Cy Young Profile: John Smoltz, 1996

Pitcher, Atlanta Braves

 

Age:  29 (May 15)

9^th season with Braves

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1996:

A Michigan native, Smoltz developed into a star pitcher at Lansing’s Waverly High School and participated in the 1985 Junior Olympics. Intending to attend Michigan State, he was a low-round selection of the Detroit Tigers in the 1985 amateur draft. Signing with the Tigers immediately prior to the college school year, he was initially assigned to Lakeland of the Class A Florida State League in 1986 where he went 7-8 with a 3.56 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 96 innings pitched. With Glens Falls of the Class AA Eastern League in 1987 he posted a 4-10 mark with a 5.68 ERA and 86 strikeouts, as well as 81 walks, over 130 innings. In August he was traded to the Braves as part of the deal that brought RHP Doyle Alexander to Detroit. Finishing the season with Richmond of the Class AAA International League, where he began receiving instruction from minor league pitching coach Leo Mazzone (who would go on to become his major league pitching coach), who was impressed with Smoltz’s mechanics. A hard, if not always accurate, thrower, he developed his curve and slider under Mazzone’s tutelage. With Richmond in 1988, he was 10-5 with a 2.79 ERA and 115 strikeouts when he was called up to the Braves in July. As one of seven rookies to pitch for the rebuilding Braves that year, he posted a 2-7 record with a 5.48 ERA. As part of a promising young pitching staff in 1989, Smoltz was an All-Star for the first time on his way to a 12-11 tally with a 2.94 ERA and 168 strikeouts. Atlanta was still a last-place club in 1990 as Smoltz went 14-11 with a 3.85 ERA and 170 strikeouts. In 1991 the Braves went from worst to first in the NL West and Smoltz overcame a poor first half to contribute a 14-13 record with a 3.80 ERA and 148 strikeouts. His shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh game of the NLCS sent Atlanta to the World Series against Minnesota. Smoltz again started the seventh game but, although he pitched well, RHP Jack Morris of the Twins won in ten innings. As part of a starting rotation that included LHPs Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, and Charlie Leibrandt, as well as RHPs Mike Bielecki and Pete Smith, Smoltz and the Braves again topped the division in 1992 on the way to another pennant. He contributed a 15-12 mark with a 2.85 ERA and league-leading 215 strikeouts. He again beat Pittsburgh twice in the NLCS and was named series MVP and had a win in the World Series vs. Toronto, ultimately won by the Blue Jays. RHP Greg Maddux joined Atlanta in 1993, giving the Braves an extremely potent rotation. They again topped the NL West and Smoltz went 15-11 with a 3.62 ERA and 208 strikeouts. The club was defeated by the Phillies in the NLCS and Smoltz lost his lone start. 1994 was a down season for Smoltz, who was shut down prior to the season-ending strike due to elbow surgery. His record was 6-10 with a 4.14 ERA and 113 strikeouts over 134.2 innings. Returning to action in 1995, he posted a 12-7 mark with a 3.18 ERA and 193 strikeouts. The Braves finished atop the NL East and Smoltz had no decisions in three postseason starts while Atlanta achieved a World Series triumph over Cleveland.

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in 35 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35

Games Started – 35 [2, tied with four others]

Complete Games – 6 [2]

Wins – 24 [1]

Losses – 8

PCT - .750 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [2, tied with six others]

Innings Pitched – 253.2 [1]

Hits – 199

Runs – 93

Earned Runs – 83

Home Runs – 19

Bases on Balls – 55

Strikeouts – 276 [1]

ERA – 2.94 [4]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 1

Wild Pitches – 10 [8, tied with six others]

League-leading wins were +6 ahead of runner-up Andy Benes

League-leading win percentage was +.036 ahead of runner-up Ramon Martinez

League-leading innings pitched were +8.2 ahead of runner-up Greg Maddux

League-leading strikeouts were +42 ahead of runner-up Hideo Nomo

Midseason Snapshot: 14-4, ERA - 3.16, SO - 149 in 134 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 13 (in 8 IP) at San Diego 4/14, (in 9 IP) at Chi. Cubs 5/29, (in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets 9/7

10+ strikeout games – 12

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 8 IP) at San Diego 4/14

Batting

PA – 98, AB – 78, R – 3, H – 17, 2B – 3, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 12, BB – 3, SO – 26, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .218, GDP – 0, HBP – 1, SH – 15, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances – 55

Put Outs – 27

Assists – 27

Errors – 1

DP – 2

Pct. - .982

Postseason Pitching: G – 5 (NLDS vs. LA Dodgers – 1 G; NLCS vs. St. Louis – 2 G; World Series vs. NY Yankees – 2 G)

GS – 5, CG – 0, Record – 4-1, PCT – .800, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 38, H – 22, R – 5, ER – 4, HR – 0, BB – 13, SO – 33, ERA – 0.95, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 2

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Starting P for NL)

11^th in NL MVP voting (33 points, 8% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

John Smoltz, Atl.: 136 pts. – 26 of 28 first place votes, 97% share

Kevin Brown, Fla.: 88 pts. – 2 first place votes, 63% share

Andy Benes, StL.: 9 pts. – 6% share

Hideo Nomo, LAD: 5 pts. – 4% share

Trevor Hoffman, SD: 4 pts. – 3% share

Greg Maddux, Atl.: 4 pts. – 3% share

Todd Worrell, LAD: 4 pts. – 3% share

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Braves went 96-66 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 8 games over the Montreal Expos. The pitching staff led the league in complete games (14), strikeouts (1245), and fewest walks (451). The Braves tarted fast and were 35-17, and 5 games up in the NL East, by the end of May. Surviving a September slump in which they suffered three three-game series sweeps, they finished strong against the Expos to clinch the division on Sept. 22. Won NLDS over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to 0. Won NLCS over the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3, overcoming a 3-1 deficit as Smoltz pitched 7 shutout innings in the critical Game 5 blowout win. Lost World Series to the /New York Yankees, 4 games to 2, with Smoltz splitting his two decisions.

Aftermath of ‘96:

Following his 1996 Cy Young season, Smoltz signed a four-year contract extension with the Braves that averaged $7.75 million per year. He again led the NL in innings pitched in 1997 with 256. He produced a 15-12 record with a 3.02 ERA and 241 strikeouts. Atlanta again finished first in the NL East but lost to the Florida Marlins in the NLCS, in which Smoltz lost in his only start. Pitching in pain for most of the season, he had surgery on his elbow in the offseason. Despite two stints on the disabled list in 1998, “Smoltzie” still went 17-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 173 strikeouts. In 1999 he adjusted his delivery and had an 11-8 tally with a 3.19 ERA while pitching 186.1 innings. Major elbow surgery in 2000 cost Smoltz the entire season. He lasted five starts in 2001 before returning to the DL. Shifted to the bullpen, he became the closer and recorded 10 saves. Accepting a three-year, $30 million deal to return to Atlanta as the closer, Smoltz topped the NL with 55 saves in 2002. More dominant in 2003, his ERA was 1.12 while his save total was 45 in 49 tries. After saving 44 games in 2004, he returned to the rotation in 2005. Helped by his admirable conditioning and off-field habits, Smoltz pitched 229.2 innings in ’05 and went 14-7 with a 3.06 ERA and 169 strikeouts. In 2006 he tied for the league lead in wins with his 16-9 record while his ERA was 3.49 and he struck out 211 batters. Smoltz remained effective in 2007 with a 14-8 tally, 3.11 ERA, and 197 strikeouts. In 2008, shoulder pain that led to surgery in June limited Smoltz to six starts and a 3-2 record. The Braves allowed him to depart as a free agent at age 41 and in uncertain physical condition. He signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2009 and pitched poorly until his release in August. Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, he finished out the year and was not invited to return in 2010, thus concluding his career. In the major leagues, he compiled a 213-155 record with a 3.33 ERA, 154 saves, and 3084 strikeouts in 3473 innings pitched. With the Braves he went 210-147 with a 3.26 ERA, all 154 saves, and 3011 strikeouts in 3395 innings. Appearing in 41 postseason games, 27 as a starting pitcher, he posted a 15-4 record with a 2.67 ERA, 4 saves, and 199 strikeouts over 209 innings. An eight-time All-Star, the Braves retired his #29 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, where he joined Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine. Smoltz went into broadcasting following his playing career.

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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: Todd Hollandsworth, 1996

Outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  23 (April 20)

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 193

 

Prior to 1996:

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Hollandsworth moved with his family to New Jersey, where he began playing baseball at age 8. The family then moved to Bellevue, Washington by way of Billings, Montana. Hollandsworth was a standout all-around athlete at Bellevue’s Newport High School, excelling in football and basketball as well as baseball. Noteworthy for his work ethic and attitude, as well as athletic prowess, he was chosen by the Dodgers in the third round of the 1991 amateur draft. Playing for teams at the Rookie and Class A levels in ’91, Hollandsworth appeared in a total of 62 games and batted .242 with 8 home runs and 33 RBIs while stealing 11 bases. In 1992 he advanced to Bakersfield of the advanced Class A California League and hit .258 with 13 home runs and 58 RBIs. Moving on to San Antonio of the Class AA Texas League in 1993 Hollandsworth improved on his output by batting .251 with 24 doubles, 9 triples, 17 home runs, and 63 RBIs. With the Albuquerque Dukes of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1994, he hit .285 with 31 doubles, 5 triples, 19 home runs, and 91 RBIs. With the Dodgers entering 1995 due to a lack of outfield depth, Hollandsworth made the club but broke his wrist after making only six appearances. He returned after a brief stint with Albuquerque, and batted .233 in 41 games, thus maintaining his rookie status for 1996. He batted twice in the NLDS against Cincinnati, going hitless, and came into ’96 again as an outfield reserve.

 

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in 149 games

LF – 122, CF – 18, RF – 9, PH – 14, PR – 2

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 526

At Bats – 478

Runs – 64

Hits – 139

Doubles – 26

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 12

RBI – 59

Bases on Balls – 41

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 93

Stolen Bases – 21

Caught Stealing – 6

Average - .291

OBP - .348

Slugging Pct. - .437

Total Bases – 209

GDP – 2

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 2

 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 8, HR – 5, RBI – 29, AVG – .287, OBP – .360

 

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) at San Diego 7/1

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at St. Louis 5/11

HR at home – 2

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 3 on five occasions

Pinch-hitting/running – 6 of 14 (.429) with 4 R, 2 2B & 3 RBI

 

Fielding

Chances – 229

Put Outs – 217

Assists – 7

Errors – 5

DP - 1

Pct. - .978

 

Postseason Batting: 3 G (NLDS vs. Atlanta)

PA – 12, AB – 12, R – 1, H – 4, 2B – 3,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .333, OBP - .333, SLG -.583, TB – 7, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

 

NL ROY Voting (top 5):

Todd Hollandsworth, LAD: 105 pts. – 15 of 28 first place votes, 75% share

Edgar Renteria, Fla.: 84 pts. – 10 first place votes, 60% share

Jason Kendall, Pitt.: 30 pts. – 1 first place vote, 21% share

F.P. Santangelo, Mon.: 15 pts. – 1 first place vote, 11% share

Rey Ordonez, NYM: 7 pts. – 1 first place vote, 5% share

 

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Dodgers went 90-72 to finish second in the NL Western Division, 1 game behind the division-winning San Diego Padres, qualifying for the postseason as a Wild Card while leading the league in batter strikeouts (1190). CF Brett Butler’s illness opened the leadoff spot for Hollandsworth, who delivered a strong second-half performance. The Dodgers spent most of September in first place in the NL West but lost their last four games to finish second, settling for the wild card. Lost NLDS to the Atlanta Braves, 3 games to 0.

 

Aftermath of ‘96:

Hindered by knee and elbow injuries in 1997, Hollandsworth slumped at bat and was limited to 106 games, batting .247 with 20 doubles, four home runs, and 31 RBIs. Injuries derailed him again in 1998, when he appeared in just 55 games and hit .269 with 13 extra base hits. Playing in a limited role in 1999, Hollandsworth appeared in 92 games, splitting time at first base and all three outfield positions, and hit .284 with 9 home runs and 32 RBIs. Unhappy in LA, he was dealt to the Colorado Rockies during the 2000 season. Batting .234 at the time of the July 31 trade, he adjusted his swing and was outstanding in September, finishing at .323 in 56 games with his new club with 11 home runs and 23 RBIs. Re-signed as a free agent by the Rockies, he was hitting .368 with 6 home runs and 19 RBIs in 2001 when a leg injury ended his season in May after appearing in just 33 games. Back healthy in 2002, he was batting .295 with a disappointing 11 home runs and 48 RBIs when he was again dealt at the trade deadline, this time to the Texas Rangers. Injured again following the trade, he played in 39 games for the Rangers. In the off-season Hollandsworth returned to the National League by signing with the Florida Marlins. In 2003, with the arrival of rookie Miguel Cabrera in June, Hollandsworth’s playing time in left field dropped off and he was primarily a pinch-hitter, batting .254 with 23 doubles and three home runs. In the NLCS vs. the Cubs, he went three-for-three in pinch-hitting appearances although he was less successful during the World Series triumph over the Yankees. His next stop was the Chicago Cubs as an outfield reserve and pinch-hitter in 2004 where he hit .318 with 8 home runs and 22 RBIs until again felled by injury. He split 2005 between the Cubs and Braves and hit a combined .244. His career reached its end in 2006 in stints with Cleveland and Cincinnati. For his ultimately disappointing major league career, Hollandsworth batted .273 with 871 hits that included 192 doubles, 22 triples, and 98 home runs. He scored 451 runs and compiled 401 RBIs and 75 stolen bases. With the Dodgers his production was .266 with 223 runs scored, 418 hits, 78 doubles, 12 triples, 41 home runs, 179 RBIs, and 48 stolen bases. Appearing in 14 postseason games, he hit .364 with three RBIs. His rookie season remained the best of his injury-marred career, in which he occasionally showed brief glimpses of his initial promise. Hollandsworth has since gone on to be a television analyst and broadcaster.

 

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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: Ken Caminiti, 1996

Third Baseman, San Diego Padres

Age:  33

2^nd season with Padres

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 200

Prior to 1996:

A native of Hanford, California Caminiti played football as well as baseball in high school and went on to San Jose State where he played baseball during the 1983 and ’84 seasons. He was chosen by the Houston Astros in the 1984 amateur draft and played for Class A Osceola in the Florida State League in 1985 where he batted .284 and drove in 73 runs. Moving up to Columbus of the Class AA Southern League in 1986 Caminiti hit .300 with 12 home runs and 81 RBIs. He split 1987 between Columbus and the Astros. He made his major league debut in July and hit .246 in 63 games. He spent most of 1988 in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League with the Tucson Toros where he batted .272 in 109 games before returning to the Astros. In his first full major league season in 1989 Caminiti batted .255 with 31 doubles, 10 home runs, and 72 RBIs while starting 159 games at third base. He remained with Houston through 1994, the first year in which he was named to an All-Star Game. That year he reached a new high with 18 home runs in the strike-shortened season. In the offseason he was traded to the Padres as part of an 11-player deal. In 1995 Caminiti won his first Gold Glove for his fielding prowess at third base while also hitting .302 with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs, distinguishing himself as an intense competitor and team leader.

1996 Season Summary

Appeared in 146 games

3B – 143, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 639

At Bats – 546

Runs – 109 [15]

Hits – 178 [19]

Doubles – 37 [14, tied with Fred McGriff & Devon White]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 40 [5, tied with Ellis Burks, Sammy Sosa & Vinny Castilla]

RBI – 130 [3]

Bases on Balls – 78 [11]

Int. BB – 16 [5]

Strikeouts – 99

Stolen Bases – 11

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .326 [5]

OBP - .408 [7, tied with Ellis Burks]

Slugging Pct. - .621 [3]

Total Bases – 339 [5]

GDP – 15

Hit by Pitches – 4

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 10 [1, tied with Dante Bichette & Rick Wilkins]

Midseason snapshot: HR – 12, RBI – 49, AVG - .294, SLG PCT - .487

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at LA Dodgers 9/27 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 28

Most home runs, game – 2 on seven occasions

Multi-HR games – 7

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Montreal 8/19

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 2 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 433

Put Outs – 103

Assists – 310

Errors – 20

DP – 28

Pct. - .954

Postseason Batting: 3 G (NLDS vs. St. Louis)

PA – 12, AB – 10, R – 3, H – 3, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 3, RBI – 3, BB – 2, IBB – 1, SO – 5, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .300, OBP - .417, SLG - 1.200, TB – 12, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Ken Caminiti, SD: 392 pts. - 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Mike Piazza, LAD: 237 pts. – 60% share

Ellis Burks, Col.: 186 pts. – 47% share

Chipper Jones, Atl.: 158 pts. – 40% share

Barry Bonds SF: 132 pts. – 34% share

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Padres went 91-71 to finish first in the NL Western Division by one game over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lost NLDS to the St. Louis Cardinals 3 games to 0.

Aftermath of '96:

Caminiti needed surgery on his left shoulder in the offseason and followed up with another strong performance in 1997, hitting .290 with 26 home runs and 90 RBIs, and garnering an All-Star selection and a Gold Glove once more. While suffering from knee problems, his average dropped to .252 in 1998 to go along with 29 home runs and 82 RBIs in a year in which the Padres won the NL pennant. He returned to the Astros as a free agent in 1999 and plagued by injuries, his home run total dropped to 13 with 56 RBIs and a .286 batting average. Following a similar season in 2000 Caminiti moved on to the Texas Rangers as a free agent in 2001. Released by the Rangers in July, he finished the season, and his career, with the Atlanta Braves. Overall in the major leagues, Caminiti batted .272 with 239 home runs and 983 RBIs. He hit .295 with 121 home runs and 396 RBIs while with San Diego, where he also won three Gold Gloves and garnered two of his three All-Star selections. In 2002 he publicly admitted to steroid use during his 1996 MVP season and thereafter. He also was treated for alcohol and cocaine abuse and died from a drug overdose at age 41 in 2004. Caminiti was posthumously inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 2016.

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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.