, CS – 1, AVG - .170, GDP – 1, HBP – 1, SH – 7, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances - 50

Put Outs – 21

Assists – 28

Errors – 1

DP – 2

Pct. - .980

Postseason Pitching: (World Series vs. Detroit)

G – 3, GS – 3, CG – 3, Record – 2-1, PCT – .667, SV – 0, ShO – 1, IP – 27, H – 18, R – 5, ER – 5, HR – 1, BB – 4, SO – 35, ERA – 1.67, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP:BBWAA

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Bob Gibson, StL.: 242 pts. – 14 of 20 first place votes, 86% share

Pete Rose, Cin.: 205 pts. – 6 first place votes, 73% share

Willie McCovey, SF: 135 pts. – 48% share

Curt Flood, StL.: 116 pts. – 41% share

Juan Marichal, SF: 93 pts. – 33% share

NL Cy Young voting:

Bob Gibson, StL.: 20 of 20 votes, 100% share

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Cardinals went 97-65 to win the NL pennant by 9 games over the San Francisco Giants. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (2.49), shutouts (30), and fewest earned runs allowed (409). The Cardinals survived a May slump to take control of the NL race on the way to asecond straight pennant. They lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 3, after taking a 3-games-to-1 lead thanks to Gibson’s wins in Games 1 (in which he struck out a Series record 17 batters) and 4. Detroit LHP Mickey Lolich won three games, including the decisive Game 7 showdown in a duel with a tiring Gibson.

Aftermath of ‘68:

Gibson, nicknamed “Hoot” for movie cowboy Hoot Gibson, or “Gibby”, who received a pay increase to $125,000, remained solid in 1969, posting a 20-13 record with a 2.18 ERA and 269 strikeouts while topping the NL with 28 complete games, although the Cardinals were no longer a first place team. The club struggled in 1970 although Gibson had another Cy Young-winning year while producing a 23-7 mark and 3.12 ERA with 274 strikeouts. He slipped to 16-13 in 1971 although he pitched his only career no-hitter against Pittsburgh. Gibson had his last All-Star season in 1972, going 19-11 with a 2.46 ERA and 208 strikeouts. The Cardinals rebounded from a dreadful start in 1973 to move into contention in the NL East but Gibson suffered a knee injury in August and the Redbirds came up short. His record was 12-10 with a 2.77 ERA and 142 strikeouts over 195 innings. “Gibby” fell off to 11-13 in 1974, his first losing record since 1960, as his ERA rose to 3.83. Pitching poorly at age 39 in 1975, he was relegated to the bullpen and retired in frustration prior to the end of the season. For his major league career, played entirely with the Cardinals, he compiled a 251-174 record and a 2.91 ERA with 255 complete games, 56 shutouts, and 3117 strikeouts over 3884.1 innings pitched. Gibson had five 20-win seasons. Pitching in 9 postseason games, he compiled a 7-2 record with 92 strikeouts over the course of 81 innings that included 8 complete games. His seven wins were consecutive as well as all of the complete games, and his 17-strikeout performance in Game 1 of the 1968 Series remains the single game World Series record. A good hitting pitcher he compiled 24 home runs with 144 RBIs over the course of his career and added two more home runs during World Series play. An excellent fielder despite an off-balance delivery, Gibson was awarded nine Gold Gloves. An eight-time All-Star, the Cardinals retired his #45 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. A statue was erected in his honor outside Busch Stadium. Gibson went into broadcasting for a time following his playing career and later served as a pitching coach for the Braves under manager Joe Torre, a former teammate. He also served as a coach and special instructor for the Cardinals.

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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 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: Paul Waner, 1927

Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age:  24 (April 16)

2^nd season with Pirates

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’8”    Weight: 153

Prior to 1927:

An Oklahoma native, Waner graduated from Central High School in Oklahoma City and moved on to East Central State Teachers College (now East Central University) where he pitched for the baseball team. He produced a 23-4 record with a 1.70 ERA in 1922, after which he signed a contract with Joplin of the Class A Western League. Choosing to finish his college studies, he never played for Joplin, and his contract was sold to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1923. Still a pitching prospect, Waner developed a sore arm and was shifted to the outfield. A fine line-drive hitter, he batted .369 in 112 games. Still with the Seals in 1924 he hit .356 with 46 doubles, 5 triples, and 8 home runs. Joined on the Seals by his younger brother Lloyd in 1925, Waner batted .401 with 280 hits that included 75 doubles, 7 triples, and 11 home runs. Purchased by the Pirates, the physically unimposing Waner had an excellent rookie season in 1926 in which he batted .336 with 35 doubles, a NL-leading 22 triples, 8 home runs, and 79 RBIs. He was joined on the Pirates by brother Lloyd in 1927. 

1927 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

RF – 143, 1B – 14

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 709 [1]

At Bats – 623 [3]

Runs – 114 [4]

Hits – 237 [1]

Doubles – 42 [2]

Triples – 18 [1]

Home Runs – 9 [15, tied with four others]

RBI – 131 [1]

Bases on Balls – 60 [10]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 14

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .380 [1]

OBP - .437 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .549 [3]

Total Bases – 342 [1]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 3 [20, tied with nine others]

Sac Hits – 23 [11, tied with George Grantham, Joe Harris & Woody English]

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading plate appearances were +4 ahead of runner-up Sparky Adams

League-leading hits were +14 ahead of runner-up Lloyd Waner

League-leading triples were +3 ahead of runner-up Jim Bottomley

League-leading RBIs were +2 ahead of runner-up Hack Wilson

League-leading batting average was +.019 ahead of runner-up Rogers Hornsby

League-leading total bases were +9 ahead of runner-up Rogers Hornsby

Midseason snapshot: 3B – 14, HR – 5, RBI - 79, AVG - .385, SLG – .612

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 23 games

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 3

Most home runs, game – 1 on nine occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Phila. Phillies 8/3

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding (OF)

Chances – 353

Put Outs – 326

Assists – 20

Errors – 7

DP – 4

Pct. - .980

Postseason Batting: 4 G (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 17, AB – 15, R – 0, H – 5, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 1, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .333, OBP - .333, SLG - .400, TB – 6, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: League Award

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Paul Waner, Pitt.: 72 pts. - 90% share

Frankie Frisch, StLC.: 66 pts. – 83% share

Rogers Hornsby, NYG: 54 pts. – 68% share

Charlie Root, ChiC.: 46 pts. – 58% share

Travis Jackson, NYG: 42 pts. – 53% share

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Pirates went 94-60 to win NL pennant by 1.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals, while leading the NL in runs scored (817, tied with the New York Giants), hits (1648), doubles (236), batting (.305), and OBP (.361). The Pirates went 22-9 in September to edge the Cardinals for the pennant. Lost World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 0.

Aftermath of ‘27:

Waner followed up with another solid season in 1928 in which he led the NL with 142 runs scored and 50 doubles in addition to batting .370 with 223 hits, 19 triples, 6 home runs, and 86 RBIs. By this point the Waner brothers were called “Big Poison” (Paul) and “Little Poison” (Lloyd) for their combined effect on opponents. The brothers staged a joint holdout for more money during spring training in 1929. They eventually came to terms although Paul got off to a slow start. He still batted .336 for the year with 200 hits, 131 runs scored, 43 doubles, 15 triples, 15 home runs, and 100 RBIs. His production remained strong in 1930 as he hit .368 with 58 extra base hits. Vacationing in Florida in the offseason, Waner suffered an ankle injury that resulted in a comparative off-year in 1931 in which he batted .322 with 180 hits including 51 for extra bases and 70 RBIs, although he had a fine year in right field with 28 assists and 8 double plays. Waner rebounded in 1932 with a .341 batting average and 215 hits that included a league-leading 62 doubles. After some down years, the Pirates rose to second place and Waner finished fourth in NL MVP voting. He was named to the first All-Star Game in 1933 on his way to batting .309 with 38 doubles, 16 triples, 7 home runs, and 70 RBIs. He won a second league batting title in 1934 by hitting .362 and also topping the circuit with 122 runs and 217 hits. The hard-partying and hard-drinking Waner was a .321 hitter in 1935 and won his third batting title in 1936 with a .373 average and 218 hits that included 53 doubles. He had one last big year at age 34 in 1937 as he batted .354 and placed eighth in NL MVP balloting. The Pirates narrowly missed the NL pennant in 1938 while Waner’s average dropped to .280 and he scored 77 runs. He hit better in 1939 with a .328 average. After suffering a knee injury in 1940, Waner became a part-time player and was limited to 89 games. Released in the offseason, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves in 1941 and hit a combined .267. With the Braves in 1942 he achieved his 3000^th career hit in a year in which he batted .258 in 114 games. Let go by the Braves in the offseason, Waner returned to Brooklyn in 1943 and batted .311 in 82 games. He spent 1944 with the Dodgers and New York Yankees, who wanted him as a bat off the bench in the final month of the season. He came to bat once for the Yankees in 1945 and retired. For his major league career, Waner batted .333 with 3152 hits that included 605 doubles, 191 triples, and 113 home runs. He reached 200 hits eight times. His excellence at hitting in the gaps and down the lines to maximize his hits resulted in his high totals of doubles and triples. He topped the NL twice apiece in doubles and triples and reached double figures in triples ten times. He further compiled 1309 RBIs and scored 1627 runs while drawing 1091 walks. With the Pirates he batted .340 with 2868 hits, 558 doubles, 187 triples, 109 home runs, 1177 RBIs, with 1493 runs. 1927 marked his only World Series appearance. Waner was a four-time All-Star who finished in the top 15 in NL MVP voting seven times. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952 and his brother Lloyd joined him in 1967, two years after “Big Poison” died at age 62. The Pirates belatedly retired his #11 in 2007.

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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: Scott Rolen, 1997

Third Baseman, Philadelphia Phillies

Age:  22 (April 4)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 245

Prior to 1997:

An Indiana native, Rolen was the son of teachers and excelled in basketball as well as baseball in school. He played shortstop in high school until moving to third base as a senior. He displayed excellent range at his new position and accumulated 58 RBIs over 34 games and was voted the top high school baseball player in Indiana. Selected by the Phillies in the second round of the 1993 amateur draft, Rolen chose baseball over a possible basketball scholarship and signed for $250,000. Assigned to Martinsville of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, the 18-year-old batted .313 in 25 games. Moving up to Spartanburg of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1994 he hit .294 with 14 home runs and 72 RBIs and was selected to the league All-Star team. With teams at the advanced Class A and AA levels in 1995 Rolen batted a combined .290 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs. He started the 1996 season with Reading of the Class AA Eastern League and hit .361 in 61 games with 9 home runs and 42 RBIs before moving up to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Class AAA International League. After batting .274 in 45 games at AAA, he was promoted to the Phillies after the All-Star break where he quickly took over the starting job at third base. In 37 major league games, he hit .254 with 4 home runs and 18 RBIs. Finished for the year when injured from being hit by a pitch, he still maintained his rookie eligibility entering the 1997 season.

1997 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

3B – 155, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 657 [16]

At Bats – 561

Runs – 93 [14]

Hits – 159

Doubles – 35 [17]

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 21

RBI – 92 [19, tied with Steve Finley]

Bases on Balls – 76 [14, tied with Chipper Jones & Darren Daulton]

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 138 [5]

Stolen Bases – 16

Caught Stealing – 6

Average - .283

OBP - .377

Slugging Pct. - .469

Total Bases – 263

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 13 [9, tied with John Olerud & Jeff Kent]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 7 [14, tied with nine others]

Midseason snapshot: HR – 10, RBI – 48, AVG - .284, SLG - .467

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Most hits, game – 3 on six occasions

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Baltimore 7/2, (in 5 AB) vs. Florida 9/27  
HR at home – 11

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Florida 6/23, at Florida 7/11

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 459

Put Outs – 144

Assists – 291

Errors – 24

DP – 30

Pct. - .948

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Scott Rolen, Phila.: 140 pts. – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Livan Hernandez, Fla.: 25 pts. – 18% share

Matt Morris, StL.: 25 pts. – 18% share

Rich Loiselle, Pitt.: 22 pts. – 16% share

Andruw Jones, Atl.: 15 pts. – 11% share

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Phillies went 68-94 to finish fifth in the NL Eastern Division, 33 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves while ranking last in the league in home runs (116), slugging (.385), and total bases (2098). Following a 4-22 June, the Phillies were 24-61 at the All-Star break and mired in the NL East basement.

Aftermath of ‘97:

Following his outstanding rookie season, Rolen signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Phillies. He had another strong season in 1998 in which he batted .290 with 31 home runs and 110 RBIs and received his first Gold Glove. Dealing with a painful back injury over the next two seasons, Rolen hit .268 in 1999 with 26 home runs and 77 RBIs and .298 in 2000 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs. In 2001 he clashed with new manager Larry Bowa and team executive assistant Dallas Green, a former manager, who both publicly criticized him. In any case he had a strong season in which he hit .289 with 25 home runs and 107 RBIs. Coming up on the final year of his contract in 2002, Rolen turned down the team’s seven-year offer and was critical of the club’s commitment to building a winning team. In 2002 he was selected as an All-Star for the first time but with friction between him and the organization he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of July. With a strong second half for his new team, Rolen ended up batting a combined .266 with 31 home runs and 110 RBIs. He agreed to an eight-year, $90 million contract extension with the Cardinals prior to the end of the season. He was solid at bat and in the field in 2003, hitting .286 with 28 home runs and 104 RBIs while earning his fifth Gold Glove. St. Louis won the NL pennant in 2004 and Rolen contributed 34 home runs, 124 RBIs, and a .314 average. He added three more home runs and 6 RBIs in the NLCS win against Houston but was hitless in the four-game World Series loss to the Red Sox. The Cards were division champs again in 2005 and Rolen was limited to 56 games due to a shoulder injury and he hit just .235 with 5 home runs and 28 RBIs. He rebounded in 2006 by batting .296 with 22 home runs and 95 RBIs for the division-winning Cardinals. He slumped during the season’s second half, although he remained a Gold Glove defender, and was benched twice during the postseason run that resulted in a World Series title. Still he hit safely in his last 10 postseason games, including a .421 average in the five-game World Series triumph over Detroit. Rolen suffered through an injury-plagued season in 2007 in which he hit .265 in 112 games with 8 home runs and 58 RBIs and his relationship with manager Tony LaRussa soured. In the offseason he was dealt to Toronto for third baseman Troy Glaus. Injuries limited Rolen to 115 games in 2008 and he batted .262 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs. He got off to a strong start with the Blue Jays in 2009 that included a 25-game hitting streak prior to his being traded to Cincinnati at the end of July. A serious beaning forced him to the disabled list early in his tenure with the Reds, but he hit well following his return and ended up batting a combined .305 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs. He was an All-Star with the Reds in 2010 on his way to 20 home runs, 83 RBIs, and a .285 average. He also received his first Gold Glove since 2006. Rolen lasted for two more injury-plagued years with Cincinnati to finish out his career. For his major league career, he batted .281 with 2077 hits that included 517 doubles, 43 triples, and 316 home runs. He further scored 1211 runs and compiled 1287 RBIs and 118 stolen bases. With the Phillies he batted .282 with 880 hits, 207 doubles, 19 triples, 150 home runs, 559 RBIs, 71 stolen bases, and 533 runs scored. Appearing in 39 postseason games he batted .220 with 5 home runs and 12 RBIs. The reserved but hard-playing Rolen was a seven-time All-Star who was awarded eight Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger.

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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: Jimmie Foxx, 1932

First Baseman, Philadelphia Athletics

Age:  24

6^th season with Athletics

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1932:

A native of Maryland (hence one of his later nicknames, “the Maryland Strong Boy”), Foxx was the son of tenant farmers and played baseball for a town team in his youth. A strong and powerfully-built athlete who was a deceptively fast runner, he excelled in soccer and track as well as baseball in school. Signed as a catcher by the nearby Easton team of the Class D Eastern Shore League, the 16-year-old Foxx appeared in 76 games and batted .296 with 10 home runs. Manager Frank “Home Run” Baker recommended him to his former team, the A’s, who he joined in 1925. With no question as to his ability to hit while playing as a reserve catcher and pinch-hitter, Foxx was sent to Newark/Providence of the International League to get more playing time. He hit .327 while missing time due to an injured shoulder. Sticking with the A’s in 1926, Foxx was stuck behind up-and-coming star catcher Mickey Cochrane and was occasionally used in the outfield. Appearing in 26 games he batted .313. Still a part-time player in 1927, Foxx began to be used at first base and hit .323 with three home runs and 20 RBIs while accumulating 130 at bats. Splitting time at first and third base in 1928, he batted .328 with 29 doubles, 10 triples, 13 home runs, and 79 RBIs. He received MVP votes for the first time as the rising A’s contended for the pennant. The A’s won the pennant in 1929 with Foxx as the regular first baseman and he contributed 33 home runs, 118 RBIs, and a .354 batting average and league-leading .463 on-base percentage. In the five-game World Series triumph over the Cubs Foxx hit .350 with two home runs and 5 RBIs. 1930 was another pennant-winning year for the A’s and Foxx batted .335 with 37 home runs and 156 RBIs. In the six-game World Series triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals, Foxx’s two-run ninth inning home run in Game 5 broke up a scoreless game and put Philadelphia in command of the Series. The A’s made it three straight pennants in 1931 while the slugging first baseman hit .291 with 30 home runs and 120 RBIs. He added a home run, three RBIs, and .348 average in the World Series rematch with the Cardinals, won by St. Louis in seven games. Good-natured and generous to a fault off the field, Foxx earned the nickname “The Beast” for his prodigious hitting on the field, including long and towering home runs that rivaled those of Babe Ruth of the Yankees.

1932 Season Summary

Appeared in 154 games

1B – 141, 3B – 13

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 702 [4]

At Bats – 585 [13]

Runs – 151 [1]

Hits – 213 [3]

Doubles – 33 [19, tied with Jack Burns]

Triples – 9 [16, tied with six others]

Home Runs – 58 [1]

RBI – 169 [1]

Bases on Balls – 116 [2]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 96 [2]

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – 7 [15, tied with four others]

Average - .364 [1]

OBP - .469 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .749 [1]

Total Bases – 438 [1]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading runs scored were +7 ahead of runner-up Al Simmons

League-leading home runs were +17 ahead of runner-up Babe Ruth

League-leading RBIs were +18 ahead of runners-up Al Simmons & Lou Gehrig

League-leading batting average was +.015 ahead of runner-up Lou Gehrig

League-leading slugging percentage was +.088 ahead of runner-up Babe Ruth

League-leading total bases were +68 ahead of runner-up Lou Gehrig

Midseason snapshot: HR – 30, RBI – 93, AVG – .375., SLG – .769

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Most hits, game – 6 (in 9 AB) at Cleveland 7/10 – 18 innings

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 31

HR on road – 27

Most home runs, game – 3 (in 9 AB) at Cleveland 7/10 – 18 innings

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 8 at Cleveland 7/10 – 18 innings

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding (1B)

Chances – 1416

Put Outs – 1328

Assists – 79

Errors – 9

DP – 115

Pct. - .994

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Jimmie Foxx, PhilaA.: 75 pts. - 94% share

Lou Gehrig, NYY.: 55 pts. – 69% share

Heinie Manush, Wash.: 41 pts. – 51% share

Earl Averill, Clev.: 37 pts. – 46% share

Lefty Gomez, NYY: 27 pts. – 34% share

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A’s went 94-60 to finish second in the AL, 13 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in hits (1606), home runs (172), batting (.290), batter strikeouts (629), slugging (.457), and total bases (2529).  

Aftermath of ‘32:

“Double X” followed up with another MVP season in 1933 in which he also won the AL Triple Crown with 48 home runs, 163 RBIs, and a .356 batting average. He also topped the circuit with a .703 slugging percentage and 403 total bases. Along the way Foxx was selected for the first All-Star Game. With the A’s selling off top talent due to the Depression, the club dropped to third in ’33 and fifth in 1934 when Foxx batted .334 with 44 home runs and 130 RBIs while drawing 111 walks. He started at third base in the All-Star Game due to the presence of New York’s Lou Gehrig at first, although he rarely played that position. He was back at catcher to start the 1935 season, although he later returned to first base in a year in which he hit .346 while tying for the AL lead in home runs with 36 and accumulating 115 RBIs. The A’s dropped into last place, after which they dealt Foxx, the last remaining star from the 1929-30-31 pennant-winning teams, to the Boston Red Sox for two players and $150,000. In 1936 with his new club, where he received a raise in pay to $25,000, “The Beast” batted .338 with 41 home runs and 143 RBIs, while leading the AL by striking out 119 times. Troubled by sinus problems in 1937 he dropped to .285 with 36 home runs and 127 RBIs as speculation grew that he was on the downside of his career at age 29. Foxx followed up with his third MVP season in 1938 as he led the league by batting .349 with 175 RBIs and he also clubbed 50 home runs for the second place Red Sox. He was MVP runner-up in 1939 when he topped the circuit with 35 home runs and further hit .360 with 105 RBIs. His .464 on-base percentage and .694 slugging percentage were also AL-topping numbers in a year in which he was joined in the lineup by rookie outfielder Ted Williams. “Double X” remained a solid, All-Star caliber player in 1940, when he batted .297 with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs, and 1941 when he hit .300 with 19 home runs and 105 RBIs, although he was drinking heavily and having sinus and vision difficulties. Challenged for the starting first base job in 1942 by young Tony Lupien, Foxx also suffered a broken rib and was waived by the Red Sox on June 1. Sold to the Chicago Cubs, he appeared in 100 games during the season and hit a combined .226 with 8 home runs and 33 RBIs. After announcing his retirement, Foxx missed the 1943 season before returning to the Cubs in 1944. He was released in July and returned to Philadelphia, this time with the Phillies, in 1945, where he finished his career by batting .268 with 7 home runs and 38 RBIs. For his major league career, Foxx batted .325 with 2646 hits that included 458 doubles, 125 triples, and 534 home runs, which were the second most in major league history until 1966. He scored 1751 runs and compiled 1922 RBIs while drawing 1452 walks. He had a .428 on-base percentage and .609 slugging percentage. With the A’s his totals were .339 with 1492 hits, 257 doubles, 79 triples, 302 home runs, 975 runs scored, 1075 RBIs, and 781 walks. He reached 50 home runs twice, 40 on five occasions, and 30 twelve times. In 18 World Series games (all with the A’s) he hit .344 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs. In addition to his three MVP awards, Foxx was a nine-time All-Star (the first nine ever played, three with the A’s). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. After his playing career he briefly coached and managed in the minor leagues and also managed the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1952. He drifted from job to job and struggled financially until his death at age 59 in 1967.

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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: Bob Grim, 1954

Pitcher, New York Yankees

Age:  24

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1954:

A native of New York City, Grim grew up playing Catholic Youth Organization baseball and had a meer 6-3 varsity pitching record at Franklin K. Lane High School in Queens. He still received contract offers and signed with the Yankees for $3500 in 1948. First assigned to Butler of the Class C Middle Atlantic League in ’48 he compiled an 8-4 record with a 3.30 ERA. With teams at the Class C and B levels in 1949 he was a combined 6-14 with a 5.25 ERA. Lacking an impressive fastball or curve, he went 10-14 with Norfolk of the Class B Piedmont League in 1950. Advancing to Binghamton of the Class A Eastern League in 1951, Grim developed a slider that allowed him to produce a 16-5 tally with a 2.39 ERA. He joined the Marines for a two-year stint that kept him out of organized baseball in 1952 and ’53 but he played service baseball and further honed his pitching. Invited to spring training by the Yankees in 1954, the quiet and serious Grim made the pitching staff and split his time between starting and relieving.

1954 Season Summary

Appeared in 37 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 37 [19, tied with Mike Blyzka, Harry Dorish & Marion Fricano]

Games Started – 20

Complete Games – 8

Wins – 20 [3]

Losses – 6

PCT - .769 [2]

Saves – 1

Shutouts – 1

Innings Pitched – 199 [17]

Hits – 175

Runs – 78

Earned Runs – 72

Home Runs – 9

Bases on Balls – 85 [15]

Strikeouts – 108 [12]

ERA – 3.26 [15]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4 [11, tied with seven others]

Midseason Snapshot: 10-3, ERA - 3.50, SO – 52 in 92.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 9 IP) vs. Phila. A’s 5/24, (in 9 IP) vs. Phila. A’s 8/10, (in 7.2 IP) at Chi. WS 9/10, (in 9 IP) vs. Washington 9/21

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 7 IP) at Cleveland 5/10

Batting

PA – 80, AB – 70, R – 3, H – 10, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 9, BB – 2, SO – 26, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .143, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 38

Put Outs – 11

Assists – 26

Errors – 1

DP – 4

Pct. - .974

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

11^th in AL MVP voting (25 points, 7% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Bob Grim, NYY.: 15 of 24 votes, 63% share

Jim Finigan, PhilaA.: 8 votes, 33% share

Al Kaline, Det.: 1 vote, 4% share

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Yankees went 103-51 to finish second in the AL, 8 games behind the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians. Just 1.5 games behind the Indians at the end of July, the Yankees were unable to keep up the pace as their string of World Series titles ended at five despite posting their best record of Casey Stengel’s managerial reign.

Aftermath of ‘54:

Throwing the slider caused Grim to have arm trouble in 1955. He appeared in just 26 games (11 of them starts) and posted a 7-5 record with a 4.19 ERA. He was almost exclusively a reliever in 1956 and went 6-1 with 4 saves and a 2.77 ERA. Utilized fully as a short reliever in 1957, Grim led the AL with 19 saves to go along with a 12-8 record and 2.63 ERA. He was an All-Star for the only time in his career. During the 1958 season, and expendable due to the emergence of hard-throwing bullpen ace Ryne Duren, Grim was dealt to the Kansas City Athletics for two veteran pitchers. 0-1 with a 5.51 ERA in 11 relief appearances at the time of the June trade, he was used as both a starter and reliever by the A’s and went 7-6 with a 3.56 ERA. Once again primarily a reliever in 1959, Grim appeared in 40 games (9 of them starts) and posted a 6-10 mark and a 4.09 ERA. Dealt to the Cleveland Indians in 1960, Grim didn’t last long until being sold to Cincinnati in May, and he finished out the season with St. Louis. Strictly a reliever, his record for the year was 3-3 with two saves and a 4.22 ERA. The Cardinals farmed Grim out in 1961, and with two Class AAA teams he produced a combined 2-2 record with a 3.38 tally in 7 appearances, 5 of them starts. Released by St. Louis prior to the 1962 season, he returned to the A’s, who put him back in the bullpen until releasing him at the end of May, thus ending his career. For his major league career, Grim compiled a 61-41 record with a 3.61 ERA, 38 saves, and 443 strikeouts over 759.2 innings. With the Yankees he was 45-21 with 10 complete games, 28 saves, a 3.35 ERA, and 282 strikeouts over 454.1 innings. He appeared in five World Series games and was 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA. Plagued by a sore arm following his 20-win rookie year, Grim achieved some success as a reliever but failed to fulfill his early promise. He died in 1996 at age 66.     

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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.