Cy Young Profile: Warren Spahn, 1957

Pitcher, Milwaukee Braves

 

Age:  36 (Apr. 23)

12^th season with Braves

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 172

Prior to 1957:

A native of Buffalo, New York, Spahn, who was named after President Warren G. Harding, was trained to pitch by his father, a semipro ballplayer. The young southpaw developed a fluid pitching motion while utilizing a high leg kick. Spahn participated in midget baseball and with an American Legion team where he played first base. At South Park High School, he was blocked at first base by an all-scholastic player and devoted himself to pitching full-time. The school won two city championships his last two seasons and Spahn threw a no-hitter as a senior. Failing to draw much interest from major league teams due to his thin frame, his control impressed a scout for the Boston Braves, and he signed in 1940 for $80 per month. Initially assigned to Bradford of the Class D PONY League, he went 5-4 with a 2.73 ERA until tearing tendons in his left shoulder. Having shown promise during his brief time with Bradford, he went to spring training with the Braves and suffered a broken nose that not only resulted in permanent disfigurement, but also to unfortunate nicknames like “Hooks” and “The Great Profile”. Assigned to Evansville of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or Three I) League, Spahn topped the league in wins with his 19-6 record, shutouts (7), and ERA (1.83). Initially catching on with the Braves in 1942, he was quickly sent down to Hartford of the Class A Eastern League, where he posted a 17-12 tally with a 1.96 ERA. He received a late-season call-up to the Braves and had no decisions in his four appearances. Following the season he enlisted in the Army for World War II military service, and saw significant action in Europe, earning a Bronze Star. Having missed all of three seasons, Spahn returned to the Braves in June of 1946, at which point he was in the major leagues to stay. He went 8-5 in ’46 with a 2.94 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 125.2 innings pitched. Primarily throwing a fastball with a curve and changeup, he was an All-Star for the first time in 1947 as he produced a 21-10 record while leading the league-in ERA (2.33), shutouts (7), and innings pitched (289.2) while striking out 123 batters. The Braves won the NL pennant in 1948 fueled by the pitching of Spahn and 24-win RHP Johnny Sain (which led to the popular rhyme of “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain”). Dealing with an erratic fastball at times, Spahn’s record was only 15-12 for the year with a 3.71 ERA and 114 strikeouts. Down the stretch from September 6, he and Sain started 11 of 16 games with Spahn going 4-1 and Sain 5-1. In a 14-inning win against Brooklyn, Spahn went the distance and twice picked off basestealing threat Jackie Robinson. In the World Series against Cleveland, won by the Indians in six games, Spahn lost his only start and picked up a win in relief in Game 5. The Braves went into decline in 1949, although Spahn was 21-14 with a 3.07 ERA and led the league in complete games (25), innings pitched (302.1), and strikeouts (151). Respected for his poise, as well as his pitching skill, he posted a 21-17 tally for the fourth-place Braves in 1950 along with a 3.16 ERA while again topping the circuit in strikeouts with 191. “Spahnie” remained consistent in 1951 by going 22-14 with a 2.98 ERA, again leading the NL with 164 strikeouts in addition to 26 complete games and 7 shutouts. For the seventh-place Braves in 1952, Spahn’s tally dropped to 14-19, but his ERA was again 2.98 and he pitched 5 shutouts while again leading the league in strikeouts with 183. The move to Milwaukee in 1953 rejuvenated the club and Spahn, playing with a knee injury that required offseason surgery, returned to winning form with a 23-7 record and league-leading 2.10 ERA while hurling another 5 shutouts and striking out 148 batters over the course of 265.2 innings. He continued his consistent pitching excellence in 1954 with a 21-12 mark and 3.14 ERA with 23 complete games and 136 strikeouts. Spahn overcame a slow start in 1955 to finish at 17-14 with a 3.26 ERA and 110 strikeouts. The Braves narrowly missed winning the pennant in 1956. Spahn was strong down the stretch but suffered a crucial loss when going the distance in a 12-inning game against the Cardinals in his last start of the season in which he gave up just five hits and two runs. He finished at 20-11 with a 2.78 ERA and 128 strikeouts. By 1957 he was well established as one of the National League’s premier pitchers with eight All-Star selections and three finishes in the top 10 in league MVP voting.

1957 Season Summary

Appeared in 39 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 39

Games Started – 35 [3]

Complete Games – 18 [1]

Wins – 21 [1]

Losses – 11 [13, tied with six others]

PCT - .656 [3]

Saves – 3 [20, tied with four others]

Shutouts – 4 [2, tied with Don Drysdale & Don Newcombe]

Innings Pitched – 271 [2]

Hits – 241 [4]

Runs – 94 [13, tied with Jack Sanford]

Earned Runs – 81 [14, tied with Jack Sanford, Curt Simmons & Larry Jackson]

Home Runs – 23 [11]

Bases on Balls – 78 [5]

Strikeouts – 111 [13]

ERA – 2.69 [2, tied with Don Drysdale]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 2

League-leading complete games were +1 ahead of runner-up Bob Friend

League-leading wins were +2 ahead of runner-up Jack Sanford

Midseason Snapshot: 8-7, ERA - 3.30, SO - 54 in 125.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 6 (in 9 IP) vs. Pittsburgh 6/28, (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 9/7, (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis 9/24, (in 8.1 IP) at Pittsburgh 7/12

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at Philadelphia 6/14, (in 7 IP) at NY Giants 7/21

Batting

PA – 103, AB – 94, R – 3, H – 13, 2B – 2, 3B – 1, HR – 2, RBI – 8, BB – 4, SO – 25, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .138, GDP – 3, HBP – 0, SH – 3, SF – 2

Fielding

Chances – 65

Put Outs – 18

Assists – 47

Errors – 0

DP – 4

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 2(World Series vs. NY Yankees)

GS – 2, CG – 1, Record – 1-1, PCT – .500, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 15.1, H – 18, R – 8, ER – 8, HR – 1, BB – 2, SO – 2, ERA – 4.70, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

MLB Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

5^th in NL MVP voting (131 points, 1 first place vote, 39% share)

MLB Cy Young voting:

Warren Spahn, Mil.: 15 of 16 votes, 94% share

Dick Donovan, ChiWS.: 1 vote, 6% share

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Braves went 95-59 to win the NL pennant by 8 games over the St. Louis Cardinals after finishing second the previous two years. The pitching staff led the league in complete games (60). In the midst of a tight NL pennant race, the Braves swung a midseason trade with the Giants for veteran second baseman Red Schoendienst that resolved a weakness in the lineup and added leadership as well. The club surged during a 10-game August winning streak and wrapped up the pennant in September. Won World Series over New York Yankees, 4 games to 3, as RHP Lew Burdette went 3-0 and Spahn won Game 4.  

Aftermath of ‘57:

The Braves repeated as National League pennant winners in 1958 and Spahn contributed a 22-11 record and 3.07 ERA along with league-leading totals in complete games (23) and innings pitched (290). His strikeout total was 150 as he added a slider and screwball to his repertoire to augment his diminishing fastball. In the World Series rematch with the Yankees, Spahn was 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA as Milwaukee fell to the Bronx Bombers in seven games. The Braves failed to make it three straight pennants in 1959, losing a playoff to the Dodgers. Spahn posted a 21-15 tally with a 2.96 ERA and again topped the circuit with 292 innings pitched while striking out 143 batters. For the second place Braves in 1960, Spahn pitched his first no-hitter (after two near misses in 1951 and ’53) at age 39 on his way to a 21-10 mark with a 3.50 ERA, 18 complete games, and 154 strikeouts. He threw another no-hitter in 1961, at 40, on his way to a 21-13 record, that included his 300^th career win, with a league-leading 3.02 ERA, 21 complete games, and 115 strikeouts. He dipped in 1962 to 18-14 with a 3.04 ERA and 118 strikeouts, although he still had the league high in complete games with 22. In 1963 Spahn posted a 23-7 tally at age 42 along with a 2.60 ERA, again topping the NL with 22 complete games despite dealing with a sore elbow. In a July matchup against 25-year-old RHP Juan Marichal of the Giants, both pitchers went the distance until San Francisco won on a Willie Mays home run in the bottom of the 16^th. In 1964, the 43-year old southpaw’s knees gave out and his record dropped to 6-13 with a 5.29 ERA. It marked the end of his tenure with the Braves who sold him to the New York Mets in the offseason, thus reuniting him with his first major league manager from 1942, Casey Stengel. Spahn didn’t last the season with the woeful Mets, being released at midseason with a 4-12 tally and 4.36 ERA. Signed by the Giants, he went 3-4 the rest of the way to finish off his last major league season at age 44. For his major league career, Spahn compiled a 363-245 record, making him the winningest major league lefthander, along with a 3.09 ERA, 382 complete games, 63 shutouts, and 2583 strikeouts in 5243.2 innings pitched. He led the NL in wins eight times, in ERA three times, in innings pitched on four occasions, and in strikeouts four times. With the Braves he was 356-229 with a 3.05 ERA, 374 complete games, all 63 shutouts, and 2493 strikeouts over 5046 innings. Later a vocal critic of the Designated Hitter rule, he also hit 35 home runs over the course of his career. Appearing in eight World Series games, he posted a 4-3 tally with three complete games and a shutout, while striking out 32 batters over 56 innings. A 17-time All-Star, Spahn was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. The Braves retired his #21 and erected a statue of him that stands outside Sun Trust Park. Before retiring to his ranch in Oklahoma for good, he coached (and pitched for briefly) a team in the Mexican League, coached in Japan, and managed and coached with minor league teams. Spahn died in 2003 at the age of 82.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Rookie of the Year: Jack Sanford, 1957

 Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

Age:  28 (May 18)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 190

 

Prior to 1957:

A Massachusetts native, Sanford pitched for Wellesley High School, hurling a no-hitter in his last game. Signed by the Phillies in 1947, he played for two Class D teams in 1948 and posted a combined record of 3-15 with 134 walks. Sanford spent another year in Class D in 1949 with Americus of the Georgia-Florida League. His record improved to 15-9 with a 4.39 ERA and 143 strikeouts and 135 walks over the course of 207 innings pitched. Moving up to Wilmington of the Class B Interstate League in 1950, he went 12-4 with a 3.71 ERA. It was on to Schenectady of the Class A Eastern League in 1951 where Sanford posted a 15-11 mark and a 3.58 ERA while walking 125 batters in 211 innings as he continued to struggle with his control. He also struggled with his temper and would lose his focus if an umpire’s call went against him. Back with Schenectady in 1952 Sanford’s record improved to 16-8 with a 2.94 ERA and only 91 walks over 205 innings. Promoted to Baltimore of the Class AAA International League in 1953 he produced a 14-13 tally with a 3.96 ERA and 128 strikeouts with 110 walks in 200 innings. He stayed in the International League at Syracuse in 1954 and went 8-14 with a 3.86 ERA, 100 strikeouts, and 84 walks over 154 innings. He was suspended for insubordination at one point for refusing to come out of a game as his temper continued to be an issue. After the season he entered the Army and played service baseball. He also injured his right hand in a fight which led to chronic numbness. Having missed the 1956 season due to his military service, Sanford was given a shot with the Phillies in September and won his lone start. Impressing pitching coach Whit Wyatt with his improved fastball. Wyatt’s coaching also improved his curve as Sanford became part of the rotation in 1957.  

 

1957 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [4, tied with Lew Burdette & Moe Drabowsky]

Complete Games – 15 [4]

Wins – 19 [2]

Losses – 8

PCT - .704 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [5, tied with four others]

Innings Pitched – 236.2 [8]

Hits – 194 [19, tied with Bob Purkey]

Runs – 94 [13, tied with Warren Spahn]

Earned Runs – 81 [14, tied with Warren Spahn, Curt Simmons & Larry Jackson]

Home Runs – 22 [12, tied with Moe Drabowsky & Dick Drott]

Bases on Balls – 94 [3, tied with Moe Drabowsky]

Strikeouts – 188 [1]

ERA – 3.08 [6]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 1 [2, tied with twelve others]

Wild Pitches – 12 [1]

 

League-leading strikeouts were +18 ahead of runners-up Dick Drott & Moe Drabowsky]

League-leading wild pitches were +3 ahead of nine runner-up Lindy McDaniel

 

Midseason Snapshot: 10-2, ERA - 3.20, SO – 96 in 104 IP

 

Most strikeouts, game – 13 (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 6/7

10+ strikeout games – 4

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. Brooklyn 6/1, (in 7 IP) vs. NY Giants 4/28

 

Batting

PA – 93, AB – 89, R – 3, H – 15, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 6, BB – 0, SO – 30, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .169, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 4, SF – 0

 

Fielding

Chances – 47

Put Outs – 15

Assists – 30

Errors – 2

DP – 2

Pct. - .957

 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

10^th in NL MVP voting (39 points, 12% share)

 

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Jack Sanford, Phila.: 16 of 24 votes, 67% share

Ed Bouchee, Phila.: 4 votes, 17% share

Dick Drott, ChiC.: 3 votes, 13% share

Bob Hazle, Mil.: 1 vote – 7% share

 

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Phillies went 77-77 to finish fifth in the NL, 18 games behind the pennant-winning Milwaukee Braves. The pitching staff led the league in fewest bases on balls surrendered (412). Fueled by the addition of new talent that included Sanford and hard-throwing reliever Dick Farrell, the Phillies had a strong first half before settling back into the middle of the pack.

 

Aftermath of ‘57:

The Phillies dropped into the NL cellar in 1958 and Sanford’s record fell to 10-13 with a 4.44 ERA and 106 strikeouts. In the offseason he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for RHP Ruben Gomez and catcher Valmy Thomas. Sanford’s tally improved to 15-12 in 1959 with a 3.16 ERA and 132 strikeouts. He declined in 1960 to 12-14 and a 3.82 ERA with 125 strikeouts. His 1961 mark was 13-9 and a 4.22 ERA with 112 strikeouts. Known for his grim demeanor on the mound, he added a slider to his repertoire and put together his finest season in 1962, producing a 24-7 record with a 3.43 ERA and 147 strikeouts for the pennant-winning Giants. Along the way he posted a 16-game winning streak. Sanford was also 1-2 with a 1.93 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 23.1 innings in the seven-game World Series loss to the Yankees. He also placed second in major league Cy Young Award voting. In 1963 Sanford pitched a career-high 284.1 innings and went 16-13 with a 3.51 ERA and 158 strikeouts. During the 1964 season numbness in his right arm required surgery and his record was just 5-7 with a 3.30 ERA. Sanford began the 1965 season in the starting rotation but was 4-5 with a 3.96 ERA when sold to the Angels in August. He finished the year as a starter/reliever. Primarily used as a middle reliever in 1966 Sanford accumulated 108 innings over 50 games and posted a 13-7 record with a 3.83 ERA. He split 1967 between the Angels and Kansas City A’s in what was his final season which was completed with a 4-4 tally and 5.12 ERA. Overall for his major league career, Sanford went 137-101 with a 3.69 ERA, 76 complete games, 14 shutouts, and 1182 strikeouts over 2049.1 innings pitched. With the Phillies he was 30-21 with a 3.61 ERA and 300 strikeouts in 436 innings. A one-time All-Star, he received MVP votes after three seasons. He went on to become pitching coach of the Cleveland Indians for two years and later managed a golf course in Florida. Sanford died in 2000 at age 70.

 

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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: Hank Aaron, 1957

Outfielder, Milwaukee Braves

Age:  23

4^th season with Braves

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 170

Prior to 1957:

A native of Mobile, Alabama Aaron, who was a shortstop playing sandlot ball, started out professionally with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League in 1952, utilizing a cross-handed batting grip that he eliminated before moving on to the majors. He signed with the Braves and joined the club in 1954 after two minor league seasons, one in which he led the Class A South Atlantic (or Sally) League in batting (.362). Joining the Braves in 1954, he was installed in the outfield and was selected to his first All-Star Game in 1955, a season in which he led the NL in doubles (37) and formed a highly productive slugging duo with third baseman Eddie Mathews. An impressive “bad ball” hitter with his quick wrists and line-drive power, he topped the league in batting (.328) and hits (200), and once again in doubles (34) in 1956. Apart from his outstanding hitting and fielding, he was known for his calm and serene demeanor from the time he came up with the Braves until the end of his career.

1957 Season Summary

Appeared in 151 games

RF – 84, CF – 69, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 675 [7]

At Bats – 615 [5]

Runs – 118 [1]

Hits – 198 [2]

Doubles – 27 [15, tied with Bill Mazeroski & Danny O’Connell]

Triples – 6 [18, tied with Ernie Banks & Bob Skinner]

Home Runs – 44 [1]

RBI – 132 [1]

Bases on Balls – 57 [17]

Int. BB – 15 [2, tied with Willie Mays]

Strikeouts – 58

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .322 [3, tied with Frank Robinson]

OBP - .378 [8, tied with Dale Long]

Slugging Pct. - .600 [3]

Total Bases – 369 [1]

GDP – 13 [13, tied with six others]

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 3

League-leading runs were +5 ahead of runner-up Ernie Banks

League-leading home runs were +1 ahead of runner-up Ernie Banks

League-leading RBIs were +27 ahead of runner-up Del Ennis

League-leading total bases were +3 ahead of runner-up Willie Mays

Midseason snapshot: 27 HR, 73 RBI, .347 AVG., .659 SLG PCT.

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Pittsburgh 5/2 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 18

HR on road – 26

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh, (in 5 AB) at Cincinnati 8/15

Multi-HR games – 2

Grand Slams – 1

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Chi. Cubs 9/2

Pinch-hitting – 1 PA, 1 BB, no at bats

Fielding

Chances – 361

Put Outs – 346

Assists – 9

Errors – 6

DP – 0

Pct. - .983

Postseason: 7 G (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 29, AB – 28, R – 5, H – 11, 2B – 0, 3B – 1, HR – 3, RBI – 7, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 6, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .393, OBP - .414, SLG - .786, TB – 22, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for NL in RF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Hank Aaron, Mil.: 239 pts. - 9 of 24 first place votes, 71% share

Stan Musial, StL.: 230 pts. – 5 first place votes, 68% share

Red Schoendienst, NYG/Mil.: 221 pts. – 8 first place votes, 66% share

Willie Mays, NYG: 174 pts. – 1 first place vote, 52% share

Warren Spahn, Mil.: 131 pts. – 1 first place vote, 39% share

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Braves went 95-59 to win NL pennant by 8 games over St. Louis Cardinals after finishing second the previous two years. They led the NL in runs scored (772) and home runs (199). Won World Series over New York Yankees, 4 games to 3.  

Aftermath of ‘57:

Aaron hit 30 home runs, knocked in 95, and batted .326 as the Braves again won the NL pennant in 1958. Aaron won a second batting title in 1959 (.355) while also topping the NL in hits (223) and slugging percentage (.636) and total bases (400) to go along with 46 doubles, 39 home runs, and 123 RBIs. Still outstanding in 1960 although his average dropped to .292, Aaron topped the league in RBIs (126) and total bases (334) while producing 40 home runs, a .352 OBP, and a .556 slugging percentage. An outstanding outfielder in addition to his hitting, Aaron was most comfortable in right field but often saw action in center, as was the case in 1961. His offense never suffered and he led the NL in total bases for the third straight year with 358 and also topped the circuit in doubles (39) to go along with 10 triples, 34 home runs, 120 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, a .381 OBP, and a .594 slugging percentage. The player known as “Hammerin’ Hank” or “Bad Henry” maintained his excellence in 1962. Helped by an August surge he finished at .323 with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 45 home runs, 128 RBIs, a .390 OBP, and a .618 slugging percentage. In 1963 he led the NL in runs scored (121), home runs (44), RBIs (130), slugging percentage (.586), and total bases (370). He also stole 31 bases. Aaron batted .328 in 1964 but his home run total dropped to 24 although he drove in 95 runs with a .393 OBP and .514 slugging percentage helped along by his 30 doubles. In 1965, following ankle surgery, he went on to hit .318 with a league-leading 40 doubles,32 home runs, and relatively modest total of 89 RBIs. His OBP was .379 and he produced a .560 slugging percentage. With the Braves move to Atlanta in 1966 Aaron’s average dropped to .279 but he topped the league in home runs (44) and RBIs (127) and had a .356 OBP and .539 slugging percentage. He again led the league in home runs with 39 in 1967, and also topped the NL with 113 runs scored, a .573 slugging percentage, and 344 total bases. Aaron followed up with another solid performance in the pitching-dominated 1968 season, batting .287 with 33 doubles, 29 home runs, a disappointing 86 RBIs, 28 steals, a .354 OBP, and a .498 slugging percentage. In the first season of divisional play in 1969, the Braves won the NL West and “Hammerin’ Hank” contributed by hitting..300 with 30 doubles, 44 home runs, 97 RBIs, a .396 OBP, and a .607 slugging percentage. Atlanta was swept by the New York Mets in the first NLCS despite Aaron’s 3 homers and 7 RBIs. Having already surpassed 500 career home runs, he reached 3000 hits in 1970, while batting .298 with 38 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .385 OBP, and a .574 slugging percentage and showing no sign of slowing down at age 36. Playing primarily at first base in 1971, Aaron kept up his hitting production by batting .327 with a career-high 47 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .410 OBP, and a league-leading .669 slugging percentage. He placed third in league MVP voting. The story for the next two seasons was Aaron’s advance toward the career home run record. He added 34 home runs in 1972 to put him 41 behind Babe Ruth’s mark, although his RBI total dropped to 77 and he hit only .265. A 40-homer season in 1973 left him one short of the record which he tied in the first game of the 1974 season in Cincinnti and broke at home four days later. He went on to appear in only 112 games that season, mostly in left field, and batted .268 with 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, a .341 OBP, and a .491 slugging percentage at age 40. In the offseason he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing him back to the city where he had achieved much success, in return for outfielder Dave May and a minor league pitcher. Aaron spent two seasons with the Brewers, utilized almost exclusively as a Designated Hitter and retired following the 1976 season with a final total of 755 home runs, which remained as the MLB record until 2007. His 3771 hits ranked second at the time his career ended and 2297 RBIs placed first. Aaron batted .305 (.310 with the Braves alone), with 624 doubles and 98 triples. He had seven 40-homer seasons and scored 2174 runs along with a .374 OBP and .555 slugging percentage. While not primarily known for his base stealing, he finished with 240 steals and reached double figures in every season from 1960 to ’68. Appearing in 17 postseason games, he hit .362 with 6 home runs and 16 RBIs. Aaron was a 25-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves for his play in right field. The Braves and Brewers both retired his #44. The unpretentious and workmanlike Aaron was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. His brother Tommie, primarily an outfielder and first baseman, played in 437 games with the Braves spread out over seven years. He hit 13 home runs, giving the siblings a combined total of 768. Aaron served as vice president of player development for the Braves following his retirement as a player. Among many honors he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. A respected baseball elder statesman, he died in 2021 at the age of 86. Following his stressful pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record, he summed up his approach and perspective by saying, “I’m not trying to make anyone forget the Babe, but only to remember Hank Aaron.” Often overshadowed by contemporaries such as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle during his long career, in the end he out-slugged them all.

[Revised 9/22/25]

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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.