Rookie of the Year: Eric Karros, 1992

First Baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Age:  24

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 205

Prior to 1992:

Born in New Jersey, Karros (pronounced Kare-ose) moved to California with his family during his youth. A good student at San Diego’s Patrick Henry High School, he played baseball as well. Going on to college at UCLA, Karros made the baseball team as a walk-on. Developing into a solid line drive hitter, he was chosen by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 1988 amateur draft, following his junior year. Starting out professionally with Great Falls of the Rookie-level Pioneer League, Karros batted .366 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. Advancing to Bakersfield of the Class A California League in 1989, he hit .303 with a league-leading 40 doubles, 15 home runs, and 86 RBIs along with 18 stolen bases. Karros spent 1990 with San Antonio of the Class AA Texas League where he batted .352 with 45 doubles, 18 home runs, and 78 RBIs. In 1991 he moved up to the Albuquerque Dukes of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .316 with 33 doubles, 8 triples, 22 home runs, and 101 RBIs. Called up by the Dodgers for the September stretch run, he had one hit in 15 plate appearances. With veteran first baseman Eddie Murray having departed via free agency, Karros beat out Todd Benzinger for the starting job for 1992.  

1992 Season Summary

Appeared in 149 games

1B – 143, PH – 7

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 589

At Bats – 545 [18]

Runs – 63

Hits – 140

Doubles – 30

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 20 [11, tied with Ray Lankford & Matt Williams]

RBI – 88 [12]

Bases on Balls – 37

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 103 [9, tied with Darren Daulton & Jay Bell]

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .257

OBP - .304

Slugging Pct. - .426

Total Bases – 232 [20, tied with John Kruk]

GDP – 15 [5, tied with four others]

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 5

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 13, HR - 10, RBI – 33, AVG - .259, SLG – .430, OBP - .289

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Most hits, game – 3 on nine occasions

Longest hitting streak – 7 games

Most HR, game – 1 on twenty occasions

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 14

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Cincinnati 8/11

Pinch-hitting – 4 for 7 (.571) with 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR & 4 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 1346

Put Outs – 1211

Assists – 126

Errors – 9

DP - 98

Pct. - .993 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Eric Karros, LAD: 116 pts. – 22 of 24 first place votes, 97% share

Moises Alou, Mon.: 30 pts. – 25% share

Tim Wakefield, Pitt.: 29 pts. – 2 first place votes, 24% share

Reggie Sanders, Cin.: 23 pts. – 19% share

Donovan Osborne, StL.: 12 pts. – 10% share 

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Dodgers went 63-99 to finish sixth in the NL Western Division, 35 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers were at .500 on June 1 but a 10-game losing streak in June dropped them into last place for good.

Aftermath of ‘92:

Following his impressive rookie season, Karros remained a dependable run producer in 1993 with 27 doubles, 23 home runs, and 80 RBIs while his average dropped to .247 and his OBP to .287. He remained dependable in the field as he led NL first basemen with 147 assists. The steady Karros hit .266 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs during the strike-shortened 1994 season but in 1995, aided by a strong second half, he batted .298 with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs. He finished fifth in NL MVP voting. The power production remained strong in 1996 as Karros hit .260 with 34 home runs and 111 RBIs. In 1997 he batted .266 with 31 home runs and 104 RBIs but still found himself exposed in the expansion draft. Remaining with the Dodgers in 1998, but due to missing the first 21 games of the season due to injury, his production dropped to 23 home runs and 87 RBIs with a .296 batting average and .355 OBP. Karros rebounded in 1999 by hitting .304 with 40 doubles, 34 home runs, and 112 RBIs. Lacking adequate protection in the batting order in 2000, he had a disappointing second half on his way to batting .250 with 31 home runs and 106 RBIs. Karros spent two more years in Los Angeles with diminishing production before being traded to the Chicago Cubs following the 2002 season. He hit .286 in 2003 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs. Moving on to the Oakland Athletics in 2004 he primarily appeared as a DH and pinch-hitter in just 40 games prior to his retirement in August. For his major league career, Karros batted .268 with 1724 hits that included 324 doubles, 11 triples, and 284 home runs. He also scored 797 runs and compiled 1027 RBIs while producing a .325 on-base percentage. With the Dodgers, where he spent eleven full seasons, he batted .268 with 752 runs scored, 1608 hits, 302 doubles, 10 triples, 270 home runs, and 976 RBIs. Appearing in 15 postseason games, Karros hit .300 with 4 home runs and 6 RBIs. Never an All-Star, he received MVP votes following two seasons and was awarded one Silver Slugger. Following his playing career, he went into broadcasting.

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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: Hal Newhouser, 1945

Pitcher, Detroit Tigers

 

Age:  24 (May 20)

6^th season with Tigers

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1945:

A Detroit native, Newhouser was the son of a Czech immigrant gymnast. A fine all-around athlete in his youth, he became a pitcher in a sandlot baseball league at 15. Thin and with the ability to throw hard, Newhouser was a serious-minded perfectionist who could be hard on teammates, a trait that would last into adulthood. Pitching for an American Legion team in 1937, he excelled with his fastball and curve, although he had occasional difficulty with his control. At 17, he signed with the hometown Tigers in 1938, whose scout got to him just before the Cleveland Indians could make him an offer. With two minor league teams in 1939, the 18-Year-old Newhouser produced a 13-18 record with a 3.21 ERA. He was called up for one late-September game with the Tigers and lost. Sticking with Detroit in 1940 he went 9-9 with a 4.86 ERA and 89 strikeouts The Tigers edged the Indians and Yankees for the pennant and the temperamental “Prince Hal” was not used during the World Series loss to Cincinnati. He remained inconsistent in 1941 and the brooding loner posted a 9-11 tally and 4.79 ERA with 137 walks and 106 strikeouts. Exempted from World War II military duty due to a heart condition, Newhouser’s mound performance improved to 8-14 with a 2.45 ERA in 1942 for the fifth-place Tigers. With pitching ranks depleted by the war, he also was an All-Star for the first time. He had difficulty with control in 1943 and was 8-17 with a 3.04 ERA and 144 strikeouts along with a league-leading 111 walks over the course of 195.2 innings pitched. During spring training in 1944 he worked with catcher Paul Richards to develop a slider to add to his arsenal and to harness his emotions as well. Detroit finished a close second to the St. Louis Browns in the AL pennant race and the pitching tandem of Newhouser and RHP Dizzy Trout were key factors in the club’s success, with Newhouser contributing a 29-9 record and a 2.22 ERA along with a league-leading 187 strikeouts. He beat out Trout in a close decision for AL MVP.

1945 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 40 [5]

Games Started – 36 [1]

Complete Games – 29 [1]

Wins – 25 [1]

Losses – 9

PCT - .735 [2]

Saves – 2 [13, tied with ten others]

Shutouts – 8 [1]

Innings Pitched – 313.1 [1]

Hits – 239 [4]

Runs – 73

Earned Runs – 63

Home Runs – 5

Bases on Balls – 110 [3]

Strikeouts – 212 [1]

ERA – 1.81 [1]

Hit Batters – 0

Balks – 2 [2, tied with Monk Dubiel & Hal Kleine]

Wild Pitches – 10 [1]

League-leading games started were +2 ahead of runner-up Bobo Newsom

League-leading complete games were +3 ahead of runner-up Dave Ferriss

League-leading wins were +4 ahead of runner-up Dave Ferriss

League-leading shutouts were +3 ahead of runners-up Al Benton & Dave Ferriss

League-leading innings pitched were +48.2 ahead of runner-up Dave Ferriss

League-leading strikeouts were +83 ahead of runner-up Nels Potter

League-leading ERA was -0.21 lower than runner-up Al Benton

League-leading wild pitches were +3 ahead of runner-up Lou Knerr

Midseason Snapshot: 13-6, ERA - 1.66, SO - 112 in 167.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 11 (in 9 IP) at Phila. A’s 5/23

10+ strikeout games – 2

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis Browns 5/6

Batting

PA – 124, AB – 109, R – 8, H – 28, 2B – 5, 3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 17, BB – 7, SO – 10, SB – 0, CS – 1, AVG - .257, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 8, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 82

Put Outs – 16

Assists – 66

Errors – 0

DP – 5

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 3 (World Series vs. Chi. Cubs)

GS – 3, CG – 2, Record – 2-1, PCT – .667, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 20.2, H – 25, R – 14, ER – 14, HR – 0, BB – 4, SO – 22, ERA – 6.10, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 1

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting: 

Hal Newhouser, Det.: 236 pts. – 9 of 24 first place votes, 70% share

Eddie Mayo, Det.: 164 pts. – 7 first place votes, 49% share

George Stirnweiss, NYY: 161 pts. – 4 first place votes, 48% share

Dave Ferriss, BosRS.: 148 pts. – 2 first place votes, 44% share

George Myatt, Wash.: 98 pts. – 1 first place vote, 29% share

(1 first place vote for Joe Kuhel, Wash., who ranked 12^th)

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Tigers went 88-65 to win the AL pennant by 1.5 games over the Washington Senators. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (19, tied with Washington), saves (16), and strikeouts (588). Thanks to the pitching of Newhouser, RHPs Al Benton and Dizzy Trout, the Tigers were holding on to first place when star outfielder Hank Greenberg returned from Army duty in June. Benton suffered a broken ankle in May and Newhouser was briefly sidelined with a back injury in September. With a half-game lead over the Senators the Tigers went 3-2 in a five-game series at Washington. While the Senators wrapped up their season on Sept. 23, the Tigers maintained a narrow lead until the finale against the St. Louis Browns, won by Detroit on Greenberg’s grand slam to wrap up the pennant. Won World Series over the Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 3. A 4-run 6^th inning in Game 5 led to a crucial win for the Tigers. After losing badly in Game 1, Newhouser won Games 5 and 7.

Aftermath of ‘45:

In the offseason Newhouser was offered $200,000 over three years to pitch in the Mexican League, as Jorge Pasquel, the league’s president and principal team owner, sought to raid the major leagues for talent. Offered a $10,000 bonus to stay with Detroit, Newhouser had another outstanding season in 1946 while facing the talent returning from military service. The Tigers dropped to second place and Newhouser went 26-9 with a league-leading 1.94 ERA as well as 275 strikeouts. He finished second in league MVP voting this time. A forerunner of modern pitchers, he had his games taped and ran the movies between starts to search for flaws in his delivery. Detroit again finished second in 1947 and “Prince Hal” had a 17-17 record with a 2.87 ERA, AL-leading 24 complete games, and 176 strikeouts. He bounced back to 21-12 in 1948 with a 3.01 ERA and 143 strikeouts. Dealing with a sore shoulder and relying on finesse rather than speed, Newhouser had an 18-11 tally in 1949 with a 3.36 ERA and 144 strikeouts. In 1950 the production was 15-13 with a 4.34 ERA and 87 strikeouts. Missing half of 1951 due to the ongoing shoulder woes, his record dropped to 6-6 and a 3.92 ERA in just 15 appearances. The downward spiral continued with a 9-9 mark in 25 appearances in 1952 and 0-1 with a 7.06 ERA in 7 games in 1953. Released by the Tigers and contemplating retirement, he signed with the Cleveland Indians as a reliever in 1954 at the invitation of GM Hank Greenberg, his former teammate. The Indians won the AL pennant and Newhouser contributed a 7-2 record and 7 saves plus a 2.51 ERA as part of an effective bullpen. He appeared in just two games in 1955 before retiring. For his major league career, he compiled a 207-150 record with a 3.06 ERA, 26 saves, 33 shutouts, and 1796 strikeouts over 2993 innings. With the Tigers he was 200-148 with a 3.07 ERA, 212 complete games, 33 shutouts, 19 saves, and 1770 strikeouts. During the three-year stretch from 1944 to ’46, he went 80-27 with a 1.99 ERA. Appearing in four World Series games he was 2-1 with 22 strikeouts over 20.2 innings. Newhouser remains the only pitcher to win MVP awards over two consecutive seasons and was also a seven-time All-Star. The Tigers retired his #16 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, six years before his death at age 77.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

MVP Profile: Johnny Bench, 1970

Catcher, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  22

3^rd season with Reds

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 197

Prior to 1970:

Bench, a native of Oklahoma, was an All-State performer in both baseball and basketball in high school and was his class valedictorian as well. He was chosen by the Reds in the first amateur free agent draft in 1965 and followed up a promising season with Tampa of the Class A Florida State League by achieving Player of the Year recognition after batting .294 with 22 home runs with the Peninsula Grays of the Class A Carolina League in 1966. Following promotion to Class AAA Buffalo, he suffered a broken thumb that ended his ’66 campaign. Returning to Buffalo in 1967 Bench hit 23 home runs while batting .259 and impressed with his defensive play behind the plate. He was selected as Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News after the season and was promoted to the Reds for the last month of the ’67 season, hitting a meager .163 with a home run and 6 RBIs in 26 games. Impressive in his first full season in 1968, Bench was an All-Star for the first time and became the first catcher to receive Rookie of the Year honors after batting .275 with 40 doubles, 15 home runs, and 82 RBIs. He also received a Gold Glove for his play behind the plate. Bench followed up in 1969 with 26 home runs, 90 RBIs, and a .293 batting average, again receiving an All-Star selection and Gold Glove.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

C – 139, LF – 15, 1B – 12, RF – 7, CF – 2, PH – 5, 3B – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 671 [14] 

At Bats – 605 [10, tied with Lee May]

Runs – 97 [17, tied with Matty Alou]

Hits – 177 [14]

Doubles – 35 [6, tied with Ken Henderson]

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 45 [1]

RBI – 148 [1]

Bases on Balls – 54

Int. BB – 9

Strikeouts – 102 [15, tied with Doug Rader]

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .293

OBP - .345

Slugging Pct. - .587 [3]

Total Bases – 355 [2]

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 11 [1]

League-leading home runs were +3 ahead of runner-up Billy Williams

League-leading RBIs were +19 ahead of runners-up Billy Williams & Tony Perez

League-leading sac flies were +2 ahead of runner-up Denis Menke

Midseason snapshot: HR - 28, RBI - 79, AVG - .285, SLG - .618

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 6/21, (in 5 AB) vs. St. Louis 7/26, (in 5 AB) at LA Dodgers 9/10

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 5 AB) vs. St. Louis 7/26

HR at home – 30

HR on road – 15

Multi-HR games – 3

Most RBIs, game – 7 vs. St. Louis 7/26

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 5 (.200) with 1 RBI

Fielding (C )

Chances – 840

Put Outs – 755

Assists – 73

Errors – 12

Passed Balls – 9

DP – 12

Pct. - .986

Postseason Batting: 8 G (NLCS vs. Pittsburgh – 3 G; World Series vs. Baltimore – 5 G)

PA – 32, AB – 28, R – 5, H – 6, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 4, BB – 4, IBB – 2, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .214, OBP - .313, SLG - .429, TB – 12, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors: 

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

All-Star (Started for NL at C )

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Johnny Bench, Cin.: 326 pts. – 22 of 24 first place votes, 97% share

Billy Williams, ChiC.: 218 pts. – 2 first place votes, 65% share

Tony Perez, Cin.: 149 pts. – 44% share

Bob Gibson, StL.: 110 pts. – 33% share

Wes Parker, LAD: 91 pts. – 27% share

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Reds went 102-60, to finish first in the NL Western Division by 14.5 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers while leading the league in home runs (191), batting (.270, tied with three other clubs), slugging (.436) & total bases (2414). Under new manager Sparky Anderson, “the Big Red Machine” sailed to the NL West title, benefiting from an array of big bats led by Bench. Won NLCS over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3 games to 0. Lost World Series to the Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘70:

In a lesser season for the Reds in 1971, Bench batted .238 with 27 home runs and 61 RBIs while continuing his Gold Glove play defensively. He was MVP for a second time in 1972, when he again topped the league in home runs (40) and RBIs (125) for a pennant-winning club. With outstanding ability behind the plate that included an excellent throwing arm, Bench won 10 Gold Gloves and was selected to 14 All-Star Games over the course of a career that lasted until 1983 and included being part of two World Series-winning Cincinnati squads. Capable of playing at first base and in the outfield to reduce wear on his body from catching, Bench ultimately ended up appearing primarily at third and first base in the final stages of his Hall of Fame career (he was elected in 1989).  Overall, in a tenure spent entirely with the Reds, who retired his #5, he hit 389 home runs with 1376 RBIs and a .267 batting average. Bench had another 10 home runs and 20 RBIs in 45 postseason games and was named MVP of the 1976 World Series.

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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: Jerome Walton, 1989

Outfielder, Chicago Cubs 

Age:  24 (July 8 )

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1989:

A native of Newnan, Georgia, Walton played baseball in high school and was chosen by the Cubs in the 1986 amateur draft out of Enterprise State Community College in Alabama. As a 20-year-old third baseman with Wytheville of the Rookie-level Appalachian League in ’86 he batted .288 in 62 games with 21 stolen bases. Advancing to Peoria of the Class A Midwest League and shifted to the outfield in 1987, Walton hit .335 with 24 doubles, 11 triples, 6 home runs, 102 runs scored, and 49 stolen bases, although he was caught stealing 25 times and struck out on 91 occasions, in addition to drawing 91 walks. He was named a league All-Star. Moving up to Pittsfield of the Class AA Eastern League in 1988, he batted a league-high .331 and stole 42 bases in 55 attempts. Walton made the jump from AA to the Cubs in 1989, filling a hole in center field and as a speedy leadoff hitter.

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 116 games

CF – 115, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 515

At Bats – 475

Runs – 64

Hits – 139

Doubles – 23

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 5

RBI – 46

Bases on Balls – 27

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 77

Stolen Bases – 24 [17, tied with Billy Hatcher]

Caught Stealing – 7

Average - .293 [7]

OBP - .335

Slugging Pct. - .385

Total Bases – 183

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 6 [6, tied with Craig Biggio]

Sac Hits – 2

Sac Flies – 5

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 16, HR - 3, RBI - 18, SB – 13, AVG - .294, OBP - .344

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. St. Louis 6/12, (in 4 AB) at San Diego 7/13

Longest hitting streak – 30 games

Most HR, game – 1 on five occasions

HR at home – 3

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. LA Dodgers 7/7

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000) with 1 BB

Fielding

Chances – 294

Put Outs – 289

Assists – 2

Errors – 3

DP - 1

Pct. - .990

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

PA – 24, AB – 22, R – 4, H – 8, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .364, OBP - .417, SLG -.364, TB – 8, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

13^th in NL MVP voting (14 points, 4% share)

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Jerome Walton, ChiC.: 116 pts. – 22 of 24 first place votes, 97% share

Dwight Smith, ChiC.: 68 pts. – 2 first place votes, 57% share

Gregg Jefferies, NYM: 18 pts. – 15% share

Derek Lilliquist, Atl.: 6 pts. – 5% share

Andy Benes, SD: 3 pts. – 3% share

Charlie Hayes, SF/Phila.: 3 pts. – 3% share

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Cubs went 93-69 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 6 games over the New York Mets while leading the league in runs scored (702), hits (1438), RBIs (653), batting (.261) and total bases (2135). The Cubs, helped by the arrival of Walton and fellow rookie outfielder Dwight Smith, as well as the play of veterans Ryne Sandberg at 2B and 1B Mark Grace, moved into first place in the NL East in May, fell behind in June, and remained at or near the top until a 17-11 September put them in control. Lost NLCS to the San Francisco Giants, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘89:

With expectations high following his outstanding rookie season, a broken hand and a wrist injury limited Walton to 101 games in 1990 in which he batted .263 with 20 extra base hits, 63 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. His average dropped to .219 in 123 games in 1991 as he lost his starting job in center field. Injuries further limited him to 30 games and a .127 average in 1992, after which the Cubs did not renew his contract. Signed by the California Angels in 1993, Walton appeared in just five major league games and spent most of the season with Vancouver of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .313 in 54 games. Released by the Angels in August, his next stop was Cincinnati in 1994 where he provided defensive depth to a solid outfield while batting .309 in 46 games during the strike-shortened season. As an outfield reserve for the division-winning Reds in 1995, Walton hit .290 in 102 games with 8 home runs and 22 RBIs. Moving on to Atlanta in 1996 he appeared in 37 games and batted .340, still in a backup role, most often as a late innings defensive replacement for Ryan Klesko in left field. Walton spent two more seasons in the major leagues, with Baltimore in 1997, where he was again troubled by injuries, and expansion Tampa Bay in 1998, but didn’t last through May. He spent time in the Mexican League and with independent minor league clubs from 1999 to 2001 before retiring. For his major league career, Walton batted .269 with 423 hits that included 77 doubles, 8 triples, and 25 home runs. He scored 241 runs and compiled 132 RBIs and 58 stolen bases. With the Cubs he batted .258 with 308 hits, 176 runs scored, 52 doubles, 7 triples, 12 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 46 stolen bases. In 13 postseason games, Walton hit .222. Following a playing career that commenced with so much promise that ultimately went unfulfilled, Walton founded a baseball academy in his native Georgia.

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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, 1938

First Baseman, Boston Red Sox

 

Age:  30

3^rd season with Red Sox

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1938:

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 Athletics, 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. The A’s dropped to second in 1932 but Foxx received AL MVP honors as he batted .364 while leading the league with 151 runs scored, 58 home runs, 169 RBIs, a .749 slugging percentage, and 438 total bases. “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, and ‘31 pennant-winning teams, to the 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.

1938 Season Summary

Appeared in 149 games

1B – 149

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 685 [9]

At Bats – 565 [18]

Runs – 139 [2]

Hits – 197 [3, tied with Mel Almada]

Doubles – 33 [13, tied with Red Kress]

Triples – 9 [9, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 50 [2]

RBI – 175 [1]

Bases on Balls – 119 [1, tied with Hank Greenberg]

Int. BB – 12 [2]

Strikeouts – 76 [5]

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .349 [1]

OBP - .462 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .704 [1]

Total Bases – 398 [1]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading RBIs were +28 ahead of runner-up Hank Greenberg

League-leading batting average was +.006 ahead of runner-up Jeff Heath

League-leading OBP was +.008 ahead of runner-up Buddy Myer

League-leading slugging percentage w+18 as +.021 ahead of runner-up Hank Greenberg

League-leading total bases were +18 ahead of runner-up Hank Greenberg

 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 13, HR – 23, RBI – 89, AVG – .347., SLG – .705, OBP – .461

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Chi. White Sox 6/19, (in 4 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 7/17, (in 4 AB) at Cleveland 9/17

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 35

HR on road – 15

Most home runs, game – 2 on ten occasions

Multi-HR games – 10

Most RBIs, game – 8 vs. NY Yankees 9/7

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 1417

Put Outs – 1282

Assists – 116

Errors – 19

DP – 153

Pct. - .987

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for AL at 1B)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Jimmie Foxx, Bos.: 305 points - 19 of 22 first place votes, 91% share

Bill Dickey, NYY.: 196 points – 3 first place votes, 58% share

Hank Greenberg, Det.: 162 points – 48% share

Red Ruffing, NYY: 146 points – 43% share

Bobo Newsom, StLB.: 111 points – 33% share

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Red Sox went 88-61 to finish second in the AL, 9.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in batting (299) and on-base percentage (.378).

Aftermath of ‘38:

Foxx 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 Red Sox his totals were .320 with 1051 hits, 181 doubles, 45 triples, 222 home runs, 721 runs scored, 788 RBIs, and 624 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 he 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.

MVP Profile: George Sisler, 1922

First Baseman, St. Louis Browns

 Age:  29

8^th season with Browns

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’11” Weight: 170

Prior to 1922:

An Ohio native, Sisler was the son of Hiram College-educated parents who encouraged excellent performance in the classroom while he also excelled on the baseball field in his youth in small-town Manchester. At 14 he moved to Akron to attend high school and was a successful pitcher on the school team as well as in football. Playing semipro baseball, he was nicknamed “Gorgeous George” for his handsome appearance. Following high school, he entered the Univ. of Michigan where he was spotted by recent law school grad Branch Rickey, who took over as the university’s baseball coach. Sisler performed well as a freshman and joined the varsity the following year where he batted .445 while pitching effectively for a 22-4-1 squad. Spending his summers playing in the Akron industrial league, Sisler continued to star at Michigan. He hit .404 for his collegiate career and struck out 232 batters over 153 innings pitched. With Rickey having moved on to the Browns, Sisler signed for $300 per month plus a $5000 bonus in 1915. As a pitcher he appeared in 15 games as a 22-year-old rookie and produced a 4-4 record with a 2.83 ERA. Playing at first base and the outfield as well, he hit .285. Sisler became the regular first baseman in 1916 (at the expense of his pitching career). He drew praise for his graceful defensive play and batted .305 with 21 doubles, 11 triples, 5 home runs, and 76 RBIs. In 1917 his average rose to .353 and in 1918, he led the AL in stolen bases with 45 to go along with a .341 average and .400 on-base percentage. In 1919 his production rose to .352 with 31 doubles, 15 triples, 10 home runs, and 83 RBIs. Sisler was the American League batting champion by batting .407 with 257 hits, a major league record that lasted until 2004, while also compiling 49 doubles, 18 triples, 19 home runs, 122 RBIs, and 42 stolen bases. Excellent at hitting to the gaps from his erect stance, he hit .371 in 1921 while leading the league in triples (18) and stolen bases (35) to go along with 38 doubles, 12 home runs, and 104 RBIs.

1922 Season Summary

Appeared in 142 games

1B – 141, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 655 [16]

At Bats – 586 [13]

Runs – 134 [1]

Hits – 246 [1]

Doubles – 42 [3, tied with Ty Cobb]

Triples – 18 [1]

Home Runs – 8

RBI – 105 [4]

Bases on Balls – 49

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 14

Stolen Bases – 51 [1]

Caught Stealing – 19 [2, tied with Chick Galloway]

Average - .420 [1]

OBP - .467 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .594 [5]

Total Bases – 348 [2]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 16

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading runs scored were +3 ahead of runner-up Lu Blue

League-leading hits were +35 ahead of runner-up Ty Cobb

League-leading triples were +2 ahead of runners-up Ty Cobb & Baby Doll Jacobson

League-leading stolen bases were +14 ahead of runner-up Ken Williams

League-leading batting average was +.019 ahead of runner-up Ty Cobb

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 23, 3B – 11, HR - 7, RBI - 62, SB – 32, AVG - .426, OBP - .478, SLG – .622

Most hits, game – 4 on twelve occasions

Longest hitting streak – 41 games

HR at home – 4

HR on road – 4

/Most home runs, game – 1 on eight occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Phila. A’s 5/12

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 1435

Put Outs – 1293

Assists – 125

Errors – 17

DP – 119

Pct. - .988

Awards & Honors 

AL MVP: League Award

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

George Sisler, St.LB.: 59 pts. - 92% share

Ed Rommel, PhilaA.: 31 pts. – 48% share

Ray Schalk, ChiWS.: 26 pts. – 41% share

Joe Bush, NYY: 19 pts. – 30% share

Eddie Collins, ChiWS.: 18 pts. – 28% share

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Browns went 93-61 to finish second in the AL, 1 game behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in runs scored (868), hits (1684), triples (94), RBIs (785), stolen bases (136), batting (.310), slugging (.453), and total bases (2458). The Browns got hot in June and stayed in first place until July 28. With Sisler leading a solid group of hitters (four of which compiled 100 RBIs) despite suffering an arm and shoulder injury, they stayed close to the Yankees, although a tough loss to Cleveland on August 30 put them 2.5 games back with 26 left to play. Winning four of their next five put them narrowly back in front five days later. The Browns lost two of three to the visiting Yankees in mid-September giving New York a lead that, with Sisler sidelined by injury, the Browns could not overcome.

Aftermath of ‘22:

Sisler missed the entire 1923 season due to a severe sinus infection that impaired his vision. Returning to the Browns in 1924 as player/manager, although his performance dropped off due to lingering vision problems (he remained as manager for three seasons, and the club went 218-241). He still hit .305 in ’24, but with lesser extra base totals. Rebounding to .345 in 1925 with 105 RBIs, he dropped to .290 in 1926. In 1927, his 27 stolen bases led the AL while he batted a solid .327 with 201 hits and 97 RBIs. Sisler was traded to Washington prior to the 1928 season and was subsequently sold to the Boston Braves in May. He finished with a combined .331 average for the year with 179 hits, .370 OBP, and 70 RBIs. He spent 1929 and ’30 with the Braves and batted .326 and .309 respectively. He played two minor league seasons prior to retiring following the 1932 season in which he played for Shreveport-Tyler of the Texas League. For his major league career, Sisler batted .340 with 2812 hits that included 425 doubles, 164 triples, and 102 home runs. He scored 1284 runs and compiled 1178 RBIs and 375 stolen bases. His career OBP was .379 and he had a .468 slugging percentage while only striking out 327 times and drawing 472 walks. With the Browns he batted .344 with 2295 hits, 1091 runs scored, 343 doubles, 145 triples, 93 home runs, 962 RBIs, 351 stolen bases, a .384 OBP, and a .481 slugging percentage. Sisler never appeared in the postseason. He won two batting titles and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. After he founded the American Softball Association, Sisler was hired by his mentor Branch Rickey as a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, where he helped Jackie Robinson adjust to playing first base for his color-line-breaking 1947 season. He later followed Rickey from Brooklyn to Pittsburgh and served as a roving hitting instructor even after Rickey’s departure from the front office. Sisler died in 1973 at age 80. Two of Sisler’s sons played major league baseball. Dick Sisler was an outfielder/first baseman primarily with the Phillies and Cardinals and Dave Sisler pitched for the Red Sox, Tigers, Senators, and Reds.

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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.