Dec 31, 2020

Rookie of the Year: Willie McCovey, 1959

First Baseman, San Francisco Giants



Age:  21

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 200

 

Prior to 1959:

A native of Mobile, Alabama McCovey played baseball, softball, basketball, and football in his youth. Quitting high school in 1954 to help with the family finances, he moved to Los Angeles to stay with his brother. Contacted by the Giants, the 17-year-old McCovey attended a tryout camp in Florida. Tall and thin, he signed for $175 per month and reported to Sandersville of the Class D Georgia State League in 1955 where he batted .305 with 19 home runs and 113 RBIs. Advancing to Danville of the Class B Carolina League in 1956, McCovey hit .310 with 29 home runs. His next stop was Dallas of the Class AA Texas League in 1957 where he batted .281 with 21 doubles, 9 triples, 11 home runs and 65 RBIs. He spent 1958 with Phoenix of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and hit .319 with 37 doubles, 10 triples, 14 home runs and 89 RBIs while dealing with an injured knee. McCovey started the 1959 season with Phoenix and was batting .372 with 29 home runs and 92 RBIs after 95 games before being called up to the Giants in late July where he shunted the previous NL Rookie of the Year, Orlando Cepeda, to the outfield while he handled first base.

 

1959 Season Summary

Appeared in 52 games

1B – 51, PH – 2

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 219

At Bats – 192

Runs – 32

Hits – 68

Doubles – 9

Triples – 5

Home Runs – 13

RBI – 38

Bases on Balls – 22

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 35

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .354 [Non-qualifying]

OBP - .429 [Non-qualifying]

Slugging Pct. - .656 [Non-qualifying]

Total Bases – 126

GDP – 7

Hit By Pitches – 4 [14, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 1

 

Midseason snapshot: No major league appearances during first half

 

Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Philadelphia 7/30

Longest hitting streak – 22 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Milwaukee 8/5

HR at home – 8

HR on road – 5

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. Milwaukee 8/5, at Chi. Cubs 8/14, at Milwaukee 8/20

Pinch-hitting – 2 of 2 (1.000) with 1 RBI

 

Fielding

Chances – 458

Put Outs – 424

Assists – 29

Errors – 5

DP – 29

Pct. - .989

 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

22nd in NL MVP voting, tied with Gene Conley, Phila. & Duke Snider, LAD (1 point, 0% share)

 

NL ROY Voting:

Willie McCovey, SF: 24 of 24 votes, 100% share

 

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Giants went 83-71 to finish third in the NL, 4 games behind the pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. Embroiled in a hot three-team pennant race with the Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves, the Giants moved into first on July 4. Aided by McCovey’s arrival at the end of the month, they cruised into September but, losing seven of their last eight games, dropped into third at the end.

 

Aftermath of ‘59:

McCovey started well in 1960 with 7 home runs in the first 15 games, but his hitting dropped off significantly thereafter and he was batting .244 in July when he was briefly sent down to Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League. Upon his return to the Giants, he continued to have difficulty at bat as well as defensively at first base and finished up at .238 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs. Alternating at first base with Orlando Cepeda in 1961, McCovey hit .271 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs. Typically sitting against lefthanders in 1962, he put in some time in the outfield and in a pennant-winning year for the Giants he batted .293 in 91 games with 20 home runs and 54 RBIs. He made the final out in the seven-game World Series loss to the Yankees. In 1963, manager Alvin Dark chose to keep McCovey’s bat in the lineup as much as possible, which meant playing out of position in left field most of the time and playing Cepeda at first. The result was McCovey’s first All-Star season in which he batted .280 and tied for the league lead in home runs with 44 while also contributing 102 RBIs. The lanky player known as “Stretch” had a lesser season in 1964, hitting .220 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs while dealing with an injury to his left foot. With Cepeda sidelined by a knee injury in 1965, McCovey returned to first base and batted .276 with 39 home runs and 92 RBIs. Cepeda was dealt to St. Louis early during the 1966 season and, firmly set at first base, McCovey hit .295 with 36 home runs and 96 RBIs. Quiet and humble, he was hindered by knee problems in 1967 and batted .276 with 31 home runs and 91 RBIs. In 1968 “Stretch” topped the NL with 36 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a .545 slugging percentage while also compiling a .293 average. He followed up with an MVP season in 1969 in which he again topped the circuit with 45 home runs, 126 RBIs, and a .656 slugging percentage, to go along with a .320 average. McCovey had another strong season in 1970, batting .289 with 39 home runs and 126 RBIs while topping the NL in slugging (.612), walks drawn (137), and intentional walks drawn (40). He placed ninth in league MVP voting. Playing with a severe knee injury in 1971, McCovey was limited to 105 games and hit .277 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs. Suffering a broken arm in the fourth game of 1972, he missed two months of action and had difficulty upon his return, ending up with a .213 average, 14 home runs, and 35 RBIs in 81 games. Hindered by arthritic knees, “Stretch” appeared in 130 games in 1973, 13 as a pinch-hitter, and batted .266 with 29 home runs and 75 RBIs. With the Giants shedding older, high-priced players, McCovey was traded to the San Diego Padres in the offseason. Taking on a leadership role with the lowly Padres in 1974, he hit .253 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs, while struggling in the field. The production was similar in 1975, with 23 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a .252 batting average. At age 38 in 1976, the physical struggles were more challenging, and McCovey lost his starting job at first base to young Mike Ivie. He was batting .203 with 7 home runs and 36 RBIs when he was sold to the Oakland A’s at the end of August. His performance was no stronger in the season’s final month. He returned to the Giants as a free agent in 1977 and enjoyed a resurgence, hitting .280 with 28 home runs and 86 RBIs. McCovey spent two more seasons with the Giants, with playing time steadily decreasing until his retirement in 1980 at age 42. For his major league career, he batted .270 with 2211 hits that included 353 doubles, 46 triples, and 521 home runs. He scored 1229 runs and compiled 1555 RBIs, 1345 walks, a .374 on-base percentage, and a .515 slugging percentage. With the Giants the totals were .274, with 1113 runs scored, 1974 hits, 308 doubles, 45 triples, 469 home runs, 1388 RBIs, 1168 walks drawn, a .377 OBP, and a .524 slugging percentage. Appearing in eight postseason games, McCovey hit .310 with three home runs and 7 RBIs. A six-time All-Star, the Giants retired his #44 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986. The inlet beyond the right field fence at Oracle Park has been named McCovey Cove in his honor and a statue of the slugger was placed at the entrance to the cove. The Giants have presented the Willie Mac Award annually to the player who best exemplifies McCovey’s leadership and inspirational value to the club. He died in 2018 at the age of 80.

 

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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. 

 

Dec 26, 2020

MVP Profile: Rogers Hornsby, 1925

 Second Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals


Age:  29 (April 27)

10th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175

 

Prior to 1925:

A Texas native, Hornsby grew up in Fort Worth where he played youth baseball with a local team in his neighborhood. At 15 he joined an adult team in the Fort Worth City League. He would occasionally hire out to play for other area teams. In 1909 Hornsby entered North Side High School where he played football in addition to baseball. Tall and skinny, at this point he was more adept as a fielder than as a hitter. Following a short, failed trial with the Dallas Steers of the Texas League in 1914, Hornsby caught on with a team in Hugo, Oklahoma that was part of the Class D Texas-Oklahoma League. He played shortstop at $75 per month until the club folded after 51 games. The Denison Champions of the same circuit purchased his contract. He remained with Denison, now in the Class D Western Association, in 1915 where he batted .277. Despite committing 58 errors at shortstop, he received a late-season call-up to the Cardinals where he hit .246 in 18 games and remained error-prone in the field. After an offseason of building himself up working on his uncle’s farm, Hornsby made the Cardinals in 1916, the cocky 20-year-old impressing with his exuberant attitude and hustle. Choking up on the bat and standing deep in the batter’s box, he began hitting effectively to all fields. He split time in the field between shortstop and third base. For the year he batted .313 with 17 doubles, 15 triples, 6 home runs, and 65 RBIs. Playing exclusively at shortstop in 1917, Hornsby topped the NL with 17 triples, a .484 slugging percentage, and 253 total bases, to go along with 8 home runs, 66 RBIs, a .327 batting average, and a .385 on-base percentage. The Cards were a last-place club in 1918 and Hornsby’s performance dropped off to .281 with 19 doubles, 11 triples, 5 home runs, and 60 RBIs. Still primarily playing at shortstop, he committed 46 errors in the war-shortened 115-game season. Hornsby followed up with a better season in 1919, hitting .318 with 9 triples, 8 home runs, and 71 RBIs while splitting time at third base, shortstop, and second base. His defense remained the weakest part of his game. He was the full-time second baseman in 1920, leading the league in hits (218), doubles (44), RBIs (94), batting (.370), OBP (.431), slugging (.559), and total bases (329). He also led all NL second basemen by committing 34 errors, but his offensive production more than made up for it. 1920 marked the beginning of a stretch of six consecutive batting titles for Hornsby (.397 in 1921, .401 in 1922, .384 in 1923, .424 in 1924, and .403 in 1925). In 1921 and ’22 he also led the circuit in runs scored (131 and 141, respectively), hits (235 and 250), doubles (44 and 46), RBIs (126 and 152), and total bases (378 and 450). Hitting more for power as well as average, Hornsby led the NL with 42 home runs in 1922. Off the field, his first marriage ended in divorce amid a flurry of legal actions. In addition he feuded with Cardinals management and was fined $500 and suspended for five games during the 1923 season. A fanatic for conditioning, he consumed red meat in copious amounts  and also abstained from drinking and tobacco, refusing to attend movies because he feared they would damage his eyesight. Following the 1924 season he was rewarded with a three-year, $100,000 contract which made him one of the four highest paid players in the National and American Leagues.  

 

 

1925 Season Summary

Appeared in 138 games

2B – 136, PH – 2

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 606 [16]

At Bats – 504

Runs – 133 [2]

Hits – 203 [4]

Doubles – 41 [4, tied with Dick Burrus]

Triples – 10 [12, tied with Glenn Wright, Dick Cox & Howard Freigau]

Home Runs – 39 [1]

RBI – 143 [1]

Bases on Balls – 83 [2]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 39 [15, tied with Jack Fournier]

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .403 [1]

OBP - .489 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .756 [1]

Total Bases – 381 [1]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 16 [7, tied with Howard Freigau]

Sac Flies – N/A

 

League-leading home runs were +15 ahead of runner-up Gabby Hartnett

League-leading RBIs were +13 ahead of runner-up Jack Fournier

League-leading batting average was +.036 ahead of runner-up Jim Bottomley

League-leading OBP was +.043 ahead of runner-up Jack Fournier

League-leading slugging percentage was +.158 ahead of runner-up Kiki Cuyler

League-leading total bases were +12 ahead of runner-up Kiki Cuyler

 

Midseason snapshot: HR - 22, RBI - 75, AVG - .425., SLG - .799

 

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 24

HR on road – 15

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) vs. Chi. Cubs 5/3, (in 5 AB) vs. NY Giants 6/4, (in 5 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 6/24, (in 4 AB) vs. Phila. Phillies 8/9

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 4 on five occasions

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 2 (.000) with 1 RBI & 1 BB

 

Fielding

Chances – 737

Put Outs – 287

Assists – 416

Errors – 34

DP – 95

Pct. - .954

 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: League Award

 

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Rogers Hornsby, StLC.: 73 pts. - 91% share

Kiki Cuyler, Pitt.: 61 pts. – 76% share

George Kelly, NYG: 52 pts. – 65% share

Glenn Wright, Pitt.: 43 pts. – 54% share

Dazzy Vance, Brook.: 42 pts. – 53% share

 

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Cardinals went 77-76 to finish fourth in the NL, 18 games behind the pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. Mired at 13-25 when Branch Rickey was removed as manager (staying on as general manager) and replaced by Hornsby, the Cardinals went 64-51 the rest of the way, boosted by the player/manager’s Triple Crown-winning performance.

 

Aftermath of ‘25:

Remaining as player/manager in 1926, “the Rajah” (short for “Rajah of Swat” in contrast to Babe Ruth’s “Sultan of Swat”) guided the Cardinals to their first pennant while hindered by various injuries. He batted .317 with 11 home runs and 93 RBIs. St. Louis went on to defeat the Yankees in the World Series. Having received accolades for his performance as player/manager, Hornsby sought a major raise and angrily rejected a counter-offer from owner Sam Breadon. The result was that the Cardinals dealt the cantankerous Hornsby to the New York Giants for star second baseman Frankie Frisch. Hornsby hit well for his new club in 1927, batting .361 with 26 home runs and 125 RBIs. He also drew a league-leading 86 walks, which helped him to a NL-high .448 on-base percentage. He also clashed with manager John McGraw and owner Horace Stoneham. Hornsby enjoyed horse racing and tended to bet heavily on the horses, which got him called on the carpet by Commissioner Landis, who he dressed down for his stock market investing. Despite his solid season with the bat (he was much improved with the glove by this point as well), Hornsby was traded again, this time to the Boston Braves for 1928. The Braves were a weak team and Hornsby became player/manager during the season on his way to winning his seventh NL batting championship at .387, along with 21 home runs and 94 RBIs. In the offseason he was dealt once again, this time to the Chicago Cubs, who won the NL pennant in 1929. “The Rajah” batted .380 with 39 home runs and 149 RBIs while leading the circuit with 156 runs scored, a .679 slugging percentage, and 409 total bases. He was once again the NL MVP. Following surgery to remove bone spurs from his heel in the offseason, Hornsby had difficulty in 1930, further exacerbated by a broken ankle, and ended up appearing in only 42 games in which he batted .308 with just eight extra base hits. He played in 100 games in 1931 and hit .331 with 16 home runs and 90 RBIs. Hornsby was named player/manager of the Cubs for 1932 and clashed with many of his best players prior to being fired with the club in second place, just five games off the lead. He had played in 19 games during the season which ended with the Cubs winning the pennant under the direction of Hornsby’s successor, Charlie Grimm, a far more genial person (the Cubs lost the World Series and refused to vote him a share of their World Series money). The 37-year-old Hornsby found himself back with the Cardinals in 1933, where he appeared in 46 games, primarily as a pinch-hitter, and hit .325 while dealing with foot and leg injuries prior to being waived at midseason. Picked up by the AL’s St. Louis Browns he was made manager and played minimally the rest of the way. Hornsby remained as manager of the Browns until 1937, playing occasionally until the conclusion of his managerial tenure. For his major league career, he batted .358 with 2930 hits that included 541 doubles, 169 triples, and 301 home runs. Hornsby further scored 1579 runs and compiled 1584 RBIs, 135 stolen bases, and drew 1038 walks, ending up with a .434 OBP. With the Cardinals he batted .359 with 1089 runs scored, 2110 hits, 367 doubles, 143 triples, 193 home runs, 1072 RBIs, 118 stolen bases, 660 walks drawn, and a .427 OBP. He won seven batting titles, two Triple Crowns, and was a two-time league MVP. Appearing in 12 World Series games, “the Rajah” hit .245 with 5 RBIs. Hornsby was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1942. He coached and managed with minor league teams after leaving the Browns and operated a baseball school in Arkansas. He also became a major league hitting instructor prior to returning to the Browns as manager in 1952, a stint that lasted only 51 games. Hired to manage the seventh-place Cincinnati Reds a few weeks later, he became mired in controversy as well as losing in his last managerial position. Hornsby remained an irascible presence in the baseball world until his death in 1963 at age 66. Often considered the greatest righthanded hitter in baseball history, he had difficulty dealing with teammates, managers, owners, and even the commissioner of baseball. His major league managerial record was only 701-812, despite the one World Series title-winning year with 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.


Dec 19, 2020

MVP Profile: Barry Bonds, 1992

 Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates



Prior to 1992:

The son of major league outfielder Bobby Bonds was born in Riverside, California and hit .476 with 14 home runs as a senior at Junipero Serra High School where he also played football and basketball. Initially he was drafted as an amateur by the Giants in 1982 but rejected a $70,000 offer and instead attended Arizona State where he was criricized for being a rule-breaker with a poor attitude as well as lauded for outstanding all-around ability. Bonds was chosen by the Pirates in the first round of the 1985 amateur draft. He batted .299 with 13 home runs for Prince William of the Carolina League in ’85, moved up to Hawaii in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1986 but was called up to the Pirates after 44 games. He was inserted in center field and batted only.223 but showed flashes of future greatness with 16 home runs, 36 stolen bases, and 48 RBIs in 113 games. Bonds was shifted to left field in 1987 and improved to 25 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and 59 RBIs, and a .261 batting average. The numbers rose to .283 with 24 home runs, 17 stolen bases, and 58 RBIs in 1988 but fell off to .248 with 19 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and 58 RBIs in 1989. The disappointed Pirates sought to deal him in the offseason but were unable to work out a trade. Pittsburgh won the NL East in 1990 and Bonds batted .301 with 33 home runs, 52 stolen bases, and a .301 batting average to go with his league-leading .565 slugging percentage. He was also selected to his first All-Star Game and received a Gold Glove for his play in left field. Bonds finished second in NL MVP voting in 1991 following a season in which he batted .292 with 25 home runs, 43 stolen bases, and 116 RBIs. Pittsburgh again topped the NL East and fell in the NLCS while Bonds hit only .148.

 

1992 Season Summary

Appeared in 140 games

LF – 139, PH – 2

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 612 [18]

At Bats – 473

Runs – 109 [1]

Hits – 147

Doubles – 36 [9, tied with Jay Bell]

Triples – 5

Home Runs – 34 [2]

RBI – 103 [4]

Bases on Balls – 127 [1]

Int. BB – 32 [1]

Strikeouts – 69

Stolen Bases – 39 [9]

Caught Stealing – 8 [20, tied with five others]

Average - .311 [6, tied with Terry Pendleton]

OBP - .456 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .624 [1]

Total Bases – 295 [5, tied with Fred McGriff]

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 5 [15, tied with seven others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 7 [8, tied with eight others]

 

League-leading runs scored were +5 ahead of runner-up Dave Hollins

League-leading bases on balls were +31 ahead of runner-up Fred McGriff

League-leading intentional bases on balls were +9 ahead of runners-up Fred McGriff & Will Clark

League-leading OBP was +.033 ahead of runner-up John Kruk

League-leading slugging percentage was +.044 ahead of runner-up Gary Sheffield

 

Midseason snapshot: HR – 15, RBI - 49, AVG - .303, SLG – .588

 

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at San Diego 5/16, (in 5 AB) vs. Montreal 9/17 – 13 innings

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 15

HR on road – 19

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) vs. San Diego 5/16

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. San Diego 5/16

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 2 (.000)

 

Fielding

Chances – 317

Put Outs – 310

Assists – 4

Errors – 3

DP – 0

Pct. - .991

 

Postseason: 7 G (NLCS vs. Atlanta)

PA – 30, AB – 23, R – 5, H – 6, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 2, BB – 6, IBB – 1, SO – 4, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .261, OBP - .433, SLG - .435, TB – 10, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – 0

 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for NL in LF)

 

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Barry Bonds, Pitt.: 304 pts. - 18 of 24 first place votes, 90% share

Terry Pendleton, Atl.: 232 pts. – 4 first place votes, 69% share

Gary Sheffield, SD: 204 pts. – 2 first place votes, 61% share

Andy Van Slyke, Pitt.: 145 pts. – 43% share

Larry Walker, Mon.: 111 pts. – 33% share

 

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Pirates went 96-66 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 9 games over the Montreal Expos, for their third straight division title while leading the league in runs scored (693), triples (54), and RBIs (656). Tailing off after a 14-3 start, Pittsburgh, rode an 11-game July/August winning streak that spurred a 43-18 finish propelling the club past the Expos. Lost NLCS to the Atlanta Braves, 4 games to 3, as Bonds hit only .261, his third consecutive disappointing postseason performance.

 

Aftermath of ‘92:

Having garnered his second NL MVP award in three years Bonds left the Pirates as a free agent and signed a six-year $43 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. Bonds won his third MVP award in 1993 as the Giants contended and he led the NL with 46 home runs, 123 RBIs, a .458 on-base percentage, .677 slugging percentage, and 365 total bases to go along with a .336 batting average and 29 stolen bases. He continued to be a strong performer, gaining seven consecutive All-Star selections from 1992 through ’98 and six Gold Gloves during the same time span. The Giants reached the postseason only once during that period. Bonds became the second player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season in 1996 and regularly led the NL in walks and intentional walks. Following a 1998 season in which the home run race between Mark McGwire of St. Louis and Sammy Sosa of the Cubs drew headlines, Bonds apparently turned to steroid use to improve his already impressive power hitting. Initially this was problematic in that his 1999 season was limited to 102 games due to a torn triceps that required surgery. He came back with a 49-home run season in 2000 and broke McGwire’s single-season record of 70 with 73 home runs in 2001. He was voted NL Most Valuable Player for an unprecedented fourth time and was signed to a five-year $90 million deal by the Giants despite being 37 years old. Bonds finally got to play in a World Series in 2002 and hit .471 with four home runs in a losing cause. He was the NL MVP a total of seven times, the last in 2004. His career, which became plagued by injuries in its late stages finally came to an end in 2007. Overall, Bonds hit a major league record 762 home runs, 176 of which were compiled as a member of the Pirates. He stole 514 bases, 251 with Pittsburgh, and compiled 1996 RBIs, 556 as a Pirate, and batted .298, .275 with Pittsburgh. He walked 2558 times, 688 intentionally, which are all-time major league records, as well as his single-season highs of 232 total walks and 120 intentional walks in 2004. A 14-time All-Star, the lingering concerns regarding performance enhancing drugs have thus far kept him from election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but his #25 has been retired by the Giants.

 

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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.

Dec 16, 2020

Rookie of the Year: Jack Sanford, 1957

 Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies



Age:  28 (May 18)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 190

 

Prior to 1957:

A Massachusetts native, Sanford pitched for Wellesley High School, hurling a no-hitter in his last game. Signed by the Phillies in 1947, he played for two Class D teams in 1948 and posted a combined record of 3-15 with 134 walks. Sanford spent another year in Class D in 1949 with Americus of the Georgia-Florida League. His record improved to 15-9 with a 4.39 ERA and 143 strikeouts and 135 walks over the course of 207 innings pitched. Moving up to Wilmington of the Class B Interstate League in 1950, he went 12-4 with a 3.71 ERA. It was on to Schenectady of the Class A Eastern League in 1951 where Sanford posted a 15-11 mark and a 3.58 ERA while walking 125 batters in 211 innings as he continued to struggle with his control. He also struggled with his temper and would lose his focus if an umpire’s call went against him. Back with Schenectady in 1952 Sanford’s record improved to 16-8 with a 2.94 ERA and only 91 walks over 205 innings. Promoted to Baltimore of the Class AAA International League in 1953 he produced a 14-13 tally with a 3.96 ERA and 128 strikeouts with 110 walks in 200 innings. He stayed in the International League at Syracuse in 1954 and went 8-14 with a 3.86 ERA, 100 strikeouts, and 84 walks over 154 innings. He was suspended for insubordination at one point for refusing to come out of a game as his temper continued to be an issue. After the season he entered the Army and played service baseball. He also injured his right hand in a fight which led to chronic numbness. Having missed the 1956 season due to his military service, Sanford was given a shot with the Phillies in September and won his lone start. Impressing pitching coach Whit Wyatt with his improved fastball. Wyatt’s coaching also improved his curve as Sanford became part of the rotation in 1957.  

 

1957 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [4, tied with Lew Burdette & Moe Drabowsky]

Complete Games – 15 [4]

Wins – 19 [2]

Losses – 8

PCT - .704 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [5, tied with four others]

Innings Pitched – 236.2 [8]

Hits – 194 [19, tied with Bob Purkey]

Runs – 94 [13, tied with Warren Spahn]

Earned Runs – 81 [14, tied with Warren Spahn, Curt Simmons & Larry Jackson]

Home Runs – 22 [12, tied with Moe Drabowsky & Dick Drott]

Bases on Balls – 94 [3, tied with Moe Drabowsky]

Strikeouts – 188 [1]

ERA – 3.08 [6]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 1 [2, tied with twelve others]

Wild Pitches – 12 [1]

 

League-leading strikeouts were +18 ahead of runners-up Dick Drott & Moe Drabowsky]

League-leading wild pitches were +3 ahead of nine runner-up Lindy McDaniel

 

Midseason Snapshot: 10-2, ERA - 3.20, SO – 96 in 104 IP

 

Most strikeouts, game – 13 (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 6/7

10+ strikeout games – 4

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. Brooklyn 6/1, (in 7 IP) vs. NY Giants 4/28

 

Batting

PA – 93, AB – 89, R – 3, H – 15, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 6, BB – 0, SO – 30, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .169, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 4, SF – 0

 

Fielding

Chances – 47

Put Outs – 15

Assists – 30

Errors – 2

DP – 2

Pct. - .957

 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

10th in NL MVP voting (39 points, 12% share)

 

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Jack Sanford, Phila.: 16 of 24 votes, 67% share

Ed Bouchee, Phila.: 4 votes, 17% share

Dick Drott, ChiC.: 3 votes, 13% share

Bob Hazle, Mil.: 1 vote – 7% share

 

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Phillies went 77-77 to finish fifth in the NL, 18 games behind the pennant-winning Milwaukee Braves. The pitching staff led the league in fewest bases on balls surrendered (412). Fueled by the addition of new talent that included Sanford and hard-throwing reliever Dick Farrell, the Phillies had a strong first half before settling back into the middle of the pack.

 

Aftermath of ‘57:

The Phillies dropped into the NL cellar in 1958 and Sanford’s record fell to 10-13 with a 4.44 ERA and 106 strikeouts. In the offseason he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Ruben Gomez and catcher Valmy Thomas. Sanford’s tally improved to 15-12 in 1959 with a 3.16 ERA and 132 strikeouts. He declined in 1960 to 12-14 and a 3.82 ERA with 125 strikeouts. His 1961 mark was 13-9 and a 4.22 ERA with 112 strikeouts. Known for his grim demeanor on the mound, he added a slider to his repertoire and put together his finest season in 1962, producing a 24-7 record with a 3.43 ERA and 147 strikeouts for the pennant-winning Giants. Along the way he posted a 16-game winning streak. Sanford was also 1-2 with a 1.93 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 23.1 innings in the seven-game World Series loss to the Yankees. He also placed second in major league Cy Young Award voting. In 1963 Sanford pitched a career-high 284.1 innings and went 16-13 with a 3.51 ERA and 158 strikeouts. During the 1964 season numbness in his right arm required surgery and his record was just 5-7 with a 3.30 ERA. Sanford began the 1965 season in the starting rotation but was 4-5 with a 3.96 ERA when sold to the Angels in August. He finished the year as a starter/reliever. Primarily used as a middle reliever in 1966 Sanford accumulated 108 innings over 50 games and posted a 13-7 record with a 3.83 ERA. He split 1967 between the Angels and Kansas City A’s in what was his final season which was completed with a 4-4 tally and 5.12 ERA. Overall for his major league career, Sanford went 137-101 with a 3.69 ERA, 76 complete games, 14 shutouts, and 1182 strikeouts over 2049.1 innings pitched. With the Phillies he was 30-21 with a 3.61 ERA and 300 strikeouts in 436 innings. A one-time All-Star, he received MVP votes after three seasons. He went on to become pitching coach of the Cleveland Indians for two years and later managed a golf course in Florida. Sanford died in 2000 at age 70.

 

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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. 

Dec 10, 2020

Rookie of the Year: Ben Grieve, 1998

 Outfielder, Oakland Athletics



Age:  22 (May 4)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 200

 

Prior to 1998:

The son of former major league player Tom Grieve, who became general manager of the Texas Rangers, Grieve was a native of Arlington, Texas and was playing baseball at James W. Martin High School when his father’s friend Tom Robson, the hitting instructor for the Rangers, began to work with him. He developed into a top prospect and was taken by the A’s as the second overall pick in the 1994 amateur draft (giving him a unique distinction as the son of a former first round amateur draft choice who was also taken in the first round). The 18-year-old outfielder was initially assigned to Southern Oregon of the short season Class A Northwest League where he batted .329 with 7 home runs and 50 RBIs in 72 games. He was named to the league All-Star team. With teams at the A and high Class A levels in 1995, Grieve appeared in a total of 130 games and hit .262 with 21 doubles, 6 home runs, and 76 RBIs. The highly self-disciplined outfield prospect returned to Modesto of the advanced Class A California League in 1996, which had been his second stop in ’95, and batted .356 in 72 games with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs, garnering league All-Star recognition, and advanced to Huntsville of the Class AA Southern League where he added 8 home runs and 32 RBIs in 63 games. With Huntsville again in 1997 Grieve hit .328 with 24 home runs and 108 RBIs and moved on with Edmonton of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .426 in 27 games. In a late-season call-up to the A’s he batted .312 in 93 at bats and went into 1998 as the starting right fielder.

 

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

RF – 151, DH – 3, PH – 2

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 678 [18]

At Bats – 583

Runs – 94

Hits – 168

Doubles – 41 [7, tied with Garret Anderson, Will Clark & Todd Walker]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 18

RBI – 89

Bases on Balls – 85 [10]

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 123 [13]

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .288

OBP - .386 [11, tied with Rusty Greer]

Slugging Pct. - .458

Total Bases – 267

GDP – 18 [9, tied with six others]

Hit by Pitches – 9 [13, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 1

 

Midseason snapshot: HR - 12, RBI - 55, AVG - .311, SLG - .508

 

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) at Cleveland 4/29

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Texas 6/16

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 13

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Texas 6/16, at Colorado 6/26

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 2 (.000)

 

Fielding

Chances – 271

Put Outs – 262

Assists – 7

Errors – 2

DP – 0

Pct. - .993

 

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

 

AL ROY Voting (Top 4):

Ben Grieve, Oak.: 130 pts. – 23 of 28 first place votes, 93% share

Rolando Arrojo, TB: 61 pts. –4 first place votes, 44% share

Mike Caruso, ChiWS.: 34 pts. –  24% share

Orlando Hernandez, NYY: 25 pts. – 1 first place vote, 18% share

 

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A’s went 74-88 to finish fourth (last) in the AL Western Division, 14 games behind the division-winning Texas Rangers.

 

Aftermath of ‘98:

Grieve, who moved over to left field, overcame a poor start in 1999 to finish at .265 with 28 home runs and 86 RBIs for an Oakland club that posted its first winning record since 1992. The A’s won the AL West in 2000 and Grieve contributed 40 doubles, 27 home runs, 104 RBIs, and a .279 average, but also grounded into a league-leading 32 double plays. Traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the offseason, Grieve played in both corner outfield spots in 2001 and batted .264 with 30 doubles, 11 home runs, and 72 RBIs, while drawing 87 walks and striking out 159 times. Hindered by injuries in 2002, his production dropped off to .251 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs. An injury-riddled 2003 season resulted in Grieve appearing in only 55 games (mostly as a DH), during which he hit .230 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. Moving on to the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent in 2004 he batted .261 with 7 home runs and 29 RBIs until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs at the end of August. Appearing primarily as a pinch-hitter, Grieve hit .250 with three extra base hits that included a home run and six RBIs. Signing with Pittsburgh for 2005, he was released at the end of spring training and re-joined the Cubs with a minor league contract. He spent most of the year with Iowa of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and had some brief call-ups to the Cubs in which he hit .250 in 23 games. He then retired at age 29, his initially promising career having come to an injury-riddled end. Overall, for his major league career, Grieve batted .269 with 864 hits that included 192 doubles, 5 triples, and 118 home runs. In addition, he scored 471 runs and compiled 492 RBIs. With the A’s the totals were .280 with 492 hits, 108 doubles, 3 triples, 76 home runs, 278 runs scored, and 303 RBIs. In five postseason games he hit .118 with two RBIs. His All-Star selection in 1998 was the only one of his career.

 

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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. 


Dec 3, 2020

MVP Profile: Elston Howard, 1963

 Catcher, New York Yankees



Age:  34

9th season with Yankees

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 196

 

Prior to 1963:

A native of St. Louis, Howard played catcher for a team in that city’s Tandy League (an amateur circuit for players of color). A multi-sport star at Vashon High School as well, he drew the interest of major colleges. Howard signed with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League in 1948 for $500 per month. He initially played left field and first base for the Monarchs. He stayed until 1950 when he was sold to the Yankees for $25,000. Assigned to Muskegon of the Class A Central League, Howard hit 9 home runs and batted .283 in 54 games. Drafted into the Army in the offseason, he missed the 1951 and ’52 seasons while playing service baseball. Following his military commitment, he was assigned to the Kansas City Blues of the Class AAA American Association in 1953 where he split time between the outfield and catching and batted .286 with 10 home runs and 70 RBIs. He spent 1954 with Toronto in the Class AAA International League where he received league MVP honors by hitting .330 with 22 home runs and 109 RBIs while primarily appearing at catcher. With the Yankees under pressure to integrate, Howard became their first black player in 1955. Utilized primarily in the outfield and as a pinch-hitter, in addition to some appearances at catcher, where he backed up Yogi Berra, Howard performed well and batted .290 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs while accumulating 305 plate appearances. Seeing more action behind the plate in 1956, he hit .262 with 5 home runs and 34 RBIs. Berra still saw most of the action at catcher in 1957, but Howard saw enough playing time in left field to accumulate 381 plate appearances and he was an All-Star selection for the first time on his way to batting .253 with 8 home runs and 44 RBIs. Howard appeared in 67 games as a catcher in 1958, but still was used in the outfield. He hit .314 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs and made key plays in the come-from-behind World Series triumph over the Milwaukee Braves, both at bat and defensively in the outfield. The versatile Howard saw significant action at first base in 1959 due to an injury to starter Bill Skowron. He was limited to 44 games behind the plate and batted .273 with 18 home runs and 73 RBIs in what was a down year for the Yankees. In 1960 he finally saw more action at catcher than the aging Berra, who was increasingly used in the outfield. The “Bronx Bombers” returned to the pinnacle of the American League and Howard hit .245 with 6 home runs and 39 RBIs. He went down with a hand injury during the World Series. Adjusting his stance to better hit to all fields in 1961, he upped his batting average to .348 while slugging 21 home runs and accumulating 77 RBIs while appearing in 111 games at catcher and 129 overall. A solid, quiet, and dignified player, Howard received a raise in pay to $42,500 in 1962 and hit .279 with 21 home runs and 91 RBIs. By 1963 he was no longer a platoon player and was established as New York’s regular backstop.

 

1963 Season Summary

Appeared in 135 games

C – 132, PH – 6

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 531

At Bats – 487

Runs – 75 [19, tied with Jerry Lumpe & Rich Rollins]

Hits – 140

Doubles – 21

Triples – 6 [10, tied with seven others]

Home Runs – 28 [5]

RBI – 85 [8]

Bases on Balls – 35

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 68

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .287 [8, tied with Jim Fregosi]

OBP - .342 [17, tied with Jim Hall]

Slugging Pct. - .528 [3]

Total Bases – 257 [11]

GDP – 17 [7, tied with Lou Clinton & Jerry Adair]

Hit by Pitches – 6 [13, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 2

 

Midseason snapshot: HR – 16, RBI – 40, AVG - 257, SLG – .498

 

Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Chi. White Sox 8/18

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 18

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Minnesota 5/4, (in 3 AB) vs. Chi. White Sox 8/25

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 3 on seven occasions

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 5 (.200) with 1 BB

 

Fielding

Chances – 842

Put Outs – 786

Assists – 51

Errors – 5

Passed Balls – 8

DP – 8

Pct. - .994

 

Postseason Batting: 4 G (World Series vs. LA Dodgers)

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

 

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

All-Star

 

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Elston Howard, NYY.: 248 pts. - 15 of 20 first place votes, 89% share

Al Kaline, Det.: 148 pts. – 1 first place vote, 53% share

Whitey Ford, NYY.: 125 pts. – 3 first place votes, 45% share

Harmon Killebrew, Min.: 85 pts. – 30% share

Dick Radatz, Bos.: 84 pts. – 30% share

(1 first place vote for Tom Tresh, NYY, who ranked eleventh)

 

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Yankees went 104-57 to win the AL pennant by 10.5 games over the Chicago White Sox. Despite injuries that sidelined outfield sluggers Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris for significant intervals, the Yankees, buoyed by Howard’s performance and an infusion of youth, cruised to a fourth straight pennant. They lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 0.

 

Aftermath of ‘63:

Howard, who received a raise to $60,000, followed up in 1964 by batting .313 with 27 doubles, 15 home runs, and 84 RBIs, ranking third in league MVP balloting. In 1965 he was hindered by an elbow injury that required surgery and was limited to 110 games in which he hit .233 with 9 home runs and 45 RBIs. Still ailing in 1966, he finished at .256 with 6 home runs and 35 RBIs over the course of 126 games. With his hitting bothered by a hand injury in 1967, Howard was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in August. With the Red Sox in a four-team battle for the pennant, the 38-year-old catcher brought his savvy to handling the pitching staff and a veteran presence to the clubhouse. He never got on track at bat and finished with a .178 combined average. Still, he placed seventeenth in league MVP voting for his contributions to the Red Sox in their pennant-winning effort. Howard spent one final season with Boston in 1968, dealing with chronic injuries and hitting just .241 while playing in 71 games. Overall, for his major league career, Howard batted .274 with 1471 hits that included 218 doubles, 50 triples, and 167 home runs. He scored 619 runs and compiled 762 RBIs. With the Yankees his totals were .279 with 1405 hits, 211 doubles, 50 triples, 161 home runs, 733 RBIs, and 588 runs scored. In 54 postseason games he batted .246 with 5 home runs and 19 RBIs. Howard was a 12-time All-Star and received two Gold Gloves for his defensive prowess behind the plate. He became a coach for the Yankees upon his retirement as a player and remained with the organization until his death in 1980 at age 51 due to heart disease. His managerial aspirations went unfulfilled, but the Yankees retired his #32.

 

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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.