MVP Profile: Stan Musial, 1948

Outfielder, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  27

6^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 175 

Prior to 1948:

A native of Donora, Pennsylvania, the sports-minded Musial excelled in basketball, as well as baseball, in his youth, where his pleasant personality and friendly disposition were first on display as well. Signed by the Cardinals against his immigrant father’s wishes, he started out as a pitcher. With Williamson of the Class D Mountain State League in 1938, the 17-year-old southpaw went 6-6 with a 4.66 ERA in 20 appearances. Returning to Williamson in 1939 he produced a 9-2 tally and 4.30 ERA while issuing 85 walks in 92 innings. Playing in the outfield between starts he batted .352. Sent to Daytona Beach of the Class D Florida State League in 1940, his record improved to 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA, although he still walked 145 batters over the course of 223 innings. He also batted .311. While playing center field in an August game, Musial attempted to make a diving catch and landed on his left shoulder, causing an injury that finished his pitching career and turned him into a full-time outfielder, although he never regained full strength in his throwing arm. Moving on to Springfield of the Class C Western Association in 1941, he hit .379 with 26 home runs as a full-time outfielder before advancing to Rochester of the International League where he batted .326 in 54 games. The Cardinals, who were battling Brooklyn for the NL pennant, called Musial up in September and, appearing in 12 games in place of injured right fielder Enos Slaughter, he hit .426 with a home run and 7 RBIs. Moving into the St. Louis lineup in left field in 1942, he batted .315 with 32 doubles, 10 triples, 10 home runs, and 72 RBIs. The Cardinals won 106 games and the pennant and World Series, and the 21-year-old rookie placed twelfth in league MVP voting. Musial had an unusual, closed batting stance in which he started out crouched in the back of the batter’s box from which he uncoiled to powerfully hit line drives to all fields while rarely striking out. With excellent speed on the bases and in the outfield, he compensated for his weakened throwing arm by getting rid of the ball quickly and accurately. St. Louis again won the NL pennant in 1943 and Musial led the league in batting (.357), on-base percentage (.425), slugging (.562), hits (220), doubles (48), triples (20), and total bases (347) while also contributing 13 home runs and 81 RBIs. He was chosen league MVP. The Cards lost the World Series rematch with the Yankees in which Musial hit .278 with no extra base hits. In the offseason, Musial returned to Donora to do war industry work at the American Steel & Wire Company. The Cardinals won a third straight pennant in 1944 and “the Donora Greyhound” batted .347 while leading the NL in hits (197), doubles (51), OBP (.440), and slugging (.549). He also collected 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 94 RBIs, and drew 90 walks. In rhw World Series, the Cards defeated the St. Louis Browns, with whom they shared Sportsman’s Park, in six games with Musial hitting .304 and slugging a key home run. He also finished fourth in league MVP balloting. Musial joined the Navy in 1945 and spent most of the year playing service baseball. Discharged early in 1946, he was tempted by an offer from the Mexican League, which was attempting to buy up major league players and offered him $50,000. Staying with the Cardinals, he was utilized primarily at first base and hit a league-leading .365 while also topping the circuit in runs scored (124), hits (228), doubles (50), triples (20), slugging (.587), and total bases (366). He further compiled 16 home runs and 103 RBIs while drawing 73 walks and striking out just 31 times. He was again the National League MVP and in the World Series St. Louis defeated the Boston Red Sox in seven games although Musial’s matchup against Boston slugger Ted Williams did not live up to expectations (Musial hit .222 with five extra-base hits and four RBIs and Williams batted .200 with one RBI). In 1947 Musial was hindered by an inflamed appendix that was removed following the season and he batted .312 with 30 doubles, 13 triples, 19 home runs, and 95 RBIs. A player who took offseason conditioning very seriously, he rebounded in 1948.

1948 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

RF – 81, CF – 65, LF – 42, 1B – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 698 [2]

At Bats – 611 [2]

Runs – 135 [1]

Hits – 230 [1]

Doubles – 46 [1]

Triples – 18 [1]

Home Runs – 39 [3]

RBI – 131 [1]

Bases on Balls – 79 [7, tied with Pee Wee Reese]

Int. BB – 6

Strikeouts – 34

Stolen Bases – 7 [16, tied with four others]

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .376 [1]

OBP - .450 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .702 [1]

Total Bases – 429 [1]

GDP – 18 [2, tied with Sid Gordon & Tommy Holmes]

Hit by Pitches – 3 [13, tied with seven others]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading runs scored were +18 ahead of runner-up Whitey Lockman

League-leading hits were +40 ahead of runner-up Tommy Holmes

League-leading doubles were +6 ahead of runner-up Del Ennis

League-leading triples were +6 ahead of runner-up Johnny Hopp

League-leading RBIs were +6 ahead of runner-up Johnny Mize

League-leading batting average was +.043 ahead of runner-up Richie Ashburn

League-leading OBP was +.027 ahead of runner-up Bob Elliott

League-leading slugging percentage was +.138 ahead of runner-up Johnny Mize

League-leading total bases were +113 ahead of runner-up Johnny Mize

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 17, 3B – 9, HR - 20, RBI - 64, AVG - .403, SLG – .722, OBP – .478

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Cincinnati 4/30, (in 5 AB) at Brooklyn 5/19, (in 5 AB) at Bos. Braves 6/22, (in 5 AB) at Bos. Braves 9/22

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

HR at home – 16

HR on road – 23

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) at NY Giants 5/26

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 on five occasions

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 364

Put Outs – 347

Assists – 10

Errors – 7

DP – 3

Pct. - .981

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for NL in LF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Stan Musial, StLC.: 303 points - 18 of 24 first place votes, 90% share

Johnny Sain, BosB.: 223 points – 5 first place votes, 66% share

Alvin Dark, BosB.: 174 points – 1 first place vote, 52% share

Sid Gordon, NYG: 72 points – 21% share

Harry Brecheen, StLC.: 61 points – 18% share

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Cardinals went 85-69 to finish second in the NL, 6.5 games behind the pennant-winning Boston Braves, while leading the league in triples (58) and fewest batter strikeouts (523). The Cardinals were in first place from May 15 until May 31, when they were derailed by a six-game losing streak. They remained in contention through a 15-13 June and were in third place at 39-36 at the All-Star break. Unable to close the gap down the stretch, they finished out of the running despite Musial’s greatest season, in which he led the NL in nine offensive categories and came within one home run of the Triple Crown.

Aftermath of 1948:

Dubbed “Stan the Man” by New York fans and sportswriters due to his superlative performances at Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds (he was regularly referred to as “that man” for the way he dominated the Dodgers and Giants), Musial, who had returned to the outfield in ’48, continued his outstanding play in 1949 by batting .338 and leading the NL in hits (207), doubles (41), triples (13), OBP (.438), and total bases (429). He further compiled 36 home runs and 123 RBIs while drawing 107 walks. He finished second in the NL MVP race. His outstanding hitting continued in 1950, ’51, and ’52. Musial won three straight batting titles and led the NL in runs scored, slugging, and total bases twice and hits once. He also placed second in league MVP voting in 1950 and ’51, so that over the course of four consecutive years he either received the MVP award or finished second. “Stan the Man” also split his time between first base and the outfield, with satisfactory results. In 1953 he placed eighth in NL MVP voting, leading the league in doubles (53), walks drawn (105), and OBP (.437) while batting .337 with 200 hits, 9 doubles, 30 home runs, and 113 RBIs, while striking out just 32 times. In 1954 against the Giants at home in Busch Stadium (the renamed Sportsman’s Park), Musial set a record with five home runs in a doubleheader. The Cardinals were a mediocre, seventh-place club in 1955 but Musial kept up his steady batting production by hitting .319 with 33 home runs and 108 RBIs. His twelfth-inning home run in the All-Star Game propelled the National League to a 6-5 win. “Stan the Man” led the NL with 109 RBIs in 1956 while also batting .310 with 33 doubles, 27 home runs, and a .522 slugging percentage. In 1957, his consecutive game streak dating back to 1952 ended at 895 due to torn shoulder ligaments, but he still won his seventh league batting title by hitting .351 and finished second in MVP voting. By 1958 he was 37 and making $100,000 per year and piling up significant career statistics. He reached 3000 hits in a May game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on his way to batting .337 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs. Despite his excellent conditioning, age appeared to be catching up to Musial in 1959 as his average plummeted to .255 along with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs. He rebounded somewhat in 1960 by hitting .275 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs. In the spring of 1961, the Cardinals rented an entire motel in segregated St. Petersburg, Florida, so the entire team, white and black, could live together with their families. Musial, who typically rented a house for his family, stayed at the motel in his role as an esteemed team leader who supported the club’s action. He went on to hit .288 in 1961 and contended for another batting championship in 1962 at age 41 as he finished at .330 with 19 home runs and 82 RBIs. Musial played one last season in 1963 and batted .255 with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Cardinals, “Stan the Man” batted .331 with 3630 hits that included 725 doubles, 177 triples, and 475 home runs. He scored 1949 runs and further compiled 1951 RBIs along with a .417 OBP and .559 slugging percentage. Appearing in 23 World Series games, he hit .256 with a home run and 8 RBIs. A 24-time All-Star, Musial hit a record six home runs in All-Star play. He finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting 14 times, winning three times. The Cardinals retired his #6 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. Esteemed for his dignity and class, both on and off the field he was never ejected from a game during his major league career. Personable and popular, Musial operated a restaurant in St. Louis and remained in the public eye long after his playing career ended. He also served the Cardinals as a vice-president and was general manager during the 1967 season that concluded with a World Series title. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s advisor on physical fitness, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by President Barack Obama. The Cardinals erected a statue of Musial outside Busch Stadium in his honor. Musial died in 2013 at the age of 92.

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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: Yogi Berra, 1954

Catcher, New York Yankees

Age:  29 (May 12)

8^th season with Yankees

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’7”    Weight: 185 

Prior to 1954:

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri Lawrence Berra, who dropped out of high school, starred on his American Legion baseball team along with his neighbor Joe Garagiola. Christened with the nickname “Yogi” as a youth, Berra was short and stocky and had an awkward batting style. The Cardinals signed Garagiola to a contract with a bonus and when they made an offer to Berra that didn’t include a bonus, he turned them down. He also turned down the other St. Louis team, the Browns of the AL. The Yankees offered a $500 bonus along with a salary of $90 per month, so Berra signed with them in 1942. He played for the Norfolk Tars of the Class B Piedmont League in 1943, hitting .253 in 111 games, after which he enlisted in the Navy. Following the completion of his World War II military service, Berra reported to the Newark Bears of the Class AAA International League in 1946 where he hit .314 with 15 home runs and 59 RBIs in 77 games. A raw talent who was defensively limited as a catcher at this point, he received a late September call-up to the Yankees following the completion of Newark’s season. Appearing in seven games, Berra hit .364 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs. He was used primarily as an outfielder during spring training in 1947, where he was a defensive liability. Splitting time between the outfield and catcher, he played in 83 games and hit .280 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs.  In the World Series against the Dodgers, Berra was benched after getting off to an 0-for-7 start at the plate in the first two games, but came on to hit the first pinch home run in World Series history as he batted .158 overall. He followed up with a .305 average with 14 home runs and 98 RBIs in 1948 and was chosen to his first All-Star Game along the way, while appearing in 125 games (71 at catcher) for the third place Yanks. With the arrival of Casey Stengel as manager in 1949, ex-Yankee great Bill Dickey was given the task of tutoring Berra on his technique behind the plate. Berra hit .277 that season with 20 home runs and 91 RBIs and was again selected as an All-Star. Much improved as a catcher, Berra had a strong year in 1950, producing 28 home runs and 124 RBIs with a .322 batting average. He placed third in AL MVP voting in addition to garnering All-Star honors once again. Berra received league MVP recognition in 1951 after batting .294 with 27 home runs, 88 RBIs, and a .350 on-base percentage as the Yankees made it three straight titles. Berra had another strong season in 1952, hitting 30 home runs with 98 RBIs, a .273 average, and a .358 OBP. The Yankees won their fourth straight pennant and World Series and Berra finished fourth in the AL MVP balloting. The Yanks made it five straight in 1953 with Berra contributing 27 home runs, 108 RBIs, a .296 average, and .363 OBP, placing second in the league MVP vote. The ungainly-looking Berra was a notorious “bad-ball” hitter who rarely struck out and performed well in clutch situations.

1954 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

C – 149, PH – 2, 3B – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 652 [10]

At Bats – 584 [6]

Runs – 88 [12]

Hits – 179 [6]

Doubles – 28 [4, tied with Harvey Kuenn & Chico Carrasquel]

Triples – 6 [15, tied with eight others]

Home Runs – 22 [7]

RBI – 125 [2]

Bases on Balls – 56

Int. BB – 6 [14, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 29

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .307 [6]

OBP - .367 [15]

Slugging Pct. - .488 [6]

Total Bases – 285 [3, tied with Mickey Mantle]

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 4 [14, tied with six others]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 7 [8, tied with six others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 14, 3B – 5, HR - 12, RBI - 65, AVG - .291, OBP - .348, SLG – .487

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Chi. White Sox 7/28, (in 5 AB) at Baltimore 8/1

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 15

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 1 on twenty-two occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Boston 5/29

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 2 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 788

Put Outs – 717

Assists – 63

Errors – 8

Passed Balls – 5

DP – 14

Pct. - .990 

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for AL at C)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Yogi Berra, NYY.: 230 points - 7 of 24 first place votes, 68% share

Larry Doby, Clev.: 210 points – 5 first place votes, 63% share

Bobby Avila, Clev.: 203 points – 5 first place votes, 60% share

Minnie Minoso, ChiWS.: 186 points – 2 first place votes, 55% share

Bob Lemon, Clev.: 179 points – 5 first place votes, 53% share

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Yankees went 103-51 to finish second in the AL, 8 games behind the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians, while leading the league in runs scored (805), RBIs (747), batting (.268), OBP (.348), and slugging (.408). Just 1.5 games behind the Indians at the end of July, the Yankees were unable to keep up the pace as their string of World Series titles ended at five despite posting their best record of Casey Stengel’s managerial reign.

Aftermath of 1954:

Berra made it three MVP awards in 1955, as the Yankees returned to the top of the American League and the star catcher hit .272 with 27 home runs, 108 RBIs, and a .349 OBP. He was also the highest-paid player on the team that year at $48,000. An amiable and colorful character noted for his malapropisms that came to be known as “Yogi-isms”, he was also referred to as the “assistant manager” by manager Casey Stengel in recognition of his level of baseball knowledge. Berra tied his career high with 30 home runs in 1956 and hit .298 with 105 RBIs while finishing second to teammate Mickey Mantle in AL MVP voting. In the World Series he caught Don Larsen’s Game 5 perfect game. He continued to be a perennial All-Star with a team that typically topped the American League until his retirement following the 1963 season. In later years he was utilized more in the outfield as Elston Howard became the team’s primary catcher. With the Yankees overall, Berra hit .285 with 2148 hits that included 321 doubles, 49 triples, and 358 home runs. He drove in 1430 runs and scored 1174, while only striking out 411 times. Thanks to the team’s success, Berra appeared in a record 75 World Series games and produced 71 hits in 259 at bats (also records) for a .274 average with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. He excelled as a fielder after his rough start behind the plate and in one stretch of 148 games handled 950 chances without an error. Berra was an 18-time All-Star and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. After his initial retirement in 1963 he became manager of the Yankees in 1964 and was fired following their World Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was hired by the Mets as a player/coach in 1965 and played in just four games, hitting .222 in what proved to be his final year as a player. He remained a coach with the Mets until being elevated to manager in 1972 after the death of Gil Hodges during spring training. The Mets won the NL pennant in 1973 and Berra stayed on as manager until being relieved during the ’75 season, the club having produced an overall record of 292-296 under his guidance. He returned to the Yankees as a coach for several years until being elevated once again to manager in 1984. His tenure came to a bitter end 16 games into the ’85 season. Overall, in two stints with the Yankees Berra’s managerial record was 192-148. He returned to coaching with the Houston Astros through 1989 until finally retiring from baseball for good. An iconic and popular figure, Berra lived until 2015 when he died at age 90 after which he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama. The Yankees retired his #8 and further honored him with a plaque in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park. His son Dale was a shortstop and third baseman in the major leagues from 1977 to '87, primarily with Pittsburgh.

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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: Dazzy Vance, 1924

Pitcher, Brooklyn Robins

Age:  33

3^rd season with Robins

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 200 

Prior to 1924:

An Iowa native, Charles Arthur Vance grew up near the Kansas state line and attended Hardy High School, followed by local semipro pitching. Sources differ as to how he acquired the nickname “Dazzy”. Some say it was obtained during childhood and others that it was short for “the Dazzler”, in reference to his excellent fastball. Vance broke into professional baseball with the York Prohibitionists of the Class D Nebraska State League at the age of 21 in 1912. He produced an 11-12 record for York and stayed in the Nebraska State League with the Superior Brickmakers in 1913. Vance divided 1914 between Hastings of the Nebraska State League and St. Joseph of the Class A Western League and compiled a combined tally of 26-12. During this time, he strained his arm and experienced soreness every time he pitched. The Pittsburgh Pirates purchased his contract in 1915, but following a poor start in April he was traded to the New York Yankees. He lost all three of his decisions with the Yankees and found himself back in the minors with St. Joseph, where he went 17-15 with a 2.93 ERA. Advancing to Columbus of the American Association in 1916, he was sidelined by arm soreness and bounced between teams in Class A and AA in 1917 and ’18 with little success and another trial with the Yankees was another failure. Stops in Sacramento and Memphis yielded unimpressive results for the sore-armed hurler. Moving on to the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association in 1920, Vance hit his arm against the edge of a table while playing poker, causing him severe pain. A doctor visit the following morning led to surgery that allowed Vance to finally pitch pain free. In 1921 he put together a 21-11 record with a 3.52 ERA. Brooklyn, interested in obtaining Vance’s teammate, catcher Hank DeBerry, agreed to purchase Vance as well. At the age of 31, he was finally in the major leagues to stay. With the Robins in 1922 he went 18-12 with a 3.70 ERA and league-leading 134 strikeouts. He followed up in 1923 with an 18-15 tally and a 3.50 ERA, and again topped the NL with 197 strikeouts.

1924 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35 [17, tied with seven others]

Games Started – 34 [3]

Complete Games – 30 [1, tied with Burleigh Grimes]

Wins – 28 [1]

Losses – 6

PCT - .824 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [7, tied with Pete Donohue, Tony Kaufmann & Lee Meadows]

Innings Pitched – 308.1 [2]

Hits – 238 [14, tied with Carl Mays]

Runs – 89

Earned Runs – 74

Home Runs – 11 [11, tied with Jack Bentley]

Bases on Balls – 77 [6]

Strikeouts – 262 [1]

ERA – 2.16 [1]

Hit Batters – 9 [2, tied with Pete Donohue]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4 [7, tied with seven others]

League-leading wins were +6 ahead of runner-up Burleigh Grimes

League-leading strikeouts were +127 ahead of runner-up Burleigh Grimes

League-leading ERA was -0.53 lower than runner-up Hugh McQuillan

Midseason Snapshot: 13-4, ERA - 2.19, SO - 119 in 156.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 15 (in 9 IP) at Chi. Cubs 8/23

10+ strikeout games – 8

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 8/1, (in 9 IP) at Cincinnati 8/14, (in 9 IP) at Boston Braves 9/4

Batting

PA – 125, AB – 106, R – 7, H – 16, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 11, BB – 10, SO – 29, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .151, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 8, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances - 75

Put Outs – 16

Assists – 58

Errors – 1

DP – 3

Pct. - .987

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: League Award

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Dazzy Vance, Brook.: 74 points – 93% share

Rogers Hornsby, StLC.: 62 points – 78% share

Frankie Frisch, NYG: 40 points – 50% share

Zack Wheat, Brook.: 40 points – 50% share

Ross Youngs, NYG: 35 points – 44% share

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Robins went 92-62 to finish second in the NL, 1.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Giants. The pitching staff led the league in complete games (96) and strikeouts (638). Driven by the pitching combination of Vance and Burleigh Grimes who combined for 50 wins, Brooklyn rode a 15-game winning streak into a first-place tie with the Giants on Sept. 4. The Robins fell behind but stayed close, only to come up short in the end. There was a scandal in that New York outfielder Jimmy O’Connell and a coach, Cozy Dolan, offered a bribe to a Phillies player to “go easy” in Philadelphia’s season-ending series against the Giants. Despite protests from the American League, Commissioner Landis let New York’s first-place finish stand although O’Connell and Dolan were banned from baseball.   

Aftermath of 1924:

Vance followed up with another solid season in 1925, compiling a 22-9 record with a 3.53 ERA and league-leading 221 strikeouts and 4 shutouts among his 26 complete games. Along the way he recorded 17 strikeouts in a ten-inning stint against the St. Louis Cardinals. He also no-hit the Phillies in September. Fun-loving and irreverent, but all business on the mound, Vance wore a tattered and stained sweatshirt under his uniform shirt that he was accused of cutting at the right sleeve to make it flap and distract hitters (which he firmly denied). With his long arms and legs, typically pitching with a straight overhand motion and utilizing a high leg-kick, he had command of his outstanding fastball and an excellent curve. In 1926 his record dropped to 9-10 with a 3.89 ERA but he still paced the NL in strikeouts with 140. In 1927 he topped the league in strikeouts (184) and complete games (25) while finishing with a 16-15 tally and 2.70 ERA. In 1928 with a sixth-place Brooklyn club, Vance posted a 22-10 mark with a league-leading 2.09 ERA and 200 strikeouts. His record fell to 14-13 in 1929 with a 3.89 ERA and 126 strikeouts, which, for once, was not a league-leading total. In 1930 he led the NL in ERA (2.61) and shutouts (4) to go along with a 17-15 record and 173 strikeouts. In 1931 at age 40, Vance fell below .500 with his 11-13 mark and had a 3.38 ERA with 150 strikeouts as he reached 200 innings for the last time with 218.2. With a third-place Brooklyn team in 1932, Vance went 12-11 with a 4.20 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 175.2 innings. Prior to the 1933 season, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He started 11 of his 28 appearances and finished with a 6-2 tally. With a much-diminished fastball, he was released after the season and signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1934. Rarely used by the Reds, Vance was waived in June and returned to the Cardinals who typically used him out of the bullpen on their drive to the NL pennant. He made only one relief appearance in the World Series victory against Detroit, which was the only postseason action of his career. Released by the Cardinals in 1935, he returned to Brooklyn to finish his career as a reliever at age 44. For his major league career, Vance compiled a 197-140 record with a 3.24 ERA, 217 complete games, 29 shutouts, and 2045 strikeouts in 2966.2 innings. He led the NL in strikeouts seven consecutive times. With Brooklyn he was 190-131 with 213 complete games, 29 shutouts, and 1918 strikeouts over the course of 2757.2 innings. He also won 133 minor league games on his long and difficult trek to major league stardom. A popular player with Brooklyn fans, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955, six years prior to his death in 1961 at age 69.

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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. 

Highlighted Year: Red Donahue, 1902

Pitcher, St. Louis Browns

Age:  29

1^st season with Browns

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 187 

Prior to 1902:

A Connecticut native, Francis L. Donahue was nicknamed “Red” for his hair color. He first gained attention as a pitcher/first baseman at Waterbury High School. He continued to play for amateur and semipro teams after high school. Playing for a semipro club in New Milford in 1892, Donahue was recommended to the New York Giants, who gave him an audition in 1893. Sent to Lowell of the minor New England League, he finished out the season with a 3-1 record and 1.70 ERA in 37 innings pitched. Moving on to Allentown of the Pennsylvania State League in 1894, he compiled a 17-8 tally. Pitching with Rochester of the Eastern League and Grand Rapids of the Western League in 1895, Donahue produced a combined record of 8-13 before joining the NL’s St. Louis Browns (now Cardinals) late in the season and losing his lone start. St. Louis was a poor team and went 40-90 in 1996, with Donahue compiling a 7-24 tally with a 5.80 ERA. With a cellar-dwelling 29-102 club in 1897, his record was 10-35 with a 6.13 ERA and he led the NL in complete games (38), hits surrendered (485), earned runs surrendered (237), and home runs given up (16). Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies as part of a multi-player deal, his performance improved in 1898 to 16-17 with a 3.55 ERA. He pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Beaneaters (now Atlanta Braves) along the way, which, according to newspaper reports at the time he featured his good curve and changeup. Never a hard thrower, Donahue’s curve was considered his best pitch and he developed good control. He was outstanding for the Phillies in 1899, producing a 21-8 tally with a 3.39 ERA and 27 complete games. 1900 was another solid year in which he was 15-10 with a 3.60 ERA for a third-place club. Donahue returned to the top echelon of National League pitchers in 1901 as he posted a 20-13 mark with a 2.59 ERA and 33 complete games. In 1902 he made the jump to the upstart American League and a new St. Louis Browns club (relocated from Milwaukee) that proved to be more competitive than the one he had been part of at the outset of his major league career.  

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35 [9, tied with Jimmy Callahan, Win Mercer & George Mullin]

Games Started – 34 [6, tied with Earl Moore & Casey Patten]

Complete Games – 33 [5, tied with Casey Patten]

Wins – 22 [3, tied with Jack Powell]

Losses – 11 [20, tied with four others]

PCT - .667 [5]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [10, tied with six others]

Innings Pitched – 316.1 [5]

Hits – 322 [7]

Runs – 134 [15]

Earned Runs – 97 [13]

Home Runs – 7 [13, tied with Bert Husting & Rube Waddell]

Bases on Balls – 65 [18]

Strikeouts – 63 [16]

ERA – 2.76 [6]

Hit Batters – 8 [19, tied with seven others]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: 10-6, ERA – 3.19, SO – 31 in 155 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 6 (in 9 IP) vs. Baltimore 6/16

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 4 (in 10 IP) vs. Baltimore 8/28, (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. White Sox 5/3, (in 9 IP) vs. Bos. Americans 6/9

Batting

PA – 128, AB – 118, R – 6, H – 11, 2B – 1, 3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 3, SO – 35, SB – 0, CS – N/A, AVG - .093, GDP – N/A, HBP – 1, SH – 5, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 153

Put Outs – 15

Assists – 130

Errors – 8

DP – 3

Pct. - .948

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Browns went 78-58 to finish second in the AL, 5 games behind the pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics. With a revamped roster, the Browns became locked in a tight race with Boston and the A’s, in which they were in first as late as August 13, but they fell off the pace and couldn’t gain ground on the surging Athletics in September.

Aftermath of 1902:

In the offseason following the 1902 season, the Browns signed Donahue’s brother, Tom, a catcher who had been a standout at Villanova University. His brother was released during spring training and the pitching Donahue got off to a poor start during the 1903 season. He was 8-7 in August when the Browns dealt him to Cleveland. He finished the season with a combined record of 15-16, although his ERA was a respectable 2.59. He went on to a fine season in 1904 in which he posted a 19-14 tally with a 2.40 ERA, 6 shutouts, and 127 strikeouts. Donahue was also known for his humor that included the baiting of gullible rookies. He had a disappointing season in 1905 in which he went 6-12 with a 3.40 ERA. Traded to the Detroit Tigers afterward, his 1906 tally was 13-14 with a 2.73 ERA. By this point the 34-year-old Donahue had bought a saloon-hotel in Philadelphia and retired to devote his energies to this new venture. It was rumored that the failure to be named player/manager of the Washington Senators led to his retirement. Rumors during the summer of 2007 that Donahue would return to Detroit to help the Tigers in their pennant run came to nothing and Donahue remained retired. For his major league career, he produced a 164-175 record with a 3.61 ERA, 312 complete games, 25 shutouts, and 787 strikeouts over the course of 2966.1 innings. Following a dreadful 17-60 start to his career, he went 147-115 the rest of the way. With the American League Browns, he was 30-18 with a 2.76 ERA, 47 complete games, 2 shutouts, and 114 strikeouts in 447.1 innings pitched. Donahue maintained a successful business until he died from the effects of tuberculosis at age 40 in 1913.

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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: Ichiro Suzuki, 2001

Outfielder, Seattle Mariners

Age:  27

1^st season with Mariners

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175 

Prior to 2001:

Born in a suburb of Nagoya in Japan, Suzuki excelled at baseball in high school. A natural right-handed hitter who was trained by his father to bat left-handed, he hit .502 over the course of his high school career and demonstrated the excellent work ethic that would be evident throughout his career. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1991 Japanese amateur draft by the Orix Blue Wave. Due to concerns regarding his small stature and unusual hitting technique, he spent two seasons in the minor leagues where he drew attention with his hitting. With Orix in 1994, Suzuki demonstrated his excellent bat control as he batted .385 with 210 hits and 111 runs scored in a 130-game season. He was named MVP of the Pacific League and also received a Gold Glove for his outstanding defensive play in the outfield. The club placed his first name, Ichiro, on the back of his jersey in place of his surname of Suzuki, banking on his popularity, a feature that would follow him to the United States. In 1995 he led the Pacific League in hits (179), RBIs (80), stolen bases (49), and batting (.342), in addition to 25 home runs and a .432 on-base percentage. He again received league MVP honors. Orix won the Pacific League title, losing the Japan Series to the Yakult Swallows. The Blue Wave again topped the league in 1996 and Suzuki contributed by batting a league-leading .356 with 193 hits (also a league high mark), 24 doubles, 16 home runs, 84 RBIs, 35 stolen bases, a .422 OBP, and a .504 slugging percentage. He was league MVP for the third consecutive year and Orix defeated the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series. Suzuki went on to win seven straight batting titles, hitting .345 in 1997, .358 in 1998, .343 in 1999, and .387 in 2000. Orix was financially strapped by 2000 and encouraged American major league teams to bid for Suzuki’s services. The Japanese-owned Mariners signed Suzuki to a three-year, $14 million contract in 2001, and he moved directly into Seattle’s lineup in right field.

2001 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

RF – 152, DH – 4, PH – 4

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 738 [1]

At Bats – 692 [1]

Runs – 127 [2]

Hits – 242 [1]

Doubles – 34 [19, tied with seven others]

Triples – 8 [7, tied with Omar Vizquel]

Home Runs – 8

RBI – 69

Bases on Balls – 30

Int. BB – 10 [8, tied with Jorge Posada & Tony Clark]

Strikeouts – 53

Stolen Bases – 56 [1]

Caught Stealing – 14 [2, tied with Alfonso Soriano]

Average - .350 [1]

OBP - .381 [14, tied with Rafael Palmeiro]

Slugging Pct. - .457

Total Bases – 316 [9, tied with Magglio Ordonez]

GDP – 3

Hit by Pitches – 8

Sac Hits – 4

Sac Flies – 4

League-leading plate appearances were +6 ahead of runner-up Alex Rodriguez

League-leading at bats were +20 ahead of runner-up Garret Anderson

League-leading hits were +36 ahead of runner-up Bret Boone

League-leading stolen bases were +1 ahead of runner-up Roger Cedeno

League-leading batting average was +.008 ahead of runner-up Jason Giambi

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 20, 3B – 7, HR –5, RBI – 41, SB – 28, AVG - .345, OBP – .377

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Most hits, game – 4 on six occasions

Longest hitting streak – 23 games

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 3

Most home runs, game – 1 on eight occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at Cleveland 8/5

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 4 (.250) with 1 R

Fielding

Chances – 344

Put Outs – 335

Assists – 8

Errors – 1

DP – 2

Pct. - .997

Postseason Batting: 10 G (ALDS vs. Cleveland – 5 G; ALCS vs. NY Yankees – 5 G)

PA – 43, AB – 38, R – 7, H – 16, 2B – 2,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 5, IBB – 2, SO – 4, SB – 3, CS – 2, AVG - .421, OBP - .488, SLG - .474, TB – 18, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for AL in CF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Ichiro Suzuki, Sea.: 289 points - 11 of 28 first place votes, 74% share

Jason Giambi, Oak.: 281 points – 8 first place votes, 72% share

Bret Boone, Sea.: 259 points – 7 first place votes, 66% share

Roberto Alomar, Clev.: 165 points – 2 first place votes, 42% share

Juan Gonzalez, Clev.: 156 points – 40% share

AL ROY Voting:

Ichiro Suzuki, Sea.: 138 points – 27 of 28 first place votes, 99% share

C.C. Sabathia, Clev.: 73 points. – 1 first place vote, 52% share

Alfonso Soriano, NYY: 35 points – 25% share

David Eckstein, Ana.: 6 points – 4% share

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Mariners went 116-46 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 14 games over the Oakland Athletics while leading the league in runs scored (927), hits (1637), stolen bases (174), batting (.288), and OBP (.360). The Mariners got off to a 19-4 start (all against AL West teams), holding leads of 20 games by the end of June and 17 games at the end of August) and stayed on top of the AL West the rest of the way as they tied the major league record (and set an AL record) for wins in a season. Suzuki quickly overcame any doubts as to his ability to succeed in the US major leagues. Won ALDS over the Cleveland Indians, 3 games to 2. Lost ALCS to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of 2001:

While the Mariners were less successful in 2002 (although they still won 93 games), Suzuki batted .321 with 208 hits, 27 doubles, 8 triples, 8 home runs, 51 RBIs, 31 stolen bases (although he was caught stealing a league-leading 15 times), and a .388 OBP while scoring 111 runs. He received another Gold Glove and placed seventeenth in league MVP voting. His average dropped to .312 in 2003, although he hit 13 home runs with 62 RBIs, 34 stolen bases, and a .352 OBP. Starting off slowly in 2004, Suzuki had 107 hits in July and August and went on to break George Sisler’s record of 257 hits in a season with 262. He was also the league batting champion at .372 to go along with a .414 OBP. He placed seventh in AL MVP balloting. Suzuki’s average dropped to .303 in 2005, although his 206 hits still put him over 200 for the fifth straight year with Seattle. He also hit 12 triples, a career-high 15 home runs, and 68 RBIs with 33 stolen bases and a .350 OBP. In 2006 Suzuki shifted to center field in August, where his speed and skill proved beneficial as he remained a Gold Glove recipient. As a batter he hit .322 with a league-leading 224 hits. Playing center field full time in 2007 he had 8 assists and committed only one error. He batted .351 with a league-high 238 hits and also produced 68 RBIs, a .396 OBP, and 37 stolen bases. He was also the MVP of the All-Star Game, where he hit the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star history as part of a 3-for-3 batting performance. The Mariners finished a surprising second in the AL West and Suzuki placed eighth in league MVP voting. The team dropped into the division cellar in 2008 but the steady Suzuki once again topped the AL with 213 hits while batting .310 with a .361 OBP. His 2009 season was highlighted by a 27-game hitting streak as he once more topped the league with 225 hits while batting .352 with 31 doubles, 11 home runs, and a .386 OBP. Very reserved when talking to the media, always using a translator even though he spoke English fluently, Suzuki was known for being funny and exuberant off camera with his teammates. In 2010 he led the league in hits for the last time with 214 while batting .315 with a .359 OBP. Regularly playing right field again in 2009 and ’10, he remained a Gold Glove performer with his outstanding throwing arm. In 2011 his hits dropped under 200 for the first time (to 184) and his average fell to .272 with a .310 OBP. At age 38 in 2012, and hitting only .261 at the All-Star break, the Mariners dealt him to the New York Yankees, where he excelled in September by compiling 38 hits in 31 games as New York narroly won the AL East title. For the year he hit a combined .283 with 9 home runs and 55 RBIs. In Game 5 of the ALDS vs. Baltimore, Suzuki drove in a key run as the Yankees won the series. Although be hit .353 in the ALCS vs. Detroit, the club was swept by the Tigers. Suzuki was less productive for the Yankees in 2013, batting .262 with 7 home runs, 35 RBIs, and a .297 OBP. Following a 2014 season in which he hit .284 with a .324 OBP in 143 games, Suzuki departed from the Yankees as a free agent and signed with the Miami Marlins. Seeing more action in right field for the Marlins in 2015 due to an injury to slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Suzuki batted just .229 but remained a capable defensive performer in the outfield. Re-signed by the Marlins for 2016, he achieved a career milestone by tripling at Denver’s Coors Field for his 3000^th hit in the American major leagues. As a backup outfielder and pinch-hitter, Suzuki appeared in 143 games and hit .291 with a .354 OBP. He spent one more season with the Marlins in 2017 as a pinch-hitter and occasional outfielder before returning to Seattle in 2018 where he appeared in 15 games and stayed on with the organization to mentor younger players. He finished his career in 2019 as the Mariners opened the season in Tokyo, where he received a huge ovation from the crowd. For his career in Japan, Suzuki batted .353 with 1278 hits that included 211 doubles, 23 triples, and 118 home runs. He scored 658 runs and compiled 529 RBIs, 199 stolen bases, 384 walks, a .421 OBP, and a .522 slugging percentage. In the American major leagues he batted .311 with 3089 hits that included 362 doubles, 96 triples, and 117 home runs. He scored 1420 runs and compiled 780 RBIs, 509 stolen bases, a .355 OBP, and a .402 slugging percentage. With the Mariners he batted .321 with 2542 hits, 1181 runs scored, 295 doubles, 79 triples, 99 home runs, 633 RBIs, 438 stolen bases, a .365 OBP, and a .416 slugging percentage. Appearing in 19 postseason games he hit .346 with a home run, 8 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases. A 10-time All-Star, Suzuki also received 10 Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers. He was honored with the Franchise Achievement Award by the Mariners and was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2022. Following his retirement as a player at age 45, he has served the Mariners organization in a variety of roles. In 2016 he made the largest donation by an active player to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City. In addition to English, he also learned Spanish to be better able to communicate with Latin American players with who he felt a bond as foreigners trying to succeed in the USA.

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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 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.