Cy Young Profile: Bret Saberhagen, 1989

Pitcher, Kansas City Royals

Age:  25 (Apr. 11)

6^th season with Royals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 160

Prior to 1989:

Born in Chicago, Saberhagen was raised in California. He played baseball at Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda where he pitched and played shortstop. He compiled a 24-2 high school pitching record that was capped by a no-hitter in the West Valley League championship game. Despite questions regarding his velocity he was chosen by the Royals in the nineteenth round of the 1982 amateur draft, Saberhagen first was assigned to the Florida Instructional League where he posted a 7-2 record with a 2.35 ERA. With teams at the Class A and AA levels in 1983 he was a combined 16-7 with a 2.55 ERA and 130 strikeouts. He advanced to the Royals at age 20 in 1984 and appeared in 38 games, 18 of them starts, finishing with a 10-11 tally and 3.48 ERA. A control pitcher with a fastball, curve, slider, and changeup he entered 1985 as part of a promising pitching rotation. The Royals won the AL West and league pennant, and Saberhagen contributed a 20-6 mark with a 2.87 ERA and 158 strikeouts. He was the MVP of the come-from-behind World Series triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals. In addition he won the AL Cy Young Award. Saberhagen and the Royals experienced difficulties in 1986, with the team dropping under .500 in a third-place finish and the pitcher posting a 7-12 record in an injury-riddled season. Saberhagen got off to a 15-3 start in 1987 on his way to an 18-10 tally with a 3.36 ERA and 163 strikeouts and he was an All-Star for the first time. He had a rough year in 1988 in which he compiled a disappointing 14-16 record with a 3.80 ERA and 171 strikeouts while leading the league by giving up 271 hits over 260.2 innings.

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 39 games

P – 36, PR – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 36

Games Started – 35 [4, tied with Jeff Ballard, Roger Clemens & Mike Moore]

Complete Games – 12 [1]

Wins – 23 [1]

Losses – 6

PCT - .793 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [2, tied with Kirk McCaskill]

Innings Pitched – 262.1 [1]

Hits – 209 [17]

Runs – 74

Earned Runs – 63

Home Runs – 13

Bases on Balls – 43

Strikeouts – 193 [3]

ERA – 2.16 [1]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 1

Wild Pitches – 8 [14, tied with Jim Abbott, Storm Davis & Frank Tanana]

League-leading wins were +2 ahead of runner-up Dave Stewart

League-leading complete games were +2 ahead of runner-up Jack Morris

League-leading win percentage was +.020 ahead of runner-up Bert Blyleven

League-leading innings pitched were +4.1 ahead of runner-up Dave Stewart

League-leading ERA was -0.41 lower than runner-up Chuck Finley

Midseason Snapshot: 8-4, ERA - 2.61, SO – 100 in 127.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 13 (in 8 IP) at Oakland 9/30

10+ strikeout games – 3

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 7 IP) at Baltimore 9/17

Fielding

Chances – 61

Put Outs – 21

Assists – 36

Errors – 4

DP – 1

Pct. - .934

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

Gold Glove

8^th in AL MVP voting (82 points, 21% share)

AL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Bret Saberhagen, KC: 138 pts. – 27 of 28 first place votes, 99% share

Dave Stewart, Oak.: 80 pts. – 1 first place vote, 57% share

Mike Moore, Oak.: 10 pts. – 7% share

Bert Blyleven, Cal.: 9 pts. – 6% share

Nolan Ryan, Tex.: 5 pts. – 4% share

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Royals went 92-70 to finish second in the AL Western Division, 7 games behind the division-winning Oakland Athletics. The pitching staff led the league in fewest home runs allowed (86). The Royals got off to a 16-8 start and remained in contention until the last week of the season. The fine pitching staff, anchored by Saberhagen, was offset by the club being shut out 18 times.

Aftermath of ‘89:

1990 was a down year for Saberhagen, although he was an All-Star selection, and he missed time due to elbow surgery. He ended up at 5-9 with a 3.27 ERA while starting just 20 games. A shoulder injury put Saberhagen on the Disabled List for a time in 1991, but he was effective when he did pitch, going 13-8 with a 3.07 ERA that included a no-hitter against the White Sox in August. Having made $2.95 million in ’91 as part of a long-term contract that the Royals wanted to unload, Saberhagen was traded to the New York Mets in the offseason as part of a five-player deal. In his first year with the Mets in 1992, he started slowly and caught fire until suffering a finger injury. Saberhagen ended up appearing in only 17 games and posted a 3-5 record with a 3.50 ERA. He was awarded a three-year contract extension for $15.4 million. Always prone to be a prankster, he got himself in trouble in 1993 for setting off a firecracker in the vicinity of reporters and for spraying bleach at reporters in the clubhouse, which resulted in a fine and suspension. He was further hindered by a knee injury that required surgery and ended up at 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA while starting 19 games. Saberhagen rebounded in the strike-shortened 1994 season with a 14-4 record and 2.74 ERA with 143 strikeouts while walking only 13 batters over the course of 177.1 innings pitched. He was an All-Star and placed third in NL Cy Young voting. With the Mets performing badly in 1995, Saberhagen was dealt to the playoff-bound Colorado Rockies at the end of July and went a combined 7-6 with a 4.18 ERA and 100 strikeouts over 153 innings. Following major shoulder surgery, he missed the entire 1996 season. Saberhagen returned in 1997 as a member of the Red Sox organization, pitching for three minor league clubs before joining Boston late in the season. He was effective for the Red Sox in 1998, going 15-8 in 31 starts with a 3.96 ERA and 100 strikeouts. In an injury-plagued 1999 season Saberhagen was 10-6 with a 2.95 ERA and 81 strikeouts. Hindered by injuries, he rehabbed at the minor league level in 2000 and finished out his major league career by appearing in three games with the Red Sox in 2001, after which he called it quits. For his major league career Saberhagen compiled a record of 167-117 with a 3.34 ERA, 76 complete games, 16 shutouts, and 1715 strikeouts over 2562.2 innings. With the Royals he was 110-78 with a 3.21 ERA, 64 complete games, 14 shutouts, and 1093 strikeouts over 1660.1 innings. In 10 postseason starts he posted a 2-4 record with a 4.67 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 54 innings. Saberhagen was, in addition to being a two-time Cy Young Award-winner, a three-time All-Star. He received one Gold Glove for his fielding prowess.

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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: Robin Yount, 1989

Outfielder, Milwaukee Brewers

Age:  34 (Sept. 16)

16^th season with Brewers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 165

Prior to 1989:

Born in Illinois, Yount grew up in Woodland Hills, California, where he excelled in playing shortstop at Taft High School and was the third overall pick by the Brewers in the 1973 amateur draft. Assigned to the Newark Co-Pilots of the Class A NewYork-Pennsylvania League, he batted .285 in 64 games and made the jump to the shortstop-deficient Brewers at age 18 in 1974. “The Kid” showed his potential while honing his craft at the major league level, hitting .250 in 107 games until he was sidelined by a foot injury. His range and throwing arm at short was also very satisfactory. Yount started off strong in 1975 until he was again hindered by a foot injury and tailed off in the field, where he committed 44 errors, as well as at the plate where he batted .267 with 28 doubles, 8 home runs, and 52 RBIs.  He stayed healthy in 1976, appearing in 161 games, and hit .252 while leading AL shortstops in total chances (831) and put outs (290), and dropped his errors to 31 for the last place Brewers. A 1977 season in which his batting average rose to .288 was followed by his walking out of spring training in 1978, indicating that he might prefer to become a professional golfer rather than continue with baseball. Returning to the Brewers, Yount missed the first month of the season but still hit .293 with 9 home runs and 71 RBIs. The Brewers rose to second place in the AL East in 1979 and Yount contributed a .267 average with 8 home runs and 51 RBIs along with steady play in the field. With the team desiring greater power production out of his bat, he engaged in a weight-training program in the offseason that paid off with 49 doubles, 10 triples, 23 home runs, and 87 RBIs, his first All-Star selection, and a Silver Slugger in 1980. The Brewers reached the postseason for the first time in the strike-interrupted 1981 season and “Rockin’ Robin” hit well down the stretch while batting .273 overall with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs. In the field he committed only 8 errors. Yount followed up with another strong season in 1983, even though he was hampered by a back injury while the Brewers dropped to fifth in the AL East. Bothered by a sore shoulder in 1984, he finished the season as a Designated Hitter and hit .298 with 27 doubles, 7 triples, 16 home runs and 80 RBIs. Yount was shifted to the outfield in 1985 and was limited to 122 games as his shoulder injury required surgery. Still, he batted .277 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs. Installed in center field in 1986, the position he would play for the remainder of his career, Yount hit .312 with 9 home runs and 46 RBIs while scoring a team-leading 82 runs. He was better offensively in 1987, again batting .312 with 21 home runs and 103 RBIs. In 1988 Yount tied for the AL lead with 11 triples to go along with 38 doubles, 13 home runs, 91 RBIs, and a .306 average. He placed eleventh in league MVP voting.  

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 160 games

CF – 144, DH – 16

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 690 [8]

At Bats – 614 [11]

Runs – 101 [3, tied with Ruben Sierra]

Hits – 195 [4]

Doubles – 38 [5]

Triples – 9 [4, tied with Ivan Calderon, Tony Fernandez & Harold Reynolds]

Home Runs – 21 [16, tied with Pete Incaviglia, Alvin Davis & Cal Ripken]

RBI – 103 [7]

Bases on Balls – 63

Int. BB – 9 [14, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 71

Stolen Bases – 19

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .318 [4]

OBP - .384 [10]

Slugging Pct. - .511 [3]

Total Bases – 314 [2]

GDP – 9

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

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: HR - 10, RBI - 54, AVG - .299, SLG - .468

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Cleveland 8/10

Longest hitting streak – 19 games

HR at home – 14

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. Seattle 5/26

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 at NY Yankees 7/2

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances - 376

Put Outs – 361

Assists – 8

Errors – 7

DP – 2

Pct. - .981

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Robin Yount, Mil.: 256 pts. - 8 of 28 first place votes, 65% share

Ruben Sierra, Tex.: 228 pts. – 6 first place votes, 58% share

Cal Ripken, Balt.: 216 pts. – 6 first place votes, 55% share

George Bell, Tor.: 205 pts. – 4 first place votes, 52% share

Dennis Eckersley, Oak.: 116 pts. – 3 first place votes, 30% share

(1 first place vote for Carney Lansford, Oak., who ranked 17^th)

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Brewers went 81-81 to finish fourth in the AL Eastern Division, 8 games behind the division-winning Toronto Blue Jays while leading the league in stolen bases (165).

Aftermath of ‘89:

Yount followed up in 1990 by dropping to .247 with 17 home runs and 77 RBIs. He remained with the Brewers, his only major league team, until 1993, after which he retired at age 38. For his 20-year career he batted .285 with 3142 hits that included 583 doubles, 126 triples, and 251 home runs. He further accumulated 1406 RBIs and 271 stolen bases. The two-time AL MVP was also a three-time All-Star who won one Gold Glove at shortstop and was awarded three Silver Sluggers. The Brewers retired his #19 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

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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: Gregg Olson, 1989

Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  22

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1989:

A native of Nebraska, Olson was the son of a high school baseball coach. He played for his father’s team at Northwest High School in Omaha and produced a 27-0 record over four years with a 0.76 ERA and 276 strikeouts. Moving on to Auburn University he was developed into a bullpen closer and, appearing in a total of 78 games, Olson compiled an 18-4 record with 20 saves and 209 strikeouts. After his junior year the Orioles made him the fourth overall pick in the 1988 amateur draft. Initially assigned to Hagerstown of the Class A Carolina League, he was 1-0 with 4 saves in eight appearances before advancing to Charlotte of the Class AA Southern League where he logged a save and struck out 22 batters over 15.1 innings pitched. Called up to the Orioles in September, Olson appeared in 10 games and was 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA. With his excellent fastball and curve, he took over as the team’s bullpen closer early in 1989.

  

1989 Season Summary

Appeared in 64 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 64 [12, tied with Tom Henke, Rick Honeycutt & Lee Smith]

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 5

Losses – 2

PCT - .714 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 27 [8]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 85

Hits – 57

Runs – 17

Earned Runs – 16

Home Runs – 1

Bases on Balls – 46

Strikeouts – 90

ERA – 1.69 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 1

Balks – 3 [10, tied with six others]

Wild Pitches – 9 [11, tied with Charlie Leibrandt & Mark Gubicza]

Midseason Snapshot: 3-0, ERA - 1.89, G – 35, SV – 14, SO - 50 in 47.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 4 (in 3 IP) vs. Minnesota 4/22, (in 2 IP) at Oakland 4/26

Fielding

Chances – 18

Put Outs – 5

Assists – 12

Errors – 1

DP – 0

Pct. - .944

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

12^th in AL MVP voting (35 points, 9% share)

6^th in AL Cy Young voting, tied with Jeff Ballard, Balt. & Dennis Eckersley, Oak. (3 points, 2% share)

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Gregg Olson, Balt.: 136 pts. – 26 of 28 first place votes, 97% share

Tom Gordon, KC: 67 pts. – 1 first place vote, 48% share

Ken Griffey Jr, Sea.: 21 pts. –  1 first place vote, 15% share

Craig Worthington, Balt: 16 pts. – 11% share

Jim Abbott, Cal.: 10 pts. – 7% share

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Orioles went 87-75 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, two games behind the division-winning Toronto Blue Jays, which was the club’s best performance since it won the AL East and World Series in 1983.The Orioles, who had been a last-place team in 1988, benefited from an infusion of youth, including Olson, and led the division for 98 straight days, opening up a lead of 7.5 games in mid-July. They fell behind the Blue Jays in September, who eliminated them in a season-ending series at Toronto.

Aftermath of ‘89:

The Orioles dropped back to fifth in the AL East in 1990, but Olson had another outstanding season, posting a 6-5 record with 37 saves and a 2.42 ERA. He was also an All-Star selection for the only time in his career.  The pitcher nicknamed “Otter” was solid again in 1991, going 4-6 with 31 saves and a 3.18 ERA. One save came as the result of pitching the last inning of a combined no-hitter with three other pitchers against Oakland. It was more of the same in 1992 as Olson compiled a 1-5 tally with 36 saves and a 2.05 ERA. Off to another fine start in 1993, he suffered a torn ligament in his right arm at the end of July. Seeing little action in the final two months of the season, he finished at 0-2 with 29 saves and a 1.60 ERA. While the injury seemingly healed without surgery, the Orioles allowed him to depart as a free agent in the offseason. Signing with the Atlanta Braves in 1994, it quickly became apparent that he had not fully recovered from the arm injury and was no longer as effective as he had previously been. Spending time on the disabled list and in rehab assignments with Class AAA Richmond, Olson appeared in just 16 games for the Braves in the strike-shortened season and was 0-2 with one save and a 9.20 ERA. Signed by the Cleveland Indians in 1995, he started the year with the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AAA American Association where he saved 13 games in 18 appearances. Called up to the Indians, he was ineffective in three games. The Kansas City Royals purchased his contract in July and he went 3-3 with three saves the rest of the way. Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996, he was released when he was injured during spring training. The Cincinnati Reds signed him next and after saving four games for Indianapolis of the American Association, Olson was dealt to the Detroit Tigers where he appeared in 43 games and produced a 3-0 record with 8 saves and a 5.23 ERA before being traded once again to the Houston Astros in late August. His combined major league record for the year was 4-0 with 8 saves and a 4.99 ERA. He next signed with the Minnesota Twins in 1997,  who released him in May after posting an atrocious 18.36 ERA in 11 appearances. He returned to the Royals next, who farmed him to Omaha of the American Association, where he saw action as a starter as well as reliever, before being called up to the Royals where he went 4-3 with one save and a 3.02 ERA in 34 games as he began to regain effectiveness. Released after the season, he joined the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. Expected to be a setup man in the bullpen, he took over the closer role in May and went on to accumulate 30 saves in 34 save situations. He also hit the only home run of his career during a rare plate appearance. Olson spent another year with the Diamondbacks in 1999, when he returned to a setup role after struggling early in the season and having back problems. He still compiled 14 saves with a 3.71 ERA while appearing in 61 games. Olson moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000 and 2001 where he was hindered by a sore arm and was released at the end of June in ’01, thus ending his career. Overall, Olson produced a 40-39 record with a 3.46 ERA and 217 saves. He also recorded 588 strikeouts over the course of 672 innings. With the Orioles he was 17-21 with 160 saves and 347 strikeouts. He has been inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame as well as the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame (along with his father).

  

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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.