Rookie of the Year: Rick Sutcliffe, 1979

Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  23 (June 21)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’7”    Weight: 215 

Prior to 1979:

A native of Independence, Missouri, Sutcliffe was a three-sport star in high school (football and basketball as well as baseball). Chosen by the Dodgers in the 1974 amateur draft, the 18-year-old pitching prospect was initially assigned to Bellingham of the Class A Northwest League where he posted a 10-3 record with a 3.32 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 95 innings pitched. He was named to the league All-Star team. Moving on to Bakersfield of the Class A California League in 1975, he went 8-16 with a 4.15 ERA and 91 strikeouts while pitching 193 innings. Sutcliffe’s next stop was Waterbury of the Class AA Eastern League in 1976 where his record was 10-11 with a 3.18 ERA prior to advancing to Albuquerque of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He finished the year with a late-season appearance with the Dodgers in which he pitched five innings with no decision. Back with Albuquerque in 1977, he had a rough year in which he went 3-10 with a 6.43 ERA. It was better in 1978 with Albuquerque, where Sutcliffe posted a 13-6 mark with a 4.45 ERA and 99 strikeouts over 184 innings. A late-season call-up to the Dodgers set the stage for the tall righthander to make it into the rotation in 1979.

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

P – 39, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 39

Games Started – 30

Complete Games – 5

Wins – 17 [6]

Losses – 10

PCT - .630 [9]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1

Innings Pitched – 242 [8]

Hits – 217 [17]

Runs – 104 [9, tied with Rick Reuschel]

Earned Runs – 93 [11, tied with Pete Vuckovich & Bob Forsch]

Home Runs – 16

Bases on Balls – 97 [6]

Strikeouts – 117 [19, tied with Bob Shirley]

ERA – 3.46 [19]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 6 [2, tied with Enrique Romo]

Wild Pitches – 8 [10, tied with Greg Minton, Vida Blue & John Curtis]

Midseason Snapshot: 8-8, ERA - 3.76, SO - 61 in 129.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 7.2 IP) vs. San Francisco 9/19

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) vs. Cincinnati 9/14, (in 8.1 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 8/31, (in 7.2 IP) vs. San Francisco 9/19

Batting

PA – 93, AB – 85, R – 6, H – 21, 2B – 3, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 17, BB – 1, SO – 20, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .247, GDP – 4, HBP – 0, SH – 6, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances – 42

Put Outs – 18

Assists – 24

Errors – 0

DP – 1

Pct. - 1.000

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting:

Rick Sutcliffe, LAD: 20 of 24 votes, 83% share

Jeffrey Leonard, Hou.: 3 votes, 13% share

Scot Thompson, ChiC.: 1 vote, 4% share

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Dodgers went 79-83 to finish third in the NL Western Division, 11.5 games behind the division-winning Cincinnati Reds. The injury-plagued Dodgers struggled during a 36-57 first half. The club rallied during the season’s second half, helped by Sutcliffe winning 9 of his last 11 decisions and the bullpen performing better after a shaky start, but a winning record proved to be out of reach.

Aftermath of 1979:

Dealing with arm problems in 1980, Sutcliffe lost his spot in the starting rotation in May and dropped to 3-9 with a 5.56 ERA. Following a stint in Arizona over the winter he had another difficult year during the strike-interrupted 1981 season. He appeared in just 14 games, six of them starts, and produced a 2-2 record with a 4.02 ERA. Left off the club’s postseason roster, he trashed manager Tommy Lasorda’s office and was dealt to the Cleveland Indians in the offseason. Sutcliffe started slowly as a starting pitcher with his new club in 1982 but was very effective after adding a slider to his repertoire and finished at 14-8 with a league-leading 2.96 ERA and 142 strikeouts. With command of a fastball (although he was never a power pitcher, despite his size), slider, curve, and changeup Sutcliffe was an All-Star with the Indians in 1983, producing a 17-11 record with a 4.29 ERA and 160 strikeouts. A slow 4-5 start in 1984 led to his being dealt back to the NL with the Cubs in June. He caught fire with the Cubs and went 16-1 the rest of the way with a 2.69 ERA and 155 strikeouts as Chicago won the NL East title. A combined 20-game winner as a result, Sutcliffe received the NL Cy Young Award. He won the opening game of the NLCS against San Diego (his fifteenth straight win since joining the Cubs), but he took the loss in the decisive Game 5. Sutcliffe was beset by injuries in 1985, and while effective when healthy, he ended up with a disappointing 8-8 record and a 3.18 ERA with 102 strikeouts over 130 innings. In 1986 a sore shoulder caused him to lose eight straight decisions on his way to a 5-14 tally and a 4.64 ERA with 122 strikeouts. “The Red Baron” returned to All-Star form in 1987 with a last-place club, topping the NL in wins with his 18-10 record while posting a 3.68 ERA and 174 strikeouts. While the Cubs improved in 1988, Sutcliffe did not, finishing at 13-14 with a 3.86 ERA and 144 strikeouts. The team topped the NL East in 1989 and “the Red Baron”, who was bothered by shoulder stiffness during the second half of the season, contributed a 16-11 mark with a 3.66 ERA and 153 strikeouts. The shoulder injury kept Sutcliffe out of action in 1990 until the end of August and he made only five appearances with no wins among them. Disabled twice in 1991 due to weakness in his shoulder, he produced a 6-5 tally with a 4.10 ERA. A free agent in the offseason, he signed with the Baltimore Orioles. Sutcliffe put together a respectable season for the Orioles in 1992 finishing with a 16-15 record and 4.47 ERA while compiling 237.1 innings. Knee surgery in 1993 limited him to 166 innings and a 10-10 mark with a 5.75 ERA. Sutcliffe finished his career in 1994 with an inconsequential performance with St. Louis during the strike-shortened season. For his major league career Sutcliffe had a 171-139 record with a 4.08 ERA and 1679 strikeouts over 2697.2 innings. He totaled 72 complete games with 18 shutouts. With the Dodgers his record was 22-21 with a 4.04 ERA and 6 complete games, 2 shutouts, and 195 strikeouts over 405.2 innings. Sutcliffe started three postseason games and went 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA. He was a three-time All-Star, all with the Cubs. Following his playing career Sutcliffe served as a minor league pitching coach and went into broadcasting. 

 

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

Highlighted Year: Bill Bruton, 1953

Outfielder, Milwaukee Braves

Age:  27

1^st season with Braves

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 169 

Prior to 1953:

An Alabama native, Bruton played sandlot baseball while growing up. After high school he joined the Army and then relocated to Wilmington, Delaware where he played softball with several local teams. The naturally right-handed batter switched to the left side upon realizing that he was better at hitting line drives as a lefthanded batter. He also married the daughter of Negro League star “Judy” Johnson, who was impressed with his playing ability. Johnson got him a tryout with the Negro League Philadelphia Stars in 1949, who released him following spring training. Bruton turned to playing semipro ball and barnstorming. Offered a contract by the Boston Braves in 1950, he signed and was assigned to Eau Claire of the Class C Northern League where he batted .288 with 25 doubles, 13 triples, and 5 home runs. Advancing to the Denver Bears of the Class A Western League in 1951, the young outfielder with impressive speed hit .303 and set a league record with 27 triples. In 1952 he made the jump to the Class AAA Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association where he allayed concerns regarding his ability to hit at higher minor league levels, and following a slow start, batted .325 with a league-leading 211 hits and 30 stolen bases. With the move of the Braves to Milwaukee, Bruton took over as the regular center fielder as a rookie.

1953 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

CF – 150, PH – 1, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 668 [9, tied with Johnny Logan]

At Bats – 613 [3]

Runs – 82

Hits – 153

Doubles – 18

Triples – 14 [2]

Home Runs – 1

RBI – 41

Bases on Balls – 44

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 100 [3]

Stolen Bases – 26 [1]

Caught Stealing – 11 [3]

Average - .250

OBP - .306

Slugging Pct. - .330

Total Bases – 202

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 6 [5, tied with Alvin Dark & Del Rice]

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading stolen bases were +4 ahead of runner-up Pee Wee Reese

Midseason snapshot: 3B – 9, HR - 1, RBI - 25, SB – 14, AVG - .249, OBP - .291

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. NY Giants 6/20

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 0

Most home runs, game – 1 (in 5 AB) vs. St. Louis Cards 4/14 – 10 innings

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Phila. Phillies 6/17

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 421

Put Outs – 397

Assists – 15

Errors – 9

DP – 5

Pct. - .979 

Awards & Honors:

4^th in NL Rookie of the Year voting, tied with Rip Repulski, StLC (2 votes, 8% share)

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In their first season in Milwaukee, the Braves went 92-62 to finish second in the NL, 13 games behind the pennant-winning Brooklyn Dodgers while drawing 1,826,397 spectators to County Stadium. Bruton got off to an outstanding start by making a game-saving defensive catch and hitting the winning home run (his only one of the season) in the first home game in Milwaukee. The Braves quickly moved into contention and were in first place, on and off, from May 23 until June 27. The club ultimately couldn’t keep pace with the Dodgers and dropped into second place.

Aftermath of 1953:

Although hindered by minor injuries during spring training and the early stages of the 1954 season Bruton raised his batting average to .284 with a .336 on-base percentage while again leading the NL in stolen bases with 34. Defensively, his great speed allowed him to play a shallow center field and he excelled. In 1955 Bruton improved his extra base hit numbers to 30 doubles, 12 triples, and 9 home runs while batting .275 with a .325 OBP and again topped the NL with 25 stolen bases. During the 1956 season the replacement of Charlie Grimm as manager of the Braves by Fred Haney, who took a more cautious approach to base stealing, caused Bruton’s stolen bases total to drop to 8 while he batted .272 with a .304 OBP, 8 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a league-leading 15 triples. Haney also liked to utilize the sacrifice bunt and Bruton achieved a career high with 18 sacrifice hits. 1957 was a pennant-winning season for the Braves but Bruton suffered a knee injury that required offseason surgery and was limited to 79 games in which he hit .278 with a .317 OBP, 9 triples, and 5 home runs. He did not appear in the World Series that was won by the Braves. Bruton returned to action in May of 1958 and, while limited to 100 games, batted .280 with a .336 OBP and continued to perform well defensively in center field. The Braves again won the pennant and again faced the Yankees in the World Series. In the tenth inning of Game 1, his RBI single drove home the winning run. He led off Game 2 with a home run. While the Yankees went on to win in seven games, Bruton hit .412 in his only career postseason action. Milwaukee fell short of another pennant in 1959 but Bruton batted .289 with 22 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, 41 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and a .338 OBP. He also led all NL center fielders with a .990 fielding percentage. In 1960 he topped the NL with 112 runs scored and 13 triples to go along with a .286 batting average, 27 doubles, 12 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and a .330 OBP. In the offseason, Bruton was traded to the Detroit Tigers as part of a five-player deal that was primarily aimed at obtaining Detroit second baseman Frank Bolling, which filled a major hole for the Braves. In 1961 with Detroit, Bruton’s batting average dipped to .257, although with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs while his defense remained strong. Hindered by a leg injury and broken jaw in 1962, his batting production was still solid at .278, with 16 home runs, 74 RBIs, and a .346 OBP. He played two more seasons before retiring in 1964 to take a job with the Chrysler Corporation. For his major league career, Bruton batted .273 with 1651 hits that included 241 doubles, 102 triples, and 94 home runs. He also scored 937 runs and compiled 545 RBIs, 207 stolen bases, and a .328 OBP. With the Braves he batted .276 with 1126 hits, 622 runs scored, 167 doubles, 79 triples, 48 home runs, 327 RBIs, 143 stolen bases, and a .323 OBP. Following his retirement from Chrysler in 1989, he returned to Delaware. Deeply religious, he was involved in charitable and church activities until his death in 1995 at age 70.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

 

MVP Profile: Barry Bonds, 2004

Outfielder, San Francisco Giants

Age:  40 (July 24)

12^th season with Giants

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 185 

Prior to 2004:

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. In the offseason, Bonds was signed to a five-year $90 million deal by the Giants despite being 37 years old. Bonds, who received his fifth MVP award, batted a league-leading .370 in 2002 and also led the NL in walks drawn (198), OBP (.582), and slugging percentage (.799), while also hitting 46 home runs and compiling 110 RBIs. The Giants reached the postseason and he finally got to play in a World Series and hit .471 with four home runs in a losing cause against the Angels. Bonds made it six MVP awards in 2003 while batting .341 with 45 home runs and 90 RBIs while topping the NL with 148 walks drawn, a .529 OBP, and a .749 slugging percentage.

2004 Season Summary

Appeared in 147 games

LF – 133, PH – 8, DH – 7

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 617

At Bats – 373

Runs – 129 [2]

Hits – 135

Doubles – 27

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 45 [4]

RBI – 101 [17]

Bases on Balls – 232 [1] (MLB record)

Int. BB – 120 [1] (MLB record)

Strikeouts – 41

Stolen Bases – 6

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .362 [1]

OBP - .609 [1] (MLB record)

Slugging Pct. - .812 [1]

Total Bases – 303 [16]

GDP – 5

Hit by Pitches – 9 [19, tied with eight others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 3 

League-leading bases on balls drawn were +105 ahead of runners-up Lance Berkman, Bobby Abreu & Todd Helton

League-leading int. bases on balls drawn were +94 ahead of runner-up Jim Thome

League-leading batting average was +.015 ahead of runner-up Todd Helton

League-leading OBP was +.140 ahead of runner-up Todd Helton

League-leading slugging pct was +.155 ahead of runner-up Albert Pujols

Midseason snapshot: HR – 23, RBI - 48, AVG - .365, SLG – .794, OBP – .628

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 4/18, (in 4 AB) vs. NY Mets 8/21 – 12 innings, (in 5 AB) at Atlanta 8/29

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 26

HR on road – 19

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 4/18, (in 3 AB) vs. Cincinnati 8/3, (in 4 AB) vs. Montreal 8/17, (in 5 AB) at Atlanta 8/29

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Atlanta 8/29

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 2 (.000) with 2 R & 6 BB

Fielding

Chances - 229

Put Outs – 214

Assists – 11

Errors – 4

DP – 0

Pct. - .983 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

NL Hank Aaron Award: MLB

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for NL in LF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Barry Bonds, SF: 407 points - 24 of 32 first place votes, 91% share

Adrian Beltre, LAD: 311 points – 6 first place votes, 69% share

Albert Pujols, StL: 247 points – 1 first place vote, 55% share

Scott Rolen, StL: 226 points – 1 first place vote, 50% share

Jim Edmonds, StL.:160 points – 36% share

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Giants went 91-71 to finish second in the NL Western Division, 2 games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers while leading the league in bases on balls drawn (705) & OBP (.357). Off to a 10-14 April record, the Giants surged into contention in May and June, and were atop the NL West from June 22 to July 5. Falling 8.5 games back on August 11, a 16-9 September had the club back in contention, but they finished up behind the Dodgers in the division and a game behind Houston in the wild card race.

Aftermath of 2004:

The 2004 MVP award was the last of a total of seven NL MVP awards for Bonds. 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. 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.

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: Bob Gibson, 1970

Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  34

12^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 189 

Prior to 1970:

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Gibson, who was sickly as a child, grew up playing sports at a recreation center where his oldest brother was the program director. Moving on to Omaha Technical High School, he starred on the basketball and track teams and pitched and played in the outfield on the baseball squad. After high school he tried for a basketball scholarship to Indiana University but was turned down because the school indicated it had already filled its quota of black students. He instead attended Creighton University where he set several school basketball records and played baseball. As a senior he batted .333 as a pitcher/outfielder/third baseman and posted a 6-2 pitching record. Recruited to play for the Harlem Globetrotters following college, Gibson was also signed by the Cardinals in 1957. Playing for teams at the Class A and AAA levels in ’57 he produced a combined 6-4 record with a 4.02 ERA. Gibson, now concentrating totally on baseball, played for Class AAA Omaha and Rochester in 1958 and was a combined 8-9 with a 2.84 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 190 innings, impressing with his fastball. He bounced between the Cardinals and Class AAA in 1959 and ’60, hindered by the prejudice of St. Louis manager Solly Hemus. With improved control of his fastball and slider, as well as a new manager in Johnny Keane, who had confidence in Gibson, he produced a 13-12 record in 1961 with a 3.24 ERA and 166 strikeouts, as well as a league-leading 119 walks. With his control improving Gibson was an All-Star in 1962 on his way to a 15-13 tally with a 2.85 ERA and 208 strikeouts and 95 walks before his season was cut short in September by a broken ankle. Off to a slow start in 1963, Gibson still improved his record to 18-9 with a 3.39 ERA and 204 strikeouts. The Cardinals won the NL pennant in a close race in 1964 and Gibson contributed a 19-12 record with a 3.01 ERA and 245 strikeouts to the effort. In the World Series victory against the Yankees he won two more games, against one loss, struck out 31 batters and was named MVP of the Series. Manager Keane, his mentor, resigned following the Series and was replaced by Red Schoendienst. The Cards had a lesser season in 1965 although Gibson went 20-12 with a 3.07 ERA and 270 strikeouts. Tall, lean, intense, quiet and aloof, and a fierce competitor with an intimidating mound presence who did not fraternize with players from other teams, he improved his record to 21-12 in 1966 with a 2.44 ERA and 225 strikeouts. The Cardinals got off to a fast start in 1967 and Gibson had a 10-6 record in mid-July when he suffered a broken leg when struck by a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente. St. Louis stayed on track to win the pennant and Gibson returned in September to win three more games, including the pennant-clincher. He finished with a 13-7 mark and 147 strikeouts over 175.1 innings and a 2.98 ERA. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox he won all three of his starts, including the title-clinching seventh game, which were all complete games. He had a 1.00 ERA and recorded 26 strikeouts over the course of his 27 innings pitched and was once again the Series MVP. With both a rising and sinking fastball, slider, curve, and changeup, and always working at a fast pace, he came into the 1968 season recognized as one of baseball’s best pitchers. The Cardinals again won the NL pennant and, in a season dominated by pitching, Gibson produced a 22-9 record with a 1.12 ERA, 13 shutouts, and 268 strikeouts, earning him NL MVP, as well as Cy Young, recognition. In the World Series against Detroit, he set a World Series record in Game 1 with 17 strikeouts and added to his string of complete game wins before faltering in Game 7. Nicknamed “Hoot” for movie cowboy Hoot Gibson, or “Gibby”, he received a pay increase to $125,000, and he remained solid in 1969 while posting a 20-13 record with a 2.18 ERA and 269 strikeouts and topped the NL with 28 complete games, although the Cardinals were no longer a first place team.

1970 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

P – 34, PH – 5, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 34

Games Started – 34 [12, tied with six others]

Complete Games – 23 [2, tied with Gaylord Perry]

Wins – 23 [1, tied with Gaylord Perry]

Losses – 7

PCT - .767 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [6, tied with eight others]

Innings Pitched – 294 [3]

Hits – 262 [9]

Runs – 111 [19, tied with Jim Bunning & George Stone]

Earned Runs – 102 [17, tied with Rick Wise & Pat Jarvis]

Home Runs – 13

Bases on Balls – 88 [15]

Strikeouts – 274 [2, tied with Ferguson Jenkins]

ERA – 3.12 [4]

Hit Batters – 4

Balks – 1 [14, tied with many others]

Wild Pitches – 5

Midseason Snapshot: 12-4, ERA - 3.54, SO - 156 in 152.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 16 (in 9 IP) at Philadelphia 5/23

10+ strikeout games – 7

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at San Diego 6/17

Batting

PA – 124, AB – 109, R – 14, H – 33, 2B – 3, 3B – 1, HR – 2, RBI – 19, BB – 8, SO – 25, SB – 0, CS – 2, AVG - .303, GDP – 4, HBP – 0, SH – 6, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances - 58

Put Outs – 22

Assists – 32

Errors – 4

DP – 3

Pct. - .931

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

All-Star

4^th in NL MVP voting (110 points, 33% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Bob Gibson, StL.: 118 points – 23 of 24 first place votes, 98% share

Gaylord Perry, SF: 51 points – 1 first place vote, 43% share

Ferguson Jenkins, ChiC.: 16 points – 13% share

Dave Giusti, Pitt.: 8 points – 7% share

Jim Merritt, Cin.: 8 points – 7% share

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Cardinals went 76-86 to finish fourth in the NL Eastern Division, 13 games behind the division-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. After getting off to a 7-2 start, the Cardinals sputtered, especially during a miserable 8-21 July. An August upsurge was not enough to pull the club into contention in the NL East. Other than Gibson, the pitching was spotty, with the bullpen a particularly weak area.

Aftermath of 1970:

Gibson slipped to 16-13 in 1971 although he pitched his only career no-hitter against Pittsburgh. Gibson had his last All-Star season in 1972, going 19-11 with a 2.46 ERA and 208 strikeouts. The Cardinals rebounded from a dreadful start in 1973 to move into contention in the NL East but Gibson suffered a knee injury in August and the Redbirds came up short. His record was 12-10 with a 2.77 ERA and 142 strikeouts over 195 innings. “Gibby” fell off to 11-13 in 1974, his first losing record since 1960, as his ERA rose to 3.83. Pitching poorly at age 39 in 1975, he was relegated to the bullpen and retired in frustration prior to the end of the season. For his major league career, played entirely with the Cardinals, he compiled a 251-174 record and a 2.91 ERA with 255 complete games, 56 shutouts, and 3117 strikeouts over 3884.1 innings pitched. Gibson had five 20-win seasons. Pitching in 9 World Series games, he compiled a 7-2 record with 92 strikeouts over the course of 81 innings that included 8 complete games. His seven wins were consecutive as well as all of the complete games, and his 17-strikeout performance in Game 1 of the 1968 Series remains the single game World Series record. A good hitting pitcher, Gibson compiled 24 home runs with 144 RBIs over the course of his career and added two more home runs during World Series play. An excellent fielder despite an off-balance delivery, Gibson was awarded nine Gold Gloves. An eight-time All-Star, the Cardinals retired his #45 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. A statue was erected in his honor outside Busch Stadium. Gibson went into broadcasting for a time following his playing career and later served as a pitching coach for the Braves under manager Joe Torre, a former teammate. He also served as a coach and special instructor for the Cardinals. Gibson died in 2020 at the age of 84.

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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: Jose Canseco, 1988

Outfielder, Oakland Athletics

Age:  24 (July 2)

3^rd season with Athletics

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 240 

Prior to 1988:

A native of Cuba, Canseco and his family resettled in Opa-Locka, Florida, near Miami. He played baseball at the junior-varsity level until he was a senior in high school, at which point he was chosen by the Athletics in the fifteenth round of the 1982 amateur draft. Playing for teams in two leagues at the Rookie and Class A levels in ’82 he batted a combined .242 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in 34 games. In 1983 he started the season with Medford of the short-season Class A Northwest League where he was an All-Star selection after hitting .269 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. Canseco moved on to Madison of the Class A Midwest League to finish out the year and hit a measly .159 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs over the course of 34 games. Playing for Modesto of the Class A California League in 1984, he batted .276 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs. In the offseason he had his first admitted use of steroids as part of a weight training regimen in which he added several pounds of muscle. What followed in 1985 was a big performance with the Huntsville Stars of the Class AA Southern League in which he belted 25 home runs in only 58 games, along with a .318 average and 80 RBIs. Moving up to Tacoma of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League he hit another 11 home runs along with 47 RBIs and a .348 average in 60 games. Receiving a September call-up to the A’s, Canseco appeared in 29 games and hit .302 with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs. He was inserted into left field for Oakland in 1986. The result was an AL Rookie of the Year season in which he slugged 33 home runs with 117 RBIs, while striking out 175 times and batting .240 with a .318 on-base percentage. Canseco followed up with another strong season in 1987 as he hit .257 with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs. He was overshadowed by rookie first baseman Mark McGwire’s 49-home run performance as the two together came to be known as “the Bash Brothers”. Canseco was shifted to right field in 1988.

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

RF – 144, DH – 13, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 705 [2]

At Bats – 610 [9]

Runs – 120 [2]

Hits – 187 [6]

Doubles – 34 [16, tied with Paul Molitor]

Triples – 0

Home Runs – 42 [1]

RBI – 124 [1]

Bases on Balls – 78 [11]

Int. BB – 10 [12, tied with Dave Winfield, Robin Yount & Ruben Sierra]

Strikeouts – 128 [7]

Stolen Bases – 40 [4]

Caught Stealing – 16 [2]

Average - .307 [9]

OBP - .391 [6]

Slugging Pct. - .569 [1]

Total Bases – 347 [2]

GDP – 15 [18, tied with five others]

Hit by Pitches – 10 [5]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 6

League-leading home runs were +8 ahead of runner-up Fred McGriff

League-leading RBIs were +3 ahead of runner-up Kirby Puckett

League-leading slugging percentage was +.017 ahead of runner-up Fred McGriff

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 12, HR – 24, RBI – 67, SB – 22, AVG - .290, SLG PCT - .533, OBP – .383

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. California 8/12

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 7 AB) at Toronto 7/3 – 16 innings

HR at home – 16

HR on road – 26

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Toronto 7/3 – 16 innings

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 322

Put Outs – 304

Assists – 11

Errors – 7

DP - 3

Pct. - .978

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

PA – 39, AB – 35, R – 5, H – 6, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 4, RBI – 9, BB – 3, IBB – 0, SO – 7, SB – 2, CS – 1, AVG - .171, OBP - .256, SLG - .543, TB – 19, GDP – 1, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for AL in LF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Jose Canseco, Oak.: 392 points - 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Mike Greenwell, Bos.: 242 points – 62% share

Kirby Puckett, Min.: 219 points – 56% share

Dave Winfield, NYY: 164 points – 42% share

Dennis Eckersley, Oak.: 156 points – 40% 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. Canseco made good on his stated objective of becoming the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. 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 1988:

Heading into 1989, off-field issues began to tarnish Canseco’s image in addition to his being sidelined by a stress fracture in his left wrist that required surgery. When he finally took to the field for the A’s, he played well, batting .269 in 65 games with 17 home runs and 57 RBIs. The team again won its division and the AL pennant, as well as the World Series, in which Canseco batted .357 with a home run. He had a solid season in 1990 in which he batted .274 with 37 home runs and 101 RBIs. Oakland won a third straight pennant and was swept by Cincinnati in the World Series, where Canseco’s hitting was negligible. He topped the AL with 44 home runs in 1991, in addition to batting .266 with 122 RBIs for the fourth place A’s. Having run afoul of the Oakland front office and manager Tony LaRussa, Canseco was traded to the Texas Rangers on August 31, 1992 for outfielder Ruben Sierra, RHP Jeff Russell, RHP Bobby Witt, and cash. For the year he ended up with 26 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a .244 batting average. In 1993 Canseco was embarrassed in the outfield by having a fly ball hit him on the head and bounce over the wall for a home run. More seriously, a few days later in a runaway loss to the Red Sox in Boston, he was used as a pitcher and injured his arm to the extent that he required surgery. Appearing in only 60 games, he batted .255 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. Coming back to the Rangers during the strike-shortened 1994 season, he was utilized as a Designated Hitter and batted .282 with 31 home runs and 90 RBIs. In the offseason Canseco was dealt to the Boston Red Sox where he DH’d and hit .306 with 24 home runs and 81 RBIs in 1995. He was again productive at bat in 1996 where he batted .289 with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. Traded back to Oakland in 1997, Canseco appeared in 108 games and hit .235 with 23 home runs and 73 RBIs. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent in 1998 and had a big year with 46 home runs, 107 RBIs, and a .237 batting average. With the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999 he was an All-Star for the last time in his career, hitting 34 home runs with 95 RBIs and a .279 average. Waived by Tampa Bay during the 2000 season, he bounced around among a few major and minor league clubs in 2001 and ’02 to finish out his career. Overall, Canseco batted .266 in the major leagues with 1877 hits that included 340 doubles, 14 triples, and 462 home runs. He also accumulated 1407 RBIs and 200 stolen bases. With Oakland he batted .264 with 1048 hits, including 186 doubles, 8 triples, and 254 home runs as well as 793 RBIs and 135 stolen bases. He was a six-time All-Star (5 with the A’s), won four Silver Slugger awards, and twice led the AL in home runs. In 30 postseason games he hit .184 with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs. Canseco’s twin brother Ozzie also briefly played major league baseball. His life post baseball continued to be filled with controversy, particularly after the publishing of his tell-all book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, that discussed the alleged extent of steroid use in the major leagues during Canseco’s playing career and fueled the investigation of performance enhancing drugs in baseball.

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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: Tom Tresh, 1962

Shortstop/Outfielder, New York Yankees

Age:  24 (Sept. 20)

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1962:

The son of major league catcher Mike Tresh, Tresh was a Detroit native. He lettered in football and basketball, as well as baseball at Allen Park High School. He played shortstop as a freshman at Central Michigan University, after which he signed with the Yankees for a $30,000 bonus in 1958. A natural righthanded batter, he had become a switch-hitter at his father’s urging. Starting out with St. Petersburg of the Class D Florida State League, Tresh batted .316 with 24 doubles, 9 triples, 5 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .435 OBP while primarily playing at shortstop and some third base. He finished the year with the New Orleans Pelicans of the Class AA Southern Association. Playing with teams at the Class B and A levels in 1959, he hit a combined .267 with 15 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .383 on-base percentage. In 1960 with Binghamton of the Class A Eastern League and Amarillo of the Class AA Texas League, Tresh batted a combined .247 with 15 home runs, and 62 RBIs. In 1961 with Richmond of the Class AAA International League, he hit .315 with 23 doubles, 6 triples, 8 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .380 OBP, earning a late-season call-up to the Yankees. With regular shortstop Tony Kubek having been called to active military duty, Tresh won a competition with another highly touted rookie, Phil Linz, for the open shortstop job in 1962.

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

SS – 111, LF – 43, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 712 [8]

At Bats – 622 [7]

Runs – 94 [10, tied with Norm Cash]

Hits – 178 [10]

Doubles – 26

Triples – 5

Home Runs – 20 [19, tied with Chico Fernandez]

RBI – 93 [13]

Bases on Balls – 67 [19, tied with Gary Geiger]

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 74

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 8 [5, tied with Chuck Cottier & Bob Rodgers]

Average - .286 [18]

OBP - .359 [18]

Slugging Pct. - .441

Total Bases – 274 [11]

GDP – 3

Hit by Pitches – 8 [6, tied with Lenny Green]

Sac Hits – 8 [15, tied with ten others]

Sac Flies – 7 [10, tied with five others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 12, HR - 6, RBI - 45, AVG - .269., OBP - .338

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 7 AB) vs. Boston 9/9 – 16 innings

Longest hitting streak – 16 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 5 AB) vs. Minnesota 8/7

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Minnesota 6/27

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 2 (.000) with 1 BB

Fielding (SS)

Chances – 529

Put Outs – 201

Assists – 312

Errors – 16

DP - 51

Pct. - .970

Postseason Batting: 7 G (World Series vs. San Francisco)

PA – 30, AB – 28, R – 5, H – 9, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 4, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 4, SB – 2, CS – 0, AVG - .321, OBP - .345, SLG -.464, TB – 13, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

12^th in AL MVP voting (30 points, 1 first place vote, 11% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Tom Tresh, NYY: 13 of 20 votes, 65% share

Bob Rodgers, LAA: 4 votes, 20% share

Bernie Allen, Min.: 1 vote, 5% share

Dean Chance, LAA: 1 vote, 5% share

Dick Radatz, Bos.: 1 vote, 5% share

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Yankees went 96-66 to win the AL pennant by 5 games over the Minnesota Twins while leading the league in runs scored (817), hits (1509), RBIs (791), batting (.267), slugging (.426), and total bases (2404). The Yankees were among the leaders in the AL from the start and took over first place to stay on July 8, although they faltered in August and September. Tresh performed ably at shortstop until Tony Kubek returned from his military commitment, at which time he moved to left field. Won World Series over the San Francisco Giants, 4 games to 3. Tresh’s three-run home run in Game 5 lifted the Yankees to a crucial 5-3 win.

Aftermath of 1962:

Starting off the 1963 season as the regular left fielder for the Yankees, Tresh was shifted to center field due to an injury to Mickey Mantle. He went on to bat .269 with 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .371 OBP while again being selected as an All-Star and placing eleventh in AL MVP voting. The Yankees won the pennant but were swept by the Dodgers in the World Series. Tresh primarily appeared in left field for the Bronx Bombers in 1964, although he again spelled Mantle in center field when needed, and hit .246 with 16 home runs, 73 RBIs, and a .342 OBP. The club again won the AL pennant but fell to St. Louis in seven games in the World Series, despite Tresh’s two homers and 7 RBIs. The Yankees dropped in the standings in 1965 but Tresh batted .279 with 26 home runs, 74 RBIs, and a .348 OBP. He also received a Gold Glove for his outfield play and placed ninth in league MVP voting. Shortstop Tony Kubek retired following the 1965 season and replacing him in 1966 proved difficult. With the infield being juggled as a result, Tresh played 64 games at third base as opposed to 84 in the outfield. While his batting average dropped to .233, he still slugged 27 home runs along with 68 RBIs for the last-place Yankees, and placed nineteenth in AL MVP balloting. In 1967, Tresh, back in left field, suffered a knee injury during spring training that limited him to 130 games and a .219 average with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs. He had knee surgery in the offseason, which still caused him difficulty in 1968. Appearing primarily at shortstop, he hit a dreadful .195 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs. Starting the 1969 season with the Yankees, Tresh was traded to Detroit at midseason and ended up hitting a combined .211 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs. Released by the Tigers at the end of spring training in 1970, Tresh retired at age 32. For his major league career, spent almost entirely with the Yankees, he batted .245 with 1041 hits that included 179 doubles, 34 triples, and 153 home runs. He scored 595 runs and compiled 530 RBIs and a .335 OBP with a .411 slugging percentage. Appearing in 18 World Series games, he hit .277 with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs. The versatile Tresh was a three-time All-Star who received MVP votes following four seasons. Following his playing career, he became an administrator and assistant baseball coach at Central Michigan University. He died at age 70 in 2008.

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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.  

Rookie of the Year: Ted Sizemore, 1969

Second Baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  24 (Apr. 15)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 165 

Prior to 1969:

Born in Alabama, Sizemore moved with his family to Detroit at a young age. Developing a love of sports early on, he played basketball and football, in addition to baseball at Pershing High School. A catcher in high school, he received a baseball scholarship to the University of Michigan where he played in the outfield in addition to catching. Selected by the Dodgers in the 1966 amateur draft, Sizemore left school to play professional baseball. First assigned to the Tri-City Atoms of the Class A Northwest League in ’66, he batted .330 with 14 extra-base hits, 37 RBIs, and a .440 on-base percentage. Returning to Michigan in the offseason to complete his degree requirements, he advanced to Albuquerque of the Class AA Texas League in 1967 and hit .296 with 21 doubles, 5 home runs, and 61 RBIs with a .338 OBP. Moving up to Spokane of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1968, he suffered a broken hand that sidelined him for five weeks. Still he batted .314 in 81 games with 11 doubles, 34 RBIs, 8 stolen bases, and a .368 OBP. Shifted to the outfield when he returned from his injury and with the organization awash in young catchers, Sizemore was sent to the Arizona Instructional League during the winter to learn to play second base, a more pressing need for the Dodgers. Invited to spring training with the Dodgers in 1969, the determined and versatile Sizemore was asked to fill in at shortstop, and started the season there until returning to second base following a trade that returned star shortstop Maury Wills to LA.

1969 Season Summary

Appeared in 159 games

2B – 117, SS – 47, LF – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 650 [19]

At Bats – 590 [14]

Runs – 69

Hits – 160 [20, tied with Willie Stargell]

Doubles – 20

Triples – 5

Home Runs – 4

RBI – 46

Bases on Balls – 45

Int. BB – 7

Strikeouts – 40

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .271

OBP - .328

Slugging Pct. - .342

Total Bases – 202

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 5 [20, tied with eight others]

Sac Hits – 9 [12, tied with four others]

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 5, HR - 1, RBI - 26, AVG. - .255, OBP – .313

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at San Diego 6/28

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

Most HR, game – 1 on four occasions

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 3

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Houston 4/11

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding (2B)

Chances – 627

Put Outs – 283

Assists – 331

Errors – 13

DP - 76

Pct. - .979 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

30^th in NL MVP voting, tied with five others (2 points, 1% share)

NL ROY Voting:

Ted Sizemore, LAD.: 14 of 24 votes, 58% share

Coco Laboy, Mon.: 3 votes, 13% share

Al Oliver, Pitt.: 3 votes, 13% share

Bob Didier, Atl.: 2 votes, 8% share

Larry Hisle, Phila.: 2 votes, 8% share

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Dodgers went 85-77 to finish fourth in the NL Western Division, 8 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves while leading the league in triples (52, tied with Pittsburgh). The revamped Dodgers rebounded from two down seasons to contend in the new NL West. A half-game off the division lead on Sept. 18, an 8-game losing streak knocked the club out of contention.

Aftermath of 1969:

A nagging thigh injury hampered Sizemore in 1970, but he still batted .306 with a .367 OBP in 96 games. Traded to the St. Louis Cardinals after the season, he got off to a slow start in 1971 due to various injuries and ended up hitting .264 with a .322 OBP and 22 extra base hits while seeing considerable action at shortstop in addition to second base. Exclusively a second baseman in 1972, Sizemore again batted .264 along with 23 extra base hits and a .324 OBP. He proved to be a good fit in the second spot in the batting order behind the star base-stealing leadoff hitter Lou Brock, as he rarely struck out. Sidelined by a hamstring injury early in 1973, Sizemore hit well when he returned to the lineup and batted .282 with 22 doubles, 54 RBIs, and a .365 OBP. In 1974 the injury-prone Sizemore saw his production drop to .250 with a .339 OBP as he proved once more to be excellent in the second batting order spot to Brock, who set a base-stealing record. In 1975 his defensive play began to falter while his batting production only amounted to .240 and a .296 OBP. Prior to the 1976 season he was dealt back to the Dodgers for outfielder Willie Crawford. As a backup second baseman and pinch-hitter in ’76, who also briefly saw action at third base and catcher, he hit .241 in 84 games. In the offseason he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies where he returned to being a regular second baseman in 1977 and batted .281 with a .345 OBP and led NL second baseman by turning 104 double plays. The Phillies topped the NL East and in the NLCS loss to the Dodgers, Sizemore made a key error in a critical Game 3 collapse. In 1978 he was lost for seven weeks with a broken hand and had difficulty with his hitting and fielding when he returned. He ended up hitting just .219 with a .270 OBP. The Phillies traded Sizemore to the Chicago Cubs in 1979 as part of the deal that sent second baseman Manny Trillo to Philadelphia. He lasted with the Cubs until an August dispute with manager Herman Franks and team management led to his being sent to the Boston Red Sox. For the year he batted .251 with a .315 OBP. In 1980 he lasted for just nine games with Boston before being waived at the end of May, thus ending his playing career. For his major league career, Sizemore batted .262 with 1311 hits that included 188 doubles, 21 triples, and 23 home runs. He scored 577 runs and compiled 430 RBIs, 59 stolen bases, and a .325 OBP. With the Dodgers he batted .274 with 127 runs scored, 328 hits, 38 doubles, 7 triples, 5 home runs, 98 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and a .329 OBP. Appearing in 8 postseason games, he hit .308. Appreciated for his competitive drive, unselfishness, and versatility, the University of Michigan baseball team created the “Ted Sizemore Award” that is annually given to the team’s best defensive player.

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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.