Highlighted Year: Bob Turley, 1954

Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  24 (Sept. 19)

2^nd season with Browns/Orioles

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 215 

Prior to 1954:

An Illinois native, Turley was banned from his youth baseball league in East St. Louis at age 12 due to his size and strength relative to other boys his age. Pitching in a municipal league, he regularly faced adults as a teenager. Drawing the interest of the St. Louis Browns, just across the Mississippi River from his home city, Turley signed for $200 per month following his high school graduation in 1948. The 17-year-old hurler was first assigned to Belleville of the Class D Illinois State League where he posted a 9-3 record and a 4.45 ERA while walking 71 batters over 97 innings along with 53 strikeouts. Struggling to control his outstanding fastball, Turley moved on to Aberdeen of the Class C Northern League where he went 23-5 with a 2.31 ERA and 205 strikeouts, as well as 131 walks in 230 innings pitched. With teams at the Class A and AA levels in 1950 he produced a combined 11-16 tally and 4.58 ERA with 137 walks. In 1951 with San Antonio of the Class AA Texas League (the team he finished up with in 1950), Turley’s record was 20-8 with a 2.96 ERA, 200 strikeouts, and 142 walks over 268 innings. Receiving a September call-up to the Browns he lost an 8-3 decision to the Chicago White Sox. Turley spent 1952 in the Army, where he played service baseball. Joining the Browns in 1953 he appeared in 10 games (7 of them starts) and was 2-6 with a 3.28 ERA, 61 strikeouts and 44 walks in 60.1 innings of action. With the move of the Browns to Baltimore in 1954, where they were rechristened the Orioles, the hard-throwing Turley sought to improve his consistency and control.

1954 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35

Games Started – 35 [2]

Complete Games – 14 [9, tied with Bob Keegan]

Wins – 14 [12, tied with Ned Garver & Jack Harshman]

Losses – 15 [6, tied with Bob Porterfield, Mickey McDermott & Billy Hoeft]

PCT - .483 [20]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 247.1 [7]

Hits – 178

Runs – 106 [3, tied with Don Larsen]

Earned Runs – 95 [4]

Home Runs – 7

Bases on Balls – 181 [1]

Strikeouts – 185 [1]

ERA – 3.46 [20]

Hit Batters – 7 [5, tied with Tom Brewer & Harry Byrd]

Balks – 1 [5, tied with eighteen others]

Wild Pitches – 5 [7, tied with Dean Stone, Harry Byrd & Mel Parnell]

League-leading bases on balls surrendered were +67 ahead of runner-up Arnie Portocarrero

League-leading strikeouts were +30 ahead of runner-up Early Wynn

Midseason Snapshot: 7-9, ERA - 3.70, SO – 103 in 138.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 9 IP) vs. Cleveland 4/21

10+ strikeout games – 4

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. Cleveland 4/21, (in 9 IP) vs. Bos. Red Sox 8/7

Batting

PA – 90, AB – 81, R – 8, H – 11, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 5, BB – 2, SO – 23, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .136, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 6, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 43

Put Outs – 7

Assists – 35

Errors – 1

DP – 1

Pct. - .977

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

23^rd in AL MVP voting, tied with Hank Bauer, NYY & Al Kaline, Det. (4 points, 1% share) 

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The relocated Orioles went 54-100 to finish seventh in the AL, 57 games behind the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians, thus matching their last record as the St. Louis Browns the previous year. The pitching staff led the league in walks issued (688). The offensively challenged Orioles were 14-26 by the end of May and continued to struggle through the summer, including an August 14-game losing streak, to finish only three games out of the cellar.

Aftermath of 1954:

While having demonstrated better control of his fastball, slider, sinker, changeup, and curve, Turley was typically outstanding for the first few innings of his starts before wearing down. Having been an All-Star for the first time, he was traded to the Yankees in the offseason as part of a 17-player deal. Already named by The Sporting News as the hardest throwing pitcher in the major leagues with his live fastball, “Bullet Bob” started off well with his new club in 1955 and was an All-Star again on his way to a 17-13 tally with a 3.06 ERA and 210 strikeouts, while once more topping the AL in walks with 177. The Yankees won the pennant and lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series as Turley lost his lone start. Starting only 21 games in 1956, Turley had a respectable 8-4 record along with a poor 5.05 ERA. Having lost his spot in the starting rotation in September due to losing manager Casey Stengel’s confidence, he developed an innovative (for the time) no-windup delivery at the urging of pitching coach Jim Turner. In the World Series rematch with Brooklyn and following RHP Don Larsen’s perfect game utilizing a similar delivery, Turley started Game 6 and struck out 11 batters and pitched 9 shutout innings before losing in the tenth. A spot starter and reliever for much of 1957, he went 13-6 with a 2.71 ERA, 9 complete games, and 152 strikeouts. He started and won Game 6 of the World Series against the Milwaukee Braves, who went on to win behind RHP Lew Burdette in the decisive Game 7. The Yankees won a fourth straight pennant in 1958 and Turley had an outstanding season, posting a 21-7 record with 19 complete games. Relying more on his curve and slider, he was able to pitch more effectively deep into games, but his rate of strikeouts dropped. He ended up with 168 over 245.1 innings. In the World Series rematch against the Braves, he was knocked out of Game 2 in the first inning. But with the Yankees down three games to one, Turley’s five-hit Game 5 shutout proved to be the turning point. Turley relieved and picked up the final out to save Game 6. Relieving Larsen in Game 7, he pitched 6.2 innings and picked up the decisive win as well as Series MVP recognition. In addition, he received the major league Cy Young Award. 1959 proved to be a rough year for both Turley and the Yankees. Turley was demoted to the bullpen at one point on his way to an 8-11 record with a 4.32 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 154.1 innings pitched. While the club returned to pennant-winning form in 1960, Turley, bothered by back and elbow injuries, started only 24 of 34 games he appeared in and posted a 9-3 mark with a 3.27 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 173.1 innings. Hindered by bone chips in his elbow in 1961, Turley dropped to 3-5 and a 5.75 ERA while managing only 72 innings. Following surgery to remove the bone chips in the offseason, he made it into only 24 games in 1962 with mediocre results. Sold to the Los Angeles Angels following the season, he lasted until July of 1963 when he was released with a 2-7 tally and finished the year with the Boston Red Sox. He retired after the ’63 season and became a pitching coach for Boston in 1964. An abortive attempt to catch on with Houston in 1965 never made it past spring training and he retired for good. For his major league career, Turley compiled a 101-85 record with a 3.64 ERA, 78 complete games, 24 shutouts, and 1265 strikeouts in 1712.2 innings. With the Browns/Orioles he was 16-22 with a 3.51 ERA, 17 complete games, 1 shutout, and 251 strikeouts in 315 innings pitched. Appearing in 15 World Series games, his record was 4-3 with a 3.19 ERA, and 46 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. A three-time All-Star, he was at his best during his 1958 Cy Young-winning season, before arm woes set in, but he first displayed his ability with the Browns and Orioles. In retirement from baseball he became highly successful in the insurance industry and real estate until his death in 2013 at age 82.

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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: Joe Coleman, 1954

Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  32 (July 30)

1^st season with Orioles

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 200 

Prior to 1954:

A Massachusetts native, Coleman pitched impressively at Malden Catholic High School, and after a brief time at Boston College, he signed with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1941. Assigned initially to Newport News of the Class C Virginia League in ’41, he produced a 15-12 record with a 4.36 ERA. Moving on to the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Class B Interstate League in 1942, Coleman was 18-9 with a 3.04 ERA, and he was called up to the A’s in September where he pitched impressively in his one appearance out of the bullpen. After spending the next three years in the Navy, he pitched for Toronto of the Class AAA International League in 1946. He compiled a 14-10 tally with a 2.95 ERA and was again a late-season call-up to the Athletics. He was 0-2 in his first two major league starts but joined the starting rotation in 1947. While his 9 complete games included two shutouts, his overall record was only 6-12 with a 4.32 ERA. With a good fastball and curve, owner/manager Connie Mack advised Coleman to abandon his off-speed pitch, and he got off to a good start in 1948 and was 6-1 by the end of May. Named as an All-Star for the only time during his career, he went on to a 14-13 mark with a 4.09 ERA and 86 strikeouts for the fourth-place A’s. Off to another solid start in 1949, Coleman struggled during June and July and then injured his right shoulder while running the bases in an August game. He finished the season with a 13-14 record and 3.86 ERA along with 109 strikeouts and a career-best 18 complete games. Sidelined by a sore arm for most of the first half of the 1950 season, he appeared in only 15 games, covering 54 innings, and was 0-5 with a miserable 8.50 ERA. In 1951 he had an 11.81 ERA as of June 10, when he was relegated to the bullpen for the rest of the year, ending up at 1-6 with a 5.98 ERA. Ostensibly healthy upon arriving for spring training in 1952, Coleman had an unimpressive spring showing and was sent to Ottawa of the Class AAA International League. He continued to have difficulty with Ottawa and was demoted to Savannah of the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League. His combined record for the season in the minors was 3-19 with a 4.44 ERA. Coleman persevered to return to the Athletics in 1953. Sidelined for two months by an appendectomy in May, he appeared in 21 games (9 of them starts) and posted a 3-4 tally that included two complete games and a shutout, along with a 4.00 ERA. In the offseason he was traded to the Orioles. No longer possessing a good fastball, and pitching in Cuba over the winter, Coleman added a slider and sinker to his repertoire. A good spring solidified a spot for him in Baltimore’s starting rotation.   

1954 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 32 [7, tied with Steve Gromek & Ned Garver]

Complete Games – 15 [8]

Wins – 13 [15, tied with Bob Porterfield, Bob Feller & Allie Reynolds]

Losses – 17 [3, tied with Alex Kellner]

PCT - .433

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [3, tied with six others]

Innings Pitched – 221.1 [10]

Hits – 184 [17]

Runs – 102 [6, tied with Willard Nixon]

Earned Runs – 86 [9]

Home Runs – 16 [10, tied with Alex Kellner, Willard Nixon & Bob Keegan]

Bases on Balls – 96 [5, tied with Jack Harshman]

Strikeouts – 103 [13]

ERA – 3.50

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: 9-8, ERA - 3.04, SO - 74 in 136 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 9 IP) at NY Yankees 6/6, (in 9 IP) at Boston 6/10, (in 9 IP) vs. Detroit 7/2, (in 7 IP) at Detroit 7/10

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. NY Yankees 9/9

Batting

PA – 81, AB – 74, R – 4, H – 13, 2B – 3, 3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 5, BB – 3, SO – 22, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .176, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 4, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 59

Put Outs – 15

Assists – 41

Errors – 3

DP – 5

Pct. - .949

Awards & Honors:

19^th in AL MVP voting, tied with Mike Garcia, Clev. & Billy Goodman, BosRS (6 points, 2% share)

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The relocated Orioles went 54-100 to finish seventh in the AL, 57 games behind the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians, thus matching their last record as the St. Louis Browns the previous year. The pitching staff led the league in walks issued (688). The offensively challenged Orioles were 14-26 by the end of May and continued to struggle through the summer, including an August 14-game losing streak, to finish only three games out of the cellar. Coleman pitched the first shutout for the Orioles on May 11 against his former team, the Philadelphia Athletics, and barely missed no-hitting the New York Yankees in September.

Aftermath of 1954:

A sore arm derailed Coleman in 1955 and he was released by the Orioles on July 1. He signed with the Detroit Tigers, and utilized exclusively as a reliever, he appeared in 17 games and produced a 2-1 record with 3 saves and a 3.20 ERA. Released by the Tigers just prior to the 1956 season, he signed with the Buffalo Bisons of the International League. Pitching out of the bullpen, he appeared in 46 games and posted a 4-2 tally with a 4.22 ERA. When San Diego of the Class AAA Pacific Coast league purchased his contract in 1956 and he failed to make the club, Coleman’s injury-plagued career came to an end. His major league totals were 52-76 with a 4.38 ERA, 60 complete games, 11 shutouts, 5 saves, and 444 strikeouts in 1134 innings pitched. Occasionally displaying flashes of the potential that had drawn the interest of the Athletics originally, Coleman’s arm problems ultimately derailed his career. He remained active in non-profit community organizations, including those involving youth baseball, following his playing career. He died at the age of 74 in 1997. His son, also named Joe, was a major league pitcher between 1965 and 1979, most notably playing for the expansion Washington Senators and the Detroit Tigers, and his grandson Casey Coleman pitched briefly for the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals.

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

MVP Profile: Yogi Berra, 1954

Catcher, New York Yankees

Age:  29 (May 12)

8^th season with Yankees

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’7”    Weight: 185 

Prior to 1954:

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

1954 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

C – 149, PH – 2, 3B – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 652 [10]

At Bats – 584 [6]

Runs – 88 [12]

Hits – 179 [6]

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

Triples – 6 [15, tied with eight others]

Home Runs – 22 [7]

RBI – 125 [2]

Bases on Balls – 56

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

Strikeouts – 29

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .307 [6]

OBP - .367 [15]

Slugging Pct. - .488 [6]

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

GDP – 9

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

Sac Hits – 1

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

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

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

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 15

HR on road – 7

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

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Boston 5/29

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 2 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 788

Put Outs – 717

Assists – 63

Errors – 8

Passed Balls – 5

DP – 14

Pct. - .990 

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for AL at C)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aftermath of 1954:

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

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player. 

Rookie of the Year: Bob Grim, 1954

Pitcher, New York Yankees

Age:  24

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1954:

A native of New York City, Grim grew up playing Catholic Youth Organization baseball and had a meer 6-3 varsity pitching record at Franklin K. Lane High School in Queens. He still received contract offers and signed with the Yankees for $3500 in 1948. First assigned to Butler of the Class C Middle Atlantic League in ’48 he compiled an 8-4 record with a 3.30 ERA. With teams at the Class C and B levels in 1949 he was a combined 6-14 with a 5.25 ERA. Lacking an impressive fastball or curve, he went 10-14 with Norfolk of the Class B Piedmont League in 1950. Advancing to Binghamton of the Class A Eastern League in 1951, Grim developed a slider that allowed him to produce a 16-5 tally with a 2.39 ERA. He joined the Marines for a two-year stint that kept him out of organized baseball in 1952 and ’53 but he played service baseball and further honed his pitching. Invited to spring training by the Yankees in 1954, the quiet and serious Grim made the pitching staff and split his time between starting and relieving.

1954 Season Summary

Appeared in 37 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 37 [19, tied with Mike Blyzka, Harry Dorish & Marion Fricano]

Games Started – 20

Complete Games – 8

Wins – 20 [3]

Losses – 6

PCT - .769 [2]

Saves – 1

Shutouts – 1

Innings Pitched – 199 [17]

Hits – 175

Runs – 78

Earned Runs – 72

Home Runs – 9

Bases on Balls – 85 [15]

Strikeouts – 108 [12]

ERA – 3.26 [15]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 4 [11, tied with seven others]

Midseason Snapshot: 10-3, ERA - 3.50, SO – 52 in 92.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 7 (in 9 IP) vs. Phila. A’s 5/24, (in 9 IP) vs. Phila. A’s 8/10, (in 7.2 IP) at Chi. WS 9/10, (in 9 IP) vs. Washington 9/21

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 7 IP) at Cleveland 5/10

Batting

PA – 80, AB – 70, R – 3, H – 10, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 9, BB – 2, SO – 26, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .143, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 38

Put Outs – 11

Assists – 26

Errors – 1

DP – 4

Pct. - .974

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

11^th in AL MVP voting (25 points, 7% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Bob Grim, NYY.: 15 of 24 votes, 63% share

Jim Finigan, PhilaA.: 8 votes, 33% share

Al Kaline, Det.: 1 vote, 4% share

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Yankees went 103-51 to finish second in the AL, 8 games behind the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians. Just 1.5 games behind the Indians at the end of July, the Yankees were unable to keep up the pace as their string of World Series titles ended at five despite posting their best record of Casey Stengel’s managerial reign.

Aftermath of ‘54:

Throwing the slider caused Grim to have arm trouble in 1955. He appeared in just 26 games (11 of them starts) and posted a 7-5 record with a 4.19 ERA. He was almost exclusively a reliever in 1956 and went 6-1 with 4 saves and a 2.77 ERA. Utilized fully as a short reliever in 1957, Grim led the AL with 19 saves to go along with a 12-8 record and 2.63 ERA. He was an All-Star for the only time in his career. During the 1958 season, and expendable due to the emergence of hard-throwing bullpen ace Ryne Duren, Grim was dealt to the Kansas City Athletics for two veteran pitchers. 0-1 with a 5.51 ERA in 11 relief appearances at the time of the June trade, he was used as both a starter and reliever by the A’s and went 7-6 with a 3.56 ERA. Once again primarily a reliever in 1959, Grim appeared in 40 games (9 of them starts) and posted a 6-10 mark and a 4.09 ERA. Dealt to the Cleveland Indians in 1960, Grim didn’t last long until being sold to Cincinnati in May, and he finished out the season with St. Louis. Strictly a reliever, his record for the year was 3-3 with two saves and a 4.22 ERA. The Cardinals farmed Grim out in 1961, and with two Class AAA teams he produced a combined 2-2 record with a 3.38 tally in 7 appearances, 5 of them starts. Released by St. Louis prior to the 1962 season, he returned to the A’s, who put him back in the bullpen until releasing him at the end of May, thus ending his career. For his major league career, Grim compiled a 61-41 record with a 3.61 ERA, 38 saves, and 443 strikeouts over 759.2 innings. With the Yankees he was 45-21 with 10 complete games, 28 saves, a 3.35 ERA, and 282 strikeouts over 454.1 innings. He appeared in five World Series games and was 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA. Plagued by a sore arm following his 20-win rookie year, Grim achieved some success as a reliever but failed to fulfill his early promise. He died in 1996 at age 66.     

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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.