MVP Profile: Joe Medwick, 1937

Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals

 Age:  25

6^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 187

Prior to 1937:

A native of Carteret, New Jersey, Medwick was a four-sport star in high school, participating in track, football, and basketball, as well as baseball. Preferring baseball, he signed with the Cardinals as an 18-year-old in 1930. Playing under an assumed name to protect his amateur status (since he harbored an unrealized ambition to play football for Notre Dame), Medwick was first assigned to the Scottdale Scotties of the Class C Middle Atlantic League where, in 75 games, he batted .419 with 22 home runs. Advancing to the Houston Buffaloes of the Class A Texas League in 1931, he hit .305 with 47 doubles and 19 home runs, leading the league with 308 total bases. Still with Houston in 1932, Medwick batted .354 with 46 doubles, 10 triples, and 26 home runs, thus leading the league with a .611 slugging percentage. During his time in Houston he was tagged with the nickname “Ducky Wucky” that was shortened to “Ducky” due to his duck-like walk. He disliked the monicker, but it stuck with sportswriters from then on. Receiving a late-season call-up from the Cardinals, he hit .349 in 26 games with 12 RBIs and a .538 slugging percentage. A capable defensive outfielder with a strong arm in addition to his batting prowess, he stuck with the Cardinals in 1933 and batted .306 with 40 doubles, 10 triples, 18 home runs, and 98 RBIs. As the left fielder for the 1934 pennant-winning club known as the “Gas House Gang”, Medwick was an All-Star for the first time and hit .319 with 40 doubles, a league-leading 18 triples, 18 home runs, and 106 RBIs. Known for his hot temper and aggressive play, he enraged Detroit fans in Game 7 of the World Series against the Tigers with his hard slide into third baseman Marv Owen. When he next took his position in left field, the fans greeted him with a barrage of garbage, mostly fruit and soda bottles, in addition to raucous booing which caused play to be halted and Commissioner Landis removed him from the game, which the Cardinals won. St. Louis slipped to second in 1935 but Medwick batted .353 with 46 doubles, 13 triples, 23 home runs, 126 RBIs, and a league best 365 total bases. He placed fifth in league MVP voting. “Muscles” (his preferred nickname) had another big year in 1936, leading the NL in hits (223), doubles (a record 64), RBIs (138), and total bases (367) to go along with 13 triples and 18 home runs. He placed fourth in National League MVP balloting. By 1937 Medwick was one of the top hitters in the NL and one of the most despised by opposing players and even some of his teammates, who he also fought with.  

1937 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

LF – 156

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 677 [5]

At Bats – 633 [1]

Runs – 111 [1]

Hits – 237 [1]

Doubles – 56 [1]

Triples – 10 [6, tied with six others]

Home Runs – 31 [1, tied with Mel Ott]

RBI – 154 [1]

Bases on Balls – 41

Int. BB – 13 [2, tied with Elbie Fletcher & Gabby Hartnett]

Strikeouts – 50

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .374 [1]

OBP - .414 [3]

Slugging Pct. - .641 [1]

Total Bases – 406 [1]

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading at bats were +14 ahead of runner-up Paul Waner

League-leading runs scored were +5 ahead of runners-up Stan Hack & Billy Herman

League-leading hits were +18 ahead of runner-up Paul Waner

League-leading doubles were +16 ahead of runner-up Johnny Mize

League-leading RBIs were +39 ahead of runner-up Frank Demaree

League-leading batting average was +.010 ahead of runner-up Johnny Mize

League-leading slugging percentage was +.046 ahead of runner-up Johnny Mize

League-leading total bases were +73 ahead of runner-up Johnny Mize

Midseason snapshot: HR - 17, RBI - 81, AVG - .404, SLG PCT - .697

---

Most hits, game – 4 on eight occasions

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Phila. Phillies 5/12, (in 5 AB) vs. Boston Bees 6/19, (in 5 AB) vs. Phila. Phillies 8/7, (in 4 AB) vs. Phila. Phillies 8/8

HR at home – 18

HR on road – 13

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Boston Bees 5/5, at Phila. Phillies 5/12, vs. Boston Bees 6/19, vs. Phila. Phillies 8/7

Pinch-hitting – 2 of 4 (.500) with 1 R

Fielding

Chances – 342

Put Outs – 329

Assists – 9

Errors – 4

DP – 1

Pct. - .988 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for NL in LF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Joe Medwick, StLC.: 70 pts. - 2 of 8 first place votes, 88% share

Gabby Hartnett, ChiC.: 68 pts. – 3 first place votes, 85% share

Carl Hubbell, NYG: 52 pts. – 1 first place votes, 65% share

Jim Turner, BosB.: 30 pts. – 38% share

Lou Fette, BosB.: 29 pts. – 36% share

(1 first place vote apiece for Dick Bartell, NYG, who ranked sixth and Harry Danning, NYG, who ranked 14^th)

---

Cardinals went 81-73 to finish fourth in the NL, 15 games behind the pennant-winning New York Giants, while leading the league in doubles (264) and stolen bases (78). The fast-starting Cardinals were in first place at the end of April and were a close second on June 27 before falling out of contention despite Medwick’s Triple Crown heroics.

Aftermath of ‘37:

Medwick’s hitting remained impressive in 1938 as he led the NL with 47 doubles and 122 RBIs while batting .322 with 21 home runs. He placed eleventh in league MVP voting. With his salary lowered from $20,000 to $18,000 in 1939 by tight-fisted St. Louis owner Sam Breadon, his relationship with the club soured while he still hit .332 with 48 doubles, 14 home runs, and 117 RBIs and his on-base percentage rose from .369 to .380. During the 1940 season, Medwick was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers along with RHP Curt Davis for four players and cash. The first time he faced the Cardinals he was severely beaned by RHP Bob Bowman, which ignited a brawl and put Medwick in the hospital with a concussion. He quickly returned to action and was an All-Star for the seventh consecutive season on his way to batting .301 with 17 home runs and 86 RBIs for the year. With the pennant-winning Dodgers in 1941, he hit .318 with 33 doubles, 10 triples, 18 home runs, and 88 RBIs. He batted only .235 in the five-game World Series loss to the Yankees. With his home run total dropping to four in 1942, Medwick still hit .300 with 37 doubles and 96 RBIs. Waived by the Dodgers midway through the 1943 season, he moved across town to the New York Giants and for the year hit .278 with 30 doubles, 5 home runs, and 70 RBIs. With the Giants in 1944 his average jumped to .337 with 7 home runs and he was an All-Star for the last time. Traded to the Boston Braves during the 1945 season, the fading Medwick batted a combined .290 with 20 extra base hits. He returned to Brooklyn in 1946 and finished his career back with the Cardinals in 1947 and ’48 at age 36. For his major league career, Medwick batted .324 with 2471 hits that included 540 doubles, 113 triples, and 205 home runs. He scored 1198 runs and compiled 1383 RBIs and a .362 OBP with a .505 slugging percentage. With the Cardinals he batted .335 with 811 runs scored, 1590 hits, 377 doubles, 81 triples, 152 home runs, 923 RBIs, a .372 OBP, and a .545 slugging percentage. Appearing in 12 World Series games, he hit .326 with a home run and 5 RBIs. A 10-time All-Star, Medwick finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times, with the one win. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1968. He became a minor league player/manager in the years immediately following the end of his major league career. He later served as a spring batting instructor for the Cardinals until his death in 1975 at age 63. A pugnacious player, he came to be more appreciated long after his career ended and his surliness faded from memory.

---

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: Ryan Howard, 2006

First Baseman, Philadelphia Phillies

 

Age:  26

2^nd season with Phillies

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 250

Prior to 2006:

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Howard began to display his power potential in Little League and continued to play well in high school. Moving on to college at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State University), Howard broke out as a junior in 2001, when he hit 19 home runs but also set a school record by striking out 74 times, demonstrating his career-long propensity for having a productive power bat while whiffing at a prodigious rate. He was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of that year’s amateur draft and signed for a $235,000 bonus. Initially assigned to Batavia of the short-season Class A New York-Pennsylvania League, he batted .272 in 48 games with 6 home runs and 35 RBIs. Moving to the Lakewood BlueClaws of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2002, he hit .280 with 19 home runs and 87 RBIs while striking out 145 times. He advanced to Clearwater of the advanced Class A Florida State League in 2003 where he won the league batting championship with a .304 average and also topped the circuit with 23 home runs. He was named league MVP for his run-producing prowess despite also leading the circuit by striking out 151 times. Howard advanced to Reading of the Class AA Eastern League in 2004 where he hit 37 home runs in 102 games before being promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the Class AAA International League where he slugged another 9 home runs in 29 games. Called up to the Phillies in September, he hit his first two major league home runs. Blocked by the presence of star first baseman Jim Thome in Philadelphia, Howard became a prime subject of trade speculation. He started the 2005 season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but was called up by the Phils when an elbow injury put Thome on the disabled list. Following a brief major league stint, Howard returned to Class AAA, where he went on a 24-game hitting streak. When Thome returned to the DL, Howard was recalled to the Phillies to stay. In 88 major league games he produced 22 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a .288 batting average along with a .356 on-base percentage and .567 slugging percentage. He received NL Rookie of the Year honors. The Phillies traded Jim Thome to the White Sox in the offseason, thus assuring Howard of a regular job at first base in 2006.

2006 Season Summary

Appeared in 159 games

1B – 159, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 704 [8]

At Bats – 581

Runs – 104 [14]

Hits – 182 [11]

Doubles – 25

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 58 [1]

RBI – 149 [1]

Bases on Balls – 108 [4]

Int. BB – 37 [2]

Strikeouts – 181 [2]

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .313 [8]

OBP - .425 [4]

Slugging Pct. - .659 [2]

Total Bases – 383 [1]

GDP – 7

Hit by Pitches – 9

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 6 [19, tied with thirteen others]

League-leading home runs were +9 ahead of runner-up Albert Pujols

League-leading RBIs were +12 ahead of runner-up Albert Pujols

League-leading total bases were +21 ahead of runner-up Alfonso Soriano

Midseason snapshot: HR – 28, RBI – 71, AVG. – .278., SLG – .582, OBP – .341

---

Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Atlanta 9/3

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 4 AB) vs. Atlanta 9/3

HR at home – 29

HR on road – 29

Multi-HR games – 7

Most RBIs, game – 7 vs. NY Yankees 6/20

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 2 (.500) with 1 HR & 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 1478

Put Outs – 1373

Assists – 91

Errors – 14

DP - 139

Pct. - .991

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Ryan Howard, Phila.: 388 pts. – 20 of 32 first place votes, 87% share

Albert Pujols, StL.: 347 pts. – 12 first place votes, 77% share

Lance Berkman, Hou.: 230 pts. – 51% share

Carlos Beltran, NYM:211 pts. – 47% share

Miguel Cabrera, Fla.: 170 pts. – 38% share

---

Phillies went 85-77 to finish second in the NL Eastern Division, 12 games behind the division-winning New York Mets, while leading the league in runs scored (865), RBIs (823), walks drawn (626), and total bases (2542). The Phillies started slowly but came on strong in the second half, particularly during an 18-11 August when Howard particularly excelled, just falling short of a wild card playoff spot.

Aftermath of ‘06:

In 2007 the Phillies reached the postseason for the first time since 1993 and Howard, who started slowly, contributed 47 home runs, 136 RBIs, and a .268 batting average, while also leading the league by striking out a then-record 199 times. Philadelphia lost to Colorado in the NLDS. In 2008 the “Big Piece” led the NL with 48 home runs and 146 RBIs while hitting .251 and placed second in league MVP voting. The NL East-winning Phillies went on to win the pennant and World Series. Howard batted .286 in the Series against Tampa Bay along with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs, with 2 homers and 5 RBIs coming in one game. The Phillies repeated as NL pennant winners in 2009 before falling to the Yankees in the World Series. Howard contributed 45 home runs, a league-leading 141 RBIs, and a .279 batting average and placed third in MVP balloting. In 2010, after years of impressive durability, Howard spent time on the disabled list with an ankle sprain. He still hit .276 with 31 home runs and 108 RBIs. He played in 152 games for the first place Phillies in 2011 and hit .253 with 33 home runs and 116 RBIs. In the deciding game of the NLDS loss to St. Louis, Howard made the final out and suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which required surgery. Unable to start the 2012 season until July, it was cut short in September by a broken toe. He was limited to 14 home runs and 56 RBIs in 71 games played. A knee injury cut Howard’s 2013 season short after appearing in 80 games and batting .266 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs. Returning to action in 2014, he appeared in 153 games and hit .223 with 23 home runs and 95 RBIs while leading the NL by striking out 190 times. Howard missed the last three weeks of the 2015 season due to another knee injury and finished with 23 home runs, 77 RBIs, and a .229 average. Benched during the 2016 season, he became a free agent and signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves for 2017. Performing poorly for Gwinnett of the Class AAA International League, he was released in May and signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies that had him playing for Albuquerque of the Pacific Coast League for the rest of the year, after which he again became a free agent, effectively ending his career. He announced his retirement in 2018. For his major league career that was spent entirely with the Phillies, Howard batted .258 with 1475 hits that included 277 doubles, 21 triples, and 382 home runs. He further compiled 1194 RBIs and struck out 1843 times. In 46 postseason games he hit .259 with 13 doubles, 1 triple, 8 home runs, and 33 RBIs. He led the NL twice in home runs and three times in RBIs. A one-time league MVP, he finished in the top five a total of four times and was a three-time All-Star.

---

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: Reggie Jackson, 1973

Outfielder, Oakland Athletics

Age:  27 (May 18)

7^th season with Athletics

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1973:

A native of Pennsylvania from the Philadelphia suburb of Wyncote, Jackson excelled in football, basketball, and track, as well as baseball, at Cheltenham High School. After high school he went to Arizona State University on a football scholarship. Fast, tough, and talented, he was starting in the defensive backfield as a sophomore. Jackson tried out for the baseball team and impressed with his batting power. After playing summer ball in Baltimore to sharpen his skills, he became the starting center fielder as a sophomore. Self-confident and charismatic with a flair for the dramatic, as well as an impressive raw talent, he was chosen by the Athletics, at the time located in Kansas City, second overall in the 1966 amateur draft. While tempted to remain in school, he signed with the A’s for an $85,000 bonus. Starting out professionally with the Lewiston Broncs of the short-season Class A Northwest League, he was quickly moved to Modesto of the Class A California League where, in 56 games, he batted .299 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs. Promoted to Birmingham of the Class AA Southern League in 1967, Jackson hit .293 with 26 doubles, 17 triples, 17 home runs and 58 RBIs, receiving a late-season trial with Kansas City that amounted to only a .178 average with one home run. Back with the A’s, now in Oakland, in 1968, he hit .250 in his first full season along with 29 home runs, 74 RBIs, and struck out a league-leading 171 times. Jackson broke out in a big way in 1969 as he hit 37 home runs by the All-Star break, putting him on a record pace. He tailed off thereafter and ended up with 47 homers for the year while batting .275 with 118 RBIs and a league-leading 123 runs scored and .608 slugging percentage in addition to again topping the circuit in striking out with 142 whiffs. Jackson held out in the spring of 1970 and got off to a slow start at the plate that had him publicly feuding with owner Charlie Finley throughout the season, who threatened to send him down to the minors. The result was 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, and a .237 average. He played winter ball in Puerto Rico under the guidance of long-time hitting star Frank Robinson to get back on track. The A’s topped the AL West in 1971 and Jackson contributed significantly by hitting .277 with 32 home runs and 80 RBIs. In the All-Star Game he hit a long home run at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium that hit a light stand some 520 feet from home plate. The A’s lost to Baltimore in the ALCS but Jackson hit two home runs in his first taste of postseason action. He had lesser numbers in 1972 while batting .265 with 25 home runs and 75 RBIs. Oakland again topped the division but lost Jackson to a torn hamstring during the ALCS against Detroit, and he was in a cast for the seven-game World Series triumph over Cincinnati. By 1973 he was a three-time All-Star who had received MVP votes in each of the prior two seasons while playing for a championship club.

1973 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

RF – 144, PH – 5, DH – 3, CF – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 629

At Bats – 539

Runs – 99 [1]

Hits – 158 [15, tied with Bill North & Don Money]

Doubles – 28 [12, tied with Don Money, Lou Piniella & Steve Braun]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 32 [1]

RBI – 117 [1]

Bases on Balls – 76 [12]

Int. BB – 11 [6]

Strikeouts – 111 [5, tied with George Mitterwald]

Stolen Bases – 22 [10, tied with Pat Kelly & Don Money]

Caught Stealing – 8 [20, tied with Paul Blair, Jorge Orta & Chris Chambliss]

Average - .293 [10]

OBP - .383 [5]

Slugging Pct. - .531 [1]

Total Bases – 286 [4, tied with Bobby Murcer]

GDP – 13

Hit By Pitches – 7 [9, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 7 [2, tied with seven others]

League-leading runs scored were +1 ahead of runners-up George Scott, Rod Carew & Bill North

League-leading home runs were +2 ahead of runners-up Jeff Burroughs & Frank Robinson

League-leading RBIs were +10 ahead of runner-up George Scott

League-leading slugging percentage was +.033 ahead of runner-up Sal Bando

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 16, HR - 23, RBI - 81, AVG - .292, SLG - .534, OBP – .365

---

Most hits, game – 3 on ten occasions

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

Most HR, game – 2 on five occasions

HR at home – 18

HR on road – 14

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Milwaukee 6/6

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 4 (.000) with 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 315

Put Outs – 302

Assists – 4

Errors – 9

DP – 0

Pct. - .971

Postseason Batting: 12 G (ALCS vs. Baltimore – 5 G; World Series vs. NY Mets – 7 G) 

PA – 52, AB – 50, R – 3, H – 12, 2B – 3,3B – 1, HR – 1, RBI – 6, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 13, SB – 0, CS – 1, AVG - .240, OBP - .269, SLG -.400, TB – 20, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0     World Series MVP

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Started for AL in RF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Reggie Jackson, Oak.: 336 pts. – 24 of 24 first place votes, 100% share

Jim Palmer, Balt.: 172 pts. – 51% share

Amos Otis, KCR: 112 pts.  – 33% share

Sal Bando, Oak.: 83 pts. – 25% share

Rod Carew, Min.: 83 pts. – 25% share

John Hiller, Det.: 83 pts. – 25% share

---

A’s went 94-68 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 6 games over the Kansas City Royals, while leading the league in runs scored (758) and RBIs (714). The tempestuous and talented A’s moved in and out of first place in the AL West until moving into the top spot to stay on August 16, clinching their third straight division title on Sept. 23 although Jackson was sidelined for much of the last two weeks with a hamstring injury. Won ALCS over the Baltimore Orioles, 3 games to 2 and World Series over the New York Mets, 4 games to 3, to become the first team to win the World Series two years in succession since 1962. Jackson’s two-RBI performance in Game 6 kept the A’s alive in a Series in which owner Finley instigated a near player mutiny by his attempted “firing” of second baseman Mike Andrews after his two twelfth inning errors led to a loss in Game 2.

Aftermath of ‘73:

The A’s topped the AL West for the fourth straight season in 1974 amidst turmoil that included Jackson getting in fights with catcher Ray Fosse and outfielder Bill North that resulted in his suffering a shoulder injury that limited his production in the season’s second half. He still batted .289 with 29 home runs and 93 RBIs. The talented but fractious club won the AL pennant and a third consecutive World Series, beating the Dodgers in five games while Jackson hit .286 with a home run. Oakland topped the AL West again in 1975 while Jackson hit 36 home runs and tied for the league lead with Milwaukee’s George Scott. He also batted .253 with a .329 OBP and 104 RBIs. Facing the final year of his contract in 1976, the A’s traded Jackson to the Baltimore Orioles along with LHP Ken Holtzman for three players that included outfielder Don Baylor and RHP Mike Torrez just prior to the season’s start. Jackson held out and missed the first few weeks. He got off to a slow start once he ironed out his contract difficulties and reported to the Orioles. His bat eventually came around and he ended up hitting .277 with 27 home runs and 91 RBIs while posting a league-leading .502 slugging percentage. A free agent in the offseason he signed with the New York Yankees for five years and $2.96 million. Jackson was involved in turmoil during the ’77 season, most notably a dugout confrontation with manager Billy Martin after he was removed from a game in Boston in June. Once again finding himself on a winning team with a fractious atmosphere, he batted .286 with 32 home runs and 110 RBIs and tied for eighth in league MVP balloting. The Yankees reached the World Series against the Dodgers. Following a quiet ALCS performance, Jackson earned Series MVP honors by hitting three straight first-pitch home runs in the decisive Game 6 (of a total of 5 homers in the series), thus earning himself the nickname “Mr. October”. The Yankees came from behind in 1978 to end up in a playoff with Boston for the AL East title, which they won. Jackson contributed 27 home runs, 97 RBIs, a .274 average, and a .356 OBP. He hit two more home runs in the ALCS triumph over the Royals to get the club to another World Series against the Dodgers. LA moved out to a two-games-to-none advantage with the most dramatic moment occurring when Jackson was struck out by rookie RHP Bob Welch to cap Game 2. The Yankees battled back and “Mr. October” hit two home runs, one off Welch, in the climactic Game 6 win. The Yanks dropped to fourth in a tragedy-and injury-marred 1979 season. Jackson hit .297 with 29 home runs and 89 RBIs. The club returned to first place in 1980, while Jackson batted .300 with 41 home runs, 111 RBIs, a .398 on-base percentage, and a .597 slugging percentage. The club was swept by Kansas City in the ALCS. Jackson spent one more year with the Yankees in the strike-shortened 1981 season and ended up hitting .237 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. The Yanks lost to the Dodgers in the World Series. A free agent in the off-season, Jackson signed with the California Angels where he joined a veteran-filled lineup in 1982 and topped the AL with 39 home runs while also batting .275 with 101 RBIs. He finished sixth in league MVP voting and homered in the ALCS loss to Milwaukee. His production sagged in 1983 as he turned 37 and he ended up hitting a paltry .194 with just 14 home runs. Jackson rebounded somewhat in 1984, batting .223 with a .300 OBP along with 25 home runs and 81 RBIs while primarily appearing as Designated Hitter in tandem with Brian Downing. He added another 27 home runs in 1985 while hitting .252 with a .360 OBP. One more division-winning season in 1986 was followed by a return to Oakland to close out his career in 1987. Overall, for his major league career, Jackson batted .262 with 2584 hits that included 463 doubles, 49 triples, and 563 home runs. He scored 1551 runs, compiled 1702 RBIs with a .356 OBP and .490 slugging percentage. He also struck out 2597 times. With Oakland he totaled .262 with 1228 hits, 234 doubles, 27 triples, 269 home runs, 776 RBIs, 756 runs scored, a .355 OBP, .496 slugging percentage, and 1226 batter strikeouts.  Appearing in 77 postseason games (32 with Oakland) he hit .278 with 18 home runs and 48 RBIs and was a two-time World Series MVP. A 14-time All-Star (six with the A’s), he finished in the top 10 in league MVP voting seven times, including the one win. Better known for his batting prowess than his fielding, he placed second in outfield assists four times and led AL outfielders in errors in five seasons. The A’s retired his #9 and the Yankees retired the #44 that he wore with them, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993. A shrewd investor, Jackson enhanced his wealth in retirement, but he also dabbled in broadcasting and acting and served as a hitting coach for the Athletics. 

---

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: Mickey Mantle, 1956

Outfielder, New York Yankees

 

Age:  24

6^th season with Yankees

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 195

Prior to 1956:

An Oklahoma native, Mantle was named after star catcher Mickey Cochrane, his father’s favorite player. Growing up in the town of Commerce (hence a later nickname, “the Commerce Comet”), his father taught him baseball and developed the natural right-hander into a switch hitter. He honed his skills playing sandlot ball, where he was a shortstop and drew the attention of a scout for the Yankees, who signed him following his high school graduation in 1949 for an $1100 signing bonus and $400 for the remainder of the ’49 season. Assigned to Independence of the Class D Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League he batted .313 in 89 games with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 home runs, and 63 RBIs, while also stealing 20 bases. While his hitting was impressive, he had difficulty with his throwing accuracy at shortstop, with bad throws being the cause of most of his 47 errors. Advancing to the Joplin Miners of the Class C Western Association in 1950, Mantle hit a league-best .383 with 30 doubles, 12 triples, 26 home runs and 136 RBIs while committing 55 errors in the field. Called up to the Yankees in September, he rode the bench and observed as the club nailed down the AL pennant. Invited to spring training with the Yankees in 1951, he began the transition to the outfield and drew rave newspaper stories with his batting power from both sides of the plate and great running speed. With Joe DiMaggio’s announcement that the ’51 season would be his last, manager Casey Stengel named Mantle as his successor in center field, putting added pressure on the 19-year-old phenom. Starting the season in right field, he initially hit well until encountering a severe slump in June and July, at which time he was sent down to Kansas City of the Class AAA American Association. In 40 Class AAA games Mantle hit .361 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs. Recalled by the Yankees, he hit well the rest of the way and ended up batting .267 in 96 major league games with 13 home runs and 65 RBIs. In Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Giants, Mantle tore ligaments in his right knee when he caught his spikes on a drainage outlet while chasing a fly ball, bringing his season to an end, and commencing a long string of injuries that would afflict him during his career. Following surgery in the offseason, he transitioned to center field in May and went on to hit .311 with 37 doubles, 7 triples, 23 home runs, and 87 RBIs while striking out a league-leading 111 times. He was an All-Star for the first time and finished third in AL MVP voting. Mantle hit two more home runs in the World Series triumph over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Powerfully built and capable of driving the ball long distances from either side of the plate, he also impressed with his speed and throwing arm. He also was a target of vocal fan criticism at times, not helped by receiving a deferment from the military draft due to osteomyelitis in his left leg which seemed incongruous in relation to his baseball performance. In 1953 Mantle batted .295 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs. One of the homers, hit while batting right-handed at Washington’s spacious Griffith Stadium, traveled an estimated 565 feet. The Yankees faced the Dodgers in the World Series again, winning while Mantle contributed another two home runs, one of them a grand slam. While the Bronx Bombers lost out in the 1954 pennant race, “the Mick” topped the AL with 129 runs scored and hit .300 with 27 home runs and 102 RBIs. The Yankees regained the pennant in 1955 while Mantle led the AL in triples (11), home runs (37), walks drawn (113), on-base percentage (.431), and slugging percentage (.611). A hamstring injury limited him to three games in the World Series loss to Brooklyn. By 1956, he was established as a budding superstar who had improved his game with each season despite dealing with nagging injuries and he had received a salary increase from $17,000 to $33,000.   

1956 Season Summary

Appeared in 150 games

CF – 144, PH – 6

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 652 [9]

At Bats – 533 [14, tied with Luis Aparicio]

Runs – 132 [1]

Hits – 188 [4]

Doubles – 22 [19, tied with six others]

Triples – 5 [20, tied with six others]

Home Runs – 52 [1]

RBI – 130 [1]

Bases on Balls – 112 [2]

Int. BB – 6 [12, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 99 [3]

Stolen Bases – 10 [7]

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .353 [1]

OBP - .464 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .705 [1]

Total Bases – 376 [1]

GDP – 4

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 4

League-leading runs scored were +23 ahead of runner-up Nellie Fox

League-leading home runs were +20 ahead of runner-up Vic Wertz

League-leading RBIs were +2 ahead of runner-up Al Kaline

League-leading batting average was +.008 ahead of runner-up Ted Williams

League-leading slugging percentage was +.100 ahead of runner-up Ted Williams

League-leading total bases were +49 ahead of runner-up Al Kaline

Midseason snapshot: HR - 29, RBI - 71, AVG - .371, SLG - .749, OBP – .471

---

Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) at Detroit 5/24

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 27

HR on road – 25

Most home runs, game – 2 on seven occasions

Multi-HR games – 7

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Cleveland 7/30

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 4 (.250) with 3 RBI & 2 BB

Fielding

Chances – 384

Put Outs – 370

Assists – 10

Errors – 4

DP – 3

Pct. - .990

Postseason Batting: 7 G (World Series vs. Brooklyn)

PA – 30, AB – 24, R – 6, H – 6, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 3, RBI – 4, BB – 6, IBB – 1, SO – 5, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .250, OBP - .400, SLG - .667, TB – 16, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Started for AL in CF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Mickey Mantle, NYY.: 336 pts. - 24 of 24 first place votes, 100% share

Yogi Berra, NYY: 186 pts. – 55% share

Al Kaline, Det.: 142 pts. – 42% share

Harvey Kuenn, Det.: 80 pts. – 24% share

Billy Pierce, ChiWS: 75 pts. - 22% share

 ---

Yankees went 97-57 to win the AL pennant by 9 games over the Cleveland Indians while leading the league in runs scored (857), home runs (190), RBIs (788), slugging (.434), and total bases (2306). Staying close to the top through the opening weeks thanks significantly to the efforts of Mantle and catcher Yogi Berra, the Yankees moved into first place in mid-May with a win against Cleveland and cruised the rest of the way. Won World Series over the Brooklyn Dodgers, 4 games to 3, with the key win for the Yanks coming in RHP Don Larsen’s Game 5 perfect game, in which Mantle homered.

Aftermath of ‘56:

The Yankees won another AL pennant in 1957 and Mantle was again the MVP, batting .365 with 34 home runs and 94 RBIs while leading the circuit with 146 walks drawn. Hindered by a leg injury during the seven-game World Series loss to the Milwaukee Braves, Mantle still hit .263 with a home run. In 1958 he topped the AL in home runs (42) as well as walks drawn (129) and total bases (307) while batting .304 with a .443 OBP. He placed fifth in league MVP balloting as the Yankees again won the pennant. He added two more homers in the World Series, as the Yanks came from behind to defeat the Braves in a rematch. In a down year for the club in 1959, Mantle, who was now earning $70,000, hit .285 with 31 home runs and 75 RBIs. Joined in the lineup by right fielder Roger Maris, who was obtained from the Kansas City Athletics in 1960, Mantle led the league with 40 home runs and 119 runs scored while batting .275 with 94 RBIs while hindered by chronic knee problems. He finished a close second to Maris in the MVP voting and further hit .400 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs in the seven-game World Series loss to Pittsburgh. With manager Casey Stengel replaced by Ralph Houk in 1961, the Yankees won the pennant in a season highlighted by the home run race between Mantle and Maris. The two were neck-and-neck into September, with Maris finally hitting a record 61 homers to 54 for Mantle, who missed 10 of the team’s final 12 games due to injury and illness. In addition, he batted .317 with 128 RBIs and a .448 OBP and led the AL in walks drawn (126) and slugging percentage (.687). The Yankees defeated Cincinnati in the World Series with Mantle appearing in only two games. He finished second to Maris in league MVP voting once again. In 1962, a May leg injury sidelined Mantle for five weeks, but while limited to 123 games, he still hit .321 with 30 home runs and 89 RBIs and led the AL in walks drawn (122), OBP (.486), and slugging percentage (.605). Benefiting from a greater appreciation of how much Mantle dealt with injuries (his legs were wrapped in bandages prior to every game), and a realization of how important he was to the Yankees, who won another pennant, he received his third MVP award. In the offseason, the club gave him a raise to $100,000 per year, which would be his annual salary for the remainder of his career. In 1963, a broken foot limited him to 65 games and a .314 average with 15 home runs and 35 RBIs. Back in action in 1964, and despite being hindered by an August knee injury, Mantle batted .303 with 35 home runs and 111 RBIs while topping the circuit with an on-base percentage of .423. The Yankees narrowly won another pennant but lost the ensuing World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals, despite Mantle’s 3 home runs (one of them a game-winner) and 8 RBIs. 1964 marked the end of a long, sustained stretch of success for the Yankees. In decline along with the club in 1965, Mantle, hindered by a shoulder injury in the season’s second half, missed a total of 40 games and hit just .255 with 19 home runs and 46 RBIs. While his once formidable skills continued to deteriorate, he hit .288 in 1966 with 23 home runs and 56 RBIs. Shifted to first base in 1967 in an effort to reduce wear-and-tear, Mantle appeared in 144 games and batted .245 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs. Playing in one last season in 1968, he again made 144 appearances and hit .237 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs, reaching the end of his illustrious career at age 36. For his major league career, played entirely with the Yankees, Mantle batted .298 with 2415 hits that included 344 doubles, 72 triples, and 536 home runs. He scored 1676 runs and compiled 1509 RBIs in addition to 153 stolen bases. He drew 1733 walks and had a .421 OBP and .557 slugging percentage. Appearing in 65 World Series games, Mantle hit a record 18 home runs while batting .257 with 40 RBIs. In addition to being a three-time MVP, Mantle was a 20-time All-Star. An excellent center fielder with his speed and strong throwing arm, he twice led the AL in assists and received a Gold Glove in 1962. The Yankees retired his #7 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. In the 1980s Mantle accumulated much wealth as a result of the sports memorabilia industry, but years of late-night carousing and heavy drinking took a toll, and he died of liver cancer in 1995 at age 63.

---

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

Cy Young Profile: Johan Santana, 2004

Pitcher, Minnesota Twins

 

Age:  25

5^th season with Twins

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 210

Prior to 2004:

A native of Venezuela, where his engineer father was also a semipro baseball player, Santana sought to emulate his father by playing shortstop in his youth, learning to throw right-handed so he could properly field the position. Playing for his local team, the Chiquilines, as a teenager, he was utilized in center field, where he lacked speed and was not a proficient hitter. Signed by the Houston Astros as a 17-year-old in 1995, he was converted into a pitcher and performed well in the Dominican Summer League in 1996. Promoted to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 1997, he struggled while appearing in nine games and posted an 0-4 record with a 7.93 ERA. He finished the year with Auburn of the Class A New York-Pennsylvania League where he stayed in 1998 and in 15 starts went 7-5 with a 4.36 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 86.2 innings pitched. Santana, whose fastball, curve, and changeup were improving along with his arm strength, finished up the year by appearing in two games with Quad Cities in the Class A Midwest League in ’98. In 1999 he remained in the Midwest League and pitched for the Michigan Battle Cats where he went 8-8 with a 4.66 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 160 innings. Exposed by the Astros in the 1999 Rule 5 draft, Santana was obtained by the Twins, who were compelled to keep him on the major league roster. Used out of the bullpen with Minnesota in 2000, he appeared in 30 games (five of them starts) and produced a 2-3 mark with a 6.49 ERA. He reduced his ERA to 4.74 in 2001 and spent two months in 2002 with Edmonton of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he worked on his changeup before returning to the Twins and going 8-6 in 27 appearances (14 starts) with a 2.99 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 108.1 innings while also leading the league with 15 wild pitches. Valued for his ability out of the bullpen, Santana was moved into the starting rotation in July of 2003 and went on to finish with a 12-3 record and 3.07 ERA with 169 strikeouts while compiling 158.1 innings. The Twins topped the AL Central Division but lost to the Yankees in the ALDS while a sore hamstring hindered Santana’s performance. Heading into 2004, he was the team’s breakout pitching star.  

2004 Season Summary

Appeared in 34 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 34

Games Started – 34 [3, tied with four others]

Complete Games – 1 [20, tied with 27 others]

Wins – 20 [2]

Losses – 6

PCT - .769 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1 [4, tied with 26 others]

Innings Pitched – 228 [2]

Hits – 156

Runs – 70

Earned Runs – 66

Home Runs – 24

Bases on Balls – 54

Strikeouts – 265 [1]

ERA – 2.61 [1]

Hit Batters – 9 [17, tied with Barry Zito, Kenny Rogers & Josh Towers]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 7 [17, tied with seven others]

League-leading strikeouts were +38 ahead of runner-up Pedro Martinez

League-leading ERA was -0.65 lower than runner-up Curt Schilling

Midseason Snapshot: 7-6, ERA - 3.78, SO – 136 in 123.2 IP

---

Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 8 IP) vs. Baltimore 9/19

10+ strikeout games – 12

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 8 IP) at KC Royals 7/17, (in 7 IP) vs. KC Royals 9/3

 

Batting

PA – 8, AB – 8, R – 0, H – 3, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 0, SO – 1, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .375, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 37

Put Outs – 9

Assists – 24

Errors – 4

DP – 2

Pct. - .892

Postseason Pitching: G – 2 (ALDS vs. NY Yankees)

GS – 2, CG – 0, Record – 1-0, PCT – 1.000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 12, H – 14, R – 1, ER – 1, HR – 0, BB – 4, SO – 12, ERA – 0.75, HB – 1, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

6^th in AL MVP voting (117 points, 30% share)

AL Cy Young voting:

Johan Santana, Min.: 140 pts. – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Curt Schilling, Bos.: 82 pts. – 59% share

Mariano Rivera, NYY: 27 pts. – 19% share

Pedro Martinez, Bos.: 1 pt. – 1% share

Joe Nathan, Min.: 1 pt. – 1% share

Francisco Rodriguez, Ana.: 1 pt. – 1% share

 

---

Twins went 92-70 to finish first in the AL Central Division by 9 games over the Chicago White Sox. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (4.03). At or near first place through the All-Star break, the Twins swept a late-July series against the White Sox to secure their hold on the top spot for the rest of the season despite a mediocre offense but benefiting from the pitching staff led by Santana to win their third straight AL Central title. Lost ALDS to the New York Yankees, 3 games to 1, with the only win coming in Santana’s Game 1 start.

Aftermath of ‘04:

Santana followed up with another strong season in 2005, going 16-7 with a 2.87 ERA and again leading the circuit with 238 strikeouts while the Twins dropped to third place in the division. The star lefthander placed third in American League Cy Young voting. He won the award again in 2006 as he led the league in wins with his 19-6 record, ERA (2.77), and strikeouts (245). In 2007, Santana produced a 15-13 mark with a 3.33 ERA and 235 strikeouts that included a team-record 17 in a game against Texas. Facing difficult decisions on payroll, the Twins traded Santana to the New York Mets for four young players in 2008. The Mets signed him to a seven-year, $137.5 million contract extension. He performed well in ’08 with a 16-7 tally (including 8-0 in the season’s second half) and NL-best 2.53 ERA and 234.1 innings pitched while also striking out 206 batters. Limited to 25 starts due to injury in 2009, Santana was still an All-Star on his way to producing a 13-9 record with a 3.13 ERA and 146 strikeouts while pitching 166.2 innings. A shoulder injury that required surgery knocked him out of action in September of 2010 and he finished at 11-9 with a still-respectable 2.98 ERA, although his strikeouts dropped to 144 in 199 innings pitched. Santana missed all of 2011 due to recovery from his surgery, much to the consternation of Mets fans. Returning to action in 2012, he produced a 6-9 record that included the first no-hitter in franchise history. In an uneven year that included two stints on the disabled list due to an ankle and back injuries, his ERA was 4.85 and he recorded 111 strikeouts while pitching 117 innings. Further shoulder surgery cost Santana the entire 2013 season and the Mets bought out the remainder of his contract, rendering him a free agent. He had abortive minor league trials with the Orioles and Blue Jays but never made it back to the major leagues. For his major league career, Santana compiled a 139-78 record with a 3.20 ERA, 15 complete games, 10 shutouts, and 1988 strikeouts in 2025.2 innings. With the Twins he was 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA, 6 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 1381 strikeouts in 1308.2 innings. Pitching in 11 postseason games, he had a 1-3 record with a 3.97 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 34 innings. In addition to receiving two Cy Young Awards, Santana was a four-time All-Star and received a Gold Glove in 2007. He was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2018.

---

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.