Cy Young Profile: Randy Johnson, 1995

Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

Age:  32 (Sept. 10)

7th season with Mariners (6^th complete)

Bats – Right, Throws – Left

Height: 6’10” Weight: 225 

Prior to 1995:

A native of California, Johnson starred in baseball and basketball in high school. He received a scholarship to USC for both sports and was originally drafted as an amateur by the Braves in 1982, without signing a contract. Johnson spent three seasons playing college baseball and was drafted by Montreal in 1985, this time signing. With his great pitching speed, he moved up quickly through the minor league system, where he worked on his control. Johnson made his first major league appearance with the Expos late in the 1988 season and started four games, compiling a 3-0 record and 2.42 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 26 innings. Off to a 0-4 start in 1989, “The Big Unit” was traded to Seattle in May and went 7-9 in 22 starts with his new club and had a 4.40 ERA. In 1990, Johnson pitched the first no-hitter in franchise history against Detroit as part of a breakout season in which he compiled a 14-11 record with 3.65 ERA and continued to struggle with his control while leading the AL with 120 walks to go along with 194 strikeouts in 219.2 innings. He was also chosen to his first All-Star Game. Continuing to improve, Johnson accumulated over 200 strikeouts for the first time in 1991 (228) and led the league for the first of four consecutive years with 241 in ’92 (the last of three straight seasons in which he topped the circuit in walks). He was again an All-Star in 1993, a year in which he compiled a 19-8 record and was 13-6 during the strike-abbreviated 1994 season.

1995 Season Summary

Appeared in 30 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 30

Games Started – 30 [13, tied with six others]

Complete Games – 6 [4, tied with David Cone & Tim Wakefield]

Wins – 18 [2, tied with David Cone]

Losses – 2

PCT - .900 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [2]

Innings Pitched – 214.1 [4]

Hits – 159

Runs – 65

Earned Runs – 59

Home Runs – 12

Bases on Balls – 65

Strikeouts – 294 [1]

ERA – 2.48 [1]

Hit Batters – 6 [12, tied with twelve others]

Balks – 2 [3, tied with thirteen others]

Wild Pitches – 5

League-leading win percentage was +.150 ahead of runner-up Erik Hanson

League-leading strikeouts were +89 ahead of runner-up Todd Stottlemyre

League-leading ERA was -0.47 lower than runner-up Tim Wakefield

Midseason Snapshot: 9-1, ERA - 2.88, SO - 152 in 109.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 16 (in 9 IP) vs. Toronto 7/15

10+ strikeout games – 16

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at Baltimore 6/5, (in 9 IP) vs. Toronto 7/15, (in 9 IP) vs. NY Yankees 8/26, (in 9 IP) vs. California 10/2, (in 8 IP) vs. Texas 9/18, (in 7 IP) at KC Royals 8/11

Fielding

Chances – 32

Put Outs – 7

Assists – 24

Errors – 1

DP – 0

Pct. - .969

Postseason Pitching: G – 4 (ALDS vs. NY Yankees – 2 G; ALCS vs. Cleveland – 2 G)

GS – 3, CG – 0, Record – 2-1, PCT – .667, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 25.1, H – 17, R – 9, ER – 7, HR – 2, BB – 8, SO – 29, ERA – 2.49, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Started for AL)

6^th in AL MVP voting (111 points, 28% share)

AL Cy Young voting (top 5):

Randy Johnson, Sea.: 136 points – 26 of 28 first place votes, 97% share

Jose Mesa, Clev.: 54 points – 2 first place votes, 39% share

Tim Wakefield, Bos.: 29 points – 21% share

David Cone, Tor./NYY: 18 points – 13% share

Mike Mussina, Balt.: 14 points – 10% share

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The Mariners went 78-66, in the strike-shortened season, to finish tied for first in the AL Western Division with the California Angels, which necessitated a season-extending single-game playoff. They defeated the Angels 9-1, as Johnson pitched a complete game, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 12 batters to record his 18^th win. Seattle clinched the AL West title with a final record of 79-66. The pitching staff led the league in strikeouts (1068). The Mariners lost star CF Ken Griffey Jr. due to a broken wrist in May but went 24-11 to close out the season after Griffey’s return that was soon followed by his game-winning home run against the Yankees on August 24. They overcame a 12.5-game deficit to catch the slumping Angels and force the playoff. Won ALDS over the New York Yankees, 3 games to 2, as Johnson won twice, once in relief in the deciding fifth game.  Lost ALCS to the Cleveland Indians, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of 1995:

In 1996 major back surgery limited “The Big Unit” to eight games, but he rebounded with a 20-4 record and 291 strikeouts in ’97. With talk of a trade swirling throughout the 1998 season, Johnson got off to a 9-10 record and 4.33 ERA before being dealt to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline. He helped his new club to a division title with a 10-1 record and 1.28 ERA. Entering the free agent market, Johnson signed a four-year contract worth $52 million with the second-year Arizona Diamondbacks in 1999. He had an excellent season for Arizona in ’99, posting a 17-9 record while leading the NL in ERA (2.48), strikeouts (364), innings pitched (271.2), and complete games (12), garnering another Cy Young Award. The team topped the NL West, although the Diamondbacks lost to the Mets in the NLDS. “The Big Unit” followed up with another Cy Young Award-winning season in 2000, compiling a 19-7 record with 347 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA for the 85-77 Diamondbacks. Johnson made it three straight Cy Young awards in 2001, going 21-6 with a 2.49 ERA and 372 strikeouts. He created a productive tandem with RHP Curt Schilling, and Arizona went on to win the World Series, in which Johnson and Schilling were co-MVPs, with Johnson winning Game 7 in relief. Johnson was recipient of another Cy Young award in 2002 following a 24-5 tally and a 2.32 ERA with 334 strikeouts. The Diamondbacks fell short in the postseason but “The Big Unit” was re-signed. Knee surgery cut short his ’03 season and Johnson dropped to 6-8 with a 4.26 ERA.  Off to a 3-4 start at age 40 in 2004, Johnson pitched a perfect game against Atlanta. He went on to a 16-14 record and a 2.60 ERA and league-leading 290 strikeouts. Looking to shed salary in 2005, the Diamondbacks dealt Johnson to the New York Yankees where he won another 34 games over two seasons before returning to Arizona in 2007. Johnson spent 2007 and ’08 with the Diamondbacks before finishing out his career with San Francisco in 2009. For his major league career, Johnson appeared in 618 games, 603 of which were starts, and compiled 303 wins and 166 losses with a 3.29 ERA and 4875 strikeouts, the second highest total in MLB history to date. His record with Seattle alone was 130-74 with a 3.42 ERA and 2162 strikeouts.  He added another 14 wins in the postseason against 18 losses. He compiled five 300-strikeout seasons, was chosen to ten All-Star Games and won five Cy Young awards (one in the AL and 4 in the NL with the Diamondbacks). Johnson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. His #51 was retired by the Diamondbacks.

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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: Mo Vaughn, 1995

 First Baseman, Boston Red Sox

Age:  27

5^th season with Red Sox

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 230

 

Prior to 1995:

A native of Norwalk, Connecticut, Maurice Vaughn excelled in Little League prior to entering the private Trinity-Pawling School where he played football as well as baseball. Following graduation, he moved on to Seton Hall University, where he was dubbed “Mo” and set a school record as a freshman in 1987 by slugging 28 home runs. In three years at Seton Hall he batted .417 with 57 home runs and 218 RBIs (earning the enduring nickname “The Hit Dog”) and was a collegiate All-American each year. Chosen by the Red Sox in the first round of the 1989 amateur draft, the 21-year-old Vaughn signed and was first assigned to New Britain of the Class AA Eastern League where he hit .278 with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs over the course of 73 games. Advancing to Pawtucket of the Class AAA International League in 1990, he batted .295 with 22 home runs and 72 RBIs. Vaughn started the 1991 season with Pawtucket and was hitting .274 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs when he was called up to the Red Sox in late June. He hit three home runs in his first 27 major league at bats but only one more the rest of the way to end up with four along with 32 RBIs and a .260 batting average. Vaughn saw action at first base, DH, and as a pinch-hitter in 1992, hitting .234 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs. He established himself at first base in 1993 by batting .297 with 29 home runs and 101 RBIs. During the strike-shortened 1994 season, “Hit Dog” continued to post solid batting numbers by hitting .310 with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs, while improving somewhat on his unimpressive defense.

 

1995 Season Summary

Appeared in 140 games

1B – 138, DH – 2

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 636 [11]

At Bats – 550 [11, tied with Cal Ripken Jr.]

Runs – 98 [10, tied with Lance Johnson]

Hits – 165 [11]

Doubles – 28

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 39 [4, tied with Rafael Palmeiro & Mark McGwire]

RBI – 126 [1, tied with Albert Belle]

Bases on Balls – 68

Int. BB – 17 [4]

Strikeouts – 150 [1]

Stolen Bases – 11

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .300

OBP - .388

Slugging Pct. - .575 [6]

Total Bases – 316 [5]

GDP – 17 [7, tied with five others]

Hit by Pitches – 14 [2, tied with Mike Macfarlane]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 4

 

League-leading batter strikeouts were +3 ahead of runner-up Benji Gil

 

 

Midseason snapshot: HR - 24, RBI - 60, AVG - .290, SLG – .607

 

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Oakland 5/31, (in 5 AB) at Toronto 8/6

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

HR at home – 15

HR on road – 24

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) at Milwaukee 5/16, (in 5 AB) vs. Detroit 7/2, (in 4 AB) at Kansas City 7/3, (in 5 AB) at Baltimore 9/12

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Kansas City 7/3

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

 

Fielding

Chances – 1368

Put Outs – 1262

Assists – 95

Errors – 11

DP – 128

Pct. - .992

 

Postseason Batting: 3 G (ALDS vs. Cleveland)

PA – 15, AB – 14, R – 0, H – 0, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 7, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .000, OBP - .067, SLG - .000, TB – 0, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

 

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star

 

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Mo Vaughn, Bos.: 308 pts. - 12 of 28 first place votes, 79% share

Albert Belle, Clev.: 300 pts. – 11 first place votes, 77% share

Edgar Martinez, Sea.: 244 pts. – 4 first place votes, 62% share

Jose Mesa, Clev.: 130 pts. – 1 first place vote, 33% share

Jay Buhner, Sea.: 120 pts. – 31% share

 

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Red Sox went 86-58, in the strike-shortened season, to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 7 games over the New York Yankees. A 12-game August winning streak allowed the Red Sox to boost their lead in the AL East to 10 games and they coasted from there. Lost ALDS to the Cleveland Indians, 3 games to 0.

 

Aftermath of ‘95:

Vaughn followed up with another outstanding season in 1996, batting .326 with 207 hits, 44 home runs, and 143 RBIs, and placed fifth in league MVP voting. In 1997 he hit .315 with 36 home runs and 96 RBIs. With a personality that made him a popular player and vocal team leader, Vaughn also became appreciated for his charitable activities in Boston. However, he was discontented with the front office and local sports media. Following one last solid season with the Red Sox in 1998 in which he hit .337 with 40 home runs and 115 RBIs, Vaughn signed a six-year, $80 million free agent contract with the Anaheim Angels. In the first inning of his initial game with the Angels in 1999, he suffered a badly sprained ankle after falling in the dugout while chasing a foul ball. The injury hindered him all season but he still batted .281 with 33 home runs and 108 RBIs. Surgery for a ruptured tendon in his left arm cost Vaughn the entire 2001 season and in the offseason he was traded to the New York Mets for RHP Kevin Appier. Out of shape and overweight at 268 pounds in 2002, Vaughn appeared in 139 games and hit .259 with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs. Limited to 27 games in 2003 due to an arthritic left knee, his career came to an end. For his major league career, Vaughn batted .293 with 1620 hits that included 270 doubles, 10 triples, and 328 home runs. He scored 861 runs and compiled 1064 RBIs. With the Red Sox he batted .304 with 628 runs scored, 1165 hits, 199 doubles, 10 triples, and 230 home runs. A three-time All-Star, he placed in the top five in AL MVP voting three times as well. Appearing in seven postseason games, Vaughn hit .226 with two home runs and 7 RBIs. He was inducted into the Seton Hall University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996. The Mitchell Report indicated that Vaughn purchased performance-enhancing drugs in 2001.

 

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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: Marty Cordova, 1995

Outfielder, Minnesota Twins

Age:  26 (July 10)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 200

Prior to 1995:

A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Cordova came out of the strong baseball program at that city’s Bishop Gorman High School. Initially drafted as an amateur by the San Diego Padres he chose to go to college instead. He played collegiately at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas and at Orange Coast Community College where he was a shortstop with inaccurate throwing ability. The Twins drafted him as a third baseman in 1989 and he signed for a $28,000 bonus. Initially assigned to Elizabethton of the Rookie level Appalachian League, Cordova was quickly shifted to the outfield. In 38 games he hit .284 with 8 home runs and 29 RBIs. Moving up to Kenosha of the Class A Midwest League in 1990 he batted just .216 with 7 home runs and 25 RBIs. He spent 1991 and ’92 with Visalia of the advanced Class A California League and was the league MVP in ’92 after hitting .341 with 28 home runs and 131 RBIs. In the outfield he had 10 assists and only three errors. Moving on to Nashville of the Class AA Southern League in 1993 his batting average dropped to .250 and he hit 19 home runs with 77 RBIs. Cordova’s fielding remained strong and he advanced to Salt Lake of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1994. A broken arm suffered during spring training delayed his entry into the PCL season, but he still batted .358 with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs in 103 games. A spot in the Minnesota outfield was created in 1995 with the departure of free agent Shane Mack to Japan and Cordova opened the season as the starting left fielder.

1995 Season Summary

Appeared in 137 games

LF – 132, CF – 11

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 579

At Bats – 512

Runs – 81

Hits – 142

Doubles – 27

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 24

RBI – 84

Bases on Balls – 52

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 111 [11, tied with Brady Anderson & Tim Salmon]

Stolen Bases – 20 [16, tied with John Valentin]

Caught Stealing – 7 [17, tied with Brady Anderson, Joey Cora & Ozzie Guillen]

Average - .277

OBP - .352

Slugging Pct. - .486

Total Bases – 249

GDP – 10

Hit by Pitches – 10 [6, tied with Chuck Knoblauch, John Valentin & Brady Anderson]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 5

Most hits, game – 4 (in 8 AB) at Cleveland 5/7

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

Most HR, game – 1 on 24 occasions

HR at home – 16

HR on road – 8

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Seattle 5/19

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 363

Put Outs – 346

Assists – 12

Errors – 5

DP - 3

Pct. - .986

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Marty Cordova, Min.: 105 pts. – 13 of 28 first place votes, 75% share

Garret Anderson, Cal.: 99 pts. –13 first place votes, 71% share

Andy Pettitte, NYY.: 16 pts. – 1 first place vote, 11% share

Troy Percival, Cal.: 13 pts. – 1 first place vote, 9% share

Shawn Green, Tor.: 8 pts. – 6% share

Twins went 56-88 to finish fifth in the AL Central Division, 44 games behind the division-winning Cleveland Indians and finished last in the league in walks drawn (471).

Aftermath of ‘95:

Cordova followed up with a stronger season in 1996 in which he batted .309 with 46 doubles, 16 home runs, and 111 RBIs. In 1997 a foot injury limited him to 103 games and his production dropped to 15 home runs and 51 RBIs with a .246 batting average. A strained neck hindered him in 1998 and his average dropped to .253 with just 10 home runs and 69 RBIs. In 1999 Cordova was utilized primarily as a Designated Hitter while rookie Chad Allen supplanted him in left field. His average improved to .285 with 14 home runs and 70 RBIs. A free agent after the season he signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2000 but was released after suffering a broken rib during spring training. Catching on with the Toronto Blue Jays, Cordova appeared in only 62 games and hit .245. His next stop was the Cleveland Indians in 2001, where he became the starting left fielder and produced 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, and a .301 average. The Indians won the AL Central title and Cordova appeared in the postseason for the only time in his career, batting .250 in the ALDS loss to Seattle. He signed a three-year, $9.1 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles in 2002, when he produced a .253 average with 18 home runs and 64 RBIs. A major elbow injury limited him to nine games in 2003, his last major league season. Overall, in a career that commenced with much promise, Cordova batted .274 with 938 hits, 480 runs, 192 doubles, 18 triples, 122 home runs, and 540 RBIs. Of those totals, a .277 average with 643 hits, 336 runs, 139 doubles, 14 triples, 79 home runs, and 385 RBIs were compiled with the Twins.     

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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.