Cy Young Profile: Bob Turley, 1958

Pitcher, New York Yankees

Age:  28 (Sept. 19)

4^th season with Yankees

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 215 

Prior to 1958:

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, who typically was outstanding for the first few innings before wearing down, compiled a 14-15 mark and a 3.46 ERA with a league-leading 185 strikeouts and 181 walks in 247.1 innings. 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 having lost 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 and 152 strikeouts while having better control of his fastball, slider, sinker, changeup, and curve.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 31 [10]

Complete Games – 19 [1, tied with Frank Lary & Billy Pierce]

Wins – 21 [1]

Losses – 7

PCT - .750 [1]

Saves – 1

Shutouts – 6 [2]

Innings Pitched – 245.1 [4]

Hits – 178 [17]

Runs – 82

Earned Runs – 81 [16]

Home Runs – 24 [8, tied with Ned Garver]

Bases on Balls – 128 [1]

Strikeouts – 168 [3]

ERA – 2.97 [5, tied with Billy O’Dell]

Hit Batters – 8 [4, tied with Tom Brewer & Billy Loes]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 6 [5, tied with five others]

League-leading wins were +4 ahead of runner-up Billy Pierce

League-leading win percentage was +.083 ahead of runners-up Cal McLish & Whitey Ford

League-leading bases on balls surrendered were +24 ahead of runners-up Early Wynn & Jim Grant

Midseason Snapshot: 12-3, ERA - 2.41, SO – 90 in 127 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 10 (in 9 IP) at Boston 6/1

10+ strikeout games – 1

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at Baltimore 4/26

Batting

PA – 99, AB – 88, R – 8, H – 12, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 6, BB – 4, SO – 35, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .136, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 6, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 43

Put Outs – 17

Assists – 26

Errors – 0

DP – 4

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 4 (World Series vs. Milwaukee Braves)

GS – 2, CG – 1, Record – 2-1, PCT – .667, SV – 1, ShO – 1, IP – 16.1, H – 10, R – 5, ER – 5, HR – 2, BB – 7, SO – 13, ERA – 2.76, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0  World Series MVP

Awards & Honors:

MLB Cy Young Award: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Started for AL)

2^nd in AL MVP voting (191 points, 7 first place votes, 57% share)

MLB Cy Young voting:

Bob Turley, NYY.: 5 of 15 votes, 31% share

Warren Spahn, Mil.: 4 votes, 25% share

Lew Burdette, Mil.: 3 votes, 19% share

Bob Friend, Pitt.: 3 votes, 19% share

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Yankees went 92-62 to win the AL pennant by 10 games over the Chicago White Sox. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (3.22), shutouts (21), saves (33), and fewest hits allowed (1201). The Yankees surged to a 17-game lead on August 2 before slumping, largely due to sore arms suffered by pitchers Whitey Ford and Don Larsen. Still winning the pennant handily, they won the World Series over the Milwaukee Braves, 4 games to 3. Trailing by 3 games to 1, 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.

Aftermath of 1958:

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 Yankees he was 82-52 with a 3.62 ERA, 58 complete games, 21 shutouts, and 909 strikeouts in 1269 innings pitched. Appearing in 15 World Series games, his record was 4-3 with a 3.19 ERA, one save, 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. 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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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: Albie Pearson, 1958

Outfielder, Washington Senators

 

Age:  24 (Sept. 12)

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’5”    Weight: 140

 

Prior to 1958:

A native of Alhambra, California, Pearson was named Albie for Yale football star Albie Booth, who excelled despite small stature. The son of diminutive parents, Pearson topped out at 5’4 7/8”. After lettering in four sports in high school, where he was a pitcher/outfielder on the baseball team, he was signed by the Boston Red Sox out of Pomona Junior College in 1953. Initially assigned to San Jose of the Class C California League, the 18-year-old hit .334. Advancing to Albany of the Class A Eastern League in 1954, he batted .269 with 19 doubles, 8 triples, 3 home runs, 91 runs scored, and 38 RBIs. Notable for his hustling and determination, he moved on to the Montgomery Rebels of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1955 where he hit .305 with 27 doubles, 9 triples, and 4 home runs. With Oklahoma City in the Texas League in 1956 he batted .371 in 122 games and finished the season with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League, where over the course of 31 games he hit .297. Returning to the Seals in 1957 Pearson batted .297 with 22 doubles, 11 triples, 5 home runs, and 50 RBIs. In the offseason he was traded to the Senators, where, thanks to his good range in center field, he made it into Washington’s opening-day lineup in 1958 despite the concerns about his size.

 

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in 146 games

CF – 136, RF – 6, PH – 6

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 610 [13]

At Bats – 530 [16]

Runs – 63

Hits – 146 [17]

Doubles – 25 [10, tied with Minnie Minoso, Frank Bolling & Don Buddin]

Triples – 5 [13, tied with seven others]

Home Runs – 3

RBI – 33

Bases on Balls – 64 [11, tied with Charlie Maxwell]

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 31

Stolen Bases – 7 [10, tied with four others]

Caught Stealing – 8 [4, tied with Norm Siebern & Bob Nieman]

Average - .275 [17]

OBP - .354 [16]

Slugging Pct. - .358

Total Bases – 190

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 11 [4, tied with Dave Sisler]

Sac Flies – 3

 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 15, HR – 0, RBI - 13, AVG - .266, OBP – .361

 

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. KC A’s 5/4, (in 5 AB) at Cleveland 6/21

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 4 AB) at Chi. White Sox 7/28, (in 3 AB) vs. Baltimore 9/2, (in 5 AB) at NY Yankees 9/5

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. Baltimore 9/2

Pinch-hitting – 2 of 4 (.500) with 1 BB

 

Fielding

Chances – 351

Put Outs – 338

Assists – 6

Errors – 7

DP - 1

Pct. - .980

 

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

 

AL ROY Voting:

Albie Pearson, Wash.: 14 of 24 votes, 58% share

Ryne Duren, NYY: 7 votes, 29% share

Gary Bell, Clev.: 3 votes, 13% share

 

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Senators went 61-93 to finish eighth in the AL, their third consecutive last-place finish, 31 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees.

 

Aftermath of ‘58:

Bothered by a hernia and illness in 1959, Pearson lost weight, which he could ill afford, and he slumped at bat as well as in the field. Pushed aside in the outfield by Bob Allison, who succeeded him as Rookie of the Year, he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in June. Utilized as a reserve outfielder, he batted a combined .216 for the year. He started off well for the Orioles in 1960 but was hitting .231 in June when he was sent down to Miami of the International League where he batted .301 over 53 games before returning to Baltimore in September. In 48 major league games Pearson hit .244. With the AL expanding to Los Angeles in 1961, Pearson wrote to GM Fred Haney of the new Angels franchise asking to be selected in the expansion draft. The Angels did select him, and he made the most of his new opportunity by making the club as the regular center fielder in 1961. He batted .288 and drew 96 walks while also scoring 92 runs. His revived career continued with another fine showing in 1962 in which he led the AL in runs scored (115) while hitting .261 and drawing 95 walks which helped him to a .360 on-base percentage. In addition to his small size, the devout Baptist was known for not smoking, drinking, or swearing (“rat-fink” was his strongest curse). He also did some singing and acting on the side and was an outstanding off-season golfer. Pearson was an All-Star and received MVP votes for the only time in 1963 as he batted .304 with 92 runs scored as well as 92 walks drawn. His performance dropped off in 1964 as he hit .223 with eight extra base hits and he found himself reduced to a part-time role. Pearson was back in the reserve role to start off the 1965 season but was platooned with Lou Clinton in right field and rebounded to .278 with 17 doubles, four home runs, 100 hits, and 41 runs scored. A back injury during spring training in 1966 limited him to two games and Pearson retired following the season. For his major league career, he batted .270 with 831 hits that included 130 doubles, 24 triples, and 28 home runs. He further scored 485 runs and compiled 214 RBIs, 77 stolen bases, and drew 477 walks. With the Senators his production was .264 with 72 runs scored, 161 hits, 26 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home runs, 35 RBIs, 8 stolen bases, and 78 walks drawn. An example of how much hard work and determination could overcome small stature, he ended up being an All-Star once and was a key player for the Angels, as well as a fan favorite, in their early years. In retirement he became involved in work with non-profit organizations and remained heavily active in church-related activities.

 

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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: Jackie Jensen, 1958

Outfielder, Boston Red Sox

Age:  31

5^th season with Red Sox

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 190

Prior to 1958:

A San Francisco native, Jensen starred in baseball and football at Oakland Technical High School. He enlisted in the Navy after graduation in 1945 and was discharged the following year. Entering the Univ. of California, Jensen again played both football and baseball with distinction. As a fullback on the football team, he was a consensus first-team All-American in 1948, as California went undefeated to top the Pacific Coast Conference but lost the Rose Bowl to Northwestern. An equally fine pitcher and outfielder on the baseball team he was a key figure on California’s College World Series-winning squad in 1947. Signing with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League for $75,000 in 1949, he batted .261 with 9 home runs and 77 RBIs while appearing in 125 games. After the season, in a highly publicized wedding, he married Zoe Ann Olsen, an Olympic silver medal diver. The Oaks sold Jensen’s contract to the New York Yankees, where it was anticipated that he would be the successor to aging star center fielder Joe DiMaggio. Utilized as a pinch hitter and reserve outfielder in 1950, the blond-haired “Golden Boy” appeared in 45 games and hit .171 with a home run and 5 RBIs. Jensen started off better at the plate for the Yankees in 1951 but was sent down to the Kansas City Blues of the Class AAA American Association at the end of July, where he batted .263 in 42 games with 9 home runs and 26 RBIs before returning to New York in September. He hit .298 over the course of 56 games for the Yankees with 8 home runs and 25 RBIs and found himself in a battle with rookie Mickey Mantle for playing time in the outfield. Jensen started the 1952 season in center field with Mantle in right, but off to a slow start at the plate, he was traded to the Washington Senators in May along with three other players for outfielder Irv Noren. Inserted into right field with the Senators, he earned an All-Star selection and went on to hit .280 in his breakout season with 10 home runs and 82 RBIs. Jensen followed up in 1953 by batting .266 with 32 doubles, 8 triples, 10 home runs, 84 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. In the offseason he was dealt to the Red Sox where he primarily played in center field in 1954. Hindered by spacious Griffith Stadium in Washington, Jensen began to achieve his power potential with Boston, belting 25 home runs in ’54 along with 25 doubles and 7 triples while hitting .276 with 117 RBIs. He also led the AL with 22 stolen bases. Returning to right field in 1955, he hit .275 with 26 home runs and a league-leading 116 RBIs. An All-Star for the second time, he also finished tenth in league MVP voting. Jensen had another strong season in 1956, batting .315 with 23 doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, 20 home runs, and 97 RBIs, and was a solid member of an outstanding outfield that included Ted Williams in left and Jim Piersall in center field. The fine performance continued in 1957 as he hit .281 with 23 home runs and 103 RBIs.

1958 Season Summary

Appeared in 154 games

RF – 153, LF – 2, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 654 [5, tied with Mickey Mantle]

At Bats – 548 [14]

Runs – 83 [11]

Hits – 157 [11, tied with Bob Cerv]

Doubles – 31 [5]

Triples – 0

Home Runs – 35 [5]

RBI – 122 [1]

Bases on Balls – 99 [2]

Int. BB – 7 [5]

Strikeouts – 65 [16, tied with Gus Triandos]

Stolen Bases – 9 [9]

Caught Stealing – 4 [15, tied with nine others]

Average - .286 [14]

OBP - .396 [5]

Slugging Pct. - .535 [6]

Total Bases – 293 [5]

GDP – 13

Hit by Pitches – 3 [20, tied with eleven others]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 4

League-leading RBIs were +9 ahead of runner-up Rocky Colavito

Midseason snapshot: HR – 24, RBI – 68, AVG – .311, SLG PCT – .640

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Baltimore 5/18

Longest hitting streak – 17 games

HR at home – 17

HR on road – 18

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Chi. White Sox 6/8 – 10 innings, (in 5 AB) at Detroit 6/28 – 12 innings

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Washington 5/13

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 313

Put Outs – 293

Assists – 14

Errors – 6

DP – 3

Pct. - .981

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (started for AL in RF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Jackie Jensen, Bos.: 233 pts. - 9 of 24 first place votes, 69% share

Bob Turley, NYY: 191 pts. – 7 first place votes, 57% share

Rocky Colavito, Clev.: 181 pts. – 4 first place votes, 54% share

Bob Cerv, KCA: 164 pts. – 3 first place votes, 49% share

Mickey Mantle, NYY: 127 pts. – 38% share

(1 first place vote for Nellie Fox, ChiWS., who ranked eighth)

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Red Sox went 79-75 to finish third in the AL, 13 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in doubles (229, tied with Detroit), walks drawn (638), batter strikeouts (820), and on-base percentage (.338).

Aftermath of ‘58:

Jensen again led the AL in RBIs in 1959 with 112 to go with 28 home runs and a .277 batting average. He ranked tenth in league MVP balloting and won a Gold Glove for his outfield play. In the offseason he announced his retirement while still apparently in his prime at the age of 32. While news reports indicated that his well-established fear of flying was the culprit in his premature exit from the game, family considerations played the more significant role. He returned to the Red Sox in 1961, a step slower and less adept in the field, and hit .263 with 13 home runs and 66 RBIs, after which he retired for good. Overall, Jensen batted .279 in his major league career with 1463 hits, 259 doubles, 45 triples, 199 home runs, 929 RBIs, and 143 stolen bases. With the Red Sox his batting production was a .282 average with 1089 hits, 187 doubles, 28 triples, 170 home runs, 733 RBIs, and 95 stolen bases. He led the AL in RBIs three times and was a three-time All-Star. Following his playing career, Jensen became a color commentator on college football telecasts and later returned to the Univ. of California as baseball coach. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984, two years after his death at age 55, and was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2000.

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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.