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: Lou Boudreau, 1948

Shortstop, Cleveland Indians

Age:  31 (July 17)

10^th season with Indians

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185

Prior to 1948:

Boudreau, a native of Harvey, Illinois, was the son of a semipro baseball player who worked with him from a young age to develop his baseball skills. He was a very fine basketball player in a high school and went on to play baseball and basketball at the Univ. of Illinois. A natural leader with abundant self-confidence and competitiveness, he captained both teams. Boudreau signed with the Indians in 1938. He appeared in 60 games with the Cedar Rapids Raiders of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League in ’38 and hit .290 while playing at third base. He earned a late-season call-up to the Indians and appeared in one game, going hitless in two plate appearances. Boudreau went to spring training with the Indians in 1939 and was advised to switch to shortstop due to the presence of talented young Ken Keltner at third base. He was sent to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AA International League to learn the new position and performed well while also hitting .331 with 17 home runs, earning a promotion back to the Indians. He appeared in 53 games at shortstop with Cleveland in ’39 and batted .258. 1940 was a tumultuous season for the Indians and the rookie shortstop performed well, batting .295 with 46 doubles, 10 triples, 9 home runs, and 101 RBIs. He earned an All-Star selection and was named Rookie of the Year by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, a precursor to the current Rookie of the Year award. Boudreau had a lesser year in 1941, batting .257 with a league-leading 45 doubles, plus 8 triples, 10 home runs, and 56 RBIs. He was once again an AL All-Star and tied for seventeenth in league MVP voting. Despite his youth, in the offseason the 24-year-old shortstop was named player/manager. With the US entry into World War II players began leaving for the military, not including Boudreau, who was declared unfit for service due to the arthritic ankles that also contributed to his being a slow baserunner. Cleveland, without star pitcher Bob Feller, who went into the Navy, had a rough first season in 1942 under Boudreau, who was assisted by a group of veteran coaches, going 75-79 and placing fourth in the AL. Boudreau hit .283 with 58 RBIs and was an All-Star for the third straight year. The Indians improved to 82-71 in 1943 and Boudreau helped with solid play in the field and a .286 batting average with 32 doubles, 7 triples, 3 home runs, and 67 RBIs. The Indians dropped to 72-82 in 1944, otherwise an outstanding year for Boudreau the player who won the AL batting title with a .327 average in addition to leading the league with 45 doubles. A broken leg limited him to 97 games in 1945. The fifth-place Indians were 73-72 in the last of the war-affected seasons. Boudreau hit .293 in 1946 with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, and 62 RBIs for the 68-86 Indians. He was an innovative manager who also implemented a defensive shift to try and thwart Boston’s star left-handed hitter, Ted Williams. Also in ’46 Bill Veeck became the team’s principal owner, vowing to revamp the club. Boudreau was retained as manager and during the 1947 season, Larry Doby joined the team to become the first African-American player in the AL, following Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson in the NL by three months. Cleveland finished in fourth place at 80-74 while Boudreau batted .307 and topped the AL with 45 doubles and finished third in MVP voting. While Veeck toyed with the idea of trading the popular shortstop and thus replacing him as manager, the popular Boudreau returned as player/manager in 1948, which was viewed as a make-or-break season.   

1948 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

SS – 151, C – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 676 [6]

At Bats – 560 [11, tied with Jerry Priddy]

Runs – 116 [5]

Hits – 199 [3]

Doubles – 34 [7, tied with Bob Dillinger]

Triples – 6

Home Runs – 18 [10]

RBI – 106 [8]

Bases on Balls – 98 [6]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 9

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .355 [2]

OBP - .453 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .534 [4]

Total Bases – 299 [4, tied with Vern Stephens]

GDP – 15 [18, tied with Jerry Priddy & Eddie Yost]

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 16 [5]

Sac Flies – N/A

Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Chi. White Sox 4/26 – 14 innings

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 12

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) vs. Phila. A’s 9/19, (in 4 AB) at Bos. Red Sox 10/4 – playoff, counted as part of regular season

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Chi. White Sox 4/26 – 14 innings, vs. St. Louis Browns 5/31, at St. Louis Browns 8/12

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 1 (1.000) with 2 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 800

Put Outs – 297

Assists – 483

Errors – 20

DP – 119

Pct. - .975

Postseason Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. Bos. Braves)

PA – 24, AB – 22, R – 1, H – 6, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 1, SO – 1, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .273, OBP - .333, SLG - .455, TB – 10, GDP – 2, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (started for AL at SS)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Lou Boudreau, Clev.: 324 pts. - 22 of 24 first place votes, 96% share

Joe DiMaggio, NYY.: 213 pts. – 2 first place votes, 63% share

Ted Williams, BosRS.: 171 pts. – 51% share

Vern Stephens, BosRS.: 121 pts. – 36% share

Bob Lemon, Clev.: 101 pts. – 30% share

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Indians went 96-58 to finish tied for first in the AL with the Boston Red Sox, which necessitated a season-extending one-game playoff in Boston. They defeated the Red Sox 8-3 as Boudreau went 4 for 4 including his 17^th and 18^th home runs of the season, to clinch the AL pennant with a final record of 97-58. The team led the league in hits (1534), home runs (155), and batting (.282) while battling the Red Sox and New York Yankees, who ended up in third, 2.5 games behind Cleveland. Won World Series over the Boston Braves, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘48:

Boudreau received a raise to $62,000 in 1949 and he hit .284 with 20 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 60 RBIs while the Indians dropped to third place. He managed the club again in 1950 and played in only 81 games, batting just .269. With new ownership in place, Boudreau was released after the season and signed with the Red Sox in 1951 as a utility infielder. Nearing the end as a player, he appeared in 82 games and batted .267 with 5 home runs and 47 RBIs. The Red Sox named him manager in 1952 and he played in four games, thus ending his playing career and becoming strictly a bench manager. He managed in Boston for three seasons and the team had a 229-232 record under his direction. Fired by the Red Sox following the 1954 season, he was next hired by the newly-relocated Kansas City Athletics in 1955, where he lasted for nearly three years and was released during the 1957 season with a 151-260 record. Overall as a player Boudreau batted .295 with 1779 hits that included 385 doubles, 66 triples, and 68 home runs. He drove in 789 runs. With the Indians he hit .296 with 367 doubles, 65 triples, 63 home runs, and 740 RBIs. He was an eight-time All-Star and a two-time batting champion. He topped all AL shortstops in fielding seven times, twice in assists, four times in put outs and five times in double plays. Following his firing as manager of the A’s Boudreau moved into the broadcast booth for Chicago Cubs games. He had one more managerial stint with the Cubs, finishing out the 1960 season after Charlie Grimm was removed. As a major league manager Boudreau’s teams went 1162-1224. In his nine seasons in Cleveland, the Indians compiled a 728-649 tally that included the one pennant and World Series title. He returned to broadcasting after his last managerial job with the Cubs and stayed with it until retiring in 1988 at age 71. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Indians retired his #5.   

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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: Alvin Dark, 1948

Shortstop, Boston Braves

Age:  26

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185

Prior to 1948:

An Oklahoma native, Dark starred in football and basketball in high school, which didn’t field a baseball team, so he played American Legion baseball as a teen. He enrolled at LSU in 1940, where he lettered in football, baseball, and basketball. In 1943 with World War II well underway, Dark entered a Marine Corps program which allowed him to stay in school for another year. The Marines sent him to Southwestern Louisiana Institute where he continued to display his all-around athletic prowess until his Marine training began. Once his military commitment was completed, Dark considered his options, including an offer from pro football’s Philadelphia Eagles, who had chosen him in the third round of the 1945 NFL draft. Preferring to play baseball he signed a $50,000 contract with the Braves in 1946. Dark appeared in 15 games with the Braves in ’46 and hit .231 with three doubles in 13 at bats. He spent 1947 with Milwaukee of the Class AAA American Association where he batted .303 with 49 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs and 66 RBIs. Dark made the Braves for the 1948 season, initially as a backup to veteran SS Sibby Sisti, who he replaced in the lineup in short order.

1948 Season Summary

Appeared in 137 games

SS – 115

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 581 [19, tied with Bill Nicholson]

At Bats – 543 [14]

Runs – 85 [12, tied with Stan Rojek & Tommy Holmes]

Hits – 175 [5]

Doubles – 39 [3]

Triples – 6 [14, tied with Ed Stevens, Wally Westlake & Duke Snider]

Home Runs – 3

RBI – 48

Bases on Balls – 24

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 36

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .322 [4]

OBP - .353 [18]

Slugging Pct. - .433 [16]

Total Bases – 235 [13, tied with Stan Rojek]

GDP – 4

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 10 [6, tied with Earl Torgeson]

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 14, HR - 2, RBI - 23, AVG - .333, OBP – .375

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at St. Louis Cards 7/23, (in 5 AB) vs. NY Giants 8/10

Longest hitting streak – 23 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 6/25, (in 3 AB) at Phila. Phillies 7/4, (in 4 AB) at Pittsburgh 7/18

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. NY Giants 4/24

Pinch-hitting – 3 of 4 (.750)

Fielding

Chances – 671

Put Outs – 253

Assists – 393

Errors – 25

DP – 66

Pct. - .963

Postseason Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. Cleveland)

PA – 25, AB – 24, R – 2, H – 4, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .167, OBP - .167, SLG - .208, TB – 5, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

MLB Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

3^rd in NL MVP voting (174 points, 1 first place vote, 52% share)

MLB ROY Voting:

Al Dark, BosB.: 27 of 48 votes, 56% share

Gene Bearden, Clev.: 8 votes, 17% share

Richie Ashburn, PhilaP.: 7 votes, 15% share

Lou Brissie, PhilaA.: 3 votes, 6% share

Billy Goodman, BosRS.: 3 votes, 6% share

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Braves went 91-62 to win the NL pennant by 6.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. They led the NL in hits (1458), doubles (272), walks drawn (667), batting (.275), and on-base percentage (.358). Benefiting from the arrival of newcomers like the rookie Dark and veteran 2B Eddie Stanky, obtained from the Dodgers, as well as the pitching of Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain, the Braves moved into the lead thanks to a hot stretch in June and July and remained there until late August when a slump bumped them out of first, which they regained on Sept. 2. They clinched the pennant on Sept. 26 and lost the World Series to the Cleveland Indians, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘48:

The Braves dropped to fourth place in 1949, although Dark had another solid season, batting .276. He and second baseman Eddie Stanky were traded to the New York Giants in the offseason, where Manager Leo Durocher named him team captain, making good use of his leadership qualities. Dark hit .279 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs in 1950. A natural #2 hitter with speed on the basepaths, Dark was prone to making errors in the field, although he had good range, continued to team well with Stanky in the middle of the infield, and led NL shortstops in assists (465) in 1951 and was named an All-Star for the first time. Dark hit .303 with a league-leading 41 doubles, plus 14 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Giants, who forced a season-extending playoff by tying the Brooklyn Dodgers atop the NL standings, winning the pennant in dramatic fashion. Dark hit .417 in the ensuing loss to the Yankees in the World Series. He remained a highly regarded player and team leader with the Giants, who finished second in 1952 and sank to fifth in ’53 before surging to the NL pennant in 1954. He hit .293 with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs for the first-place club and .412 in the stunning four-game sweep of Cleveland in the World Series. Dark suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1955, appearing in just 115 games and batting .282 with 9 home runs and 45 RBIs. An eight-player midseason trade in 1956 sent Dark to the St. Louis Cardinals and he batted .275 for the year. He hit .290 for the Redbirds in 1957 and was shifted to third base in 1958, a season during which he was traded once again, this time to the Chicago Cubs for RHP Jim Brosnan in May. He hit .295 the rest of the way for the Cubs and .264 in 1959, after which he was dealt again, this time to the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder Richie Ashburn. Dark appeared in 55 games for the Phillies in 1960 before being dealt to the Braves in June where he finished the season and his playing career as a utility infielder, backup outfielder, and pinch-hitter. Overall for his major league career Dark hit .289 with 2089 hits that included 358 doubles, 72 triples, and 126 home runs. He knocked in 757 runs and was a three-time All-Star, all with the Giants.  Dark didn’t stay away from the game for long, as he was hired to manage the Giants, now in San Francisco, in 1961 guiding them to the 1962 NL pennant. Fired following a third-place finish in 1964, he next managed the Kansas City Athletics in 1966 and part of ’67. His next stop was the Cleveland Indians from 1968 to ’71. He returned to the Athletics in 1974, now in Oakland and winners of two consecutive World Series titles under Dick Williams, who had resigned due to conflicts with owner Charlie Finley. The A’s made it three straight championships in ’74 and were division winners under Dark in 1975, falling to Boston in the ALCS, after which Dark was terminated by Finley. Dark next managed the San Diego Padres in 1977, his last managerial stop. His overall record as a major league manager was 994-954 with two league pennants and a World Series title. Dark was inducted into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.   

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