MVP Profile: Jose Canseco, 1988

Outfielder, Oakland Athletics

Age:  24 (July 2)

3^rd season with Athletics

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 240 

Prior to 1988:

A native of Cuba, Canseco and his family resettled in Opa-Locka, Florida, near Miami. He played baseball at the junior-varsity level until he was a senior in high school, at which point he was chosen by the Athletics in the fifteenth round of the 1982 amateur draft. Playing for teams in two leagues at the Rookie and Class A levels in ’82 he batted a combined .242 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in 34 games. In 1983 he started the season with Medford of the short-season Class A Northwest League where he was an All-Star selection after hitting .269 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. Canseco moved on to Madison of the Class A Midwest League to finish out the year and hit a measly .159 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs over the course of 34 games. Playing for Modesto of the Class A California League in 1984, he batted .276 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs. In the offseason he had his first admitted use of steroids as part of a weight training regimen in which he added several pounds of muscle. What followed in 1985 was a big performance with the Huntsville Stars of the Class AA Southern League in which he belted 25 home runs in only 58 games, along with a .318 average and 80 RBIs. Moving up to Tacoma of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League he hit another 11 home runs along with 47 RBIs and a .348 average in 60 games. Receiving a September call-up to the A’s, Canseco appeared in 29 games and hit .302 with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs. He was inserted into left field for Oakland in 1986. The result was an AL Rookie of the Year season in which he slugged 33 home runs with 117 RBIs, while striking out 175 times and batting .240 with a .318 on-base percentage. Canseco followed up with another strong season in 1987 as he hit .257 with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs. He was overshadowed by rookie first baseman Mark McGwire’s 49-home run performance as the two together came to be known as “the Bash Brothers”. Canseco was shifted to right field in 1988.

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

RF – 144, DH – 13, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 705 [2]

At Bats – 610 [9]

Runs – 120 [2]

Hits – 187 [6]

Doubles – 34 [16, tied with Paul Molitor]

Triples – 0

Home Runs – 42 [1]

RBI – 124 [1]

Bases on Balls – 78 [11]

Int. BB – 10 [12, tied with Dave Winfield, Robin Yount & Ruben Sierra]

Strikeouts – 128 [7]

Stolen Bases – 40 [4]

Caught Stealing – 16 [2]

Average - .307 [9]

OBP - .391 [6]

Slugging Pct. - .569 [1]

Total Bases – 347 [2]

GDP – 15 [18, tied with five others]

Hit by Pitches – 10 [5]

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 6

League-leading home runs were +8 ahead of runner-up Fred McGriff

League-leading RBIs were +3 ahead of runner-up Kirby Puckett

League-leading slugging percentage was +.017 ahead of runner-up Fred McGriff

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 12, HR – 24, RBI – 67, SB – 22, AVG - .290, SLG PCT - .533, OBP – .383

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. California 8/12

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 7 AB) at Toronto 7/3 – 16 innings

HR at home – 16

HR on road – 26

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Toronto 7/3 – 16 innings

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 322

Put Outs – 304

Assists – 11

Errors – 7

DP - 3

Pct. - .978

Postseason Batting: 9 G (ALCS vs. Boston – 4 G, World Series vs. LA Dodgers – 5 G)

PA – 39, AB – 35, R – 5, H – 6, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 4, RBI – 9, BB – 3, IBB – 0, SO – 7, SB – 2, CS – 1, AVG - .171, OBP - .256, SLG - .543, TB – 19, GDP – 1, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for AL in LF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Jose Canseco, Oak.: 392 points - 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Mike Greenwell, Bos.: 242 points – 62% share

Kirby Puckett, Min.: 219 points – 56% share

Dave Winfield, NYY: 164 points – 42% share

Dennis Eckersley, Oak.: 156 points – 40% share

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Athletics went 104-58 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 13 games over the Minnesota Twins. A youthful team supplemented by veteran acquisitions the A’s took command of the AL West thanks to a 14-game winning streak from April into May.  The lead held up the rest of the way despite a brief June slump. Canseco made good on his stated objective of becoming the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season. Won ALCS over the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 0. Lost World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of 1988:

Heading into 1989, off-field issues began to tarnish Canseco’s image in addition to his being sidelined by a stress fracture in his left wrist that required surgery. When he finally took to the field for the A’s, he played well, batting .269 in 65 games with 17 home runs and 57 RBIs. The team again won its division and the AL pennant, as well as the World Series, in which Canseco batted .357 with a home run. He had a solid season in 1990 in which he batted .274 with 37 home runs and 101 RBIs. Oakland won a third straight pennant and was swept by Cincinnati in the World Series, where Canseco’s hitting was negligible. He topped the AL with 44 home runs in 1991, in addition to batting .266 with 122 RBIs for the fourth place A’s. Having run afoul of the Oakland front office and manager Tony LaRussa, Canseco was traded to the Texas Rangers on August 31, 1992 for outfielder Ruben Sierra, RHP Jeff Russell, RHP Bobby Witt, and cash. For the year he ended up with 26 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a .244 batting average. In 1993 Canseco was embarrassed in the outfield by having a fly ball hit him on the head and bounce over the wall for a home run. More seriously, a few days later in a runaway loss to the Red Sox in Boston, he was used as a pitcher and injured his arm to the extent that he required surgery. Appearing in only 60 games, he batted .255 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs. Coming back to the Rangers during the strike-shortened 1994 season, he was utilized as a Designated Hitter and batted .282 with 31 home runs and 90 RBIs. In the offseason Canseco was dealt to the Boston Red Sox where he DH’d and hit .306 with 24 home runs and 81 RBIs in 1995. He was again productive at bat in 1996 where he batted .289 with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. Traded back to Oakland in 1997, Canseco appeared in 108 games and hit .235 with 23 home runs and 73 RBIs. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent in 1998 and had a big year with 46 home runs, 107 RBIs, and a .237 batting average. With the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999 he was an All-Star for the last time in his career, hitting 34 home runs with 95 RBIs and a .279 average. Waived by Tampa Bay during the 2000 season, he bounced around among a few major and minor league clubs in 2001 and ’02 to finish out his career. Overall, Canseco batted .266 in the major leagues with 1877 hits that included 340 doubles, 14 triples, and 462 home runs. He also accumulated 1407 RBIs and 200 stolen bases. With Oakland he batted .264 with 1048 hits, including 186 doubles, 8 triples, and 254 home runs as well as 793 RBIs and 135 stolen bases. He was a six-time All-Star (5 with the A’s), won four Silver Slugger awards, and twice led the AL in home runs. In 30 postseason games he hit .184 with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs. Canseco’s twin brother Ozzie also briefly played major league baseball. His life post baseball continued to be filled with controversy, particularly after the publishing of his tell-all book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, that discussed the alleged extent of steroid use in the major leagues during Canseco’s playing career and fueled the investigation of performance enhancing drugs in baseball.

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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: Walt Weiss, 1988

Shortstop, Oakland Athletics

Age:  24

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 175 

Prior to 1988:

A native of New York state, Weiss was physically and mentally tough with a strong work ethic, although he was a scrawny 5’3” and 105 pounds when he entered Suffern High School. Filling out in the ensuing years, he ran track and played football in addition to baseball. Named Rockland County baseball player of the year in 1982, he was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the ’82 amateur draft. Deciding instead to attend the Univ. of North Carolina, he was all-conference for three years and was drafted by the Athletics eleventh overall in 1985. After signing, Weiss split time in the Rookie-level Pioneer League and the Class A California League in ’85 and in a combined 70 games he batted .261. Moving on to Madison of the Class A Midwest League in 1986, Weiss hit .301 with a .362 on-base percentage while appearing in 84 games and was promoted to Huntsville of the Class AA Southern League where he hit .250 in 46 games. Starting the 1987 season with Huntsville, Weiss batted .285 in 91 games and moved on to Tacoma of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League for 46 games. He saw his first action with Oakland where he appeared in 16 games and hit .462, also showing enough in the field that veteran shortstop Alfredo Griffin was traded in the offseason to create an opening for Weiss in 1988.  

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 147 games

SS – 147, PH – 1, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 511

At Bats – 452

Runs – 44

Hits – 113

Doubles – 17

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 3

RBI – 39

Bases on Balls – 35

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 56

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .250

OBP - .312

Slugging Pct. - .321

Total Bases – 145

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 9 [6, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 8 [19, tied with six others]

Sac Flies – 7 [11, tied with ten others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 6, HR – 3, RBI – 26, AVG - .232, OBP - .291

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Most hits, game – 3 on six occasions

Longest hitting streak – 6 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 3 AB) at Baltimore 5/15, (in 4 AB) at Minnesota 6/3, (in 4 AB) at Detroit 7/10

HR at home – 0

HR on road – 3

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Detroit 7/10

Pinch-hitting – 0 for 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 700

Put Outs – 254

Assists – 431

Errors – 15

DP – 83

Pct. - .979

Postseason Batting: 9 G (ALCS vs. Boston 4 G; World Series vs. LA Dodgers 5 G)

PA – 32, AB – 31, R – 3, H – 6, 2B – 2,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 2, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 6, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .194, OBP - .194, SLG -.258, TB – 8, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA 

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Walt Weiss, Oak.: 103 points – 17 of 28 first place votes, 74% share

Bryan Harvey, Cal.: 49 points –3 first place votes, 35% share

Jody Reed, Bos.: 48 points – 6 first place votes, 34% share

Don August, Mil.: 22 points. – 16% share

Dave Gallagher, ChiWS.: 18 points – 2 first place votes, 13% share

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Athletics went 104-58 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 13 games over the Minnesota Twins. A youthful team supplemented by veteran acquisitions the A’s took command of the AL West thanks to a 14-game winning streak from April into May.  The lead held up the rest of the way despite a brief June slump . Won ALCS over the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 0. Lost World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘88:

In 1989, a knee injury hindered Weiss, who was limited to 84 games and batted .233. He overcame further injuries in 1990 to hit .265 with a .337 OBP. Oakland won a third straight pennant, but Weiss was injured during the ALCS triumph over the Red Sox and missed the World Series, in which Cincinnati swept the A’s. In 1991 he suffered a serious leg injury and appeared in only 40 games while hitting a paltry .226. Playing in just 103 games in 1992, Weiss batted only .212 and was dealt to the expansion Florida Marlins in the offseason. Healthy enough to appear in 158 games in 1993, he hit .266 with a .367 OBP, thanks to drawing 79 walks. His defense was solid as well. A free agent in the offseason, Weiss signed with the other ’93 expansion club, the Colorado Rockies. Helping the Rockies solidify their middle infield with his good defense that included an accurate throwing arm, Weiss also batted .251 with a .336 OBP and 12 stolen bases during the strike-shortened 1994 season. The Rockies reached the postseason in 1995 and Weiss contributed steady play at shortstop and furthermore drew 98 walks although typically batting eighth in the lineup. He hit .260 with a .403 OBP and stole 15 bases in 18 attempts. In 1996 he batted a career-high .282 with 8 home runs and 48 RBIs while drawing 80 walks. Weiss spent one more season in Colorado in 1997 and hit .270 with a .377 OBP before departing as a free agent in the offseason and signing with the Atlanta Braves. He was an All-Star for the only time in his career, but injuries and the distraction of his young son’s illness limited him to 96 games, and while he hit .280, his second-half production was only .227 after being .312 at the All-Star break. Weiss played two more seasons with the Braves before retiring after the 2000 season. For his major league career, Weiss batted .258 with 1207 hits that included 182 doubles, 31 triples, and 25 home runs. He scored 623 runs and compiled 386 RBIs, 96 stolen bases, and a .351 OBP. Weiss drew 658 walks, which matched his strikeout total over the course of 1495 games. Defensively he was more impressive, if not a spectacular performer with a fielding percentage of .970. With the Athletics he batted .246 with 395 hits, 60 doubles, 8 home runs, 178 runs scored, 130 RBIs, 32 stolen bases, and a .316 OBP. Weiss appeared in 46 postseason games and hit .190 with a home run and 7 RBIs. Following his playing career, he returned to the Colorado Rockies where he held several roles in the organization, including manager from 2013-16. His teams produced a 283-365 overall record.  

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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.  

Cy Young Profile: Frank Viola, 1988

Pitcher, Minnesota Twins

 

Age:  28 (April 19)

7^th season with Twins

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 200 

Prior to 1988:

A native of New York’s Long Island, Viola was an All-Nassau County first baseman at East Meadow High School. He began pitching as a junior and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1978. He passed on the Royals to accept a scholarship to St. John’s University where he improved his mechanics and produced a 26-2 record. Selected by the Twins in the 1981 amateur draft, he signed and was initially assigned to Orlando of the Class AA Southern League where he went 5-4 with a 3.43 ERA. Viola started the 1982 season in Class AAA with the Toledo Mud Hens of the International League but was called up by the struggling Twins and, following a promising start, he lost his last six decisions on the way to a 4-10 tally with a 5.21 ERA for a last-place club that lost 102 games. 1983 was another difficult year in which Viola went 7-15 with a 5.49 ERA, a league-leading 128 earned runs surrendered, and further gave up 34 home runs. Improvement came in 1984 as he posted an 18-12 mark with a 3.21 ERA and 149 strikeouts. Under the guidance of pitching coach Johnny Podres he added a changeup to go along with his fastball and curve, which made a difference, and he also picked up the nickname “Sweet Music” thanks to a Twins fan who regularly hung a sign from the upper deck at the Metrodome that read “Frankie Sweet Music Viola”. In 1985 he overcame a slow start to produce an 18-14 record with a 4.09 ERA and 135 strikeouts. His 1986 tally was 16-13 with a 4.51 ERA and 191 strikeouts. Easily derailed by adversity, he took a page from veteran teammate Bert Blyleven and better mastered his emotions while also improving his changeup. The result was encouraging in 1987 as Viola compiled a 17-10 record for the division-winning Twins, along with a 2.90 ERA and 197 strikeouts. He won a game in the ALCS defeat of the Detroit Tigers and was 2-1 in the seven-game World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, earning MVP honors.   

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35

Games Started – 35 [3, tied with six others]

Complete Games – 7 [17, tied with Charlie Leibrandt, Bert Blyleven & Bruce Hurst]

Wins – 24 [1]

Losses – 7

PCT - .774 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [8, tied with thirteen others]

Innings Pitched – 255.1 [6]

Hits – 236 [9]

Runs – 80

Earned Runs – 75

Home Runs – 20

Bases on Balls – 54

Strikeouts – 193 [3]

ERA – 2.64 [3]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 1

Wild Pitches – 5

League-leading wins were +3 ahead of runner-up Dave Stewart

League-leading win percentage was +.024 ahead of runner-up Bruce Hurst

 

Midseason Snapshot: 14-2, ERA - 2.24, SO - 104 in 140.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 10 (in 9 IP) vs. Texas 8/20

10+ strikeout games – 1

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) vs. California 6/22, (in 9 IP) vs. Boston 7/6, (in 7 IP) vs. Baltimore 4/26

 Fielding

Chances – 37

Put Outs – 5

Assists – 30

Errors – 2

DP – 1

Pct. - .946

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

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

All-Star (Starting P for AL)

AL Cy Young voting:

Frank Viola, Min.: 138 pts. – 27 of 28 first place votes, 99% share

Dennis Eckersley, Oak.: 52 pts. – 1 first place vote, 37% share

Mark Gubicza, KCR.: 26 pts. – 19% share

Dave Stewart, Oak.: 16 pts. – 11% share

Bruce Hurst, Bos.: 12 pts. – 9% share

Roger Clemens, Bos.: 8 pts. – 6% share

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Twins went 91-71 to finish second in the AL Western Division, 13 games behind the division-winning Oakland Athletics. The slow-starting Twins were 11-18 by May 9 but went 80-53 the rest of the way and were unable to gain ground on Oakland in the division race.

Aftermath of ‘88:

Following bitter negotiations, in 1989 Viola signed a contract extension with the Twins. He got off to a poor start, losing his first five decisions, and being booed by the home fans as a result. On July 31 he was traded to the New York Mets for five players that included pitchers Rick Aguilera and Kevin Tapani. At 8-12 with a 3.79 ERA at the time of the deal, Viola went 5-5 with a 3.38 ERA the rest of the way for the Mets, giving him a combined record of 13-17 with a 3.66 ERA and 211 strikeouts. With the Mets in 1990 he returned to form with a 20-12 tally and 2.67 ERA with 182 strikeouts while topping the National League with 249.2 innings pitched. Having been diagnosed with bone spurs in his left elbow, Viola still got off to a 10-5 start in 1991 before fading in the second half and finishing up at 13-15 with a 3.97 ERA and 132 strikeouts. A free agent in the offseason he signed with the Boston Red Sox for three years and $13.9 million. In 1992 Viola posted a 13-12 tally with a 3.44 ERA and 121 strikeouts. Despite chronic elbow problems in 1993 which caused the club to shut him down by mid-September, he finished at 11-8 with a 3.14 ERA. Viola had offseason elbow surgery and started the 1994 season but was done by May when it became necessary to have further surgery on his elbow. After spending time with the Toronto and Cincinnati minor league organizations in 1995 and making one last major league appearance with the Blue Jays in 1996, Viola retired. For his major league career, “Sweet Music” posted a 176-150 record with a 3.73 ERA, 74 complete games, 16 shutouts, and 1844 strikeouts in 2836.1 innings pitched. With the Twins he was 112-93 with a 3.86 ERA, 54 complete games, 10 shutouts, and 1214 strikeouts in 1772.2 innings. In five postseason games, all in 1987, he posted a 3-1 tally with 4.31 ERA and 25 strikeouts. A three-time All-Star he received Cy Young votes after four seasons, winning once. Viola was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. He has worked as a pitching coach for several minor league teams.

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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.   

Cy Young Profile: Orel Hershiser, 1988

 Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  30 (Sept. 16)

5^th season with Dodgers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 190

 

Prior to 1988:

Born in Buffalo, New York, Hershiser moved with his family to Toronto, Canada and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Following his graduation from Cherry Hill East High School, where he was an All-Conference pitcher as a senior, Hershiser moved on to Bowling Green State University. As a junior in 1979, he pitched a no-hitter on his way to a 6-2 record. Selected by the Dodgers in the June amateur draft, he signed and was assigned to Clinton of the Class A Midwest League where he went 4-0 with a 2.09 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 43 innings pitched. Hershiser spent 1980 and ’81 with San Antonio of the Class AA Texas League where he was utilized primarily as a reliever and posted a 5-9 tally with a 3.55 ERA and 14 saves in 1980 and 7-6 with a 4.68 ERA, 15 saves, and 95 strikeouts in 1981. Still a reliever with the Albuquerque Dukes of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1982, Hershiser appeared in 47 games (7 of them starts) and was 9-6 with a 3.71 ERA and 93 strikeouts. With Albuquerque again in 1983, he appeared in 49 games (10 starts) and posted a 10-8 mark with a 4.09 ERA and 16 saves. Receiving a September call-up to the Dodgers, Hershiser appeared in eight games and had no decisions and a 3.38 ERA. He stuck with the Dodgers in 1984 as a long reliever who was moved into the rotation in June due to injuries and compiled an 11-8 tally with a 2.66 ERA and four shutouts among his 8 complete games, as well as a string of 33.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He placed third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The Dodgers won the NL West in 1985 and Hershiser improved to 19-3 with a 2.03 ERA and 157 strikeouts while completing 9 games, 5 of them shutouts, to establish himself as LA’s new ace. He also placed third in league Cy Young balloting. The mild-mannered, but tenacious, pitcher was nicknamed “Bulldog” by manager Tommy Lasorda, who wanted to encourage his toughness on the mound. The Dodgers dropped in the standings in 1986 and Hershiser posted a 14-14 record with a 3.85 ERA and 153 strikeouts. He was a .500 pitcher again in 1987 at 16-16 with a 3.06 ERA and 190 strikeouts while accumulating a league-leading 264.2 innings. He was also an All-Star for the first time. With a sinker, fastball, curve, and changeup, Hershiser maintained his effectiveness in the rotation.

 

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 36 games

P – 35, PH – 1

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Pitching

Games – 35

Games Started – 34 [4, tied with eight others]

Complete Games – 15 [1, tied with Danny Jackson]

Wins – 23 [1, tied with Danny Jackson]

Losses – 8

PCT - .742 [3, tied with Danny Jackson]

Saves – 1

Shutouts – 8 [1]

Innings Pitched – 267 [1]

Hits – 208 [12]

Runs – 73

Earned Runs – 67

Home Runs – 18 [12, tied with Rick Sutcliffe, Kevin Gross & Nolan Ryan]

Bases on Balls – 73 [12]

Strikeouts – 178 [7]

ERA – 2.26 [3]

Hit Batters – 4

Balks – 5 [20, tied with six others]

Wild Pitches – 6

 

League-leading shutouts were +2 ahead of runners-up Danny Jackson & Tim Leary]

League-leading innings pitched were +6.1 ahead of runner-up Danny Jackson

 

Midseason Snapshot: 13-4, ERA - 2.62, SO - 92 in 140.2 IP

 

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 9 IP) at Montreal 8/30

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) at Houston 6/29

 

Batting

 

PA – 105, AB – 85, R – 1, H – 11, 2B – 2, 3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 6, BB – 1, SO – 18, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .129, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 19 [1], SF – 0

 

Fielding

Chances – 98

Put Outs – 32

Assists – 60

Errors – 6

DP – 6

Pct. - .939

 

Postseason Pitching:

G – 6 (NLCS vs. NY Mets – 4 G; World Series vs. Oakland – 2 G)

GS – 5, CG – 3, Record – 3-0, PCT – 1.000, SV – 1, ShO – 2, IP – 42.2, H – 25, R – 7, ER – 5, HR – 0, BB – 13, SO – 32, HB – 2, BLK – 0, WP – 3, ERA – 1.05

MVP: NLCS & World Series

 

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

All-Star

6^th in NL MVP voting (111 points, 33% share)

 

NL Cy Young voting:

Orel Hershiser, LAD: 120 pts. – 24 of 24 first place votes, 100% share

Danny Jackson, Cin.: 54 pts. – 45% share

David Cone NYM: 42 pts. – 35% share

 

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Dodgers went 94-67 to finish first in the NL Western Division by 7 games over the Cincinnati Reds. The pitching staff led the league in complete games (32), shutouts (24), and saves (49). The revamped Dodgers, benefiting from the presence of strong pitching, led by Hershiser who finished off the regular season with a record 59 consecutive shutout innings, and a deep bench, won with regularity and took control of the NL West race in August and September. Won NLCS over the New York Mets, 4 games to 3. The series turned on LF Kirk Gibson’s 12^th inning home run that capped a dramatic Game 4 win in which Hershiser relieved and recorded a save. Hershiser also started the climactic Game 7 and pitched a shutout. Won World Series over the Oakland Athletics, 4 games to 1. The injured Kirk Gibson sparked the underdog Dodgers with a dramatic pinch home run that won Game 1. Hershiser started and won Games 2 and 5, which proved to be climactic, to receive Series MVP honors.

 

Aftermath of ‘88:

Despite a fine 2.31 ERA in 1989, Hershiser’s record dropped to 15-15 with the offensively challenged Dodgers, who scored only 17 runs in his 15 losses. He was still an All-Star and led the NL in innings pitched for the third consecutive year with 256.2. His heavy workload resulted in a shoulder injury that required reconstructive surgery in 1990, limiting him to just four starts. He returned to action in May of 1991 and over the course of 21 starts compiled a 7-2 mark with a 3.46 ERA. He was back up over 200 innings in 1992 and went 10-15 with a 3.67 ERA. In 1993 Hershiser registered a 12-14 tally with a 3.59 ERA and 141 strikeouts over 215.2 innings pitched. In the strike shortened 1994 season, he was 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA. A free agent in the offseason, the Dodgers wanted him to retire at age 36 and become a non-playing member of the organization. Feeling he could still pitch effectively, he signed with the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland topped the AL Central and advanced to the World Series in 1995 while Hershiser put together an 11-2 second half run on the way to a 16-6 overall record with a 3.87 ERA. He was the MVP of the ALCS triumph over Seattle thanks to a 2-0 mark and 1.29 ERA and was 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in the World Series loss to Atlanta. The Indians were division champs again in 1996 and Hershiser went 15-9 with a 4.24 ERA. He was 14-6 with a 4.47 ERA for pennant-winning Cleveland in 1997 despite spending time on the disabled list due to a stiff back. He was badly roughed up in the World Series loss to the Florida Marlins. A free agent in the offseason, he signed with the San Francisco Giants for 1998 and produced an 11-10 record with a 4.41 ERA. Moving on to the New York Mets in 1999, he compiled a 13-12 tally with a 4.58 ERA as the Mets made it to the postseason as a Wild Card entry. Hershiser returned to the Dodgers in 2000 at age 41 and was 1-5 with a 13.14 ERA when he was let go in late June, thus ending his career. For his major league career, he posted a 204-150 record with a 3.48 ERA, 68 complete games, 25 shutouts, and 2014 strikeouts over 3130.1 innings. With the Dodgers he was 135-107 with a 3.12 ERA, 65 complete games, 24 shutouts, and 1456 strikeouts over 2180.2 innings. Appearing in 22 postseason games, Hershiser went 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA and 97 strikeouts over 132 innings. A three-time All-Star, he received votes in Cy Young Award voting four times, including the one win. A decent hitting pitcher, he was awarded a Silver Slugger in 1993. He also received one Gold Glove for his fielding prowess. Following his playing career, he went into broadcasting and was also pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002-05. He has also been successful at playing poker in major competitions.

 

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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: Chris Sabo, 1988

 Third Baseman, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  26

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185

 

Prior to 1988:

A Detroit native, Sabo played hockey and golf, in addition to baseball, at that city’s Catholic Central High School. Moving on to the Univ. of Michigan, Sabo was a standout on the baseball team from 1981-83. In 1983 he was a first team All-American selection by The Sporting News and Baseball America. Chosen by the Reds in the second round of the 1983 amateur draft, he was first assigned to Cedar Rapids of the Class A Midwest League where he hit .274 with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs over the course of 77 games. He also stole 15 bases and played a solid third base. Advancing to Vermont of the Class AA Eastern League in 1984 he batted just .213 with 19 doubles, 5 home runs, and 38 RBIs. Defensively he topped the league’s third basemen with 236 assists. With Vermont again in 1985, Sabo raised his average to .278 and hit 11 home runs with 46 RBIs. He again led the circuit’s third basemen in assists (236). Moving up to the Denver Zephyrs of the Class AAA American Association in 1986, he batted .273 with 26 doubles, 10 home runs, and 60 RBIs. Blocked by star third baseman Buddy Bell in Cincinnati, Sabo remained in the American Association in 1987, this time with the Nashville Sounds. He endured an injury-filled season, but still excelled by hitting .292 in 91 games with 19 doubles, 7 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases, earning team MVP recognition. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at season’s end and was considered a longshot to make the Reds in 1988, impressing the organization with his solid work ethic that allowed him to get the most out of the skills he had. Having made the club as a utility infielder during spring training, Sabo took over at third base when Bell went down with a knee injury.  

 

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 137 games

3B – 135, SS – 2, PH – 3, PR -1

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 582

At Bats – 538

Runs – 74

Hits – 146

Doubles – 40 [3]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 11

RBI – 44

Bases on Balls – 29

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 52

Stolen Bases – 46 [4, tied with Otis Nixon]

Caught Stealing – 14 [4, tied with Darryl Strawberry, Gerald Perry & Mitch Webster]

Average - .271

OBP - .314

Slugging Pct. - .414

Total Bases – 223

GDP – 12

Hit By Pitches – 6 [12, tied with Kevin Bass & Mike Schmidt]

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – 4

 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 32, HR – 10, RBI – 35, SB – 28, AVG - .312, SLG - .524

 

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. San Francisco 6/18, (in 7 AB) vs. St. Louis 8/27 – 14 innings

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

Most HR, game – 1 on eleven occasions

HR at home – 8

HR on road – 3

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at Atlanta 4/22, at Pittsburgh 5/15 – 12 innings, vs. NY Mets 7/19

Pinch-hitting/running – 0 of 2 (.000) with 1 BB, 1 R & 2 SB

 

Fielding

Chances – 407

Put Outs – 75

Assists – 318

Errors – 14

DP - 31

Pct. - .966

 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

 

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Chris Sabo, Cin.: 79 pts. – 11 of 24 first place votes, 66% share

Mark Grace, ChiC.: 61 pts. – 7 first place votes, 51% share

Tim Belcher, LAD: 35 pts. – 3 first place votes, 29% share

Ron Gant, Atl.: 22 pts. – 1 first place vote, 18% share

Roberto Alomar, SD: 11 pts. – 2 first place votes, 9% share

 

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Reds went 87-74 to finish second in the NL Western Division, 7 games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. The slow-starting Reds spent most of the season in fourth place until an 18-9 September rally pulled them up to second.

 

Aftermath of ‘88:

With his short, military-style haircut, and aviator goggle glasses, the down-to-earth and ever-hustling Sabo quickly developed into a fan favorite, drawing comparisons to Pete Rose, the legendary player and current manager. He was nicknamed “Spuds” due to his resemblance to Spuds MacKenzie, a dog who appeared in beer commercials at the time. A knee injury cut his season short in 1989, limiting him to 82 games and a .260 average with 21 doubles, 6 home runs, 29 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. The Reds topped the NL West in 1990 and went on to win the World Series. The line-drive hitting Sabo contributed a surprising 25 home runs along with 95 runs scored, 38 doubles, 71 RBIs, and a .270 batting average. He also batted .563 in the stunning World Series sweep of the Oakland A’s. Cincinnati dropped to fifth in 1991 but Sabo, playing on two bad knees, had another fine season, hitting .301 with 26 home runs and 88 RBIs, while performing well in the field. A sprained ankle hindered Sabo in 1992 and his production dropped off to .244 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs while appearing in 96 games. He followed up with a solid season in 1993 in which he batted .259 with 33 doubles, 21 home runs, and 82 RBIs. A free agent in the offseason, Sabo signed with the Baltimore Orioles for the 1994 season. Encountering injury problems during the strike-shortened season, he was replaced at third base by Leo Gomez and moved on to the Chicago White Sox in 1995. Released by the White Sox in June and signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, who released him in September, Sabo hit a combined .238 for the year while appearing in just 25 games. He returned to the Reds in 1996 and batted .256 in his final season. For his major league career, Sabo batted .268 with 898 hits that included 214 doubles, 17 triples, and 116 home runs. He scored 494 runs and accumulated 426 RBIs and 120 stolen bases. With the Reds the totals were .270 with 812 hits, 443 runs scored, 193 doubles, 14 triples, 104 home runs, 373 RBIs, and 116 stolen bases. In ten postseason games he hit .368 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs. A three-time All-Star, Sabo was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2010. Following his playing career, he served as an instructor in the Reds organization. He is currently head coach at the Univ. of Akron.

 

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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: Kirk Gibson, 1988

Outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  31 (May 28)

1^st season with Dodgers

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 215

Prior to 1988:

A Michigan native, Gibson played football, basketball, and ran track in addition to baseball at Waterford-Kettering High School. Attending Michigan State on a football scholarship he became a starting flanker as a freshman. Later approached about playing baseball as well, Gibson excelled with his speed and power. In one season of baseball he hit .390 in 48 games with 16 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. Selected by the Detroit Tigers with the twelfth overall pick in the 1978 amateur draft and recognizing that baseball had better long-term career potential than pro football, Gibson signed with the Tigers for six years and $200,000. Initially assigned to Lakeland of the Class A Florida State League, in 54 games he batted .240 with 8 home runs and 40 RBIs. With his contract allowing him to return to Michigan State for his final football season, he performed well and was chosen by the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1979 NFL draft. Assigned to Evansville of the Class AAA American Association in 1979, he suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery and appeared in only 89 games in which he hit .245 with 9 home runs and 42 RBIs. His average improved toward the end of the season, and Gibson excelled in the American Association playoffs, won by Evansville. A late-season call-up to the Tigers resulted in 39 plate appearances with a home run, four RBIs, and three stolen bases. Gibson impressed manager Sparky Anderson enough to remain with the club in 1980. Placed in center field, he showed promise until sidelined by a wrist injury that required surgery and limited his rookie season to 51 games in which he batted .263 with 9 home runs and 16 RBIs. Primarily playing in right field before being moved back to center field during the strike-interrupted 1981 season, Gibson started slowly until catching fire following the strike and ended up hitting .328 with 9 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases. Various injuries limited him to 69 games in 1982 in which he batted .278 with 8 home runs and 35 RBIs. Utilized significantly as a Designated Hitter in 1983 Gibson hit .227 in an uneven season with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs. The Tigers won the World Series in 1984 and Gibson, with an improved attitude and performance, contributed significantly to the championship season by hitting .282 with 27 home runs and 91 RBIs while starting in right field. In the postseason he was the MVP of the ALCS triumph over Kansas City by batting .417 with a home run and significantly contributing defensively. In the five-game World Series victory against San Diego he hit .333 with two home runs, including the clincher in Game 5, and 7 RBIs. He finished sixth in American League MVP voting. The team dropped to third in the AL East in 1985 although Gibson had another solid season in which he hit .277 with 29 home runs and 97 RBIs. He started the 1986 season fast until sidelined for 33 games due to an ankle injury. Appearing in 119 games he batted .268 with 28 home runs and 86 RBIs. “Gibby” started the 1987 season on the DL due to a torn rib muscle. Shifted to left field upon his return to the lineup he batted .277 with 24 home runs and 79 RBIs as the Tigers returned to the top of the AL East. In the offseason he signed a three-year, $4.5 million contract with the Dodgers, where he quickly established himself as a team leader.

1988 Season Summary

Appeared in 150 games

LF – 148, CF – 1, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 632 [20]

At Bats – 542

Runs – 106 [2]

Hits – 157 [19]

Doubles – 28 [20, tied with Ron Gant & Von Hayes]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 25 [7, tied with Andy Van Slyke]

RBI – 76 [16]

Bases on Balls – 73 [11]

Int. BB – 14 [7, tied with Barry Bonds & Tim Raines]

Strikeouts – 120 [9]

Stolen Bases – 31 [14, tied with Kevin Bass]

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .290 [11]

OBP - .377 [4]

Slugging Pct. - .483 [9]

Total Bases – 262 [11]

GDP – 8

Hit by Pitches – 7 [8, tied with Mike Marshall, Candy Maldonado & Gary Carter]

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 7 [13, tied with seven others]

Midseason snapshot: HR – 15, RBI – 46, AVG - .299, SLG - .517

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Cincinnati 8/11 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 7 games

HR at home – 14

HR on road – 11

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Chi. Cubs 7/14

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Atlanta 4/9

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 3 (.000) with 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 329

Put Outs – 311

Assists – 6

Errors – 12

DP – 3

Pct. - .964

Postseason: 8 G (NLCS vs. NY Mets – 7 G; World Series vs. Oakland – 1 G)

PA – 31, AB – 27, R – 3, H – 5, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 3, RBI – 8, BB – 3, IBB – 2, SO – 6, SB – 2, CS – 0, AVG - .185, OBP - .258, SLG - .519, TB – 14, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 1

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Kirk Gibson, LAD: 272 pts. - 13 of 24 first place votes, 81% share

Darryl Strawberry, NYM: 236 pts. – 7 first place votes, 70% share

Kevin McReynolds, NYM: 162 pts. – 4 first place votes, 48% share

Andy Van Slyke, Pitt.: 160 pts. – 48% share

Will Clark, SF: 135 pts. – 40% share

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Dodgers went 94-67 to finish first in the NL Western Division by 7 games over the Cincinnati Reds. The revamped Dodgers, benefiting from the presence of Gibson, strong pitching and a deep bench, won with regularity and took control of the NL West race in August and September. Won NLCS over the New York Mets, 4 games to 3. The series turned on Gibson’s 12^th inning home run that capped a dramatic Game 4 win. Won World Series over the Oakland Athletics, 4 games to 1. Gibson was felled by a leg injury suffered during the NLCS but sparked the underdog Dodgers with a dramatic pinch home run that won Game 1.

Aftermath of ‘88:

Still bothered by his knee injury from the 1988 postseason, Gibson appeared in just 71 games in 1989 and batted .213 with 9 home runs and 28 RBIs before undergoing surgery. He returned to action with the Dodgers in June of 1990 and over the course of 89 games hit .260 with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs, although he stole 26 bases in 28 attempts. Gibson departed the Dodgers as a free agent in the offseason, joining the Kansas City Royals, who signed him to a two-year contract. With the Royals in 1991 he batted .236 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs. Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the spring of 1992, he was released in May after playing in only 16 games. Gibson returned to the Tigers in 1993 where he hit .261 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. Never regarded as an outstanding defensive player, he was primarily a DH in ’93 and again in 1994 when Gibson batted .276 with 23 home runs and 72 RBIs in the strike-shortened season. He retired in August of the 1995 season at age 38 while hitting .260 with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs. For his career, Gibson batted .268 with 1553 hits that included 260 doubles, 54 triples, and 255 home runs. He further scored 985 runs and compiled 870 RBIs and 284 stolen bases. In 310 games with the Dodgers he batted .264 with 293 hits, 56 doubles, 3 triples, 42 home runs, 142 RBIs, and 69 stolen bases. Appearing in 21 postseason games Gibson hit .282 with 7 home runs and 21 RBIs. He placed in the Top 20 in MVP balloting on four occasions and also was awarded one Silver Slugger. After returning to major league baseball as a coach, he went on to manage the Arizona Diamondbacks for all or parts of five seasons and compiled a 353-375 record that included one division title.

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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.