Rookie of the Year: Mike Piazza, 1993

Catcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  25 (Sept. 4)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 200 

Prior to 1993:

A native of Norristown, Pennsylvania, Piazza developed his skills as a hitter from a young age. Playing first base at Phoenixville High School, he batted .442 as a senior with 11 home runs. Drawing little interest from major league scouts, he went on to the University of Miami after high school where he was a backup first baseman. Transferring to Miami-Dade North Community College after one year, he hit .364. A late-round selection by the Dodgers in the 1989 amateur draft, he signed for a $15,000 bonus and agreed to become a catcher. Piazza was first assigned to Salem of the Class A Northwest League in ’89 where he batted .268 in 57 games with 8 home runs and 25 RBIs. After spending time at the Dodgers’ Dominican baseball academy, he was with Vero Beach in the Class A Florida State League in 1990, where he hit .250 with 6 home runs and 45 RBIs. Moving on to Bakersfield of the advanced Class A California League in 1991, Piazza batted .277 with 29 home runs and 80 RBIs. After starting out the 1992 season in the Class AA Texas League, he was promoted to the Albuquerque Dukes of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .341 in 94 games with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs. Called up to the Dodgers in September, Piazza started 16 games and hit his first major league home run while batting .232. He entered 1993 as LA’s starting catcher.

1993 Season Summary

Appeared in 149 games

C – 146, PH – 5, 1B – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 602

At Bats – 547

Runs – 81

Hits – 174 [13, tied with Eddie Murray, Jeff Conine & Andres Galarraga]

Doubles – 24

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 35 [6]

RBI – 112 [4]

Bases on Balls – 46

Int. BB – 6

Strikeouts – 86

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .318 [7]

OBP - .370 [20, tied with Bernard Gilkey]

Slugging Pct. - .561 [3, tied with Matt Williams]

Total Bases – 307 [4, tied with Lenny Dykstra]

GDP – 10

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 6

Midseason snapshot: HR - 18, RBI - 58, AVG - .317, SLG - .539, OBP -- .360

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Houston 5/16, (in 5 AB) at Colorado 6/15, (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 8/24

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

Most HR, game – 2 on five occasions

HR at home – 21

HR on road – 14

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Colorado 6/15, vs. Houston 6/21

Fielding

Chances – 1009

Put Outs – 899

Assists – 99

Errors – 11

Passed Balls - 14

DP – 10

Pct. - .989

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star

9^th in NL MVP voting (49 points, 13% share)

 

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Mike Piazza, LAD: 140 points – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Greg McMichael, Atl.: 40 points – 29% share

Jeff Conine, Fla.: 31 points – 22% share

Chuck Carr, Fla.: 18 points – 13% share

Al Martin, Pitt.: 6 points – 4% share

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 5 (.000) 

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Dodgers went 81-81 to finish fourth in the NL Western Division, 23 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves. The slow-starting Dodgers turned hot from mid-May to mid-June, going 20-6 with an 11-game winning streak along the way. After moving to 6 games out of first in the NL West, they lost 7 of 9 to drop well off the pace on the way to finishing with a break-even record.

Aftermath of ‘93:

Piazza followed up his outstanding rookie season by batting .319 with 24 home runs, 92 RBIs, and a .370 on-base percentage during the strike-shortened 1994 season and was the NL’s starting catcher in the All-Star Game. A capable backstop as well as an impressive hitter, Piazza hit .346 with a .400 OBP, 32 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a .606 slugging percentage in 1995 despite missing 22 games with a thumb injury. He placed fourth in NL MVP voting. In 1996, Piazza’s bat fueled the Dodgers in the early going on his way to finishing at .336 with 36 home runs and 105 RBIs. He was second in league MVP balloting. Piazza was runner-up in NL MVP voting again in 1997 as he batted .362 with 40 home runs, 124 RBIs, and a .431 OBP. He performed well behind the plate after having been occasionally criticized for his defense previously. Entering the final year of his contract in 1998, Piazza turned down a six-year contract extension during spring training. In May he was traded to the Florida Marlins for five players, and then a week later was dealt to the New York Mets. He performed well for his new club and finished the season with a combined 32 home runs, 111 RBIs, a .328 batting average, and .390 OBP. In the offseason he signed with the Mets for seven years and $91 million. His solid hitting continued in 1999 as he batted .303 with 40 home runs, 124 RBIs, and a .361 OBP. The Mets finished second in the NL East in 2000 but, qualifying for the postseason as a wild card, they won the league pennant. Piazza’s bat was a key to the club’s success as he hit .324 with 38 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .398 OBP. In the World Series loss to the Yankees, he hit .273 with two homers and got into a notable verbal exchange with Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens. Piazza remained productive in 2001, batting .300 with 36 home runs, 94 RBIs, a .384 OBP, and a .573 slugging percentage. In an overall difficult season for the Mets in 2002, Piazza’s productivity declined somewhat to .280 with 33 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .359 OBP, and a .544 slugging percentage. His defense also came in for heavy criticism, especially his poor throwing, and New York tabloid newspapers raised questions into his sexual orientation (he remained a bachelor until 2005). Troubled by a severe groin injury in 2003, Piazza was limited to 68 games and batted .286 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs. Splitting time between playing first base and catching in 2004, he appeared in 129 games and hit .266 with 20 home runs and 54 RBIs. Piazza spent one last season with the Mets in 2005 and batted .251 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs while being utilized exclusively behind the plate defensively. A free agent in the offseason, he signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. Appearing in 126 games in 2006 as a catcher and DH in interleague play, Piazza hit .283 with 22 home runs and 68 RBIs. Moving on to the Oakland Athletics in 2007, a shoulder injury in May put him on the disabled list for 11 weeks. He ended up playing in 83 games and batted .275 with 8 homers and 44 RBIs. Piazza announced his retirement in 2008, and for his major league career he batted .308 with 2127 hits that included 344 doubles, 8 triples, and 427 home runs. He scored 1048 runs and compiled 1335 RBIs, a .377 OBP, and a .545 slugging percentage. With the Dodgers he batted .331 with 896 hits, 115 doubles, 3 triples, 177 home runs, 443 runs scored, 563 RBIs, a .394 OBP, and a .572 slugging percentage. Appearing in 32 postseason games he hit .242 with 6 home runs and 15 RBIs. A 12-time All-Star, he also received 10 Silver Sluggers. The Mets retired his #31 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Cy Young Profile: Roger Clemens, 1991

Pitcher, Boston Red Sox

Age:  29 (Aug. 4)

8^th season with Red Sox

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 205 

Prior to 1991:

A native of Ohio who moved to Texas in high school, Clemens attended San Jacinto Junior College, which had a strong baseball program, before moving on to the University of Texas, passing up a contract offer from the New York Mets, who drafted him as an amateur in 1981. He was a power-pitching member of the Texas squad that won the 1983 College World Series before signing with the Red Sox, who made him a first-round draft pick that year. The highly driven Clemens climbed readily through Boston’s minor league system and joined the parent club in 1984. Somewhat unsteady as a rookie, Clemens compiled a 9-4 record with a 4.32 ERA and was shut down in September due to a tendon injury in his pitching arm. Several injuries marred his 1985 season that concluded with surgery on his right shoulder after posting a 7-5 record with 3.29 ERA in just 15 starts. “The Rocket” broke out with a dominating season in 1986 as he compiled a 24-4 record with an AL-leading 2.48 ERA. His 238 strikeouts included a single-game record 20 against Seattle. Clemens was the league MVP as well as Cy Young Award recipient. He spent ten more seasons with the Red Sox, often highlighted by controversy. He briefly walked out during spring training in 1987 over a contract dispute and overcame a slow 4-6 start to end up with another Cy Young Award-winning season, ultimately posting a 20-9 record with the fifth-place Red Sox. In 1988 he was an All-Star once again and compiled an 18-12 tally and topped the AL in complete games (18) and shutouts (7). Boston returned to the top of the AL East. Clemens led the AL in ERA in 1990 (1.93) to go along with a 21-6 mark and 209 strikeouts.

1991 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35

Games Started – 35 [1, tied with five others]

Complete Games – 13 [2]

Wins – 18 [4, tied with Jack Morris, Jim Abbott & Chuck Finley]

Losses – 10

PCT - .643 [10]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [1]

Innings Pitched – 271.1 [1]

Hits – 219 [12]

Runs – 93

Earned Runs – 79

Home Runs – 15

Bases on Balls – 65

Strikeouts – 241 [1]

ERA – 2.62 [1]

Hit Batters – 5

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 6

League-leading shutouts were +1 ahead of four runners-up

League-leading innings pitched were +17.2 ahead of runner-up Jack McDowell

League-leading strikeouts were +13 ahead of runner-up Randy Johnson

League-leading ERA was -0.03 lower than runner-up Tom Candiotti

Midseason Snapshot: 11-5, ERA - 2.22, SO - 123 in 133.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 11 (in 9 IP) vs. Cleveland 4/13

10+ strikeout games – 7

Fewest hits allowed, game – 2 (in 9 IP) at Detroit 9/10, (in 8 IP) at Oakland 6/8, (in 7 IP) at Chi. White Sox 7/17

Fielding

Chances – 62

Put Outs – 31

Assists – 30

Errors – 1

DP – 1

Pct. - .984 

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

10^th in AL MVP voting (57 points, 15% share)

AL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Roger Clemens, BosRS.: 119 points – 21 of 28 first place votes, 85% share

Scott Erickson, Min.: 56 points – 3 first place votes, 40% share

Jim Abbott, Cal.: 26 points – 19% share

Jack Morris, Min.: 17 points – 3 first place votes, 12% share

Bryan Harvey, Cal.: 10 points – 7% share

(1 first place vote cast for Kevin Tapani, Min., who finished seventh)

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Red Sox went 84-78 to finish tied for second with the Detroit Tigers in the AL Eastern Division, 7 games behind the division-winning Toronto Blue Jays. Following back-to-back 11-16 records in June and July, the Red Sox caught fire and won 31 of 41 games from August 9 to Sept. 21 to move from 10 games behind the division-leading Blue Jays to a half-game out. They then lost 11 of their last 14 games to end up in a second-place tie.

Aftermath of ‘91:

Clemens led the AL with a 2.41 ERA in 1992, his third straight ERA title, while also compiling an 18-11 record and 5 shutouts with 208 strikeouts. His performance slipped thereafter as his record dropped to 11-14 with a 4.46 ERA in 1993, and after a fair year in 1994, he slipped badly again in ’95. Clemens had another 20-strikeout single-game performance in 1996 on his way to a 10-13 record with a league-leading 257 strikeouts. “The Rocket” signed a three-year free agent contract worth $24.75 million with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 and won the AL Cy Young Award that year, going 21-7 with a league-best 2.05 ERA and 292 strikeouts with a fifth-place team that went 76-86 and again in 1998, when he was 20-6 and topped the circuit again in ERA (2.65) and strikeouts (271). The Blue Jays rose to third at 88-74 and Clemens requested a trade to a contending team and was dealt to the New York Yankees just prior to the ’99 season. Clemens spent five years with the Yanks, who won three AL pennants and two World Series titles during that time. “The Rocket” won another Cy Young Award in 2001 and compiled 77 wins in all during that period. Hinting at retirement in 2003, he followed LHP Andy Pettitte, a teammate and friend with the Yankees, to the Houston Astros as a free agent in 2004 and had an 18-4 record with a 2.98 ERA and received a seventh Cy Young Award. At age 43 in 2005, he led the NL with a 1.87 ERA as the Astros won the league pennant for the first time in franchise history. Clemens re-signed with Houston in ’06 and ended up with a 7-6 record and 2.30 ERA while the club failed to reach the postseason. Clemens returned to the Yankees for one final year in 2007. He later returned to organized baseball in 2012 at the age of 50, appearing with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. He started two games and had no decisions.  Overall, in the major leagues he compiled a 354-184 record and 3.12 ERA with 4672 strikeouts over the course of 4916.2 innings. In the postseason he was 12-8 with a 3.75 ERA and 173 strikeouts. His numbers with Boston alone were 192-111 with a 3.06 ERA and 2590 strikeouts. Controversy erupted over his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs during the later stages of his career, thus far keeping him from achieving election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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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: Dale Murphy, 1983

Outfielder, Atlanta Braves

Age:  27

7^th season with Braves

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 210 

Prior to 1983:

A native of Portland, Oregon, Murphy was a catcher in high school who batted .465 as a senior. Tall, fast, and with impressive power potential, he was chosen by the Braves fifth overall in the 1974 amateur draft, passing up on Arizona State to turn pro. Initially assigned to Kingsport of the Rookie-level Appalachian League, he hit .254 in 54 games with 5 home runs and 31 RBIs. Moving on to Greenwood of the Class A Western Carolinas League in 1975, Murphy batted .228 with 5 home runs and 48 RBIs. He converted to Mormonism after the season which fit his puritanical values. With Savannah of the Class AA Southern League in 1976 he hit .267 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs before moving on to Richmond of the Class AAA International League, where he batted .260 in 18 games, prior to receiving a late-season call-up to the Braves. He started 17 games at catcher and hit .262. Back with Richmond in 1977, Murphy’s batting improved to .305 with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs. His defense went bad as his strong throwing arm proved to be erratic from behind the plate. He received a trial at first base before receiving another September call-up to the Braves where he was utilized as a catcher. He stuck with the Braves in 1978 as a first baseman, where his throwing problems persisted. Murphy hit .226 with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs while leading the NL in batter strikeouts with 145. He was hindered by a knee injury that required surgery in 1979 but, appearing in 104 games and helped by a hot start at the plate, his batting average improved to .276 along with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs. He started the season at catcher and was back at first base following his return to the lineup. Murphy had a new position in 1980, thanks to the acquisition of veteran first baseman Chris Chambliss. Shifted to center field, he adapted well and was an All-Star for the first time on his way to batting .281 with 33 home runs and 89 RBIs. Murphy’s production dropped off during the strike-interrupted 1981 season to .247 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs. The soft-spoken, clean-living, and even-tempered center fielder was very much a player on the rise by 1982, although his disappointing 1981 performance led to a pay cut with many incentives added to his contract. The Braves won the NL West in 1982 and Murphy had his first MVP season as he led the league with 109 RBIs while batting .281 with 36 home runs, a .378 on-base percentage, and a .507 slugging percentage. He also received his first Gold Glove for his play in center field.

1983 Season Summary

Appeared in 162 games

CF – 136, LF – 28, RF – 2, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 687 [5]

At Bats – 589 [13]

Runs – 131 [2]

Hits – 178 [6]

Doubles – 24

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 36 [2]

RBI – 121 [1]

Bases on Balls – 90 [4]

Int. BB – 12 [11, tied with six others]

Strikeouts – 110 [8, tied with Pedro Guerrero]

Stolen Bases – 30 [18, tied with Jose Cruz, Omar Moreno & Ken Landreaux]

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .302 [6, tied with Keith Moreland]

OBP - .393 [3, tied with Tim Raines]

Slugging Pct. - .540 [1]

Total Bases – 318 [2]

GDP – 15 [13, tied with Steve Yeager]

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 6 [16, tied with ten others]

 

League-leading RBIs were +8 ahead of runner-up Andre Dawson

League-leading slugging percentage was +.001 ahead of runner-up Andre Dawson

 

Midseason snapshot: HR – 19, RBI – 58, AVG – .324, SLG - .592, OBP – .415

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. San Francisco 6/11, (in 6 AB) at Chi. Cubs 8/21, (in 4 AB) vs. San Diego 9/16

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 17

HR on road – 19

Most home runs, game – 2 on six occasions

Multi-HR games – 6

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. San Francisco 8/11

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 2 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 389

Put Outs – 373

Assists – 10

Errors – 6

DP – 0

Pct. - .985

 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for NL in RF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Dale Murphy, Atl.: 318 points - 21 of 24 first place votes, 95% share

Andre Dawson, Mon.: 213 points – 1 first place vote, 63% share

Mike Schmidt, Phila.: 191 points – 1 first place vote, 57% share

Pedro Guerrero, LAD: 182 points – 1 first place vote, 54% share

Tim Raines, Mon.: 83 points – 25% share

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Braves went 88-74 to finish second in the NL Western Division, 3 games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers while leading the league in runs scored (746), RBIs (691), batting (.272), and OBP (.341). The fast-starting Braves got off to a 14-5 start in April which included a seven-game winning streak. 49-31 at the All-Star break, they were in first place by 6.5 games over the Dodgers by August 13, two days before slugging third baseman Bob Horner went down with a broken wrist. With Murphy doing his best to maintain good production in Horner’s absence, Atlanta still fell off the pace and behind the Dodgers, finishing in a solid second place.

Aftermath of ‘83:

“The Murph” was solid again in 1984, hitting .290 with 100 RBIs and tying for the league lead in home runs with 36 while again pacing the circuit in slugging percentage (.547). He placed ninth in league MVP voting. While the Braves were sinking in the standings, Murphy continued his strong production in 1985, leading the NL in runs scored (118), home runs (37), and walks drawn (90), as well as batter strikeouts (141), while batting .300 with 111 RBIs and a .388 on-base percentage. He remained a Gold Glove performer in center field and finished seventh in MVP voting. In 1986, he hit .265 with 29 home runs and 83 RBIs. He slumped badly in July as Atlanta toppled out of contention and sat out a game, closing out a 740-consecutive games streak. Murphy had one last big year in 1987, batting .295 with 44 home runs and 105 RBIs. He was shifted to right field and remained an All-Star who finished eleventh in league MVP balloting. With a 106-loss, last-place club in 1988, his production dropped off to .226 with 24 home runs and 77 RBIs. Murphy’s situation was no better in 1989 as he batted .228 with 20 home runs and 84 RBIs. He lasted 97 more games with the Braves in 1990 and was hitting .232 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs when he was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies in August as part of a five-player trade. The Phillies signed him to a two-year contract following his arrival and he improved to .266 with 7 home runs and 28 RBIs in the last 57 games of the season. His 1991 production was .252 with 18 home runs and 81 RBIs. Limited to 18 games by injury in 1992, Murphy failed to make the team in 1993. He finished his career with the expansion Colorado Rockies, where he played in 26 games and hit .143 before calling it quits. For his major league career, Murphy batted .265 with 2111 hits that included 350 doubles, 39 triples, and 398 home runs. He scored 1197 runs and compiled 1266 RBIs and a .346 OBP. With the Braves he posted a .268 average with 1901 hits, 1103 runs scored, 306 doubles, 37 triples, 371 home runs, 1143 RBI, and a .351 OBP. The 1982 NLCS marked his only postseason appearance. A seven-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner as well as a two-time MVP, the Braves retired his #3. An outspoken critic of steroid users after his playing days, Murphy created an organization called I Don’t Cheat that warns young athletes against using performance-enhancing drugs. He has also been involved in charity work.

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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: Barry Bonds, 2002

Outfielder, San Francisco Giants

Age:  38 (July 24)

10^th season with Giants

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 185 

Prior to 2002:

The son of major league outfielder Bobby Bonds was born in Riverside, California and hit .476 with 14 home runs as a senior at Junipero Serra High School where he also played football and basketball. Initially he was drafted as an amateur by the Giants in 1982 but rejected a $70,000 offer and instead attended Arizona State where he was criticized for being a rule-breaker with a poor attitude as well as lauded for outstanding all-around ability. Bonds was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 1985 amateur draft. He batted .299 with 13 home runs for Prince William of the Carolina League in ’85, moved up to Hawaii in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1986 but was called up to the Pirates after 44 games. He was inserted in center field and batted only.223 but showed flashes of future greatness with 16 home runs, 36 stolen bases, and 48 RBIs in 113 games. Bonds was shifted to left field in 1987 and improved to 25 home runs, 32 stolen bases, 59 RBIs, and a .261 batting average. The numbers continued to rise over the next two seasons until he broke through with an MVP year in 1990 as Pittsburgh won the NL East. Bonds batted .301 with 33 home runs, 52 stolen bases, and a .301 batting average to go with his league-leading .565 slugging percentage. He was also selected to his first All-Star Game and received a Gold Glove for his play in left field. He finished second in NL MVP voting in 1991 following a season in which he batted .292 with 25 home runs, 43 stolen bases, and 116 RBIs. Pittsburgh again topped the NL East and fell in the NLCS while Bonds hit only .148. It was a similar situation in 1992 as Bonds batted .311 with 34 home runs, 39 stolen bases, and 103 RBIs in his final year with the Pirates. The club won a third straight NL East title and lost once more in the NLCS. In three NLCS appearances with the Pirates, Bonds hit only .191 in 20 games with one home run. Having garnered his second NL MVP award in three years he left the Pirates as a free agent and signed a six-year, $43 million contract with the Giants. Bonds won his third MVP award in 1993 as the Giants contended and he led the NL with 46 home runs, 123 RBIs, a .458 on-base percentage, .677 slugging percentage, and 365 total bases to go along with a .336 batting average and 29 stolen bases. He continued to be a strong performer, gaining seven consecutive All-Star selections from 1992 through ’98 and six Gold Gloves during the same time span. The Giants reached the postseason only once during that period. Bonds became the second player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season in 1996 and regularly led the NL in walks and intentional walks. Following a 1998 season in which the home run race between Mark McGwire of St. Louis and Sammy Sosa of the Cubs drew headlines, Bonds (who homered 37 times that year) apparently turned to steroid use to improve his already impressive power-hitting. Initially this was problematic in that his 1999 season was limited to 102 games due to a torn triceps that required surgery. He came back with a 49-home run season in 2000 and broke McGwire’s single-season record of 70 with 73 homers in 2001. In addition in 2001, he batted .328 and led the NL in OBP (.515), slugging (.863), and walks drawn (177) and was voted Most Valuable Player for an unprecedented fourth time. Bonds was signed to a five-year, $90 million deal by the Giants despite being 37 years old.

2002 Season Summary

Appeared in 143 games

LF – 135, DH – 5, PH – 4

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 612

At Bats – 403

Runs – 117 [3]

Hits – 149

Doubles – 31

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 46 [2]

RBI – 110 [6, tied with Scott Rolen]

Bases on Balls – 198 [1]

Int. BB – 68 [1]

Strikeouts – 47

Stolen Bases – 9

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .370 [1]

OBP - .582 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .799 [1]

Total Bases – 322 [7]

GDP – 4

Hit by Pitches – 9 [18, tied with seven others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 2

League-leading bases on balls drawn were +63 ahead of runner-up Brian Giles

League-leading int. bases on balls drawn were +36 ahead of runner-up Vladimir Guerrero

League-leading batting average was +.032 ahead of runner-up Larry Walker

League-leading OBP was +.132 ahead of runner-up Brian Giles

League-leading slugging pct was +.177 ahead of runner-up Brian Giles

Midseason snapshot: HR – 27, RBI - 57, AVG - .345, SLG - .780, OBP – .562

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Colorado 8/27, (in 4 AB) at San Diego 9/13

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

HR at home – 19

HR on road – 27

Most home runs, game – 3 (in 4 AB) at Colorado 8/27

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 5 at LA Dodgers 4/2

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 3 (.000) with 2 BB

Fielding

Chances - 253

Put Outs – 241

Assists – 4

Errors – 8

DP – 2

Pct. - .968

Postseason Batting: 17 G (NLDS vs. Atlanta – 5 G, NLCS vs. St. Louis – 5 G, World Series vs. Anaheim – 7 G)

PA – 74, AB – 45, R – 18, H – 16, 2B – 2,3B – 1, HR – 8, RBI – 16, BB – 27, IBB – 13, SO – 6, SB – 0, CS – 1, AVG - .356, OBP - .581, SLG - .978, TB – 44, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 2

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for NL in LF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Barry Bonds, SF: 448 points - 32 of 32 first place votes, 100% share

Albert Pujols, StL.: 276 points – 62% share

Lance Berkman, Hou.: 181 points – 40% share

Vladimir Guerrero, Mon.: 168 points – 38% share

Shawn Green, LAD:146 points – 33% share

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Giants went 95-66 to finish second in the NL Western Division by 2.5 games behind the division-winning Arizona Diamondbacks and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot while leading the league in slugging (.442) and total bases (2429). The Giants started well and spent most of April in first place in the NL West but spent all of June and much of July in third and only secured second place and the wild card in September with a strong finish. Won NLDS over the Atlanta Braves, 3 games to 2, overcoming a 2-games-to-1 deficit. Won NLCS over the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 1. Lost World Series to the Anaheim Angels, 4 games to 3. Holding a 5-0 lead following the top of the seventh inning in Game 6, the Giants gave up three runs apiece in the seventh and eighth innings to lose 6-5, forcing a decisive seventh game also won by the Angels. Criticized for his past postseason futility, in the World Series Bonds hit .471 with 4 home runs and 6 RBIs in a losing cause.

Aftermath of ‘02:

Bonds went on to be the NL MVP a total of seven times, winning again in 2003 and 2004. His career, which became plagued by injuries in its late stages finally came to an end in 2007. Overall, Bonds hit a major league record 762 home runs, 586 of which were compiled as a member of the Giants. He stole 514 bases, 263 with San Francisco, and knocked in 1996 runs, 1440 as a Giant, and batted .298, .312 with San Francisco. He walked 2558 times, 688 intentionally, which are all-time major league records, as well as his single-season highs of 232 total walks and 120 intentional walks in 2004. A 14-time All-Star, the lingering suspicions regarding performance enhancing drugs have thus far kept him from election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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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: Joe Torre, 1971

Third Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  31 (July 18)

3^rd season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 200 

Prior to 1971:

A native of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Torre played sandlot baseball as a teen. Slow and overweight, but a good hitter with power, he switched from first base to catcher and drew the interest of the Milwaukee Braves, the team his older brother, Frank, played for as a first baseman, and signed with them in 1959 for a $22,500 bonus. Having dropped 20 pounds as part of his conditioning program, he first played in the Florida Instructional League in the fall of ’59. Next, he joined Eau Claire of the Class C Northern League in 1960 and batted .344 with 16 home runs and 74 RBIs. He received a late-season call-up to the Braves and got his first major league hit as a pinch-hitter. Torre started the 1961 season with the Louisville Colonels of the Class AAA American Association but was called up by the Braves in May due to an injury to starting catcher Del Crandall. He hit well from the start and demonstrated a strong throwing arm from behind the plate as well. In 113 games Torre hit .278 with a .330 on-base percentage, 10 home runs, and 42 RBIs. He finished second in league Rookie of the Year voting. With Crandall back in 1962, Torre was limited to 80 games and batted .282 with 5 home runs and 26 RBIs. Taking over as the regular catcher in 1963, Torre was an All-Star for the first time on his way to hitting .293 with 14 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .350 OBP. He also saw action at first base, where he displayed good technique and kept his bat in the lineup. With Crandall dealt for veteran catcher Ed Bailey in 1964, Torre saw more action at first base while making 96 appearances behind the plate. He batted .321 with a .365 OBP, 20 home runs, and 109 RBIs. Once again an All-Star, where he was the starting backstop for the National League, he also placed fifth in league MVP balloting. In 1965 Torre hit .291 with 27 home runs, 80 RBIs, and a .372 OBP. He caught in 100 games and made 49 appearances at first base, as lefty-hitting backup Gene Oliver split time with Torre behind the plate. Despite questions regarding his defensive ability as a catcher, Torre received a Gold Glove for his efforts. The franchise moved to Atlanta in 1966, and Torre hit the first home run for the Braves in their new ballpark. He went on to belt 36 homers to go along with 101 RBIs and a .315 average as well as a .382 OBP. While catching in 111 games, he also made 39 appearances at first base. Hobbled by an ankle injury in 1967 that required offseason surgery, Torre slumped badly at the plate in his last 40 games and finished at .277 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs. In an injury-plagued 1968 season, Torre hit .271 with just 10 home runs and 55 RBIs. During spring training in 1969, the Braves traded Torre to the Cardinals for first baseman Orlando Cepeda. Torre became the regular first baseman for St. Louis in 1969, appearing in only 18 games behind the plate. His batting production rebounded to .289 with 18 home runs and 101 RBIs with a .361 OBP. The departure of catcher Tim McCarver and the arrival of first baseman Dick Allen in the offseason had Torre appearing more as a catcher in 1970, but he also appeared in 73 games at third base due to the departure of regular third sacker Mike Shannon due to illness. Torre batted .325 with 21 home runs, 100 RBIs, and a .398 OBP. The slimmed down Torre entered 1971 as the Cards’ regular third baseman.

1971 Season Summary

Appeared in 161 games

3B – 161

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 707 [3]

At Bats – 634 [5]

Runs – 97 [5]

Hits – 230 [1]

Doubles – 34 [3, tied with Rusty Staub]

Triples – 8 [5, tied with four others]

Home Runs – 24 [13]

RBI – 137 [1]

Bases on Balls – 63 [18, tied with Nate Colbert & Wes Parker]

Int. BB – 20 [3, tied with Willie Stargell]

Strikeouts – 70

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .363 [1]

OBP - .421 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .555 [3]

Total Bases – 352 [1]

GDP – 18 [13, tied with Deron Johnson & Willie Montanez]

Hit by Pitches – 4 [16, tied with thirteen others]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 5 [18, tied with seventeen others]

 

League-leading hits were +11 ahead of runner-up Ralph Garr

League-leading RBIs were +12 ahead of runner-up Willie Stargell

League-leading batting average was +.020 ahead of runner-up Ralph Garr

League-leading total bases were +21 ahead of runner-up Hank Aaron

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 16, HR – 14, RBI - 65, AVG - .359, SLG - .539, OBP - .412

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 7 AB) at Philadelphia 8/1 – 13 innings

Longest hitting streak – 22 games

HR at home – 9

HR on road – 15

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at Montreal 5/11

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 on five occasions

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 428

Put Outs – 136

Assists – 271

Errors – 21

DP – 22

Pct. - .951

 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Started for NL at 3B)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Joe Torre, StL.: 318 points – 21 of 24 first place votes, 95% share

Willie Stargell, Pitt.: 222 points - 3 first place votes, 66% share

Hank Aaron, Atl.: 180 points – 54% share

Bobby Bonds, SF: 139 points – 41% share

Roberto Clemente, Pitt.: 87 points – 26% share

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Cardinals went 90-72 to finish second in the NL Eastern Division, 7 games behind the division-winning Pittsburgh Pirates while leading the league in stolen bases (124), batting (.275), and OBP (.338). The Cardinals were in first place by 2.5 games at the end of May but endured an 8-21 June swoon. Strong performances in July and August helped the club creep up on the Pirates who proved to be insurmountable in September.

Aftermath of ‘71:

In 1972, Torre’s production dropped off to .289 with 11 home runs, 81 RBIs, and a .357 on-base percentage. The distraction of off-field problems did not help, but he remained a productive part of the lineup and was an All-Star once again. By 1973 he was seeing the most action at first base and his hitting continued to slip as he batted .287 with 13 home runs, and 69 RBIs, although his OBP was a respectable .376. Torre spent one more season with St. Louis in 1974 in which he hit .282 with 11 home runs, 70 RBIs, and a .371 OBP. In the offseason he was traded to the New York Mets for two pitchers. Playing primarily at third base in 1975, he was troubled by reduced range in the field and batted only .247 with 6 home runs and 35 RBIs. Torre was back at first base in 1976, and as his playing time continued to dwindle, he hit .306 with a .358 OBP. During the 1977 season he replaced Joe Frazier as the club’s manager. While initially a player/manager, his playing career ended in June. For his major league playing career, Torre batted .297 with 2342 hits that included 344 doubles, 59 triples, and 252 home runs. He scored 996 runs and compiled 1185 RBIs, 779 walks, a .365 OBP, and a .452 slugging percentage. With the Cardinals he batted .308 with 161 doubles, 32 triples, 98 home runs, 558 RBIs, 455 runs scored, 387 walks drawn, a .382 OBP, and a .458 slugging percentage. A nine-time All-Star, he finished among the top 5 in NL MVP voting three times, with the one win in ’71. Following the conclusion of his playing career, Torre continued as manager of the Mets through the 1981 season when he was fired following a 286-420 tenure. His next managerial stop was a return to the Braves from 1982-84. Atlanta won the AL West title in Torre’s first year at the helm and contended in 1983. A losing season in 1984 led to his dismissal after having compiled an overall 257-229 record. Following several seasons as a television commentator, Torre’s next managerial job came with the Cardinals from 1990-95, where his teams went 351-354 with no postseason appearances. The New York Yankees hired him in 1996 and he managed through 2007 with his teams going 1173-767 with six AL pennants and four World Series titles. Along the way Torre overcame a bout with prostate cancer in 1999. Refusing to accept a salary cut for 2008, Torre moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three seasons from 2008-2010 where his teams went 259-227 and twice reached the playoffs. As a manager, Torre put together a record of 2326-1997 with the six pennants and four World Series championships. The Yankees retired his #6 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 in recognition of his managerial success. He was inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2016.

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

Rookie of the Year: Walt Weiss, 1988

Shortstop, Oakland Athletics

Age:  24

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 175 

Prior to 1988:

A native of New York state, Weiss was physically and mentally tough with a strong work ethic, although he was a scrawny 5’3” and 105 pounds when he entered Suffern High School. Filling out in the ensuing years, he ran track and played football in addition to baseball. Named Rockland County baseball player of the year in 1982, he was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the ’82 amateur draft. Deciding instead to attend the Univ. of North Carolina, he was all-conference for three years and was drafted by the Athletics eleventh overall in 1985. After signing, Weiss split time in the Rookie-level Pioneer League and the Class A California League in ’85 and in a combined 70 games he batted .261. Moving on to Madison of the Class A Midwest League in 1986, Weiss hit .301 with a .362 on-base percentage while appearing in 84 games and was promoted to Huntsville of the Class AA Southern League where he hit .250 in 46 games. Starting the 1987 season with Huntsville, Weiss batted .285 in 91 games and moved on to Tacoma of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League for 46 games. He saw his first action with Oakland where he appeared in 16 games and hit .462, also showing enough in the field that veteran shortstop Alfredo Griffin was traded in the offseason to create an opening for Weiss in 1988.  

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 147 games

SS – 147, PH – 1, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 511

At Bats – 452

Runs – 44

Hits – 113

Doubles – 17

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 3

RBI – 39

Bases on Balls – 35

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 56

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .250

OBP - .312

Slugging Pct. - .321

Total Bases – 145

GDP – 9

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

Sac Hits – 8 [19, tied with six others]

Sac Flies – 7 [11, tied with ten others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 6, HR – 3, RBI – 26, AVG - .232, OBP - .291

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Most hits, game – 3 on six occasions

Longest hitting streak – 6 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 3 AB) at Baltimore 5/15, (in 4 AB) at Minnesota 6/3, (in 4 AB) at Detroit 7/10

HR at home – 0

HR on road – 3

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Detroit 7/10

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 700

Put Outs – 254

Assists – 431

Errors – 15

DP – 83

Pct. - .979

Postseason Batting: 9 G (ALCS vs. Boston 4 G; World Series vs. LA Dodgers 5 G)

PA – 32, AB – 31, R – 3, H – 6, 2B – 2,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 6, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .194, OBP - .194, SLG -.258, TB – 8, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA 

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Walt Weiss, Oak.: 103 points – 17 of 28 first place votes, 74% share

Bryan Harvey, Cal.: 49 points –3 first place votes, 35% share

Jody Reed, Bos.: 48 points – 6 first place votes, 34% share

Don August, Mil.: 22 points. – 16% share

Dave Gallagher, ChiWS.: 18 points – 2 first place votes, 13% share

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Athletics went 104-58 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 13 games over the Minnesota Twins. A youthful team supplemented by veteran acquisitions the A’s took command of the AL West thanks to a 14-game winning streak from April into May.  The lead held up the rest of the way despite a brief June slump . Won ALCS over the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 0. Lost World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘88:

In 1989, a knee injury hindered Weiss, who was limited to 84 games and batted .233. He overcame further injuries in 1990 to hit .265 with a .337 OBP. Oakland won a third straight pennant, but Weiss was injured during the ALCS triumph over the Red Sox and missed the World Series, in which Cincinnati swept the A’s. In 1991 he suffered a serious leg injury and appeared in only 40 games while hitting a paltry .226. Playing in just 103 games in 1992, Weiss batted only .212 and was dealt to the expansion Florida Marlins in the offseason. Healthy enough to appear in 158 games in 1993, he hit .266 with a .367 OBP, thanks to drawing 79 walks. His defense was solid as well. A free agent in the offseason, Weiss signed with the other ’93 expansion club, the Colorado Rockies. Helping the Rockies solidify their middle infield with his good defense that included an accurate throwing arm, Weiss also batted .251 with a .336 OBP and 12 stolen bases during the strike-shortened 1994 season. The Rockies reached the postseason in 1995 and Weiss contributed steady play at shortstop and furthermore drew 98 walks although typically batting eighth in the lineup. He hit .260 with a .403 OBP and stole 15 bases in 18 attempts. In 1996 he batted a career-high .282 with 8 home runs and 48 RBIs while drawing 80 walks. Weiss spent one more season in Colorado in 1997 and hit .270 with a .377 OBP before departing as a free agent in the offseason and signing with the Atlanta Braves. He was an All-Star for the only time in his career, but injuries and the distraction of his young son’s illness limited him to 96 games, and while he hit .280, his second-half production was only .227 after being .312 at the All-Star break. Weiss played two more seasons with the Braves before retiring after the 2000 season. For his major league career, Weiss batted .258 with 1207 hits that included 182 doubles, 31 triples, and 25 home runs. He scored 623 runs and compiled 386 RBIs, 96 stolen bases, and a .351 OBP. Weiss drew 658 walks, which matched his strikeout total over the course of 1495 games. Defensively he was more impressive, if not a spectacular performer with a fielding percentage of .970. With the Athletics he batted .246 with 395 hits, 60 doubles, 8 home runs, 178 runs scored, 130 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, and a .316 OBP. Weiss appeared in 46 postseason games and hit .190 with a home run and 7 RBIs. Following his playing career, he returned to the Colorado Rockies where he held several roles in the organization, including manager from 2013-16. His teams produced a 283-365 overall record.  

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.