MVP Profile: Pete Rose, 1973

Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  32 (April 14)

11^th season with Reds

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 192 

Prior to 1973:

A Cincinnati native, Rose excelled in football, as well as baseball, at Western Hills High School. He then played semipro baseball where he drew the notice of major league scouts and signed with the hometown Reds in 1960. Installed at second base with Geneva of the Class D New York-Pennsylvania League, Rose batted .277 in 85 games. He spent 1961 in the Class D Florida State League with Tampa and hit .331. Advancing to Macon of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1962 he batted .330 with 31 doubles, 17 triples, 9 home runs, and 71 RBIs. Invited to spring training with the Reds in 1963, he made the most of the opportunity with a strong enough performance to impress manager Fred Hutchinson and make the opening day lineup. Despite an 0-for-12 start at the plate, Rose went on to hit .273 with 101 runs scored, 25 doubles, 9 triples, 6 home runs, and 41 RBIs and received NL Rookie of the Year recognition. Brash and always hustling on the field, Rose picked up the nickname “Charley Hustle” from star Yankee pitcher Whitey Ford after he was observed running to first base after drawing a walk in a spring exhibition game, which became a signature feature of Rose’s style of play. He followed up his outstanding rookie season by batting .269 in 1964 and .312 in 1965, when he led the NL with 209 hits and was an All-Star for the first time. His play at second base also improved in addition to his hitting. Despite the improvement in fielding Rose was briefly switched to third base in 1966 to accommodate promising rookie second baseman Tommy Helms. The two traded positions and Rose hit .313 with 205 hits, 38 doubles, 5 triples, 16 home runs, and 70 RBIs. He was moved to left field in 1967 as Helms went to second base and Tony Perez to third. Rose’s hitting was not affected as he batted .301 with 32 doubles, 8 triples, 12 home runs, and 76 RBIs despite a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two weeks. A right fielder in 1968, “Charley Hustle” topped the NL with 210 hits and a .335 batting average. The hard-playing Rose won another batting title in 1969 while hitting .348 with 16 home runs and 82 RBIs and a league-high 120 runs scored. He also received a Gold Glove for his play in right field. In 1970 the Reds, under first-year manager Sparky Anderson, won the NL West and the league pennant and Rose contributed a league-leading 205 hits plus 37 doubles, 9 triples, 15 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .316 batting average for the hard-hitting club dubbed “the Big Red Machine”. He also placed seventh in league MVP voting and was awarded another Gold Glove. The team dropped to fourth in 1971 but “Charley Hustle” remained productive by hitting .304 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. He was back in left field for the pennant-winning Reds in 1972 but his bat remained consistent as he led the NL with 198 hits while compiling a .307 average. In the fifth game of the seven-game World Series loss to Oakland, he led off by homering off ace RHP Jim “Catfish” Hunter, who he had publicly disparaged.

1973 Season Summary

Appeared in 160 games

LF – 159, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 752 [1]

At Bats – 680 [1]

Runs – 115 [3]

Hits – 230 [1]

Doubles – 36 [3, tied with Ted Simmons & Rusty Staub]

Triples – 8 [5, tied with Lou Brock & Darrell Evans]

Home Runs – 5

RBI – 64

Bases on Balls – 65

Int. BB – 6

Strikeouts – 42

Stolen Bases – 10

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

Average - .338 [1]

OBP - .401 [6]

Slugging Pct. - .437

Total Bases – 297 [6, tied with Tony Perez]

GDP – 14

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

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 0

League-leading plate appearances were +14 ahead of runner-up Bobby Bonds

League-leading at bats were +12 ahead of runner-up Ralph Garr

League-leading hits were +30 ahead of runner-up Ralph Garr

League-leading batting average was +.018 ahead of runner-up Cesar Cedeno

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 19, 3B – 5, HR – 2, RBI – 34, AVG - .324, OBP - .397

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. Atlanta 7/26

Longest hitting streak – 17 games

Most HR, game – 1 on five occasions

HR at home – 3

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Houston 9/4 – 10 innings

Pinch-hitting – 1 BB

Fielding

Chances – 361

Put Outs – 343

Assists – 15

Errors – 3

DP – 0

Pct. - .992

Postseason Batting: 5 G (NLCS vs. NY Mets)

PA – 23, AB – 21, R – 3, H – 8, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 2, BB – 2, IBB – 1, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .381, OBP - .435, SLG -.714, TB – 15, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for NL in LF)

 

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Pete Rose, Cin.: 274 pts. – 12 of 24 first place votes, 82% share

Willie Stargell, Pitt.: 250 pts. – 10 first place votes, 74% share

Bobby Bonds, SF: 104 pts.  – 1 first place vote, 52% share

Joe Morgan, Cin.: 102 pts. – 1 first place vote, 30% share

Mike Marshall, Mon.: 93 pts. – 28% share

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Reds went 99-63, to finish first in the NL Western Division by 3.5 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers while leading the league in stolen bases (148). 11 games behind the Dodgers at the end of June, “the Big Red Machine” swept a July 1 double header against LA to begin chipping away at the deficit. A 41-18 July and August record pulled the Reds to within three games of the Dodgers entering September, when a 19-8 tally to wrap up the season propelled them past LA to the NL West title. Lost NLCS to the New York Mets, 3 games to 2 in a series highlighted by the Game 3 fight between Rose and New York SS Bud Harrelson in a game that was ultimately a 9-2 win for the Mets.

Aftermath of ‘73:

Rose, who followed up by batting .284 with NL-leading totals of 110 runs scored and 45 doubles in 1974, stayed with the Reds through the 1978 season, remaining a consistent .300 hitter who also topped the NL in doubles in 1975, ’76, and ’78. Cincinnati won the World Series in 1975 and ’76. In 1978 he put together a NL-record 44-game hitting streak to add to his list of achievements in addition to reaching his 3000^th career hit. He also made a position change to third base in 1975, where he remained through ’78. In the 1978 offseason he became a free agent and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, who won a spirited bidding war for his services at $3.2 million for four years. Installed at first base, where incumbent Richie Hebner was dealt away, “Charley Hustle” batted .331 with a league-best .418 on-base percentage for the injury-riddled Phillies, who finished in fourth place in the NL East. Rose appeared in every game and established himself as a team leader, which helped the club regain first in the division in 1980 on the way to winning the first World Series championship in franchise history. He contributed a .282 average and league-leading 42 doubles as well as solid defensive play. During the strike-interrupted 1981 season Rose batted .325 with a league-leading 140 hits. Along the way he passed Stan Musial’s NL record for career hits. 1982 proved to be the last season that the impressively durable Rose appeared in 162 games while hitting .271 at age 41. Joined by former Reds teammates Joe Morgan and Tony Perez in 1983, Rose split time between first base and right field for the first several weeks of the season before settling back at first. Not hitting well by the end of August, he spent most of September on the bench as Len Matuszek took over at first base down the stretch. The Phillies won the NL East and the league pennant and, with Matuszek ineligible for the postseason, Rose returned to the lineup and batted .344 in nine games that ended in World Series defeat. Released in the offseason, he signed with the Montreal Expos. He hit .259 in 95 games with the Expos before he was dealt back to the Reds, where he became player/manager. Remaining in the dual role in 1985 and appearing as a first baseman and pinch-hitter, Rose broke Ty Cobb’s career record for hits with his 4192^nd. For the year he hit .264 and Cincinnati finished second in the NL West. He was active as a player for one more season in 1986, following which he stayed on as manager until August of 1989 when he was banned from organized baseball by commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti for betting on baseball games during his managerial tenure. For his major league career, Rose appeared in a record 3562 games and batted .303 with the final record total of 4256 hits that included 746 doubles, 135 triples, and 160 home runs. He scored 2165 runs and compiled 1314 RBIs and set additional career records with 15,890 plate appearances and 14,053 at bats. With the Reds he batted .307 with 3358 hits, 601 doubles, 115 triples, 152 home runs, 1036 RBIs, and 1741 runs scored. Appearing in 67 postseason games, Rose hit .321 with 5 home runs and 22 RBIs. A 17-time All-Star, he remains ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration. His managerial record with the Reds was 412-373. The Reds retired his #14. Rose also spent five months in federal prison for income tax evasion, and there have been other allegations leveled against him regarding off-field behavior. His son Pete Jr. played briefly for the Reds in 1997.

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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: Andre Dawson, 1987

Outfielder, Chicago Cubs

Age:  33 (July 10)

1^st season with Cubs

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1987:

A native of Miami, Florida Dawson earned the nickname “The Hawk” as a Little Leaguer due to his keen batting eye. A knee injury suffered while playing football for Southwest Miami High School resulted in surgery (the first of many) and caused him to concentrate on baseball. He went on to Florida A & M University and was drafted by the Expos as an amateur in 1975. Dawson played for Lethbridge of the Pioneer League in ’75 and hit .330 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs. He spent 1976 with Class AA Quebec and Class AAA Denver and batted a combined .352 with 28 home runs and 73 RBIs. He earned a September call-up to the Expos and hit .235 in 24 games. Dawson became the team’s starting center fielder in 1977. He had a Rookie of the Year season, batting .282 with 26 doubles, 9 triples, 19 home runs, and 65 RBIs. He proved to be a good fit in an outfield that consisted of fellow rookie Warren Cromartie in left and All-Star Ellis Valentine in right. Dawson followed up in 1978 by hitting .253 with 25 home runs and 72 RBIs. He also topped the NL by being hit by 12 pitches. While his batting average rose to .275 in 1979, and his RBIs to 92, his home run total was again 25, along with 8 triples and 35 stolen bases. Dawson won his first Gold Glove in 1980 while he also batted .308 with 17 home runs, 34 stolen bases, and 87 RBIs. He followed up with another strong performance in the strike-interrupted 1981 season, finishing second in the National League’s MVP voting as he hit .302 with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs. Dawson was chosen to his first All-Star Game and won another Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. The Expos also reached the postseason for the only time during their Montreal tenure. In 1982 Dawson batted .301 with 23 home runs and 83 RBIs, received another Gold Glove, and was again an All-Star while the Expos dropped to third place. He led the NL with 189 hits in 1983 to go with 36 doubles, 10 triples, 32 home runs, and 113 RBIs. Dawson was once again the second-place finisher for the league’s MVP award in addition to being an All-Star, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger recipient. The toll taken on his knees from playing on artificial turf in the outfield began to become apparent in 1984 as he appeared in just 138 games and batted .248 with 17 home runs and 86 RBIs. Shifted to right field to take best advantage of his strong throwing arm while reducing stress on his knees, he still won a Gold Glove. With his numbers dropping further in 1985 and ’86, Dawson departed the Expos following the 1986 season and signed as a free agent with the Cubs.

1987 Season Summary

Appeared in 153 games

RF – 152, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 662 [12]

At Bats – 621 [4]

Runs – 90 [15]

Hits – 178 [5, tied with Juan Samuel]

Doubles – 24

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 49 [1]

RBI – 137 [1]

Bases on Balls – 32

Int. BB – 7

Strikeouts – 103 [15]

Stolen Bases – 11

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .287

OBP - .328

Slugging Pct. - .568 [6]

Total Bases – 353 [1]

GDP – 15 [15, tied with four others]

Hit By Pitches – 7 [5, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 2

League-leading home runs were +5 ahead of runner-up Dale Murphy

League-leading RBIs were +14 ahead of runner-up Tim Wallach

League-leading total bases were +24 ahead of runner-up Juan Samuel

Midseason snapshot: HR – 24, RBI – 74, AVG – .299, SLG - .568, OBP - .337

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. San Francisco 4/29

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 4 AB) vs. Philadelphia 8/1

HR at home – 27

HR on road – 22

Multi-HR games – 8

Most RBIs, game – 7 vs. Houston 6/2

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 2 (.500)

Fielding

Chances – 287

Put Outs – 271

Assists – 12

Errors – 4

DP - 0

Pct. - .986

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for NL in CF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Andre Dawson, ChiC: 269 points – 11 of 24 first place votes, 80% share

Ozzie Smith, StL: 193 points – 9 first place votes, 57% share

Jack Clark, StL: 186 points – 3 first place votes, 55% share

Tim Wallach, Mon.: 165 points – 1 first place vote, 49% share

Will Clark, SF: 128 points, 38% share

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Cubs went 76-85 to finish in sixth place (last) in the NL Eastern Division, 18.5 games behind the division-winning St. Louis Cardinals, while leading the league in home runs (209). The Cubs were in first place on May 20 but faltered the rest of the way with manager Gene Michael resigning in September and Frank Lucchesi finishing out the disappointing season that featured Dawson’s outstanding performance and the solid pitching of RHP Rick Sutcliffe.

Aftermath of ‘87:

Dawson batted .303 with 24 home runs and 79 RBIs in 1988 and spent six seasons with the Cubs, where he was a five-time All-Star although his numbers, while respectable, never again approached those of his 1987 MVP performance. The Cubs improved to reach the postseason in ’89, where Dawson hit .105 in a five-game NLCS loss to the Giants. He joined the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 1993, and with the move to the AL was able to be a Designated Hitter as well as right fielder. Dawson returned to the National League with the Florida Marlins in 1995 and retired after the ’96 season. Overall, for his major league career, Dawson batted .279 with 2774 hits that included 503 doubles, 98 triples, and 438 home runs. He also totaled 1591 RBIs. Dawson, a popular and classy player with strong leadership skills who prevailed despite numerous knee surgeries, was an eight-time All-Star who also received eight Gold Gloves and was a four-time Silver Slugger recipient. Of his career totals, 929 hits, 431 runs, 149 doubles, 27 triples, and 174 home runs were compiled with the Cubs. The Expos retired his #10 and Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.

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

Cy Young Profile: Pedro Martinez, 2000

Pitcher, Boston Red Sox

Age: 28

3^rd season with Red Sox

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 170 

Prior to 2000:

A native of the Dominican Republic who grew up in a town near Santo Domingo, Martinez followed his older brother Ramon, also a pitcher, in signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers at age 16 in 1988. He spent 1988 and ’89 with LA’s Dominican Summer League team, where he compiled an overall 12-3 record. At 18 in 1990 he was assigned to Great Falls of the Rookie-level Pioneer League, where Martinez started 14 games and compiled an 8-3 record with 82 strikeouts over 77 innings pitched. In 1991 he advanced from Class A Bakersfield to Class AA San Antonio and finally Class AAA Albuquerque and had an overall record of 18-8 with a 2.28 ERA and 192 strikeouts. He received Minor League Player of the Year recognition from The Sporting News for his performance.  The Dodgers returned Martinez to Albuquerque of the Pacific Coast League in 1992 where he went 7-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 125.1 innings pitched. He received a September call-up to the Dodgers and went the distance in losing his first major league start to Cincinnati. He started the 1993 season with Albuquerque but was soon called up to the parent club where his first appearance was in relief of his brother Ramon. For the year Martinez pitched in 65 games, almost exclusively in relief, and posted a 10-5 record with a 2.61 ERA and 119 strikeouts over 107 innings.  After the season the Dodgers traded Martinez to the Montreal Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields. The Dodgers had questioned whether he had the size and stamina to succeed as a starting pitcher, but he moved directly into Montreal’s rotation in 1994. The Expos had the best record in the NL when the season ended prematurely due to the players’ strike. Martinez, with his outstanding fastball and changeup, contributed an 11-5 tally with a 3.42 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 144.2 innings pitched. With his tendency to pitch high and inside he became known as a “headhunter” and hit a league-leading 11 batters and was ejected from 12 games and involved in three fights. The Expos lost several key players to free agency and were less competitive in 1995, although Martinez compiled a solid 14-10 record with a 3.51 ERA and 174 strikeouts. In a game against San Diego, he became the second pitcher in major league history to take a perfect game into extra innings but lost the perfect game in the tenth inning and was relieved (Montreal still managed to win the game). The Expos finished second in the NL East in 1996, narrowly missing a Wild Card spot and Martinez was 13-10 with a 3.70 ERA and 222 strikeouts. He was selected as an All-Star for the first time. He had an outstanding season in 1997, posting a 17-8 tally and league-leading ERA (1.90) and complete games (13), as well as 305 strikeouts (which ranked second) for the fourth-place Expos. He won the NL Cy Young Award as a result. With one more year until he became a free agent, Martinez was traded by the cash-strapped Expos to the Red Sox in the offseason. The Red Sox immediately signed him to a six-year contract extension, worth $75 million. He was 19-7 with his new club in 1998 with a 2.89 ERA and 251 strikeouts. He was an All-Star once again and finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting. He also saw his first postseason action as Boston placed second in the AL East and claimed the wild card slot. Martinez was even better in 1999 as he led the AL in wins (23, against 4 losses), ERA (2.07), and strikeouts (313). He won his second Cy Young Award and was also second in American League MVP voting.

2000 Season Summary

Appeared in 29 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 29

Games Started – 29

Complete Games – 7 [2]

Wins – 18 [4]

Losses – 6

PCT - .750 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [1]

Innings Pitched – 217 [7, tied with Jeff Suppan & Rick Helling]

Hits – 128

Runs – 44

Earned Runs – 42

Home Runs – 17

Bases on Balls – 32

Strikeouts – 284 [1]

ERA – 1.74 [1]

Hit Batters – 14 [2]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

League-leading shutouts were +2 ahead of runners-up Tim Hudson & Aaron Sele

League-leading strikeouts were +72 ahead of runner-up Bartolo Colon

League-leading ERA was -1.96 lower than runner-up Roger Clemens

Midseason Snapshot: 9-3, ERA - 1.44, SO - 140 in 106 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 17 (in 9 IP) vs. Tampa Bay 5/6

10+ strikeout games – 15

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at Tampa Bay 8/29, (in 8 IP) vs. Cleveland 6/8

Fielding

Chances – 42

Put Outs – 14

Assists – 28

Errors – 0

DP – 2

Pct. - 1.000

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

5^th in AL MVP voting (103 points, 26% share)

AL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Pedro Martinez, Bos.: 140 pts. – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Tim Hudson, Oak.: 54 pts. – 39% share

David Wells, Tor.: 46 pts. – 33% share

Andy Pettitte, NYY: 7 pts. – 5% share

Todd Jones, Det.: 3 pts. – 2% share

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Red Sox went 85-77 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, 2.5 games behind the division-winning New York Yankees while the pitching staff led the league in ERA (4.23), shutouts (12), and saves (46, tied with the Anaheim Angels). The Red Sox were 29-19 by the end of May and stayed in first until June 22 as the club stumbled. They stayed in contention while Martinez was briefly disabled but a September fade dropped them into third before rallying to finish a close second to the Yankees.

Aftermath of 2000:

Martinez was sidelined with a minor rotator cuff tear in 2001 which limited him to 18 starts and a 7-3 record. He came back with a 20-4 record in 2002 and led the AL in ERA (2.26) and strikeouts (239), and he finished second in the league’s Cy Young Award voting. Martinez topped the AL in ERA again in 2003 with a 2.22 mark to go with his 14-4 record and 206 strikeouts. Boston made the postseason as a Wild Card entry and reached the ALCS vs. the arch-rival Yankees, where Martinez became involved in some controversy. During his Game 3 start and having struck a batter and blown a lead he became involved in a shouting match with members of New York’s dugout. When Yankee RHP Roger Clemens threw at Boston LF Manny Ramirez, the benches cleared and 72-year-old Yankee coach Don Zimmer ran at Ramirez, who tossed him to the ground. In Game 7, he pitched into trouble and convinced manager Grady Little to leave him in the game, leading to four successive hits and a tie score that was decided in favor of the Yanks in extra innings. In 2004 Martinez contributed a 16-9 record to Boston’s season that culminated in a World Series victory for the first time since 1918. His 3.90 ERA was far less impressive than usual, but he went 2-1 in the postseason including a win in the World Series. As a free agent in the offseason Martinez signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the New York Mets. He posted a 15-8 record in 2005 with a 2.82 ERA and 208 strikeouts. He was an All-Star selection for the third-place Mets as well. He was an All-Star once again in 2006, although he suffered through an injury-riddled season that limited him to a 9-8 record with a 4.48 ERA before a torn rotator cuff that required surgery ended his season, keeping him out of New York’s postseason run. The recovery from the surgery was lengthy and seemed to diminish his fastball. He appeared in five games late in the 2007 season and was 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA. Martinez had a dreadful year in 2008, going 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA. He was an unwanted free agent in apparent decline who finally signed with the Philadelphia Phillies midway through the 2009 season. He had a 5-1 record with a 3.63 ERA for the NL East champions in what was his final season. Overall, in the major leagues Martinez compiled a 219-100 record with a 2.93 ERA and 3154 strikeouts in 2827.1 innings pitched. He was 117-37 with a 2.52 ERA and 1683 strikeouts for the Red Sox. In the postseason he had a 6-4 tally with a 3.46 ERA and 96 strikeouts. He was an eight-time All-Star and won three Cy Young Awards.  He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. Martinez was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. The Red Sox retired his #45.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.   

MVP Profile: Cal Ripken Jr., 1983

Shortstop, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  23 (Aug. 24)

2^nd season with Orioles

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 200

Prior to 1983:

The son and namesake of a former catching prospect for the Orioles who went on to become a minor league manager and coach in the organization, Ripken was a Maryland native and regularly attended Orioles home games once his father became part of the coaching staff. He played soccer as well as baseball at Aberdeen High School. He proved to be a standout as a pitcher and shortstop, batting .496 as a senior as well as posting a 7-2 pitching record for a squad that won the Maryland state championship. Ripken was chosen by the Orioles in the second round of the 1978 amateur draft. While there was interest in developing his pitching talent, Ripken started out professionally as a shortstop with Bluefield of the Rookie-level Appalachian League where he hit .264 in 63 games. He spent 1979 with teams at the Class A and AA levels, batting a combined .286 with 8 home runs and 62 RBIs. With Charlotte of the Class AA Southern League, which had been his second stop in ’79, Ripken hit .276 in 1980 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs. Assigned to the Rochester Red Wings of the Class AAA International League in 1981, he batted .288 with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs and was the league’s All-Star third baseman. Ripken received a late-season call-up to the Orioles where he hit only .128 in 39 at bats. The Orioles still dealt veteran third baseman Doug DeCinces in the offseason to make room for Ripken in 1982, and despite a slow start he remained in the lineup and was shifted to shortstop in July. The result was a fine season in which he batted .264 with 28 home runs and 93 RBIs. He received AL Rookie of the Year honors.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in 162 games

SS – 162

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 726 [1]

At Bats – 663 [1]

Runs – 121 [1]

Hits – 211 [1]

Doubles – 47 [1]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 27 [9, tied with Willie Upshaw, Lance Parrish & Jesse Barfield]

RBI – 102 [9]

Bases on Balls – 58

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 97 [15, tied with Dwight Evans & Tony Bernazard]

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .318 [5]

OBP - .371 [15]

Slugging Pct. - .517 [5]

Total Bases – 343 [2]

GDP – 24 [4, tied with Gary Ward & Buddy Bell]

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 5

League-leading plate appearances were +6 ahead of runner-up Lou Whitaker

League-leading at bats were +2 ahead of runner-up Cecil Cooper

League-leading runs scored were +6 ahead of runner-up Eddie Murray

League-leading hits were +1 ahead of runner-up Wade Boggs

League-leading doubles were +3 ahead of runner-up Wade Boggs

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 17, HR – 13, RBI – 46, AVG. - .278, SLG – .477, OBP – .353

 

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Minnesota 9/3

Longest hitting streak – 16 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 5 AB) vs. Oakland 5/6, (in 6 AB) at Minnesota 9/3

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 15

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Milwaukee 6/15 – 10 innings

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 831

Put Outs – 272

Assists – 534

Errors – 25

DP - 113

Pct. - .970

Postseason Batting: 9 G (ALCS vs. Chi. White Sox – 4 G; World Series vs. Philadelphia – 5 G)

PA – 39, AB – 33, R – 7, H – 9, 2B – 2,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 5, IBB – 0, SO – 7, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .273, OBP - .385, SLG -.333, TB – 11, GDP – 1, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

All-Star

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Cal Ripken, Balt.: 322 pts. – 15 of 28 first place votes, 82% share

Eddie Murray, Balt.: 290 pts. – 10 first place votes, 74% share

Carlton Fisk, ChiWS.: 209 pts. – 3 first place votes, 53% share

Jim Rice, Bos.: 150 pts. – 38% share

Cecil Cooper, Mil.: 123 pts. – 31% share

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Orioles went 98-64 to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 6 games over the Detroit Tigers, while leading the league in home runs (168) and OBP (.340). Under the guidance of new manager Joe Altobelli, the steady Orioles overcame pitching problems during the season’s first half and were propelled by the batting of Ripken and first baseman Eddie Murray, especially down the stretch, in which they nailed down the AL East title with a 20-11 September. Won ALCS over the Chicago White Sox, 3 games to 1. Won World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘83:

Ripken followed up with another strong season for a less-accomplished Orioles club in 1984, hitting .304 with 27 home runs and 86 RBIs. Taller and heavier than most shortstops, Ripken was also agile with quick reflexes and a good throwing arm He remained a steady presence at the position. The high-scoring Orioles finished fourth in 1985 while Ripken contributed 26 home runs, 110 RBIs, a .282 batting average, and a .347 on-base percentage. In 1986 he compiled 25 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a .282 average while leading AL shortstops with 482 assists and committing only 13 errors. In 1987 Ripken’s father, Cal Sr. took over as manager of the fading Orioles. In July he was joined by his brother Billy, who took over as the starting second baseman and played well alongside his older sibling. Additionally, in September, manager Ripken pulled shortstop Ripken late in a hopeless game, thus ending Ripken’s record consecutive innings streak at 8264 while the consecutive games streak stayed alive, reaching 925 by season’s end. For the year Ripken’s average dropped to .252 with 27 home runs and 98 RBIs. When the 1988 season started off with six losses, Cal Sr. was fired as manager, much to the distress of his two ballplayer sons. The losing streak extended to 21 under their father’s successor, Frank Robinson, on the way to a last place finish. Cal Jr. batted .264 with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs. The Orioles bounced back with a strong second place finish in 1989 and Ripken contributed 21 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a .257 batting average in addition to leading AL shortstops in total chances (815), put outs (276), assists (531) and DPs (119). In 1990 he posted a record .996 fielding average at shortstop as he committed only three errors in 680 total chances. At bat he hit .250 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs. His hitting improved in 1991 to .323 with 34 home runs and 114 RBIs while in the field he won his first Gold Glove. He ended up receiving his second league MVP award and a Silver Slugger. The Orioles moved to a new stadium at Camden Yards in 1992 and Ripken’s batting dropped to .251 with 14 home runs and 72 RBIs. He remained a Gold Glove performer in the field. A sprained knee put his consecutive game streak at risk in 1993 but he played through the injury and hit .257 with 24 home runs and 90 RBIs while still performing well in the field. In the strike-shortened 1994 season Ripken’s average rose to .315 with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs. The focus in 1995 was the pursuit of Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game record which he surpassed by playing in his 2131st straight game on September 6. It was a much-needed bright spot at a time in which labor issues were significantly denting baseball’s popularity. For the year, Ripken batted 262 with 17 home runs and 88 RBIs. The streak continued into 1996 as Ripken passed Japan’s Sachio Kinugasa, who held the world record of 2215 consecutive games played. He was also briefly shifted to third base in 1997. Dealing with back problems he hit .278 with 26 home runs and 102 RBIs. The move to third base became full-time in 1997, a year in which he batted .270 with 17 home runs and 84 RBIs while still appearing in every game and committing just eight errors at third base. The consecutive game streak finally came to an end at Ripken’s request in September of 1998, having reached a total of 2632. His batting production dropped to .271 with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs. He played three more seasons until retiring in 2001. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Orioles, Ripken, over the course of 3001 games, batted .276 with 3184 hits that included 603 doubles, 44 triples, and 431 home runs. He further scored 1647 runs and compiled 1695 RBIs and a .340 on-base percentage. Appearing in 28 postseason games, he hit .336 with one home run and 8 RBIs. A 19-time All-Star, Ripken was also a two-time MVP and Gold Glove recipient. The Orioles retired his #8 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The consecutive game streak stands as a testament to Ripken’s dedication and consistency. He remained involved in philanthropic activities following his retirement, as well as youth baseball activities. He also owns a minor league team that is affiliated with the Orioles, the Aberdeen IronBirds. His brother Billy remained his teammate until 1992, and again in 1996, on his way to a twelve-year career that ended in 1998.

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

Cy Young Profile: Tom Glavine, 1998

Pitcher, Atlanta Braves

Age:  32

12^th season with Braves

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 175 

Prior to 1998:

A Massachusetts native, Glavine excelled in ice hockey, as well as baseball, in high school. Chosen by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1984 NHL draft, he was also picked by the Braves in that year’s baseball amateur draft and chose to commit to baseball. Initially assigned to Gulfport of the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, he was 2-3 in 8 games with a 3.34 ERA. Advancing to Sumter of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1985, Glavine started 26 games and posted a 9-6 record with a 2.35 ERA. He started 1986 with Greenville of the Class AA Southern League and went 11-6 with a 3.41 ERA before advancing to Richmond of the Class AAA International League where he started seven games and was 1-5 with a 5.63 ERA. Back with Richmond in 1987, Glavine was 6-12 with a 3.35 ERA before being promoted to the Braves in August. In nine starts with the fifth-place club, he compiled a 2-4 record and showed that he was ready for major league-level play. He had a tough year with the cellar-dwelling Braves in 1988, going 7-17 with a 4.56 ERA. In 1989, Glavine added a circle changeup to his fastball, curve, and slider and improved to 14-8 with a 3.68 ERA. Atlanta was still a last place team in 1990 with Glavine contributing a 10-12 record and 4.28 ERA. The pieces were in place for a dramatic improvement in 1991 thanks to the development of Glavine along with RHP John Smoltz and LHP Steve Avery. In 1991 the Braves went from worst to first in the NL West and Glavine contributed a 20-11 record with a 2.55 ERA and 192 strikeouts while tying for the league lead in complete games with 9. He lost two games in the NLCS against Pittsburgh, ultimately won by the Braves, but was 1-1 in the seven-game World Series loss to Minnesota. Glavine came away from the season with his first NL Cy Young Award. The unflappable and consistent Glavine was 20-8 in 1992 as the Braves were again NL champions. Joined in the rotation by RHP Greg Maddux in 1993, he was 22-6 with a 3.20 ERA as Atlanta topped the NL West but fell short in the NLCS against the Phillies. Glavine was 13-9 with a 3.97 ERA during the strike-shortened 1994 season. He won a second Silver Slugger Award for his hitting in 1995 (.222, 1 HR, 8 RBIs), a year in which he produced a 16-7 record with a 3.08 ERA. He was 2-0 in the World Series victory over Cleveland, receiving MVP honors after his Series-clinching one-hit win, in combination with RHP Mark Wohlers. The Braves continued their winning ways in 1996 and Glavine went 15-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 181 strikeouts. In 1997 his tally was 14-7 with a 2.96 ERA and 152 strikeouts and he was an All-Star for the fifth time.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [15, tied with ten others]

Complete Games – 4 [8, tied with four others]

Wins – 20 [1]

Losses – 6

PCT - .769 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [3, tied with Kevin Brown]

Innings Pitched – 229.1 [10]

Hits – 202

Runs – 67

Earned Runs – 63

Home Runs – 13

Bases on Balls – 74 [15, tied with Pedro Astacio & Andy Benes]

Strikeouts – 157

ERA – 2.47 [3, tied with Al Leiter]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 3

League-leading wins were +1 ahead of runners-up Shane Reynolds & Kevin Tapani

 

Midseason Snapshot: 12-3, ERA - 2.63, SO - 84 in 123.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 10 (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 5/24, (in 7 IP) at Philadelphia 7/22

10+ strikeout games – 2

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) at San Diego 8/13

Batting

PA – 86, AB – 71, R – 3, H – 17, 2B – 3, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 7, BB – 1, SO – 15, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .239, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 14, SF – 0

 

Fielding

Chances – 62

Put Outs – 11

Assists – 50

Errors – 1

DP – 3

Pct. - .984

Postseason Pitching: G – 3 (NLDS vs. Chi. Cubs – 1 G; NLCS vs. San Diego – 2 G)

GS – 3, CG – 0, Record – 0-2, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 18.2, H – 16, R – 7, ER – 4, HR – 0, BB – 10, SO – 16, ERA – 1.93, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star

21^st in NL MVP voting, tied with Dante Bichette, Col. & Randy Johnson, Hou. (2 points, 0% share)

 

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Tom Glavine, Atl.: 99 pts. – 11 of 32 first place votes, 62% share

Trevor Hoffman, SD: 88 pts. – 13 first place votes, 55% share

Kevin Brown, SD: 76 pts. – 8 first place votes, 48% share

Greg Maddux, Atl.: 10 pts. – 6% share

John Smoltz, Atl.: 10 pts. – 6% share

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Braves went 106-56 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 18 games over the New York Mets. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.25), complete games (24), and shutouts (23). Following a 6-6 start, the Braves finished April at 18-9 and cruised to their seventh consecutive division title, clinching with a Sept. 14 win over the Phillies. Won NLDS over the Chicago Cubs, 3 games to 0. Lost NLCS to the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 2, as Glavine lost twice, including the climactic Game 6.

Aftermath of ‘98:

Glavine had an off year in 1999 in which his ERA rose to 4.12 and he led the NL with 259 hits allowed while posting a 14-11 record with 234 innings pitched and 138 strikeouts. In three more years with Atlanta, he had one more 20-win season (21-9 in 2000). After an 18-11 performance in 2002, Glavine departed as a free agent and joined the New York Mets for four years and $42.5 million. He slumped to 9-14 with a 4.52 ERA in 2003 but improved to 11-14 and a 3.60 ERA in 2004. After breaking even at 13-13 in 2005, he was 15-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 2006 as the Mets topped the NL East. For his last year in New York in 2007 at age 41, Glavine posted a 13-8 mark and a 4.45 ERA. He returned to the Braves in 2008 and was released in June with a 2-4 record and 5.54 ERA, thus ending his career. Overall, in the major leagues, he compiled a 305-203 record and a 3.54 ERA. Never a power pitcher, he struck out 2607 batters over 4413.1 innings pitched. He accumulated five 20-win seasons along with 56 complete games and 25 shutouts. He further set a record with 682 starts without appearing in relief. With the Braves he was 244-147 with a 3.41 ERA and 2091 strikeouts over 3408 innings. In 35 postseason starts, he was 14-16 with a 3.30 ERA and 143 strikeouts. Glavine was a 10-time All-Star who, in addition to two Cy Young Awards, received four Silver Slugger awards. The Braves retired his # 47 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. His brother Mike was briefly a teammate with the Mets in 2003.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

MVP Profile: Willie Mays, 1954

Outfielder, New York Giants

Age:  23 (May 6)

3^rd season with Giants

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 170 

Prior to 1954:

An Alabama native, Mays was the son of a father who played semipro baseball and a mother who was a high school track and basketball star. His high school lacking a baseball team, Mays played second base and center field as a teammate of his father with a club in the Fairfield Industrial League. He also played semipro ball and briefly was with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos in 1947, which was a minor affiliate of the Negro American League Birmingham Black Barons. In 1948, at age 17, he joined the Black Barons on a part-time basis while he finished high school and batted .262 in 61 at bats. Still with Birmingham in 1949, Mays hit .311 in 75 games and was impressive defensively in center field. Following a strong start with Birmingham in 1950, Mays was signed by the Giants for $250 per month with a $4000 signing bonus. Initially assigned to Trenton of the Class B Interstate League, where he was the first black player, over the course of 81 games he hit .353 with 20 doubles, 8 triples, and 4 home runs. Mays started the 1951 season with the Minneapolis Millers of the Class AAA American Association and was batting .477 after 35 games, when he was called up to the Giants at the behest of manager Leo Durocher. He was immediately installed in center field and, despite a slow start, he went on to bat .274 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs as the club got hot down the stretch and forced a season-extending playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers to decide the pennant. The Giants won thanks to a walk-off home run by Bobby Thomson and went on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees. Mays received NL Rookie of the Year recognition. He was limited to 34 games in 1952 before being inducted into the Army. Mays missed the remainder of the ’52 season and all of 1953, but he played service baseball. He returned to the Giants for the 1954 season. 

1954 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

CF – 151

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 641 [20]

At Bats – 565 [20]

Runs – 119 [3]

Hits – 195 [3, tied with Stan Musial]

Doubles – 33 [10, tied with Ray Jablonski]

Triples – 13 [1]

Home Runs – 41 [3, tied with Hank Sauer]

RBI – 110 [6]

Bases on Balls – 66 [17]

Int. BB – 14 [6]

Strikeouts – 57

Stolen Bases – 8 [8, tied with four others]

Caught Stealing – 5 [11, tied with six others]

Average - .345 [1]

OBP - .411 [5]

Slugging Pct. - .667 [1]

Total Bases – 377 [2]

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 7 [13, tied with five others]

League-leading triples were +2 ahead of runner-up Granny Hamner

League-leading batting average was +.003 ahead of runner-up Don Mueller

League-leading slugging percentage was +.020 ahead of runner-up Duke Snider

 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 15, 3B – 6, HR - 31, RBI - 73, AVG - .328, SLG - .710, OBP – .396

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Brooklyn 5/28, (in 4 AB) vs. Phila. Phillies 8/17, (in 4 AB) at Chi. Cubs 8/26

Longest hitting streak – 21 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Phila. Phillies 5/24, (in 5 AB) at St. Louis 6/3, (in 4 AB) vs. St. Louis 6/21, (in 4 AB) at Brooklyn 7/8

HR at home – 20

HR on road – 21

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 5 at St. Louis 6/3, at Brooklyn 7/8

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 468

Put Outs – 448

Assists – 13

Errors – 7

DP – 9

Pct. - .985

 

Postseason: 4 G (World Series vs. Cleveland)

PA – 18, AB – 14, R – 4, H – 4, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 4, IBB – 0, SO – 1, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .286, OBP - .444, SLG - .357, TB – 5, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Willie Mays, NYG: 283 pts. – 16 of 24 first place votes, 84% share

Ted Kluszewski, Cin.: 217 pts. – 7 first place votes, 65% share

Johnny Antonelli, NYG: 154 pts. – 46% share

Duke Snider, Brook.: 135 pts. – 40% share

Al Dark, NYG: 110 pts. – 1 first place vote, 33% share

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Giants went 97-57 to win the NL pennant by 5 games over the Brooklyn Dodgers while leading the league in home runs (186, tied with the Dodgers). The Giants were in fifth place on May 22 but surged into first by mid-June and were 5.5 games ahead at the All-Star break. Benefiting from Mays’ hitting and the pitching of LHP Johnny Antonelli and RHP Sal Maglie, the Giants held off the Dodgers, clinching the pennant in the final week. Won World Series over the Cleveland Indians, 4 games to 0. Mays made a brilliant defensive play in Game 1 at the Polo Grounds to chase down a ball hit over his head by Cleveland first baseman Vic Wertz, making an over-the shoulder catch and whirling to throw to the infield that kept a runner from scoring, setting the stage for the Giants to win in extra innings.

Aftermath of ‘54:

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

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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.