Highlighted Year: Fred Tenney, 1902

First Baseman, Boston Beaneaters

Age:  30

8^th season with Beaneaters

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 155 

Prior to 1902:

A native of Georgetown, Massachusetts, Tenney attended Brown University where he was a rare lefthanded catcher on the baseball team. Known for his aggressive playing style, he came to be nicknamed the “Soiled Collegian”, which was also something of a gibe from older teammates when he reached the major leagues. Following his graduation he joined the Beaneaters in 1894, who were in dire need of a catcher. After breaking a finger in his major league debut, Tenney rejoined the club upon his recovery and over the course of 27 games he batted .395 with 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 21 RBIs, and a .360 on-base percentage. In 1895 Tenney spent time in the minor New England League with the New Bedford Whalers. In 49 major league games with Boston he hit .272 with a .360 OBP. Again splitting time between the Beaneaters and, briefly, Springfield of the Eastern League in 1896 he further demonstrated that he could hit at the major league level as he batted .336 for Boston with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 49 RBIs, a .400 OBP, and a .411 slugging percentage. Manager Frank Selee was unimpressed with his throwing arm from behind the plate and sought to utilize him in the outfield, also with unsatisfactory results. Placing him at first base in 1897 resolved the issue of where to put Tenney as he proved to be very adept defensively. As first baseman in a strong infield in 1897, Tenney hit .318 with 24 doubles, 3 triples, one home run, 85 RBIs, and a .376 OBP. Defensively, his 81 assists placed second among NL first sackers, as did his .988 fielding percentage, and his 1248 putouts ranked third. The Beaneaters won the NL pennant. The club repeated in 1898 and Tenney batted .328 with 25 doubles, 5 triples, 62 RBIs, a .370 OBP, and a .400 slugging percentage. He continued to rank among the league’s best fielding first basemen. Boston dropped to second place in 1899 but Tenney, the clever and talented batsman, hit .347 with 19 doubles, 17 triples, a home run, 67 RBIs, a .411 OBP, and a .439 slugging percentage. By 1900, he was a star player on a club that dropped further in the standings, as he batted .279 with 13 doubles, 5 triples, one home run, 56 RBIs, and a .346 OBP. Courted by the new American League in 1901, Tenney stayed put in Boston and hit .282 with 15 extra-base hits and a .340 OBP. By 1902 he was considered the league’s premier fielding first baseman as well as a reliable hitter and outstanding bunter with good speed on the basepaths.

1902 Season Summary

Appeared in 134 games

1B – 134

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 596 [10]

At Bats – 489

Runs – 88 [7]

Hits – 154 [12]

Doubles – 18 [19, tied with Sam Crawford & Tommy Corcoran]

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 2 [13, tied with thirteen others]

RBI – 30

Bases on Balls – 73 [3]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 43

Stolen Bases – 21

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .315 [7, tied with Jimmy Slagle, Howie Peitz & Patsy Donovan]

OBP - .409 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .376 [11]

Total Bases – 184 [14]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 5

Sac Hits – 29 [1]

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading sac hits were +3 ahead of runners-up John Dobbs & Gene DeMontreville

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 9, HR - 2, RBI - 19, SB – 11, AVG - .347, OBP – .427, SLG - .441

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Phila. Phillies 4/28, (in 5 AB) vs. Cincinnati 8/8, (in 4 AB) at St. Louis Cards 8/21, (in 5 AB) at Phila. Phillies 9/16

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 2

HR on road – 0

Most home runs, game – 1 (in 3 AB) vs. NY Giants 5/29, (in 3 AB) vs. Brooklyn 6/28

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at Chi. Cubs 7/4, vs. Cincinnati 8/8

Pinch-hitting – No Appearances

Fielding

Chances – 1377

Put Outs – 1251

Assists – 105

Errors – 21

DP – 75

Pct. - .985 

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The Beaneaters (aka Nationals) went 73-64 to finish third in the NL, 30.5 games behind the pennant-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. The slow-starting Beaneaters finished May in fourth place at 15-19 before rallying in June and July to advance to third at 42-37. A lesser performance in August and September locked the club into its third-place finish.

After 1902:

In 1903, in recognition of his loyalty to the Beaneaters, Tenney was named team captain. He batted .313 with 22 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .415 OBP. In the field he led NL first basemen in assists with 93 and he remained a premier fielder. In 1904 he hit .270 with a .351 OBP and again led the league’s first basemen in assists {115). Tenney was named player/manager of the Beaneaters in 1905 with a bonus incentive if the club didn’t lose money, which had him going into the stands to retrieve foul balls and led to a fracas with legendary umpire Bill Klem the following year over the return of unused baseballs after a game in Boston. Also, during the 1905 season Tenney considered signing William Clarence Matthews, who had been a star middle infielder at Harvard who happened to be African-American, but objections from other National League teams derailed the deal and Matthews continued his education on the way to entering into a distinguished legal career. The result was that the National and American Leagues remained segregated and the Beaneaters kept on losing and pinching pennies to stay afloat. For the 1905 season, Tenney batted .288 with a .368 OBP and he led NL first basemen in putouts (1556) and assists (152). The Beaneaters remained a cellar-dwelling club in 1906 and Tenney remained one of the few standouts on the roster, hitting .283 with 12 doubles, 8 triples, one home run, 28 RBIs, and a .357 OBP. He was suspended for two games as a result of the aforementioned altercation with umpire Bill Klem. Not typically given to fighting, particularly in light of the rough and tumble standards of the time, Tenney could stand up for himself if necessary. New ownership took over in 1907 and the franchise was renamed the Doves due to the Dovey brothers, the new owners, who gave Tenney a small ownership interest thanks to his helping to facilitate the sale. The Doves finished in seventh place and Tenney batted .273 with 18 doubles, 8 triples, 26 RBIs, and a .371 OBP. In the offseason he was fired as manager and traded to the New York Giants as part of an eight-player deal and despite his still owning stock in the Boston club. He proved to be a good veteran presence on the Giants in 1908 and led the NL with 101 runs scored while hitting .256 with 20 doubles, 2 home runs, 49 RBIs, and a .344 OBP. His performance dropped off significantly in 1909 as he batted .235 with a .333 OBP while appearing in only 101 games. Released following the season, Tenney played for the Lowell Tigers of the New England League in 1910 before returning to the National League and Boston, now called the Rustlers, in 1911, as a 39-year-old player/manager. The season did not go well for the club and Tenney batted .263 with a .352 OBP while playing in 102 games. Replaced as manager in 1912, both his playing and managerial careers came to an end. For his major league career, Tenney batted .294 with 2231 hits that included 270 doubles, 77 triples, and 22 home runs. He scored 1278 runs and compiled 688 RBIs, 285 stolen bases, a .371 OBP, and a .358 slugging percentage. With Boston he batted ..300 with 1134 runs scored, 1994 hits, 242 doubles, 74 triples, 17 home runs, 609 RBIs, 260 stolen bases, a .376 OBP, and a .367 slugging percentage. Tenney never appeared in the postseason. His managerial record was a disappointing 202-402. After baseball he worked for the Equitable Life Insurance Society and wrote about baseball for several newspapers and Baseball Magazine. He died at age 80 in 1952. In 2023 Tenney was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame.

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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: Ron Hunt, 1971

Second Baseman/Third Baseman, Montreal Expos

 Age: 30

1^st season with Expos

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 186 

Prior to 1971:

A Missouri native, Hunt played football and baseball in high school and was signed by the Milwaukee Braves following his graduation in 1959. Initially assigned to McCook of the Class D Nebraska State League, in 62 games he batted .284 with 11 doubles, 6 triples, 2 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .431 on-base percentage. He was hit by 13 pitches, setting the stage for a significant element of his major league career. Advancing to Cedar Rapids of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or Three I) League in 1960 he hit .191 with 9 doubles, 3 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .335 OBP thanks to drawing 88 walks. Returning to Cedar Rapids in 1961, Hunt’s batting production improved to .295 with 25 doubles, 7 triples, 16 home runs, 72 RBIs, a .389 OBP, and a .484 slugging percentage. He spent 1962 with Austin of the Class AA Texas League and hit .310 with 25 doubles, 5 triples, 2 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a .381 OBP. In the offseason Hunt was sold to the New York Mets and became the starting second baseman as a rookie in 1963, after initially being utilized as a bullpen catcher and telling manager Casey Stengel he would accept being sent back to the minors if he could play regularly at second. The impressed Stengel put him in the line-up and, while his fielding was a bit raw, he went on to lead the club in batting with his .272 average and further compiled 28 doubles, 4 triples, 10 home runs, 42 RBIs, a .334 OBP, and a .396 slugging percentage despite battling allergy problems. He placed a distant second in league Rookie of the Year voting and became a fan favorite with his scrappy style of play. Tough, aggressive, aware of his limitations, and willing to do what was necessary to help the team, he was hit by 13 pitches, which ranked second in the NL. Hunt broke out in 1964 to hit .303 with 19 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .357 OBP. Along the way, he became the first Met to start an All-Star Game. Having developed into an adept fielder, Hunt was limited to 57 games in 1965 due to a shoulder separation and batted .240 with a .309 OBP. He rebounded in 1966 to hit .288 with 19 doubles, 3 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .356 OBP. He was an All-Star for the second time but was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason along with outfielder Jim Hickman, in the deal that brought outfielder Tommy Davis to New York. The primary second baseman for the Dodgers during the first half of the season, he was hitting .286 with a .381 OBP at the All-Star break. Injuries wore him down during the season’s second half and he was shuttled between second and third base late in the year. He finished by batting .263 with 17 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a .344 OBP. In the offseason, Hunt found himself on the move again, this time up the California coast to the San Francisco Giants as part of a four-player trade. He hit .250 with 19 doubles, 2 home runs, 28 RBIs, and a .371 OBP bolstered by drawing 78 walks and being hit by 25 pitches, which marked his first time leading the league in that category. Prone to crowding the plate, choking up on the bat and leaning toward the pitcher and not avoiding inside pitches, although he would use a spin move that made it appear that he was trying to avoid any direct hits. Umpires rarely called him on it and it allowed a fair hitter who lacked power to reach base more regularly. His defense was less stellar and, for the second time in his career, he led NL second basemen in errors. In the first season of divisional play in major league baseball in 1969, the perennially second-place-finishing Giants were runners-up once again in the new NL West. Hunt’s strong play in the season’s second half helped to achieve that result and, in addition to again topping the circuit in being hit by 25 pitches Hunt batted .262 with 23 doubles, 3 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .361 OBP. He tied for fifteenth in league MVP balloting. In 1970, the oft-injured Hunt was limited to 117 games and hit .281 with 17 doubles, 6 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .394 OBP. He still led the league by being hit by 26 pitches despite the reduced playing time. Dealt to the Expos in the offseason, in 1971 Hunt took his penchant for being hit by pitches to the highest level.

1971 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

2B – 133, 3B – 19, PH – 6

 [Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 638

At Bats – 520

Runs – 89 [8]

Hits – 145

Doubles – 20

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 5

RBI – 38

Bases on Balls – 58

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 41

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 7 [12, tied with seven others]

Average - .279

OBP - .402 [4]

Slugging Pct. - .358

Total Bases – 186

GDP – 1

Hit by Pitches – 50 [1]

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

Sac Flies – 2

League-leading times hit by pitches were +41 ahead of runner-up Rusty Staub

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 9, HR - 3, RBI - 20, HBP – 25, AVG - .282, OBP - .401

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Chi. Cubs 4/29, (in 5 AB) vs. Houston 5/5

Longest hitting streak – 6 games

HR at home – 4

HR on road – 1

Most home runs, game – 1 on five occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 2 on six occasions

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 5 (.200) with 1 BB

Fielding (2B)

Chances – 654

Put Outs – 270

Assists – 370

Errors – 14

DP – 72

Pct. - .979 

Awards & Honors:

Montreal Expos Player of the Year: BBWAA (Montreal chapter)

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The Expos went 71-90 to finish fifth in the NL Eastern Division, 25.5 games behind the division-winning Pittsburgh Pirates. With a bullpen overburdened by weather-postponement double-headers in Montreal, and a lack of batting power, the Expos endured a 34-54 first half, although they were ultimately able to escape the NL East cellar for the first time in their brief history. Hunt’s all-out play included setting a modern major league record for being hit by pitches.

Aftermath of 1971:

Considered by many writers to be a throwback to an earlier baseball era in his style of play, Hunt lacked grace as a fielder but made up for it with his aggressiveness. Never fast to begin with, Hunt appeared to lose a step in 1972 but still topped the NL by being hit by 26 pitches while batting .253 with 20 doubles, 56 runs scored, 18 RBIs, and a .363 OBP. Hitting well to start the 1973 season, Hunt was batting .299 at the All-Star break, but then injuries limited him to only 21 games during the season’s second half and he finished at .309 with a .418 OBP while topping the league in being hit by 24 pitches. With the Expos bent on a youth movement in 1974, Hunt was waived in September and picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals for the remainder of the season. He ended up hitting a combined .263 with a .372 OBP and a league-leading 16 times hit by pitches. Failing to make the Cardinals during 1975 spring training, his playing career came to an end. For his major league career, Hunt batted .273 with 1429 hits that included 223 doubles, 23 triples, and 39 home runs. He scored 745 runs and compiled 370 RBIs, 65 stolen bases, and a .368 OBP. He was hit by 243 pitchers which was the modern career record until first broken by Don Baylor and later Craig Biggio. Nicknamed “Scrap Iron”, as testament to his usefulness with limited skills, and “Pigpen”, for his typically dirty uniform, he retired to his Missouri farm and ran liquor and sporting goods stores in addition to the non-profit Ron Hunt Eagles Baseball Association, a baseball training program for boys aged 14 to 18. Suffering health problems due to his rugged style of play, he summed up by saying “a lot of people give their body to science. I gave mine to baseball.” Hunt died in 2026 at age 85.

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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: Otto Velez, 1979

Outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays

Age: 28

3^rd season with Blue Jays

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 170 

Prior to 1979:

A native of Ponce in Puerto Rico, Otoniel Velez grew up playing baseball and signed with the New York Yankees for $20,000. With teams at the Rookie and Class A levels in 1970 the young outfielder batted .322 with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 7 home runs, 48 RBIs, a .432 on-base percentage, and a .500 slugging percentage. With Kinston of the Class A Carolina League in 1971, Velez hit .310 with 21 doubles, 16 home runs, 73 RBIs, a .420 OBP, and a .510 slugging percentage. Advancing to West Haven of the Class AA Eastern League in 1972, he struggled a bit with playing in a cooler climate and batted .249 with 17 doubles, 13 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a .371 OBP thanks to drawing 80 walks. Moving on to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League in 1973, Velez had an outstanding season in right field, batting .269 with 19 doubles, 7 triples, 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .450 OBP due to drawing 130 walks, and a .562 slugging percentage. Named to the International League All-Star team, he solidified his position as an untouchable prospect and received a late-season call-up to the Yankees where he slugged his first two major league home runs. Unable to stick with the Yankees out of spring training in 1974, he started the season back in Syracuse where he again hit well and earned a midseason promotion to the Yanks. Competing with several veterans for playing time, Velez was utilized primarily at first base and only sparingly in the outfield. He hit .209 with only four extra-base hits over the course of 27 games and 67 at bats. Velez spent almost all of 1975 with Syracuse, batting .250 with 18 doubles, 10 home runs, 35 RBIs, a .445 OBP, and a .463 slugging percentage. Used in a utility role in 1976, Velez appeared in 49 games and hit .266 with 6 doubles, 2 home runs, 10 RBIs, and a .410 OBP. The Yankees won the AL East title and the league pennant before being flattened by the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. Velez went hitless in four postseason at bats. Having been a top prospect who could never find a fit on the Yankees, in the offseason he was chosen by the expansion Blue Jays. Velez got off to a strong start with the fledgling club as he hit .442 in April with 5 home runs, 18 RBIs, a .531 OBP, and a .865 slugging percentage. He tailed off thereafter and encountered injury problems on his way to finishing at .256 with 19 doubles, 16 home runs, 62 RBIs, a .366 OBP, and a .458 slugging percentage. His play in the outfield, covering both left and right field, was subpar and he ended up seeing considerable action as Designated Hitter. Again playing both corner outfield positions in 1978, as well as pinch-hitting 27 times, Velez’s power production dropped off to 14 doubles and 9 home runs while he hit .266 with 38 RBIs, and a .380 OBP.  

1979 Season Summary

Appeared in 99 games

LF – 43, RF – 35, PH – 21, DH – 9, 1B – 6

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 325

At Bats – 274

Runs – 45

Hits – 79

Doubles – 21

Triples – 0

Home Runs – 15

RBI – 48

Bases on Balls – 46

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 45

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .288

OBP - .396 [Non-qualifying]

Slugging Pct. - .529 [Non-qualifying]

Total Bases – 145

GDP – 8

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 2

Sac Flies – 0 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 11, HR - 7, RBI - 19, AVG - .263, OBP - .364, SLG – .504

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Most hits, game – 3 (in 4 AB) at Baltimore 7/1, (in 3 AB) at Minnesota 7/23, (in 3 AB) vs. Texas 7/26, (in 4 AB) at KC Royals 8/1

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

HR at home – 7

HR on road – 8

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) vs. Texas 7/26

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Texas 7/26

Pinch-hitting – 5 for 19 (.263) with 2 R, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI & 2 BB

 Fielding (OF)

Chances – 137

Put Outs – 130

Assists – 3

Errors – 4

DP – 1

Pct. - .971 

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The Blue Jays went 53-109 to finish seventh (last) in the AL Eastern Division, 50.5 games behind the division-winning Baltimore Orioles while leading the league in fewest home runs (95) and fewest walks drawn (448). The Blue Jays went through a dismal stretch between April 15 and June 5 in which they produced a 9-39 record which entrenched them in the AL East cellar. As a part-time outfielder, Velez put together his best major league season.

Aftermath of 1979:

In 1980, the player nicknamed “Otto the Swatto” lived up to his monicker during a May double-header against the Cleveland Indians when he hit four home runs and accounted for 10 RBIs. During the first game of the twin bill, he became the first Blue Jay to slug three homers in a game. Utilized almost exclusively as a DH he went on to bat .269 with 12 doubles, 20 home runs, 62 RBIs, a .365 OBP, and a .487 slugging percentage although he was sidelined for the season’s last 36 games due to a broken cheek bone suffered In a car accident. His hitting in the strike-shortened 1981 season dropped off to .213 with 11 home runs, 28 RBIs, a .363 OBP, and a .404 slugging percentage while still DHing regularly. Replaced as the regular DH in 1982, Velez appeared in only 28 games and was released in September. Joining the Cleveland Indians in 1983 he played in only 10 games before his once promising major league playing career came to an end at age 32. For his major league career, Velez batted .251 with 452 hits that included 87 doubles, 11 triples, and 78 home runs. He scored 244 runs and compiled 272 RBIs, a .369 OBP, and a .441 slugging percentage. With Toronto he batted .257 with 394 hits, 214 runs scored, 76 doubles, 10 triples, 72 home runs, 243 RBIs, a .372 OBP, and a .461 slugging percentage. Following his playing career, Velez coached for Puerto Rico’s baseball team in several international competitions.

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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: Claude Osteen, 1964

Pitcher, Washington Senators

Age: 25 (Aug. 9)

4^th season with Senators (3^rd complete)

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’11” Weight: 160 

Prior to 1964:

A Tennessee native, Osteen was the son of an amateur pitcher. The family moved to Cincinnati and Osteen became a star pitcher at Reading High School where his varsity record was 23-1. Going 16-0 as a senior in 1957 he posted a 0.13 ERA and 221 strikeouts over 103.2 innings. That led to signing a contract with the Cincinnati Reds immediately following his graduation. The 17-year-old southpaw appeared in one July game for the Reds before being assigned to Nashville of the Class AA Southern Association where he appeared in seven games and had a 1-1 record before receiving a late-season call-up to the Reds where he made two more relief appearances. His major league totals, where he had no decisions, were four hits and a run over four innings. Osteen spent 1958 with the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Class B Northwest League where he compiled a 14-4 record and 3.04 ERA with 15 complete games and 174 strikeouts over 151 innings. Promoted to the Seattle Rainiers of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, he produced a 5-4 tally and 3.08 ERA to close out the year. Staying with Seattle in 1959 his record was 8-12 with a mediocre team, but his ERA was a good 2.98 and he had 12 complete games and 155 strikeouts over 193 innings. Back with Cincinnati in 1960 he was a little-used member of the bullpen, appearing in 20 games and going 0-1 with a 5.03 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 48.1 innings. Following an offseason of winter ball in Puerto Rico, Osteen started the 1961 season with the Reds before soon being sent back to Class AAA with Indianapolis of the American Association where he put together a 15-11 tally, 3.53 ERA, 11 complete games, and 132 strikeouts over 191 innings. In September he was traded to the Senators who were playing out their inaugural season as an expansion team replacing the long-time Senators club that had moved to Minnesota. Able to be a starting pitcher with minimal pressure in Washington, he lost his first five decisions in 1962 before shutting out the Kansas City A’s on his way to posting an 8-13 record and 3.65 ERA with 7 complete games, and 59 strikeouts over 150.1 innings. Osteen started slowly in 1963 on his way to a 9-14 tally and 3.35 ERA with 8 complete games and 109 strikeouts over 212.1 innings.

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

P – 37, PH – 2, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 37

Games Started – 36 [2, tied with five others]

Complete Games – 13 [3, tied with Milt Pappas & Jim Kaat]

Wins – 15 [12, tied with Camilo Pascual]

Losses – 13 [9, tied with six others]

PCT - .536

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 257 [5]

Hits – 256 [2]

Runs – 107 [9]

Earned Runs – 95 [9, tied with John O’Donoghue & Buster Narum]

Home Runs – 20

Bases on Balls – 64 [17, tied with Mickey Lolich, Bennie Daniels & Ed Connolly]

Strikeouts – 133 [20]

ERA – 3.33 [16]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 3 

Midseason Snapshot: 6-5, ERA - 3.24, SO – 66 in 116.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 8 (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. White Sox 5/15, (in 9 IP) vs. Cleveland 7/28

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 5 (in 9 IP) at Detroit 9/13, (in 7.1 IP) vs. LA Angels 8/15, (in 7 IP) vs. KC A’s 6/8

Batting

PA – 103, AB – 90, R – 8, H – 14, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 7, BB – 3, SO – 34, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .156, GDP – 1, HBP – 1, SH – 7, SF – 2

Fielding

Chances – 60

Put Outs – 9

Assists – 51

Errors – 0

DP – 5

Pct. - 1.000

 Awards & Honors:

30^th in AL MVP voting, tied with Ed Bressoud, Bos. & Dave Wickersham, Det. (2 points – 1% share)

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The Senators went 62-100 to finish ninth in the AL, 37 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees. The pitching staff led the league in fewest saves (26) and fewest strikeouts (794). Hindered by a weak offense, the Senators were at 19-29 by the end of May but dropped into the AL cellar thanks to a 13-32 stretch that commenced in late June. Entering September while apparently heading toward another disastrous finish, they still managed to do better than the Kansas City Athletics.

Aftermath of 1964:

Highly sought after by other teams, Osteen was traded in the offseason to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a major trade that brought outfielder Frank Howard, third baseman Ken McMullen, and LHP Pete Richert to Washington. On the cusp of stardom with the lowly Senators, in 1965 Osteen found himself in the starting rotation of a pennant-winning club. During spring training he obtained the nickname “Gomer” from a teammate due to his perceived resemblance to actor Jim Nabors who portrayed the comic character Gomer Pyle on television. On a pitching staff dominated by LHP Sandy Koufax and RHP Don Drysdale, Osteen got off to a 6-10 start but went 9-5 after the All-Star break to finish at 15-15 with a 2.79 ERA and 9 complete games with 162 strikeouts over 287 innings. The Dodgers edged the Giants in a hot pennant race and fell behind the Minnesota Twins in the World Series as Drysdale and Koufax lost the first two games. Osteen pitched a five-hit shutout to turn the Series around for the Dodgers. He lost his Game 6 start but Koufax nailed down the World Series title in the decisive seventh game. With outstanding control his arsenal consisted of a sinking fastball, slider, curve, and changeup. The Dodgers were pennant-winners again in 1966 and Osteen contributed a 17-14 tally and 2.85 ERA along with 8 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 137 strikeouts over 240.1 innings. The club was swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series and Osteen took a tough 1-0 loss in Game 3 thanks to giving up a solo home run while Baltimore’s Wally Bunker hurled a shutout, which was part of the pitching dominance on the part of the Orioles against LA’s weak-hitting lineup. Sandy Koufax retired in the offseason, setting the stage for a Dodger downturn in 1967. The team did indeed drop to eighth place in the NL. Not a strong hitting club even during their previous two pennant-winning seasons, the situation worsened in ’67 and Osteen finished with a 17-17 record despite a respectable 3.22 ERA and 5 shutouts among his 14 complete games. He compiled 152 strikeouts over 288.1 innings. Still, he was an All-Star for the first time. The situation was no better in 1968 and Osteen’s tally dropped to 12-18 with a 3.08 ERA, 5 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 119 strikeouts over 254 innings. The Dodgers contended in the new NL West in 1969 and Osteen produced a 20-15 record with a 2.66 ERA, 16 complete games, 7 shutouts, and 183 strikeouts over 321 innings. He followed up in 1970 at 16-14 with a 3.83 ERA, 11 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 114 strikeouts over 258.2 innings. Along the way he was an All-Star. The consistent Osteen went 14-11 for the second-place Dodgers in 1971 with a 3.51 ERA, 11 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 109 strikeouts over 259 innings. In an otherwise disappointing 1972 season for the team, Osteen produced a 20-11 record and 2.64 ERA with 14 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 100 strikeouts over 252 innings. Turning 34 during the 1973 season, the crafty Osteen posted a 16-11 tally and 3.31 ERA, with 12 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 86 strikeouts over 236.2 innings. Looking to add batting punch to their lineup, the Dodgers traded Osteen to the Houston Astros for outfielder Jim Wynn in the offseason. With the Astros in 1974, Osteen was 9-9 with a 3.71 ERA when he was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in August. With the Cardinals battling Pittsburgh for the NL East crown down the stretch, the savvy veteran pitched out of the bullpen and was 0-2 with a 4.37 ERA in 8 appearances. Released by the Cardinals in the spring of 1975, he was picked up by the Chicago White Sox and returned to full-time starting duty. His record was 7-16 with a 4.36 ERA, 5 complete games, and 63 strikeouts over 204.1 innings. Having avoided arm problems over the years with his easy delivery and intelligent approach to his craft, Osteen was finally showing signs of wear and was released by the White Sox the following spring, thus ending his playing career. For his major league career, Osteen compiled a 196-195 record with a 3.30 ERA, 140 complete games, 40 shutouts, and 1612 strikeouts over 3460.2 innings. With the Senators he was 33-41 with a 3.46 ERA, 28 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 315 strikeouts over 638 innings. In three World Series starts with the Dodgers his record was 1-2 with a 0.86 ERA and 7 strikeouts over 21 innings. A three-time All-Star, 1964 marked the only season in which he received MVP votes. Following his playing career, Osteen became a pitching coach in the minor leagues and in the majors with the Cardinals, Phillies, Rangers, and Dodgers. In 2004 he was inducted into the Cincinnati High School Sports Hall of Fame.   

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