Highlighted Year: Earl Battey, 1962

Catcher, Minnesota Twins

Age:  27

3^rd season with Senators/Twins

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 237 

Prior to 1962:

A Los Angeles native, Battey was an outstanding catcher at Jordan High School and signed with the Chicago White Sox in 1953 for $3999. Initially assigned to Colorado Springs of the Class A Western League, the 18-year-old backstop hit only .158 in 26 games and was sent to Waterloo of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa (or Three I) League in 1954 where he batted .292 with 25 doubles, 11 home runs, 67 RBIs, a .403 on-base percentage, and a .445 slugging percentage. In 1955 he was with Charleston of the Class AAA American Association and hit .269 with 16 doubles, 8 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .371 OBP thanks to drawing 62 walks. Receiving a late-season call-up to the White Sox, Battey appeared in five games and produced his first two major league hits. Spending 1956 primarily with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Class AAA International League, he was hindered by a knee injury that limited him to 36 games and a .178 average. He also spent time both early and late in the season with the White Sox. Healthy in the offseason he played winter ball in Venezuela and batted .331. Catching the attention of new manager Al Lopez (once a former star catcher himself) during 1957 spring training, Battey opened the season with Chicago and was used when starting backstop Sherm Lollar received a day off. When Lollar suffered a broken wrist and missed 41 games, Battey and Les Moss filled in behind the plate. While he handled his catching duties well, Battey only hit .174 in 48 games, and he was sent down to Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast League in August. Regaining his batting stroke over the winter in Venezuela, he hit well during spring training in 1958 and stuck with the White Sox where he capably backed up the steady Lollar. He still batted a low .226 with 8 home runs, 26 RBIs, a .325 OBP, and a .417 slugging percentage. Joined by rookie backstop John Romano in 1959, Battey saw less action for the pennant-winning White Sox and in 72 plate appearances he hit .219 with a .306 OBP. As the White Sox sought to improve their power production, Battey was traded to the Washington Senators for slugging outfielder Roy Sievers just prior to the 1960 season. Taking over as Washington’s starting catcher, he produced at the plate by hitting .270 with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, 60 RBIs, a .346 OBP, and a .427 slugging percentage. He was also awarded a Gold Glove for his performance behind the plate and placed eighth in league MVP voting. He proved to be a deft handler of pitchers in addition to having an excellent throwing arm. With the Senators becoming the Minnesota Twins in 1961, Battey had another fine season as he played through injuries to bat .302 with 24 doubles, 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, a .377 OBP, and a .470 slugging percentage. He also received another Gold Glove for his defense and entered 1962 as a highly-regarded backstop.

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 148 games

C – 147, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 591

At Bats – 522

Runs – 58

Hits – 146

Doubles – 20

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 11

RBI – 57

Bases on Balls – 57

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 48

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .280

OBP - .348

Slugging Pct. - .393

Total Bases – 205

GDP – 20 [2, tied with Elston Howard & Mike Hershberger]

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 8 [15, tied with ten others]

Sac Flies – 4 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 12, HR - 4, RBI - 29, AVG - .280, OBP - .333

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Most hits, game – 3 on nine occasions

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 5

Most home runs, game – 1 on eleven occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at Baltimore 7/31

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 963

Put Outs – 872

Assists – 82

Errors – 9

Passed Balls – 13

DP – 9

Pct. - .991 

Awards & Honors:

Gold Glove

All-Star (Started for AL at C in both games)

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The Twins went 91-71 to finish second in the AL, 5 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in OBP (,338) and fewest stolen bases (33). The Twins were surprise contenders from the start and stuck close behind the Yankees through April, May, and June. 7 games back on August 1, they whittled their way closer until time ran out in September.

Aftermath of 1962:

Battey remained a solid producer, offensively and defensively, for the Twins in 1963. He batted .285 with 26 home runs, 84 RBIs, a .369 OBP, and a .476 slugging percentage. He placed seventh in league MVP balloting and once more started for the American League in the All-Star Game. Prone to putting on weight, he reported to spring training in 1964 at 260 pounds and went on to have an injury-marred off-year in which he hit .272 with 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, a .348 OBP, and a .407 slugging percentage. The Twins won the pennant in 1965 and Battey contributed by batting .297 with 22 doubles, 6 home runs, 60 RBIs, a .375 OBP, and a .409 slugging percentage, all despite dealing with an assortment of nagging injuries. His defense remained strong as well and he finished tenth in AL MVP voting. Having struck out only 23 times during the season, he fanned five times in the seven-game World Series loss to the Dodgers and their outstanding pitching. In 1966 Battey’s batting production dropped to .255 with 17 extra-base hits and a .337 OBP. With the Twins involved in a wild pennant race in 1967 in which they ultimately came up short, Battey was limited to 48 games by injuries and lost his starting job to veteran backup Jerry Zimmerman. He hit .165 with four extra-base hits and a .254 OBP and retired following the season. For his major league career, Battey batted .270 with 969 hits that included 150 doubles, 17 triples, and 104 home runs. He scored 393 runs and compiled 449 RBIs, a .349 OBP, and a .409 slugging percentage. With the Senators/Twins he batted .277 with 894 hits, 346 runs scored, 139 doubles, 12 triples, 91 home runs, 410 RBIs, a .354 OBP, and a .412 slugging percentage. In his only World Series action in 1965 he hit .120 with 2 RBIs. Battey was a five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove recipient. Selected as catcher on Minnesota’s fortieth anniversary all-time team in 2000, he was remembered by teammates for his big and fun-loving personality and was respected for playing through his many injuries. Following his playing career, Battey was part of Consolidated Edison’s community relations program. He also got his college degree and was a high school teacher and baseball coach who died in 2003 at age 68.   

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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: Mickey Mantle, 1962

Outfielder, New York Yankees

Age:  30

12^th season with Yankees

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 195 

Prior to 1962:

An Oklahoma native, Mantle was named after star catcher Mickey Cochrane, his father’s favorite player. Growing up in the town of Commerce (hence a later nickname, “the Commerce Comet”), his father taught him baseball and developed the natural right-hander into a switch hitter. He honed his skills playing sandlot ball, where he was a shortstop and drew the attention of a scout for the Yankees, who signed him following his high school graduation in 1949 for an $1100 signing bonus and $400 for the remainder of the ’49 season. Assigned to Independence of the Class D Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League he batted .313 in 89 games with 15 doubles, 7 triples, 7 home runs, and 63 RBIs, while also stealing 20 bases. While his hitting was impressive, he had difficulty with his throwing accuracy at shortstop, with bad throws being the cause of most of his 47 errors. Advancing to the Joplin Miners of the Class C Western Association in 1950, Mantle hit a league-best .383 with 30 doubles, 12 triples, 26 home runs and 136 RBIs while committing 55 errors in the field. Called up to the Yankees in September, he rode the bench and observed as the club nailed down the AL pennant. Invited to spring training with the Yankees in 1951, he began the transition to the outfield and drew rave newspaper stories with his batting power from both sides of the plate and great running speed. With Joe DiMaggio’s announcement that the ’51 season would be his last, manager Casey Stengel named Mantle as his successor in center field, putting added pressure on the 19-year-old phenom. Starting the season in right field, he initially hit well until encountering a severe slump in June and July, at which time he was sent down to Kansas City of the Class AAA American Association. In 40 Class AAA games Mantle hit .361 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs. Recalled by the Yankees, he hit well the rest of the way and ended up batting .267 in 96 major league games with 13 home runs and 65 RBIs. In Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Giants, Mantle tore ligaments in his right knee when he caught his spikes on a drainage outlet while chasing a fly ball, bringing his season to an end, and commencing a long string of injuries that would afflict him during his career. Following surgery in the offseason, in 1952 he transitioned to center field in May and went on to hit .311 with 37 doubles, 7 triples, 23 home runs, and 87 RBIs while striking out a league-leading 111 times. He was an All-Star for the first time and finished third in AL MVP voting. Mantle hit two more home runs in the World Series triumph over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Powerfully built and capable of driving the ball long distances from either side of the plate, he also impressed with his speed and throwing arm. He became a target of vocal fan criticism at times, not helped by receiving a deferment from the military draft due to osteomyelitis in his left leg which seemed incongruous in relation to his baseball performance. In 1953 Mantle batted .295 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs. One of the homers, hit while batting right-handed at Washington’s spacious Griffith Stadium, traveled an estimated 565 feet. The Yankees faced the Dodgers in the World Series again, winning while Mantle contributed another two home runs, one of them a grand slam. While the Bronx Bombers lost out in the 1954 pennant race, “the Mick” topped the AL with 129 runs scored and hit .300 with 27 home runs and 102 RBIs. The Yankees regained the pennant in 1955 while Mantle led the AL in triples (11), home runs (37), walks drawn (113), on-base percentage (.431), and slugging percentage (.611). A hamstring injury limited him to three games in the World Series loss to Brooklyn. By 1956, he was established as a budding superstar who had improved his game with each season despite dealing with nagging injuries and he had received a salary increase from $17,000 to $33,000. Mantle came through with an outstanding season in which he won the Triple Crown by batting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBIs. He also topped the AL in runs scored (132), slugging (.705), and total Bases (376), and received league MVP recognition. He added three more home runs in the seven-game World Series victory over Brooklyn, one of which came in support of RHP Don Larsen in his Game 5 perfect game. The Yankees won another AL pennant in 1957 and Mantle was again the MVP, batting .365 with 34 home runs and 94 RBIs while leading the circuit with 146 walks drawn. Hindered by a leg injury during the seven-game World Series loss to the Milwaukee Braves, Mantle still hit .263 with a home run. In 1958 Mantle again topped the AL in home runs (42) as well as walks drawn (129) and total bases (307) while batting .304 with a .443 OBP. He placed fifth in league MVP balloting as the Yankees again won the pennant. He added two more homers in the World Series, as the Yanks came from behind to defeat the Braves in a rematch. In a down year for the club in 1959, Mantle, who was now earning $70,000, hit .285 with 31 home runs and 75 RBIs. Joined in the lineup by right fielder Roger Maris, who was obtained from the Kansas City Athletics in 1960, Mantle led the league with 40 home runs and 119 runs scored while batting .275 with 94 RBIs although hindered by chronic knee problems. He finished a close second to Maris in the MVP voting and further hit .400 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs in the seven-game World Series loss to Pittsburgh. With manager Casey Stengel replaced by Ralph Houk in 1961, the Yankees won the pennant in a season highlighted by the home run race between Mantle and Maris. The two were neck-and-neck into September, with Maris finally hitting a record 61 homers to 54 for Mantle, who missed 10 of the team’s final 12 games due to injury and illness. In addition, he batted .317 with 128 RBIs and a .448 OBP and led the AL in walks drawn (126) and slugging percentage (.687). The Yankees defeated Cincinnati in the World Series with Mantle appearing in only two games. He finished second to Maris in league MVP voting once again.

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 123 games

CF – 94, RF – 23, PH – 6

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 502

At Bats – 377

Runs – 96 [7, tied with Rich Rollins & Leon Wagner]

Hits – 121

Doubles – 15

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 30 [7]

RBI – 89 [15, tied with Norm Cash]

Bases on Balls – 122 [1]

Int. BB – 9 [6, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 78 [20, tied with Roger Maris]

Stolen Bases – 9 [16, tied with Jackie Brandt, Willie Kirkland & Bob Johnson]

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .321 [2]

OBP - .486 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .605 [1]

Total Bases – 228

GDP – 4

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 2

League-leading bases on balls drawn were +12 ahead of runner-up Norm Siebern

League-leading OBP was +.074 ahead of runner-up Norm Siebern

League-leading slugging pct was +.060 ahead of runner-up Harmon Killebrew

Midseason snapshot: HR – 17, RBI – 36, AVG - .333, SLG – .721, OBP – .515

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Cleveland 8/27, (in 4 AB) vs. Washington 9/25

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 16

HR on road – 14

Most home runs, game – 2 on five occasions

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 7 at KC A’s 8/19

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 6 (.167) with 1 HR & 3 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 223

Put Outs – 214

Assists – 4

Errors – 5

DP – 1

Pct. - .978

Postseason Batting: 7 G (World Series vs. San Francisco)

PA – 29,AB – 25, R – 2, H – 3, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 4, IBB – 0, SO – 5, SB – 2, CS – 0, AVG - .120, OBP - .241, SLG - .160, TB – 4, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

All-Star (Started for AL in RF, first game)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Mickey Mantle, NYY.: 234 points - 13 of 20 first place votes, 84% share

Bobby Richardson, NYY: 152 points – 5 first place votes, 54% share

Harmon Killebrew, Min.: 99 points – 1 first place vote, 35% share

Leon Wagner, LAA: 85 points – 30% share

Dick Donovan, Clev.: 64 points – 23% share

(1 first place vote for Tom Tresh, NYY who ranked 12^th)

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The Yankees went 96-66 to win the AL pennant by 5 games over the Minnesota Twins while leading the league in runs scored (817), hits (1509), RBIs (791), batting (.267), slugging (.426), and total bases (2404). The Yankees were among the leaders in the AL from the start and took over first place to stay on July 8, although they faltered in August and September. A May leg injury sidelined Mantle for five weeks, but when healthy he helped to spur the club along with 2B Bobby Richardson and RHP Ralph Terry. Rookie Tom Tresh performed ably at shortstop until Tony Kubek returned from his military commitment, at which time he moved to left field in a Rookie of the Year performance. Won World Series over the San Francisco Giants, 4 games to 3. Terry and Tresh were heroes in a key fifth-game win.

Aftermath of 1962:

In the offseason, the club gave Mantle a raise to $100,000 per year, which would be his annual salary for the remainder of his career. In 1963, a broken foot limited him to 65 games and a .314 average with 15 home runs and 35 RBIs. Back in action in 1964, and despite being hindered by an August knee injury, Mantle batted .303 with 35 home runs and 111 RBIs while topping the circuit with an on-base percentage of .423. The Yankees narrowly won another pennant but lost the ensuing World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals, despite Mantle’s 3 home runs (one of them a game-winner) and 8 RBIs. 1964 marked the end of a long, sustained stretch of success for the Yankees. In decline along with the club in 1965, Mantle, hindered by a shoulder injury in the season’s second half, missed a total of 40 games and hit just .255 with 19 home runs and 46 RBIs. While his once formidable skills continued to deteriorate, he hit .288 in 1966 with 23 home runs and 56 RBIs. Shifted to first base in 1967 in an effort to reduce wear-and-tear, Mantle appeared in 144 games and batted .245 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs. Playing in one last season in 1968, he again made 144 appearances and hit .237 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs, reaching the end of his illustrious career at age 36. For his major league career, played entirely with the Yankees, Mantle batted .298 with 2415 hits that included 344 doubles, 72 triples, and 536 home runs. He scored 1676 runs and compiled 1509 RBIs in addition to 153 stolen bases. He drew 1733 walks and had a .421 OBP and .557 slugging percentage. Appearing in 65 World Series games, Mantle hit a record 18 home runs while batting .257 with 40 RBIs. In addition to being a three-time MVP, Mantle was a 20-time All-Star. An excellent center fielder with his speed and strong throwing arm, he twice led the AL in assists and received a Gold Glove in 1962. The Yankees retired his #7 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. In the 1980s Mantle accumulated much wealth thanks to the sports memorabilia industry, but years of late-night carousing and heavy drinking took a toll, and he died of liver cancer in 1995 at age 63.

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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: Tom Tresh, 1962

Shortstop/Outfielder, New York Yankees

Age:  24 (Sept. 20)

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1962:

The son of major league catcher Mike Tresh, Tresh was a Detroit native. He lettered in football and basketball, as well as baseball at Allen Park High School. He played shortstop as a freshman at Central Michigan University, after which he signed with the Yankees for a $30,000 bonus in 1958. A natural righthanded batter, he had become a switch-hitter at his father’s urging. Starting out with St. Petersburg of the Class D Florida State League, Tresh batted .316 with 24 doubles, 9 triples, 5 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .435 OBP while primarily playing at shortstop and some third base. He finished the year with the New Orleans Pelicans of the Class AA Southern Association. Playing with teams at the Class B and A levels in 1959, he hit a combined .267 with 15 home runs, 67 RBIs, and a .383 on-base percentage. In 1960 with Binghamton of the Class A Eastern League and Amarillo of the Class AA Texas League, Tresh batted a combined .247 with 15 home runs, and 62 RBIs. In 1961 with Richmond of the Class AAA International League, he hit .315 with 23 doubles, 6 triples, 8 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .380 OBP, earning a late-season call-up to the Yankees. With regular shortstop Tony Kubek having been called to active military duty, Tresh won a competition with another highly touted rookie, Phil Linz, for the open shortstop job in 1962.

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

SS – 111, LF – 43, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 712 [8]

At Bats – 622 [7]

Runs – 94 [10, tied with Norm Cash]

Hits – 178 [10]

Doubles – 26

Triples – 5

Home Runs – 20 [19, tied with Chico Fernandez]

RBI – 93 [13]

Bases on Balls – 67 [19, tied with Gary Geiger]

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 74

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 8 [5, tied with Chuck Cottier & Bob Rodgers]

Average - .286 [18]

OBP - .359 [18]

Slugging Pct. - .441

Total Bases – 274 [11]

GDP – 3

Hit by Pitches – 8 [6, tied with Lenny Green]

Sac Hits – 8 [15, tied with ten others]

Sac Flies – 7 [10, tied with five others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 12, HR - 6, RBI - 45, AVG - .269., OBP - .338

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 7 AB) vs. Boston 9/9 – 16 innings

Longest hitting streak – 16 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 5 AB) vs. Minnesota 8/7

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Minnesota 6/27

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 2 (.000) with 1 BB

Fielding (SS)

Chances – 529

Put Outs – 201

Assists – 312

Errors – 16

DP - 51

Pct. - .970

Postseason Batting: 7 G (World Series vs. San Francisco)

PA – 30, AB – 28, R – 5, H – 9, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 4, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 4, SB – 2, CS – 0, AVG - .321, OBP - .345, SLG -.464, TB – 13, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

12^th in AL MVP voting (30 points, 1 first place vote, 11% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Tom Tresh, NYY: 13 of 20 votes, 65% share

Bob Rodgers, LAA: 4 votes, 20% share

Bernie Allen, Min.: 1 vote, 5% share

Dean Chance, LAA: 1 vote, 5% share

Dick Radatz, Bos.: 1 vote, 5% share

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Yankees went 96-66 to win the AL pennant by 5 games over the Minnesota Twins while leading the league in runs scored (817), hits (1509), RBIs (791), batting (.267), slugging (.426), and total bases (2404). The Yankees were among the leaders in the AL from the start and took over first place to stay on July 8, although they faltered in August and September. Tresh performed ably at shortstop until Tony Kubek returned from his military commitment, at which time he moved to left field. Won World Series over the San Francisco Giants, 4 games to 3. Tresh’s three-run home run in Game 5 lifted the Yankees to a crucial 5-3 win.

Aftermath of 1962:

Starting off the 1963 season as the regular left fielder for the Yankees, Tresh was shifted to center field due to an injury to Mickey Mantle. He went on to bat .269 with 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .371 OBP while again being selected as an All-Star and placing eleventh in AL MVP voting. The Yankees won the pennant but were swept by the Dodgers in the World Series. Tresh primarily appeared in left field for the Bronx Bombers in 1964, although he again spelled Mantle in center field when needed, and hit .246 with 16 home runs, 73 RBIs, and a .342 OBP. The club again won the AL pennant but fell to St. Louis in seven games in the World Series, despite Tresh’s two homers and 7 RBIs. The Yankees dropped in the standings in 1965 but Tresh batted .279 with 26 home runs, 74 RBIs, and a .348 OBP. He also received a Gold Glove for his outfield play and placed ninth in league MVP voting. Shortstop Tony Kubek retired following the 1965 season and replacing him in 1966 proved difficult. With the infield being juggled as a result, Tresh played 64 games at third base as opposed to 84 in the outfield. While his batting average dropped to .233, he still slugged 27 home runs along with 68 RBIs for the last-place Yankees, and placed nineteenth in AL MVP balloting. In 1967, Tresh, back in left field, suffered a knee injury during spring training that limited him to 130 games and a .219 average with 14 home runs and 53 RBIs. He had knee surgery in the offseason, which still caused him difficulty in 1968. Appearing primarily at shortstop, he hit a dreadful .195 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs. Starting the 1969 season with the Yankees, Tresh was traded to Detroit at midseason and ended up hitting a combined .211 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs. Released by the Tigers at the end of spring training in 1970, Tresh retired at age 32. For his major league career, spent almost entirely with the Yankees, he batted .245 with 1041 hits that included 179 doubles, 34 triples, and 153 home runs. He scored 595 runs and compiled 530 RBIs and a .335 OBP with a .411 slugging percentage. Appearing in 18 World Series games, he hit .277 with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs. The versatile Tresh was a three-time All-Star who received MVP votes following four seasons. Following his playing career, he became an administrator and assistant baseball coach at Central Michigan University. He died at age 70 in 2008.

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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.