Rookie of the Year: Gil McDougald, 1951

Third Baseman/Second Baseman, New York Yankees

Age:  23 (May 19)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 175 

Prior to 1951:

A San Francisco native, McDougald was an All-City basketball player at Commerce High School and didn’t make the school’s varsity baseball team until he was a senior, when injuries derailed his season. Following graduation in 1946, he attended the City College of San Francisco and the University of San Francisco while playing semipro baseball with the Bayside Braves. With an odd batting stance that put off many scouts (despite being effective), the Yankees signed him at $200 per month with a $1000 bonus in 1948. Starting off with Twin Falls of the Class C Pioneer League, the recently married 20-year-old batted .340 in 101 games and was selected as the league’s all-star second baseman. Promoted to the Victoria Athletics of the Class B Western International League in 1949, he hit .344 with 44 doubles, 7 triples, 13 home runs, and 116 RBIs and was again a league all-star. In 1950 he moved up to the Beaumont Roughnecks of the Class AA Texas League where he came under the guidance of curmudgeonly Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, who managed the club. He had an MVP season with Beaumont, batting.336 with a league-leading 187 hits, 47 of them for extra bases, and he was also impressive in the field. With the Yankees having lost some infielders to military service due to the Korean War, manager Casey Stengel installed McDougald at third base in 1951.

1951 Season Summary

Appeared in 131 games

3B – 83, 2B – 54, PH – 8, PR – 6

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 473

At Bats – 402

Runs – 72

Hits – 123

Doubles – 23

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 14 [15]

RBI – 63

Bases on Balls – 56

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 54 [16, tied with Eddie Robinson]

Stolen Bases – 14 [4, tied with Chico Carrasquel & Bobby Avila]

Caught Stealing – 5 [20, tied with five others]

Average - .306 [Non-qualifying]

OBP - .396 [Non-qualifying]

Slugging Pct. - .488 [Non-qualifying]

Total Bases – 196

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 4 [12, tied with eight others]

Sac Hits – 11 [7, tied with four others]

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 11, HR - 5, RBI - 21, AVG - .296, OBP - .388, SLG - .508

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Bos. Red Sox 5/28

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

Most HR, game – 1 on fourteen occasions

HR at home – 7

HR on road – 7

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 6 at St. Louis Browns 5/3

Pinch-hitting/running – 0 for 7 (.000) with 1 R & 1 BB

 

Fielding (3B)

Chances – 175

Put Outs – 54

Assists – 112

Errors – 9

DP - 20

Pct. - .949

Postseason Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. NY Giants)

PA – 25, AB – 23, R – 2, H – 6, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 7, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 1, AVG - .261, OBP - .320, SLG -.435, TB – 10, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

9^th in AL MVP voting (63 points, 19% share)

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Gil McDougald, NYY: 13 of 24 votes, 54% share

Minnie Minoso, Clev./ChiWS.: 11 votes, 46% share

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Yankees went 98-56 to win the AL pennant by 5 games over the Cleveland Indians while leading the league in home runs (140) and slugging (.408). The Yankees battled Cleveland until clinching the pennant on RHP Allie Reynolds’ second no-hitter of the season. Won World Series over the New York Giants, 4 games to 2 for their third straight title, with McDougald hitting a grand slam in Game 1 as part of his 7 RBIs over the six games. 

Aftermath of ‘51:

McDougald followed up with his first All-Star season in 1952, batting .263 with 11 home runs and 78 RBIs. He added a home run in the World Series victory over Brooklyn. In 1953 his average rebounded to .285 with 27 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs, and 83 RBIs. He hit two more homers in the six-game World Series win against the Dodgers. Following two seasons in which he played almost exclusively at third base, he split his time between second and third in 1954. A slow start at the plate pulled his production down to .259 with 22 doubles, 12 home runs, and 48 RBIs. Primarily appearing at second base, where he was outstanding defensively, in 1955, McDougald batted .285 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs as the Yankees returned to pennant-winning form. Shifted to shortstop for the most part in 1956, he was an All-Star who hit .311 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs, placing seventh in league MVP voting. In Game 5 of the World Series against Brooklyn, he made an outstanding play on a line drive that was deflected off the glove of third baseman Andy Carey to throw out batter Jackie Robinson and thus preserve RHP Don Larsen’s perfect game. In 1957 an event occurred that left a lasting impact on McDougald when a line drive off of his bat struck Cleveland’s star LHP Herb Score in the head, resulting in significant injury. McDougald expressed his regret over the incident, which ultimately derailed Score’s promising career. Not yet knowing how things would play out at that point, he went on to another All-Star season, batting .289 and tying for the league lead in triples (9) while also hitting 13 home runs with 62 RBIs. He played at shortstop and second and third base with aplomb as manager Casey Stengel juggled his lineup throughout the season and was credited for his versatility in the field as well as his rally-starting ability as a batter. He placed fifth in AL MVP voting. His hitting dropped off in 1958 to .250 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs and he primarily played at second base due to the rise of young Tony Kubek at shortstop. In a down 1959 season for the Yankees, McDougald hit .251 and split his time between third, second, and short. He played one more season in 1960, playing primarily at third and occasionally second while batting .258 with 8 home runs and 34 RBIs. He turned down an offer to play for the expansion Los Angeles Angels and retired. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Yankees, McDougald batted .276 with 1291 hits that included 187 doubles, 51 triples, and 112 home runs. He scored 697 runs and compiled 576 RBIs and a .356 on-base percentage. He appeared in 53 World Series games and hit .237 with 7 home runs and 24 RBIs. The quiet man of good character became involved in community service and coached baseball at Fordham University. He remained deeply affected by the injury that his batted ball inflicted on Herb Score. Struggling with deafness in later years, he died in 2010 at age 82. 

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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.  

MVP Profile: Yogi Berra, 1951

Catcher, New York Yankees

Age:  26 (May 12)

5^th season with Yankees

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’7”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1951:

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

1951 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

C – 141, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 594 [20, tied with Sam Mele]

At Bats – 547 [12]

Runs – 92 [8, tied with George Kell, Gus Zernial & Billy Goodman]

Hits – 161 [9, tied with Eddie Yost]

Doubles – 19

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 27 [4, tied with Luke Easter & Vic Wertz]

RBI – 88 [8]

Bases on Balls – 44

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 20

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .294 [13]

OBP - .350

Slugging Pct. - .492 [7]

Total Bases – 269 [4]

GDP – 16 [6, tied with five others]

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: HR - 12, RBI - 40, AVG - .302, OBP - .367

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at St. Louis Browns 5/5

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 15

Most home runs, game – 1 on 27 occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. St. Louis Browns 8/4, at Washington 8/15, vs. Detroit 9/14

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 788

Put Outs – 693

Assists – 82

Errors – 13

DP – 25

Pct. - .984

Postseason Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. NY Giants)

AB – 23, R – 4, H – 6, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 1, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .261, OBP - .320, SLG - .304, TB – 7, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for AL at C)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Yogi Berra, NYY.: 184 pts. - 6 of 24 first place votes, 55% share

Ned Garver, St.LB.: 157 pts. – 6 first place votes, 47% share

Allie Reynolds, NYY.: 125 pts. – 6 first place votes, 37% share

Minnie Minoso, Clev/Chi.WS.: 120 pts. – 1 first place vote, 36% share

Bob Feller, Clev.: 118 pts. – 35% share

(2 first place votes for Ellis Kinder, BosRS, who ranked seventh, 1 first place vote apiece for Ferris Fain, PhilaA's., who ranked sixth, Phil Rizzuto, NYY, who ranked 11^th & Ed Lopat, NYY, who ranked 12th)

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Yankees went 98-56 to win the AL pennant by 5 games over the Cleveland Indians while leading the league in home runs (140) and slugging (.408). Won World Series over the New York Giants, 4 games to 2. 

Aftermath of ‘51:

Berra had another strong season in 1952, hitting 30 home runs with 98 RBIs and a .273 average. The Yankees won their fourth straight pennant and World Series and Berra finished fourth in the AL MVP balloting. The Yanks made it five straight in 1953 with Berra contributing 27 home runs, 108 RBIs, and a .296 average, placing second in the league MVP vote. The ungainly-looking Berra was a notorious “bad-ball” hitter who rarely struck out and performed well in clutch situations. While the Yankees lost the AL pennant to the Indians in 1954, Berra won his second MVP award after batting .307 with 22 home runs and 125 RBIs, also performing well behind the plate. He made it three MVP awards in 1955, as the Yankees returned to the top of the American League and the star catcher hit .272 with 27 home runs and 108 RBIs. He was also the highest-paid player on the team that year at $48,000. An amiable and colorful character noted for his malapropisms that came to be known as “Yogi-isms”, he was also referred to as the “assistant manager” by manager Casey Stengel in recognition of his level of baseball knowledge. Berra tied his career high with 30 home runs in 1956 and hit .298 with 105 RBIs while finishing second to teammate Mickey Mantle in AL MVP voting. In the World Series he caught Don Larsen’s Game 5 perfect game. He continued to be a perennial All-Star with a team that typically topped the American League until his retirement following the 1963 season. In later years he was utilized more in the outfield as Elston Howard became the team’s primary catcher. Overall with the Yankees Berra hit .285 with 2148 hits that included 321 doubles, 49 triples, and 358 home runs. He drove in 1430 runs and scored 1174, while only striking out 411 times. Thanks to the team’s success, Berra appeared in a record 75 World Series games and produced 71 hits in 259 at bats (also records) for a .274 average with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. He excelled as a fielder after his rough start behind the plate and in one stretch of 148 games handled 950 chances without an error. Berra was an 18-time All-Star and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. After his initial retirement in 1963 he became manager of the Yankees in 1964 and was fired following their World Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was hired by the Mets as a player/coach in 1965 and played in just four games, hitting .222 in what proved to be his final year as a player. He remained a coach with the Mets until being elevated to manager in 1972 after the death of Gil Hodges during spring training. The Mets won the NL pennant in 1973 and Berra stayed on as manager until being relieved during the ’75 season, the club having produced an overall record of 292-296 under his guidance. He returned to the Yankees as a coach for several years until being elevated once again to manager in 1984. His tenure came to a bitter end 16 games into the ’85 season. Overall in two stints with the Yankees Berra’s managerial record was 192-148. He returned to coaching with the Houston Astros through 1989 until finally retiring from baseball for good. An iconic and popular figure, Berra lived until 2015 when he died at age 90 after which he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama. The Yankees retired his #8 and further honored him with a plaque in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park.

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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.