Highlighted Year: Bubba Phillips, 1961

Third Baseman, Cleveland Indians

Age: 33

2^nd season with Indians

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1961:

A Mississippi native, John Melvin Phillips acquired his lifelong nickname of “Bubba” in his youth. A football star at Macon High School, he scored 235 points in nine games as a senior thanks to his production at tailback and placekicking. Receiving a football scholarship to Mississippi Southern College (now the University of Southern Mississippi) Phillips performed well in both football and baseball where he topped the school’s team with 36 hits in 1948. Viewing baseball as his better professional option, he signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1948 and the 20-year-old outfielder appeared in 11 games with the Stroudsburg Poconos of the Class D North Atlantic League where he batted .302 with a .348 on-base percentage. Advancing to Thomasville of the Class D Georgia-Florida League in 1949, Phillips hit .329 with 114 runs scored, 17 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs, 75 RBIs, 60 stolen bases, a .370 OBP, and a .458 slugging percentage. He also led all the league’s outfielders with 29 assists. Promoted next to the Flint Arrows of the Class A Central League in 1950, he batted .290 with 22 doubles, 15 triples, 6 home runs, 70 RBIs, 22 steals, a .332 OBP, and a .416 slugging percentage. Playing for teams at the Class A and AAA levels in 1951, Phillips hit a combined .314 with 27 doubles, 10 home runs, 43 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, a .361 OBP, and a .451 slugging percentage. In 1952, despite some interest in promoting him to the Tigers in the spring, he was sent to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA International League for further seasoning. He batted .291 with 19 doubles, 14 home runs, 49 RBIs, a .337 OBP, and a .434 slugging percentage. Drafted into the Army at that point, Phillips missed the next two seasons. Having completed his military commitment, he joined the Tigers in 1955 and saw significant action in left field. Traded to the Chicago White Sox in the offseason for RHP Virgil Trucks, Phillips was used in all three outfield positions in 1956, typically as a defensive replacement due to his versatility and adept fielding. Appearing in 67 games he hit .273 with 8 extra-base hits and a .321 OBP. Shifted to third base in 1957 he batted .270 with 13 doubles, 7 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .322 OBP while splitting time with Sammy Esposito and Fred Hatfield. Hindered by a slow start at the plate in 1958, Phillips then missed six weeks at midseason due to a broken right foot. Challenged by veteran Billy Goodman at third base, he ended up appearing in 84 games at third and in the outfield and hit .273 with 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 30 RBIs, and a .310 OBP. The White Sox went from contenders to pennant winners in 1959 and, splitting time with Goodman at third and playing 23 games in the outfield, Phillips contributed by batting .264 with 27 doubles, 5 home runs, 40 RBIs, and a .319 OBP. He started three games in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and came through with hits in all three although the club lost the Series in six games. In the offseason, with the White Sox wanting to increase their batting punch, he was dealt to Cleveland as part of a seven-player trade. Slumping at bat in 1960, Phillips hit only .207 in 113 games with 14 doubles, 4 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .249 OBP.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 143 games

3B – 143

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 590

At Bats – 546

Runs – 64

Hits – 144

Doubles – 23

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 18

RBI – 72

Bases on Balls – 29

Int. BB – 4 [17, tied with eight others]

Strikeouts – 61

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .264

OBP - .305

Slugging Pct. - .408

Total Bases – 223

GDP – 14

Hit by Pitches – 5 [11, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 7

Sac Flies – 3 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 16, HR – 13, RBI – 51, AVG - .285, OBP - .328

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Boston 7/2 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 7

HR on road – 11

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Boston 7/2 – 10 innings

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. LA Angels 6/3

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 453

Put Outs – 188

Assists – 246

Errors – 19

DP – 23

Pct. - .958

Awards & Honors:

17^th in AL MVP voting, tied with Dick Donovan, Wash. (5 points, 2% share)

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The Indians went 78-83 to finish fifth in the AL, 30.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in hits (1493), doubles (257), batting (.266, tied with the Yankees), and fewest walks drawn (492). The Indians started well, moved into contention, and were in first place from June 6-16 before a seven-game losing streak dropped them out of contention. A rough second half, primarily caused by inadequate pitching, left them in fifth place and led to the dismissal of manager Jimmy Dykes.

Aftermath of 1961:

Phillips followed up with a 1962 season in which he dropped off somewhat in power production, batting .258 with 26 doubles, 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, a .289 OBP, and a .358 slugging percentage. Having developed into a capable defensive third baseman, he remained an unassuming presence on the club and was noted for his calm demeanor. That did not guarantee him security in Cleveland as he was traded to his original team, the Detroit Tigers, in the offseason to make room for promising rookie third baseman Max Alvis. In his return to the Tigers, he was the club’s primary third sacker in 1963, hitting .246 with 11 doubles, 5 home runs, 45 RBIs, and a .276 OBP. In 1964 he backed up young Don Wert at third and appeared in only 46 games, hitting .253 with a .327 OBP in his last season. For his major league career, Phillips batted .255 with 835 hits that included 135 doubles, 8 triples, and 62 home runs. He scored 349 runs and compiled 356 RBIs, a .297 OBP, and a .358 slugging percentage. With Cleveland he batted .249 and scored 151 runs with 352 hits, 63 doubles, 2 triples, 32 home runs, 159 RBIs, a .287 OBP, and a .365 slugging percentage. His participation in the 1959 World Series with the White Sox marked his only postseason action. Never an All-Star, 1961 marked the only year in which he received MVP votes. Following his retirement from baseball, Phillips was involved with real estate back home in Mississippi. He also became a tennis instructor and appeared in the Satchel Paige biopic “Don’t Look Back”. Inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1972, he died of a heart attack in 1993 at age 65.

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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. 

 

Highlighted Year: Jim Perry, 1961

Pitcher, Cleveland Indians

Age: 25

3^rd season with Indians

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 190 

Prior to 1961:

A native of Williamston, North Carolina, Perry pitched for his high school team and was eventually joined by younger brother Gaylord (who also went on to a long major league pitching career). The brothers alternated at third base when not pitching. Moving on to Campbell College, Perry was signed by the Indians in 1956. Assigned to North Platte of the Class D Nebraska State League he went 7-8 in his first taste of professional action with a 4.80 ERA and 124 strikeouts over 120 innings pitched. Moving along to Fargo-Moorhead of the Class C Northern League in 1957 Perry improved to 15-12 with a 2.88 ERA and 150 strikeouts over 231 innings. His next stop was Reading of the Class A Eastern League in 1958, where he produced a 16-8 record and 2.79 ERA with 135 strikeouts. Invited to spring training with the Indians in 1959, he made the pitching staff and was used primarily as a reliever during the first half of the season on his way to a 12-10 tally with a 2.65 ERA, 4 saves, and 79 strikeouts over 153 innings pitched. He placed second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Fully in the starting rotation in 1960, Perry, who relied on a fastball, curve, and slider, tied for the league lead in wins with his 18-10 record. He also had a 3.62 ERA and 120 strikeouts while showing a tendency to give up home runs, leading the AL by surrendering 35 homers.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35

Games Started – 35 [5, tied with Jim Grant]

Complete Games – 6

Wins – 10

Losses – 17 [3, tied with Bud Daley & Jim Kaat]

PCT - .370

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1

Innings Pitched – 223.2 [13]

Hits – 238 [8]

Runs – 132 [2]

Earned Runs – 117 [1, tied with Frank Baumann]

Home Runs – 28 [6, tied with Ken McBride]

Bases on Balls – 87 [14]

Strikeouts – 90

ERA – 4.71

Hit Batters – 6 [12, tied with Don Schwall, Frank Lary & Gary Bell]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 5

Midseason Snapshot: 7-7, ERA - 4.17, SO - 44 in 116.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 6 (in 5 IP) vs. LA Angels 7/15, (in 5.2 IP) vs. Minnesota 9/17

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 4 (in 9 IP) at LA Angels 7/29, (in 9 IP) at Baltimore 9/2, (in 8 IP) at Chi. White Sox 5/9

Batting

PA – 79, AB – 73, R – 4, H – 12, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 1, SO – 14, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .164, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 5, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 59

Put Outs – 17

Assists – 37

Errors – 5

DP – 5

Pct. - .915

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

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The Indians went 78-83 to finish fifth in the AL, 30.5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees. The Indians started well, moved into contention, and were in first place from June 6-16 before a seven-game losing streak dropped them out of contention. A rough second half, primarily caused by inadequate pitching, left them in fifth place and led to the dismissal of manager Jimmy Dykes.

Aftermath of 1961:

Having suffered from inconsistency in 1961, Perry broke even at 12-12 with a 4.14 ERA in 1962. Back in the Cleveland bullpen at the start of 1963, he was dealt to the Minnesota Twins in May and utilized primarily as a starter finished at 9-9 with a 3.83 ERA. Almost exclusively a reliever in 1964, Perry was 6-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 42 appearances. Working with new pitching coach Johnny Sain in 1965, he improved his fastball and curve and, when RHP Camilo Pascual was out for an extended period, Perry took his place in the rotation. For the year he appeared in 36 games, 19 of them starts, and compiled a 12-7 record with a 2.63 ERA. The Twins won the AL pennant and Perry made two relief appearances in the seven-game World Series loss to the Dodgers. Primarily a spot starter in 1966, he produced an 11-7 mark with a 2.54 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 184.1 innings. Sain departed for Detroit following the ’66 season, and Perry continued to be a starter/reliever in 1967 and ’68, posting an 8-7 tally with a 3.03 ERA in 37 appearances in ’67 and going 8-6 with a 2.27 ERA in 1968. In 1969, new manager Billy Martin put Perry in the rotation with good results, as he contributed a 20-6 record for the division-winning Twins along with a 2.82 ERA and 153 strikeouts. Another new manager, Bill Rigney, kept him in place as the ace of the staff in 1970 and he won the AL Cy Young Award with his 24-12 record, 3.04 ERA, and 168 strikeouts over 278.2 innings as the Twins won another division title. The Twins sank in the standings in 1971 and Perry’s record dropped to 17-17 with a 4.23 ERA and he again had problems giving up the long ball, surrendering a league-high 39 home runs. In 1972 he went 13-16 with a 3.35 ERA and he was traded to Detroit just prior to the 1973 season, reuniting him with manager Billy Martin. Martin didn’t last the year with the Tigers and Perry went 14-13 with a 4.03 ERA. Dealt back to Cleveland in 1974, Perry was now teamed with his brother Gaylord, and the Perry brothers won 38 games between them, as Gaylord went 21-13 and Jim added a 17-12 tally with a 2.96 ERA. The rest of the staff was disappointing, and when Jim got off to a 1-6 start in 1975, he was traded to Oakland, where he went 3-4 the rest of the way, including a one-hitter against Baltimore. Released in August, Perry retired. For his major league career, he posted a 215-174 record with a 3.45 ERA, 109 complete games, 32 shutouts, and 1576 strikeouts over 3285.2 innings. With Cleveland he was 70-67 with a 3.76 ERA, 39 complete games, 13 shutouts, and 452 strikeouts over 1131.2 innings. Appearing in five postseason games (two starts) he was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. He was a three-time All-Star and was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame in 2011.

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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. 

Highlighted Year: Nap Lajoie, 1903

Second Baseman, Cleveland Naps

Age:  29 (Sept. 5)

2^nd season with Blues/Naps (first complete)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 195 

Prior to 1903:

A Rhode Island native, Napoleon Lajoie (pronounced LAJ-way) was the son of a French-Canadian immigrant (and he thus was said to prefer the French pronunciation of his name as Lah-ZHWA). Due to his father’s early death, Lajoie had to drop out of school to go to work in a textile mill in 1885. Becoming interested in baseball, by 1894 he was playing semi-pro ball in the Woonsocket area while working part-time for an auctioneer. He later became a teamster while playing baseball on the side and became known locally as “the Slugging Cabby”. In 1896 he joined the Fall River Indians of the New England League where he played center field and batted .429 with 15 home runs before his contract was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies for $1500. Converted to first base by the Phillies he appeared in 39 games and batted .326 with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 4 home runs, 42 RBIs, 7 stolen bases, a .330 on-base percentage, and a .543 slugging percentage. In his first full major league season in 1897 Lajoie led the NL in slugging percentage (.569) and total bases (310) while hitting .361 with 197 hits, 107 runs scored, 40 doubles, 23 triples, 9 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a .392 OBP. In 1898 he was shifted to second base where the graceful fielder excelled defensively and led the league’s second sackers with 442 putouts. He also led the NL in doubles (43) and RBIs (127) while batting .324 with 197 hits, 113 runs scored, 11 triples, 6 home runs, 25 stolen bases, a .354 OBP, and a .461 slugging percentage. With a smooth swing that allowed him to hit to all fields with decent power while rarely striking out, Lajoie continued his development in 1899, although an injury limited him to 77 games in which he hit .378 with 19 doubles, 9 triples, 6 home runs, 70 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, a .419 OBP, and a .554 slugging percentage. In 1900 he was sidelined for five weeks as the result of a broken thumb suffered during a fight with teammate Elmer Flick. In 102 games he batted .337 with 33 doubles, 12 triples, 7 home runs, 92 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, a .362 OBP, and a .510 slugging percentage. Incensed upon learning that he was being paid $400 less than teammate Ed Delahanty (despite the preseason assurances by Phillies owner John Rogers that they would be paid the same), Lajoie jumped to the American League in 1901, signing with the Philadelphia Athletics. While the Phillies went to court to stop the deal, Lajoie played for the A’s in 1901 while the case made its way through the court system. He had an outstanding season as he won the batting Triple Crown by hitting .426 with 14 home runs and 125 RBIs. He also topped the new circuit in hits (232), runs scored (145), doubles (48), OBP (.463), slugging percentage (.643), and total bases (350). Prior to the 1902 season the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Lajoie could not play in the state for any other team than the Phillies. While he played in one game for the A’s at the start of the 1902 season, A’s president and manager Connie Mack arranged for his transfer to Cleveland in order to keep him in the American League, although he was forced to sit out any games played in Philadelphia. He again won the AL batting championship (.378) while also hitting 35 doubles, 5 triples, 7 home runs, and producing 65 RBIs, a .419 OBP, and a .565 slugging percentage. The peace agreement between the NL and AL in the offseason ended any claim the Phillies had on Lajoie. To great popular demand the club began to be called the Napoleons (shortened to Naps) in honor of its star player.

1903 Season Summary

Appeared in 125 games

2B – 122, 1B – 1, 3B – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 525

At Bats – 485

Runs – 90 [7]

Hits – 167 [6]

Doubles – 41 [2]

Triples – 11 [15, tied with Charlie Hickman, Danny Murphy & Charlie Carr]

Home Runs – 7 [5, tied with Jimmy Ryan]

RBI – 93 [3]

Bases on Balls – 24

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 26

Stolen Bases – 21 [19, tied with Bill Bradley & Fielder Jones]

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .344 [1]

OBP - .379 [3, tied with Billy Lush]

Slugging Pct. - .518 [1]

Total Bases – 251 [4]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 13

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading batting average was +.009 ahead of runner-up Sam Crawford

League-leading slugging percentage was +.022 ahead of runners-up Bill Bradley & Buck Freeman

Midseason snapshot: 2B –20, 3B – 4,  HR - 1, RBI – 34, AVG – .340, OBP - .367, SLG - .488

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Phila. A’s 7/2, (in 4 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 7/23, (in 5 AB) vs. NY Highlanders 8/15

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 6

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) at Washington 9/23

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Washington 9/24

Pinch-hitting – N/A

Fielding

Chances – 804

Put Outs – 366

Assists – 402

Errors – 36

DP – 61

Pct. – .955

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The Naps (renamed for Lajoie) went 77-63 to finish third in the AL, 15 games behind the pennant-winning Boston Americans while leading the league in doubles (231), and batting strikeouts (588). The Naps entered June at 17-15 in the tightly bunched AL and continued to play well through the summer although they couldn’t keep pace with Boston and finished a distant third.

Aftermath of 1903:

In 1904 Lajoie topped the circuit in batting (.376), OBP (.413), slugging (.546), hits (208), doubles (49), RBIs (102), and total bases (302). Lajoie, also commonly referred to as Larry, missed some games in 1904 due to being suspended after an altercation with an umpire. He would miss more games in 1905 after a spike wound in one leg led to blood poisoning from the blue dye in his sock which nearly led to amputation. His leg recovered, and limited to 65 games, he hit .329 with a .377 OBP and .418 slugging percentage. By this point Lajoie was the player/manager of the Naps, a position that would have a negative effect on his batting production over time, although in 1906 he led the AL in hits (214) and doubles (48) while batting .355 with a .392 OBP and .465 slugging percentage. His manner of hand signaling pitches to his outfielders from behind his back was easily discernible to opponents and he lacked the ability to instruct his players in aspects of the game that came easily to him (a commonality with other great players who became managers). With a talented club he was unable to win the AL pennant as manager, although Cleveland was typically competitive. In 1907 he hit .301 with a .347 OBP and .395 slugging percentage and in 1908, a season in which the Naps closely contended for the pennant, he hit only .289 with a .352 OBP and .375 slugging percentage. During the 1909 season Lajoie resigned as manager as the club dropped to sixth place. Lajoie the player hit .324 with 33 doubles, 7 triples, a home run, 47 RBIs, a .378 OBP, and a .431 slugging percentage. He returned to top batting form in 1910, a season in which he became embroiled in controversy. Battling Detroit’s Ty Cobb for the AL batting championship late in the season, and with a new Chalmers auto to be awarded to the winner, Lajoie and the Naps played a double-header against the St. Louis Browns on the season’s last day and Lajoie trailing Cobb. St. Louis manager Jack O’Connor, not wanting Cobb to win, ordered his third baseman to play deep which allowed Lajoie to beat out seven straight bunts down the third base line for hits. He also hit a triple and one more bunt was ruled a sacrifice. Despite the effort to assist Lajoie, Cobb was awarded the batting title by the closest of margins although later research showed that Cobb was erroneously credited with two additional base hits. In 1981, following the discovery of the error, Commissioner Kuhn refused to retroactively award Lajoie the 1910 AL batting title even though the adjusted figures put him in front of Cobb, .383 to .382. Chalmers chose to award cars to both players, and although Lajoie initially resisted accepting the vehicle, his wife insisted and he received the car. In 1911 a tendon injury limited Lajoie to 90 games and he hit .365 with a .420 OBP. He stayed with Cleveland through 1914 when his average dropped to .258 due to declining eyesight. Sold to the Philadelphia Athletics, he played two last seasons in 1915 and ’16 as his production continued to drop. For his major league career, Lajoie batted .338 with 3243 hits that included 657 doubles, 163 triples, and 82 home runs. He scored 1504 runs and compiled 1599 RBIs, 380 stolen bases, a .380 OBP, and a .466 slugging percentage. With Cleveland the totals were a .339 batting average with 865 runs scored, 2047 hits, 424 doubles, 78 triples, 33 home runs, 919 RBIs, 240 stolen bases, a .389 OBP, and a .452 slugging percentage. Lajoie never appeared in the postseason. He was a minor league player/manager for a time and commissioner of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League. His record as a major league manager was 377-309. Lajoie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. He died in 1959 at age 84.

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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. 

Highlighted Year: Ken Hunt, 1961

Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds

Age: 22

1^st season with Reds

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 200 

Prior to 1961:

A native of Ogden, Utah, Hunt was born into one of the Mormon families that originally migrated to the state. Tall and athletic by the time he reached high school, Hunt achieved all-state recognition in basketball as well as baseball. As a pitcher he hurled two no-hitters, one in which he struck out 21 batters. Receiving a scholarship to Brigham Young University, he signed with the Reds in 1958, receiving a reported bonus of $35,000. Assigned to Visalia of the Class C California League where he experienced problems with his control on the way to a 2-5 record and 9.00 ERA while issuing 75 walks in addition to 34 strikeouts over 54 innings. He also hit 7 batters and unleashed 13 wild pitches. Returning to Visalia in 1959, the newly married Hunt showed some progress while producing a 4-14 tally and 6.66 ERA. The hard-throwing 20-year-old struck out 160 batters while walking 185 over 150 innings. In addition to 16 wild pitches he again hit 7 batters. Moving along to Columbia of the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League in 1960 he showed tremendous improvement in compiling a 16-6 record and 2.86 ERA and a league-leading 221 strikeouts while reducing his walks to 134 over 211 innings. Not expected to make the Reds entering spring training in 1961, he pitched his way onto the pitching staff with a fine Grapefruit League performance which featured his fastball with plenty of motion and an effective curve.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 29 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 29

Games Started – 22

Complete Games – 4

Wins – 9

Losses – 10

PCT - .474

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 136.1

Hits – 130

Runs – 70

Earned Runs – 60

Home Runs – 13

Bases on Balls – 66 [16]

Strikeouts – 75 

ERA – 3.96 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 6 [5, tied with six others]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 5 

Midseason Snapshot: 9-4, ERA - 3.35, SO – 60 in 102 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 9 IP) at San Francisco 5/29

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 7 IP) at Philadelphia 6/16

Batting

PA – 44, AB – 39, R – 0, H – 7, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 2, SO – 19, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .179, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 3, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 34

Put Outs – 10

Assists – 19

Errors – 5

DP – 2

Pct. - .853

Postseason Pitching: G – 1 (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

GS – 0, CG – 0, GF – 1, Record – 0-0, PCT – .000, ERA – 0.00, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 1, H – 0, R – 0, ER – 0, HR – 0, BB – 1, SO – 1, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

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The Reds went 93-61 to win the NL pennant by 4 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (12), saves (40), fewest hits allowed (1300), and fewest runs allowed (653). The lightly regarded Reds were paced by their formidable hitting and decent starting pitching that featured righthanders Joey Jay and Bob Purkey, and LHP Jim O’Toole, supported by relievers Jim Brosnan and Bill Henry. They put together a 54-30 first half and remained strong down the stretch to hold off the Dodgers and nail down the first Cincinnati pennant since 1940. Lost World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 1. Hunt was impressive during the season’s first half until shoulder soreness set in. He didn’t win a game after July 7 and lost six straight decisions, including his final start on Sept. 4. Utilized in relief thereafter he made one appearance from the bullpen in the World Series.

Aftermath of 1961:

Following the season, Hunt enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard. He reported late to spring training in 1962 amid higher expectations than the previous year but pitched poorly in seven spring appearances. Sent down to San Diego of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, he split time between San Diego and Macon of the Sally League, producing a combined record of 2-8 with a 7.67 ERA and 34 strikeouts with 80 walks over 61 innings. 1963 was pretty much a repeat performance, splitting time between San Diego and Macon and compiling a combined tally of 7-9 with a 4.50 ERA and 56 strikeouts with 89 walks over 88 innings. Hunt lasted two more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring in 1965, having never regained the form that brought him some success with the Reds in 1961, his only major league season. He blamed changes in his delivery as a result of blisters and shoulder problems with his demise as a pitcher. After baseball he taught English while coaching the baseball and basketball teams at Morgan High School in Utah. He died at age 69 in 2008.

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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. 

Highlighted Year: Gene Freese, 1961

Third Baseman, Cincinnati Reds

Age: 27

1^st season with Reds

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175 

Prior to 1961:

A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Freese excelled as an athlete in high school and at West Liberty State College (now West Liberty University) despite his small stature (he was nicknamed “he Microbe” at that time). Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1953 he spent most of his first minor league season with Brunswick of the Class D Georgia-Florida League where he played second base and shortstop and batted .309 with 28 doubles, 7 triples, 9 home runs, 89 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, a .374 on-base percentage, and a .459 slugging percentage. He also began to fill out physically at age 19. Promoted to the New Orleans Pelicans of the Class AA Southern Association in 1954, Freese had an outstanding season, hitting .332 with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 16 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .376 OBP, and a .496 slugging percentage. Defensively he appeared exclusively at second base while his older brother George played at third. The Freese brothers joined the Pirates in 1955, but George only appeared in 51 games before returning to the minors. Gene primarily appeared at third base and also saw significant action at second. In a late May game against the Phillies that went into extra innings, Freese reached first base in the tenth inning with another Pirate on third. A hit to the outfield scored the batter from third but Freese failed to run to second base, instead trotting back to the dugout. The Philadelphia shortstop waved fo center fielder Richie Ashburn to throw him the ball after which he stepped on second base. The umpires declared a force out at second due to Freese’s failure to tag second base before departing the field and the Pittsburgh run was nullified. The Phillies went on to win in the eleventh inning and the newspaper accounts compared Freese’s error to the famous “Merkle’s boner” play in 1908 which proved to have a decisive effect on the pennant race when Giants rookie Fred Merkle also failed to touch second base in similar circumstances. The Pirates were far from being contenders at this, or any other, part of the 1955 season, but the misplay by Freese became a long-remembered highlight (or lowlight) from his career. For his rookie season he batted .253 with 21 doubles, 8 triples, 14 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a .310 OBP. Freese started the 1956 season with the Pirates but in June was sent down to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League where, over the course of 68 games, he hit .274 with 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs, and a .321 OBP. Receiving a September call-up to the Pirates, for the major league portion of his season he ended up playing in 65 games and batted .208 with 3 home runs, 14 RBIs, and a .273 OBP. He also picked up the long-lasting nickname of “Augie” following an altercation with umpire Augie Donatelli prior to being sent down to Hollywood. Freese was Pittsburgh’s primary third baseman in 1957 while splitting time with Gene Baker and Frank Thomas. He hit .283 with 18 doubles, 6 home runs, 31 RBIs, and a .319 OBP. Little used by the Pirates during the early part of the 1958 season, Freese was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in June for utility infielder Dick Schofield and cash. Appearing in 62 games for the Cardinals, mostly at shortstop, second base, and as a pinch-hitter because durable star Ken Boyer was firmly installed at third base, Freese batted .257 with 11 doubles, 6 home runs, 16 RBIs, and a .294 OBP. At season’s end he was dealt again, this time to the Philadelphia Phillies for infielder Solly Hemus, who was named as manager of the Cardinals for 1959. Not playing regularly for the Phillies at third base in 1959 until June, Freese batted .268 with 23 home runs, 70 RBIs, a .343 OBP, and a .500 slugging percentage. He particularly excelled as a pinch-hitter, in which role he hit .350 in 20 at bats with 5 homers, 13 RBIs, a .364 OBP, and a 1.150 slugging percentage. In the offseason Freese was traded once again, this time to the Chicago White Sox for up-and-coming outfielder Johnny Callison. As the starting third baseman for the White Sox in 1960, he hit .273 with 32 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 79 RBIs, a .312 OBP, and a .481 slugging percentage. He also performed well defensively. Once again Freese was dealt in the offseason, returning to the National League with the Reds for pitchers Cal McLish and Juan Pizarro.

1961 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

3B – 151, 2B – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 606 [16]

At Bats – 575 [11]

Runs – 78 [16]

Hits – 159 [15]

Doubles – 27 [12, tied with Gordy Coleman & Don Hoak]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 26 [11, tied with Gordy Coleman]

RBI – 87 [13, tied with Gordy Coleman & Vada Pinson]

Bases on Balls – 27

Int. BB – 5

Strikeouts – 78 [14, tied with Frank Thomas]

Stolen Bases – 8 [16, tied with Bill White, Jose Pagan & Jim Gilliam]

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .277

OBP - .307

Slugging Pct. - .466 [19]

Total Bases – 268 [14]

GDP – 17 [9]

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 3 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 18, HR - 18, RBI - 60, AVG - .296, OBP - .328, SLG - .533

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Philadelphia 6/18

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 3 AB) at LA Dodgers 5/31, (in 4 AB) at LA Dodgers 8/16, (in 3 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 9/19

HR at home – 13

HR on road – 13

Multi-HR games – 3

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Mil. Braves 6/8, at St. Louis 6/11, at LA Dodgers 8/16, vs. Pittsburgh 9/19

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 397

Put Outs – 123

Assists – 254

Errors – 20

DP - 23

Pct. - .950 

Postseason Batting: 5 G (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 19, AB – 16, R – 0, H – 1, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 3, IBB – 2, SO – 4, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .063, OBP - .211, SLG - .125, TB – 2, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

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The Reds went 93-61 to win the NL pennant by 4 games over the Los Angeles Dodgers, while leading the league in doubles (247). The lightly regarded Reds were paced by their formidable hitting, which included Freese, and decent starting pitching that featured righthanders Joey Jay and Bob Purkey, and LHP Jim O’Toole, supported by relievers Jim Brosnan and Bill Henry. They put together a 54-30 first half and remained strong down the stretch to hold off the Dodgers and nail down the first Cincinnati pennant since 1940. Lost World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of 1961:

 A broken ankle suffered during spring training effectively finished Freese for the 1962 season as he appeared in only 18 games. Hitting poorly during the early going in 1963, Freese was sent down to San Diego of the Pacific Coast League in May (much to his displeasure) where he batted .281 in 54 games with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .346 OBP. Returning to the Reds in July he hit .244 for the year in Cincinnati with 6 home runs, 26 RBIs, and a .303 OBP. In the offseason he found himself on the move once again, returning to the Pirates for cash. Primarily a backup to young third baseman Bob Bailey in 1964, Freese appeared in 99 games and batted a mere .225 with 13 doubles, 9 home runs, 40 RBIs, and a .269 OBP. Little used by the Pirates in 1965 he was sold to the Chicago White Sox in August to provide a right-handed bat off the bench and also to act as a prod to underperforming third baseman Pete Ward. In his return to the White Sox he appeared in 17 games and hit .281 with a .368 OBP. His combined season totals were .268 with a home run, 12 RBIs, and a .339 OBP. With his major league career drawing to a close, Freese divided 1966 between the White Sox and Houston Astros with unimpressive results. Released by Houston in the offseason, he played two more seasons in the minors prior to retiring in 1968. For his major league career, Freese batted .254 with 877 hits that included 161 doubles, 28 triples, and 115 home runs. He scored 429 runs and compiled 432 RBIs, a .305 OBP, and a .418 slugging percentage. With the Reds he batted .261 and scored 100 runs with 37 doubles, 3 triples, 32 home runs, 114 RBIs, a .303 OBP, and a .428 slugging percentage. The 1961 World Series marked his only postseason action. A journeyman player who was at his best for the pennant-winning 1961 Reds, following baseball Freese was involved in business in New Orleans that included operating a sports tavern. He was inducted into the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1988 and died at age 79 in 2013. His brother George, who was a minor league and briefly major league teammate, had a 17-year minor league playing career with only brier stops in the majors.

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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.