Cy Young Profile: Sandy Koufax, 1965

Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  29

10^th season with Dodgers

Bats – Right, Throws – Left

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210 

Prior to 1965:

A native of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Koufax (who was originally named Sanford Braun until he took his stepfather’s name), excelled at basketball in high school and played sandlot baseball where his pitching talent was first exhibited. Following high school he attended the Univ. of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship. He performed well at basketball in college but caught the interest of major league baseball scouts by posting a 3-1 record with 51 strikeouts in 30 innings, with blazing speed, although having difficulty with his control he walked 30 batters as well. While all three New York teams were interested (not least because his being Jewish would add to his fan appeal), and he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 for $6000 plus a $14,000 bonus. He transferred to Columbia University to continue his college education but dropped out due to the problem of having to fulfill his military obligation during the offseason. The bonus rules of the time required him to play for the major league club rather than spend time in the minors. Following an ankle injury that put him on the disabled list early during the 1955 season, the 19-year-old Koufax saw his first action as a reliever in June. His first start was derailed by wildness, but he struck out 14 batters in a later game against Cincinnati. In his first two seasons he made 28 appearances (15 of them starts) and went 4-6 with 60 strikeouts and 57 walks in 100.1 innings pitched. He saw no World Series action in either 1955 or ’56. Playing winter ball in Puerto Rico helped in his development. He saw more action in 1957, the last year for the Dodgers in Brooklyn, going 5-4 with a 3.88 ERA and 122 strikeouts with 51 walks while pitching 104.1 innings. Moving with the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958, he started 26 of 40 games and compiled an 11-11 tally with a 4.48 ERA and 131 strikeouts with 105 walks in 158.2 innings pitched. He got off to a poor start in 1959 until he strung together three straight complete game wins in June and had an 18-strikeout performance against the Giants at the end of August on his way to an 8-6 mark with a 4.05 ERA and 173 strikeouts with 92 walks over the course of 153.1 innings. The Dodgers won the NL pennant and Koufax saw his first World Series action against the Chicago White Sox, appearing in two games, losing a 1-0 decision in Game 5 in which he pitched 7 innings and surrendered just five hits while striking out 6 batters before a crowd of 92,706 at the LA Coliseum. 1960 was a more disappointing season in which he pitched 175 innings and went 8-13 with a 3.91 ERA and 197 strikeouts while issuing 100 walks. Frustrated with his career thus far, Koufax worked to improve his delivery, mechanics, and control. Strong, with long arms and fingers, he refined his rising fastball and developed an excellent overhand curve. The result in 1961 was an 18-13 record with a 3.52 ERA, 15 complete games, and a league-leading 269 strikeouts. He also was an All-Star for the first time. The move by the Dodgers from the LA Coliseum to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium in 1962 also proved beneficial. Off to a strong start in 1962, Koufax suffered a career-threatening circulatory problem with his index finger which went numb as a result. He still managed his first career no-hitter against the expansion New York Mets shortly before being shelved until September at the cost of his endurance and effectiveness. The Dodgers faded down the stretch and ended up tied for first with the Giants, necessitating a season-extending playoff, won by San Francisco. In his abbreviated season, Koufax went 14-7 with a league-leading 2.54 ERA while striking out 216 batters in 184.1 innings pitched. Entering 1963 there were concerns about Koufax’s condition, although he had finally developed into an outstanding pitcher. The Dodgers won the pennant in ’63 and Koufax contributed a sterling 25-5 record, again leading the league with a 1.88 ERA, as well as 11 shutouts and 306 strikeouts. Along the way he threw a no-hitter against the arch-rival Giants. His performance earned him NL MVP recognition as well as the major league Cy Young Award. In the four-game World Series sweep of the Yankees, Koufax was MVP. His winning effort in Game 1 included 15 strikeouts, which set a World Series record at the time. He also won the decisive Game 4, going the distance in winning 2-1. Already bothered by arthritis in his left arm that required special treatment, in 1964 Koufax remained extremely effective until a sore elbow finished him for the season in August. He still ended up with a 19-5 record in just 28 starts and won his third straight National League ERA title with a 1.74 ERA while pitching 223 innings. He also pitched his third career no-hitter, this time against the Phillies, and struck out 223 batters while hurling seven shutouts and 15 complete games. The Dodgers dropped to sixth place. By this point, the star southpaw was utilizing ice baths to reduce swelling in his elbow.

1965 Season Summary

Appeared in 43 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 43

Games Started – 41 [2]

Complete Games – 27 [1]

Wins – 26 [1]

Losses – 8

PCT - .765 [1]

Saves – 2

Shutouts – 8 [2]

Innings Pitched – 335.2 [1]

Hits – 216 [18]

Runs – 90

Earned Runs – 76

Home Runs – 26 [5, tied with Ray Sadecki, Bob Buhl & Warren Spahn]

Bases on Balls – 71 [10]

Strikeouts – 382 [1]

ERA – 2.04 [1]

Hit Batters – 5

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 11 [7, tied with Don Drysdale & Bo Belinsky]

League-leading complete games were +3 ahead of runner-up Juan Marichal

League-leading wins were +2 ahead of runner-up Tony Cloninger

League-leading win pct was +.065 ahead of runner-up Bob Bolin

League-leading innings pitched were +27.1 ahead of runner-up Don Drysdale

League-leading strikeouts were +106 ahead of runner-up Bob Veale

League-leading ERA was -0.09 lower than runner-up Juan Marichal

Midseason Snapshot: 15-3, ERA - 2.13, SO - 195 in 169 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 14 (in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets 8/10, (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 9/9

10+ strikeout games – 21

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 0 (in 9 IP) vs. Chi. Cubs 9/9 (Perfect Game with 14 strikeouts. Dodgers won 1-0. Chicago’s Bob Hendley pitched 8 innings and gave up 1 hit. The Dodgers scored the game’s only run thanks to an unearned run in the fifth inning.)

Batting

PA – 127, AB – 113, R – 4, H – 20, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 7, BB – 10, SO – 44, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .177, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 3, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances - 46

Put Outs – 10

Assists – 36

Errors – 0

DP – 2

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 3 (World Series vs. Minnesota)

GS – 3, CG – 2, Record – 2-1, PCT – .667, SV – 0, ShO – 2, IP – 24, H – 13, R – 2, ER – 1, HR – 0, BB – 5, SO – 29, ERA – 0.38, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0    World Series MVP

Awards & Honors:

MLB Cy Young Award: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

2^nd in NL MVP voting (177 points, 6 first place votes, 63% share)

MLB Cy Young voting:

Sandy Koufax, LAD: 20 of 20 votes, 100% share

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The Dodgers went 97-65 to win the NL pennant by 2 games over the San Francisco Giants. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (2.81), complete games (58), shutouts (23), fewest hits allowed (1223) and fewest runs allowed (521). The light-hitting Dodgers benefited from pitching, speed, and defense to keep pace in a torrid pennant race with the Giants, countering a 14-game San Francisco winning streak in September with a 13-game streak of their own to nail down the pennant. In the stretch run of the hot pennant race Koufax threw four complete game wins in his final five starts. Won World Series over the Minnesota Twins, 4 games to 3, rebounding after losing the first two games thanks to LHP Claude Osteen’s Game 3 shutout and, except for a Game 6 win by Minnesota RHP Jim “Mudcat” Grant, Koufax (who refused to pitch on the Jewish high holy day of Yom Kippur) and RHP Don Drysdale shut the Twins down the rest of the way.

Aftermath of 1965:

In 1966, Koufax and star RHP Don Drysdale staged a spring joint contract holdout which resulted in a raise for Koufax from $110,000 to $130,000. That season he topped the NL in wins with his 27-9 mark, in ERA for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year (1.73), in complete games (27), shutouts (5), innings pitched (323), and strikeouts (317). LA won another pennant, although the Dodgers were swept by Baltimore in the World Series. “The Left Arm of God”, as he was sometimes referred to, won a third Cy Young Award and placed a close second in NL MVP balloting. Fearful that the arthritis would cripple him for life if he continued to pitch, Koufax retired at age 30 while still at the top of his game. Efforts by the Dodgers to lure him back failed, and the quiet and unassuming Koufax went on to a short broadcasting career. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Dodgers, he compiled a 165-87 record with a 2.76 ERA and 2396 strikeouts in 2324.1 innings pitched. He further pitched 137 complete games with 40 shutouts, including the four no-hitters. Concerned about causing serious injury, he avoided throwing knockdown pitches and hit only 18 batters during his career. In World Series action, he appeared in 8 games (7 of them starts) and produced a 4-3 record with a 0.95 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 57 innings, and he was a two-time World Series MVP. His Series record of 15 strikeouts in a game lasted until 1968. A seven-time All-Star, Koufax was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 at age 36, making him the youngest person to become a Hall of Famer. The Dodgers retired his #32. In retirement he spent time as a special pitching instructor for the Dodgers. He also maintained a low public profile.

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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. 

 

MVP Profile: Willie Mays, 1965

Outfielder, San Francisco Giants

Age:  34 (May 6)

14^th season with Giants

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 170 

Prior to 1965:

An Alabama native, Mays was the son of a father who played semipro baseball and a mother who was a high school track and basketball star. His high school lacking a baseball team, Mays played second base and center field as a teammate of his father with a club in the Fairfield Industrial League. He also played semipro ball and briefly was with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos in 1947, which was a minor affiliate of the Negro American League Birmingham Black Barons. In 1948, at age 17, he joined the Black Barons on a part-time basis while he finished high school and batted .262 in 61 at bats. Still with Birmingham in 1949, Mays hit .311 in 75 games and was impressive defensively in center field. Following a strong start with Birmingham in 1950, Mays was signed by the Giants for $250 per month with a $4000 signing bonus. Initially assigned to Trenton of the Class B Interstate League, where he was the first black player, over the course of 81 games he hit .353 with 20 doubles, 8 triples, and 4 home runs. Mays started the 1951 season with the Minneapolis Millers of the Class AAA American Association and was batting .477 after 35 games, when he was called up to the Giants at the behest of manager Leo Durocher. He was immediately installed in center field and, despite a slow start, he went on to bat .274 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs as the club got hot down the stretch and forced a season-extending playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers to decide the pennant. The Giants won thanks to a walk-off home run by Bobby Thomson and went on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees. Mays received NL Rookie of the Year recognition. He was limited to 34 games in 1952 before being inducted into the Army. Mays missed the remainder of the ’52 season and all of 1953, but he played service baseball. Returning to the Giants in 1954 he went on a home run tear to start the season on the way to batting a league-leading .345 with 33 doubles, a NL-high 13 triples, 41 home runs, and 110 RBIs. The Giants won the pennant and Mays was the league MVP. In the World Series sweep of the Cleveland Indians, he made a brilliant defensive play in Game 1 at the Polo Grounds to chase a ball hit over his head by Cleveland first baseman Vic Wertz, making an over-the shoulder catch and whirling to make a throw to the infield that kept runners from advancing. The Giants dropped to third in 1955 but Mays hit .319 with 127 RBIs and topped the league with 13 triples, 51 home runs, a .659 slugging percentage, and 382 total bases. He also led all NL outfielders in assists (23) and double plays (8). The home runs dropped to 36 in 1956, but with his speed and daring on the basepaths he led the league with 40 stolen bases. He further compiled 84 RBIs and hit .296. In the Giants’ final season in New York in 1957, Mays led the NL in triples (20), slugging (.625), and stolen bases (38), while hitting 35 home runs with 97 RBIs and a .333 batting average. With the move to San Francisco in 1958, he was joined in the lineup by power-hitting rookie first baseman Orlando Cepeda and Mays led the NL with 121 runs scored and 31 stolen bases to go along with 33 doubles, 11 triples, 29 home runs, 96 RBIs, and a .347 average. After being enormously popular in New York, he found the San Francisco fans slow to warm up to him and there was a racial incident when he sought to buy a house in the city. The local sportswriters were slow to warm up as well and he had a less pleasant relationship with manager Bill Rigney than the one he had enjoyed with Leo Durocher. A charismatic, enthusiastic, and energetic player known as “the Sey Hey Kid” due to his standard greeting, who did flashy things on the field like utilize a basket catch, he was prone to bouts of nervous exhaustion throughout his career and was briefly hospitalized during the season for rest. Another power-hitting rookie first baseman, Willie McCovey, joined the Giants during the 1959 season and the team contended for the NL pennant (McCovey would later go on to become the strong lefthanded bat behind Mays in the lineup). Mays contributed a .313 average, 34 home runs, 104 RBIs, 27 stolen bases, and his usual impressive play in center field, despite suffering leg and hand injuries. The move into Candlestick Park in 1960 diminished Mays’ power numbers, although he hit well on the road and led the NL with 190 hits while also batting .319 with 29 home runs and 103 RBIs. In 1961 he had his greatest single-game hitting performance as he homered a record-tying four times in a game against the Braves at Milwaukee’s County Stadium. Benefiting from the presence of Cepeda batting behind him, Mays hit .308 with 40 home runs, 123 RBIs, and scored a league-leading 129 runs. The Giants won the NL pennant in 1962 and “the Say Hey Kid” contributed a league-high 49 home runs along with 141 RBIs and a .304 average. He was at his best down the stretch, despite passing out in the dugout in Cincinnati as a result of fatigue, as the Giants battled the Dodgers and ended up facing off in a season-extending playoff. He was narrowly edged out in the league MVP voting by LA shortstop Maury Wills. Mays, now the highest paid player at $105,000, had a rough first half in 1963 that led some observers to speculate that he was slowing down at age 32. He picked up the pace in the season’s second half to finish at .314 with 38 home runs and 103 RBIs. With the Giants contending in 1964, Mays led the NL with 47 home runs and a .607 slugging percentage while batting .296 with 111 RBIs.

1965 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

CF – 148, PH – 9, RF – 4, LF – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 638

At Bats – 558

Runs – 118 [2]

Hits – 177 [11, tied with Deron Johnson & Jim Ray Hart]

Doubles – 21

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 52 [1]

RBI – 112 [3]

Bases on Balls – 76 [6, tied with Ron Fairly]

Int. BB – 16 [4, tied with John Edwards]

Strikeouts – 71

Stolen Bases – 9 [20, tied with Donn Clendenon, Curt Flood & Jim Gilliam]

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .317 [3]

OBP - .398 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .645 [1]

Total Bases – 360 [1]

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 2

Sac Flies – 2

League-leading home runs were +13 ahead of runner-up Willie McCovey

League-leading OBP was +.012 ahead of runner-up Frank Robinson

League-leading slugging percentage was +.085 ahead of runner-up Hank Aaron

League-leading total bases were +4 ahead of runner-up Billy Williams

Midseason snapshot: HR – 23, RBI – 59, AVG - .339, SLG - .657, OBP - .414

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) at St. Louis 5/5 – 10 innings, (in 6 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 6/20 – 15 innings

Longest hitting streak – 18 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 3 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 5/7, (in 5 AB) at Cincinnati 8/5, (in 3 AB) at St. Louis 8/7, (in 5 AB) vs. Houston 9/8

HR at home – 24

HR on road – 28

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 5 at St. Louis 8/7, vs. Houston 9/8

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 6 (.000) with 3 BB

Fielding

Chances – 356

Put Outs – 337

Assists – 13

Errors – 6

DP – 4

Pct. - .983

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

All-Star (Started for NL in CF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Willie Mays, SF: 224 points – 9 of 20 first place votes, 80% share

Sandy Koufax, LAD: 177 points – 6 first place votes, 63% share

Maury Wills, LAD: 164 points – 5 first place votes, 59% share

Deron Johnson, Cin.: 108 points – 39% share

Don Drysdale, LAD: 77 points – 28% share

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Giants went 95-67 to finish second in the NL, 2 games behind the pennant-winning Los Angeles Dodgers while leading the league in fewest batter strikeouts (844). Locked in a tight race with the Dodgers, the Giants moved 4.5 games ahead of LA thanks to a 14-game September winning streak. The Dodgers responded with a 13-game streak of their own while the Giants closed out at 7-8, allowing LA to win the pennant.

Aftermath of ‘65:

Mays remained highly productive in 1966, hitting .288 with 37 home runs and 103 RBIs. Along the way he passed Jimmie Foxx to reach second on the all-time home run list at the time. Problems with injury and illness limited him to a .263 average with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs in 1967, although he still was an All-Star and received a Gold Glove. His average rebounded to .289 in 1968 along with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs. Mays reached 600 career home runs in 1969 in a year in which he totaled only 13 with 58 RBIs and a .283 average. He reached 3000 hits in 1970 as he batted .291 with 28 home runs and 83 RBIs. The Giants won the NL West in 1971 and Mays contributed 18 home runs, 61 RBIs, and league-leading totals in walks drawn (112) and on-base percentage (.425). He played 48 games at first base in addition to 84 in center field to rest his aging legs. Seeking a long-term contract entering 1972, and now making $160,000 per year, he was dealt to the New York Mets in May. In his return to New York he homered in his first at bat, one of 8 for the year for the 41-year-old slugger. He again split his time between center field and first base and received a salary boost from his new club to $175,000 with a guarantee of $50,000 per year following his retirement if he remained a coach for the team. He lasted one more year as a player in 1973, struggling with rib and knee injuries and appearing in 66 games. For his career, Mays batted .302 with 3283 hits that included 523 doubles, 140 triples, and 660 home runs. He further scored 2062 runs and compiled 1903 RBIs and 338 stolen bases, as well as drawing 1464 walks. He compiled twelve 100-run seasons, eleven 30-home run seasons, which included two over 50 and six with at least 40, and ten 100-RBI years. With the Giants he batted .304 with 3187 hits, 504 doubles, 139 triples, 646 home runs, 1859 RBIs, 336 stolen bases, and 2011 runs scored. Appearing in 25 postseason games, Mays hit .247 with a home run and 10 RBIs. A 24-time All-Star (where he often showcased his impressive talents) he placed in the top ten in NL MVP voting twelve times, including two wins. He also received 12 Gold Gloves. The Giants retired his #24 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

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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: Jim Lefebvre, 1965

Second Baseman, Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Age:  23

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 180 

Prior to 1965:

A native of Inglewood, California, Lefebvre (pronounced Leh-FEE-ver) was the son of an American Legion and college baseball coach and hitting instructor. Encouraged by his father to switch-hit, he starred at Morningside High School and was signed by the Dodgers for $11,000 in 1962. Nicknamed “Frenchy”, he was first assigned to the Reno Silver Sox of the Class C California League where he batted .327 with 33 doubles, 39 home runs, and 130 RBIs. He was also named by The Sporting News as second baseman on the Class C Minor League All-Star team. Advancing to Salem of the Class A Northwest League in 1963, Lefebvre hit .283 with 29 doubles, 9 triples, 17 home runs, and 92 RBIs. A military commitment caused Lefebvre to miss spring training in 1964, which he spent with Spokane of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, where he batted .265 in 55 games. Further play in the Arizona Instructional League earned him praise for his defensive play at second base as well as his hitting. A non-roster invitee to Dodger spring training in 1965, Lefebvre expected to spend another year at Spokane but played himself onto the club where he was named the starting second baseman as part of an unprecedented all-switch-hitting infield along with 1B Wes Parker, SS Maury Wills, and 3B Jim Gilliam.

1965 Season Summary

Appeared in 157 games

2B – 156, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 631

At Bats – 544

Runs – 57

Hits – 136

Doubles – 21

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 12

RBI – 69

Bases on Balls – 71 [11]

Int. BB – 7

Strikeouts – 92

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .250

OBP - .337

Slugging Pct. - .369

Total Bases – 201

GDP – 8

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 10 [9, tied with Don Cardwell]

Sac Flies – 4

 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 14, HR - 5, RBI - 30, AVG. - .226, OBP – .310

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Most hits, game – 3 on seven occasions

Longest hitting streak – 7 games

Most HR, game – 1 on twelve occasions

HR at home – 3

HR on road – 9

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Cincinnati 7/7, at Pittsburgh 9/2

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 2 (.500) with 1 R & 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 802

Put Outs – 349

Assists – 429

Errors – 24

DP - 91

Pct. - .970

Postseason Batting: 3 G (World Series vs. Minnesota)

PA – 10, AB – 10, R – 2, H – 4, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 0, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .400, OBP - .400, SLG - .400, TB – 4, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

21^st in NL MVP voting, tied with Leo Cardenas, Cin. & Jim Maloney, Cin. (7 points, 3% share)

NL ROY Voting:

Jim Lefebvre, LAD.: 14 of 21 votes, 65% share

Joe Morgan, Hou.: 4 votes, 20% share

Frank Linzy, SF: 3 votes, 15% share

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Dodgers went 97-65 to win the NL pennant by 2 games over the San Francisco Giants while leading the league in stolen bases (172). The light-hitting Dodgers benefited from pitching, speed, and defense to keep pace in a torrid pennant race with the Giants, countering a 14-game San Francisco winning streak in September with a 13-game streak of their own to nail down the pennant. Won World Series over the Minnesota Twins, 4 games to 3, rebounding after losing the first two games thanks to LHP Claude Osteen’s Game 3 shutout and, except for a Game 6 win by Minnesota RHP Jim “Mudcat” Grant, LHP Sandy Koufax and RHP Don Drysdale shut the Twins down the rest of the way. A heel injury knocked Lefebvre out of the Series in Game 3.

Aftermath of ‘65:

Receiving a salary boost to $15,000 for 1966, the hard-working Lefebvre was tried out at third base in the spring but returned to regular play at second base during the season, although he saw considerable action at third as well. He batted a team-leading .274 and further topped the Dodgers with 24 home runs and 74 RBIs. LA again held off the Giants to win the pennant and Lefebvre was an All-Star for the only time. The Dodgers sank to eighth in 1967 and Lefebvre, hindered by nagging injuries, hit .261 with 8 home runs and 50 RBIs while playing more regularly at third base than at second and making a few appearances at first base while manager Walt Alston juggled the lineup. Off the field, he made some minor television acting appearances. Typically appearing at second base in 1968 Lefebvre encountered more injury problems while being limited to 84 games and batting .241. An ankle injury suffered early during the 1969 season caused Lefebvre to lose playing time at second base to eventual Rookie of the Year Ted Sizemore and at third base to another promising rookie, Bill Sudakis. Poor early hitting doomed him to a .236 average for the year along with 15 doubles, 4 home runs, and 44 RBIs. Trade bait during 1970 spring training, he stayed with LA and saw substantial action at second base when Sizemore was injured as well as at third. He hit .252 in 109 games with identical totals for doubles, home runs, and RBIs as he had generated in ’69. Following an arm injury in 1971 Lefebvre returned to being the regular second baseman and batted .245 with 12 home runs and 68 RBIs. A dreadful year in 1972 in which he hit just .201 in 70 games led to Lefebvre’s release by the Dodgers and he played for the Lotte Orions in Japan where he primarily appeared at first base and batted .265 in 1973 with 29 home runs and 63 RBIs. With Lotte in 1974 he hit .283 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs and became the first player to play for a World Series-and Japan Series-winner when the Orions defeated the Chunichi Dragons. He spent two more years as a player in Japan with less success before retiring. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Dodgers, Lefebvre batted .251 with 756 hits that included 126 doubles, 18 triples, and 74 home runs. He scored 313 runs and compiled 404 RBIs along with a .323 OBP. Appearing in seven World Series games he hit .273 with a home run and one RBI. Following his playing career, he became a scout, coach, and minor league manager in the Dodger system before being fired by his one-time friend Tommy Lasorda following the 1979 season, which led to an altercation between the two at a television studio. Lefebvre later became manager of the Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers between 1989 and ’99, with an overall record of 417-442. His last job in baseball was as hitting coach for the San Diego Padres.

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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.