Highlighted Year: Rolando Arrojo, 1998

Pitcher, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

 

Age:  33 (July 18)

1^st season with Devil Rays

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 215 

Prior to 1998:

A native of Cuba where he was the son of an impoverished sugar cane worker in San Juan de las Yeras, Arrojo taught himself to pitch by throwing rag balls toward a target on the side of a barn and played soccer for exercise. He joined the Villa Clara team in the Cuban National Series, the country’s top baseball league, as a 19-year-old. Appearing in 15 games during his first season (1985-86) he posted an 8-2 record with a 3.15 ERA, 7 complete games, and 49 strikeouts over 91.1 innings pitched. He ended up spending 10 seasons with Villa Clara and produced a 75-34 record with a 3.10 ERA, 59 complete games, 13 shutouts, and 467 strikeouts over 822.1 innings. He also pitched for the Cuban National team that won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics. He had an impressive fastball and an array of off-speed pitches which he threw from a variety of different arm angles. Arrojo defected to the United States while with the Cuban National team for an international tournament in Georgia just prior to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. His wife and children soon joined him by escaping from Cuba and, claiming to be 27 when he was actually at least four years older, he received a $7 million signing bonus from the Devil Rays in 1997, who had a minor league organization a year prior to the club’s AL debut. Assigned to St. Petersburg of the advanced Class A Florida State League, he went 5-6 with a 3.43 ERA and 73 strikeouts over 89.1 innings pitched. He excelled in the Arizona Fall League, posting a 5-0 tally with a 1.35 ERA, which persuaded the Devil Rays to move him directly into the starting rotation for 1998.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 32 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 32

Games Started – 32 [19, tied with eight others]

Complete Games – 2

Wins – 14 [15, tied with four others]

Losses – 12 [18, tied with Jeff Fassero]

PCT - .538

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [5, tied with seven others]

Innings Pitched – 202

Hits – 195

Runs – 84

Earned Runs – 80

Home Runs – 21

Bases on Balls – 65

Strikeouts – 152 [16]

ERA – 3.56 [9]

Hit Batters – 19 [1]

Balks – 1 [10, tied with many others]

Wild Pitches – 3

League-leading hit batters were +4 ahead of runner-up David Cone

Midseason Snapshot: 10-5, ERA – 3.06, SO - 96 in 120.2 IP

---

Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 7 IP) vs. Texas 6/1, (in 7 IP) at Boston 6/12

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) at Minnesota 4/30, (in 9 IP) at KC Royals 5/6, (in 7 IP) at Anaheim 7/16, (in 7 IP) at Detroit 8/30

Batting

PA – 3, AB – 3, R – 0, H – 0, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .000, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 61

Put Outs – 17

Assists – 40

Errors – 4

DP – 5

Pct. - .934

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

2^nd in AL Rookie of the Year voting (61 points - 4 first place votes, 44% share)

---

In their inaugural season, the Devil Rays went 63-99 to finish fifth (last) in the AL Eastern Division, 51 games behind the division-winning New York Yankees. The pitching staff led the league in bases on balls issued (643) and fewest saves (28). The Devil Rays got off to a 10-6 start before losing 8 of their next 9 games. They struggled the rest of the way. They drew 2,506,293 fans to Tropicana Field. After his fine first half of the season, Arrojo wore down in the second half, going 1-7 in one stretch.

Aftermath of 1998:

Arrojo’s performance dropped off significantly in 1999 as he posted a 7-12 record with a 5.18 ERA and 107 strikeouts over 140.2 innings. He encountered injury problems, struggled against lefthanded batters, and hitters who found his delivery so baffling in 1998 appeared to adjust to him. In the offseason he was traded to the Colorado Rockies along with infielder Aaron Ledesma for third baseman Vinny Castilla. Experiencing difficulty in adjusting to pitching in Denver, Arrojo started 19 games for the Rockies in 2000 and was 5-9 with a 6.04 ERA when he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in July as part of a seven-player deal. He went 5-2 with a 5.05 ERA in 13 starts for Boston to finish with a combined 10-11 tally with a 5.63 ERA, 68 walks, and 124 strikeouts across 172.2 innings. Working primarily out of the bullpen in 2001 (9 starts in 41 appearances), Arrojo compiled a 5-4 record and 3.48 ERA with 78 strikeouts over 103.1 innings pitched. Following a lesser performance in 2002 (4-3 record with a 4.98 ERA in 29 appearances, 8 of them starts), he was waived by the Red Sox in the offseason and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003. Failing to make the club in the spring, he was released and signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in May. He made four appearances with the Columbus Clippers of the Class AAA International League before his career came to an end. For his major league career, Arrojo posted a 40-42 record and a 4.55 ERA with 6 saves and 512 strikeouts over 700 innings pitched. His first season with Tampa Bay was by far his best and he was plagued by injuries and inconsistency thereafter as he was never again able to perform at the level he attained in Cuba.  

---

Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years. 

 

Cy Young Profile: Roger Clemens, 1998

Pitcher, Toronto Blue Jays

Age:  36 (Aug. 4)

2^nd season with Blue Jays

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 205 

Prior to 1998:

A native of Ohio who moved to Texas in high school, Clemens attended San Jacinto Junior College, which had a strong baseball program, before moving on to the University of Texas, passing up a contract offer from the New York Mets, who drafted him as an amateur in 1981. He was a power-pitching member of the Texas squad that won the 1983 College World Series before signing with the Boston Red Sox, who made him a first-round draft pick that year. The highly driven Clemens climbed readily through Boston’s minor league system and joined the parent club in 1984. Somewhat unsteady as a rookie, Clemens compiled a 9-4 record with a 4.32 ERA and was shut down in September due to a tendon injury in his pitching arm. Several injuries marred his 1985 season that concluded with surgery on his right shoulder after posting a 7-5 record with a 3.29 ERA in just 15 starts. “The Rocket” broke out with a dominating season in 1986 as he compiled a 24-4 record with an AL-leading 2.48 ERA. His 238 strikeouts included a single-game record 20 against Seattle. Clemens was the league MVP as well as Cy Young Award recipient. He spent ten more seasons with the Red Sox, often highlighted by controversy. He briefly walked out during spring training in 1987 over a contract dispute and overcame a slow 4-6 start to end up with another Cy Young Award-winning season, ultimately posting a 20-9 record with the fifth-place Red Sox. In 1988 he was an All-Star once again and compiled an 18-12 tally and topped the AL in complete games (18) and shutouts (7). Boston returned to the top of the AL East. Clemens led the AL in ERA in 1990 (1.93) to go along with a 21-6 mark and 209 strikeouts. Clemens led the AL in ERA for three straight years from 1990 to ’92 and won a third Cy Young Award in 1991. Clemens led the AL with a 2.41 ERA in 1992, his third straight ERA title, while also compiling an 18-11 record and 5 shutouts with 208 strikeouts. His performance slipped thereafter as his record dropped to 11-14 with a 4.46 ERA in 1993, and after a fair year in 1994, he slipped badly again in ’95. Clemens had another 20-strikeout single-game performance in 1996 on his way to a 10-13 record with a league-leading 257 strikeouts. “The Rocket” signed a three-year free agent contract worth $24.75 million with the Blue Jays in 1997 and won the AL Cy Young Award that year, going 21-7 with a league-best 2.05 ERA and 292 strikeouts with a fifth-place team that went 76-86.

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [7, tied with eleven others]

Complete Games – 5 [7, tied with four others]

Wins – 20 [1, tied with Rick Helling & David Cone]

Losses – 6

PCT - .769 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [2, tied with Jamie Moyer & Brian Moehler]

Innings Pitched – 234.2 [3]

Hits – 169

Runs – 78

Earned Runs – 69

Home Runs – 11

Bases on Balls – 88 [6, tied with Jimmy Haynes]

Strikeouts – 271 [1]

ERA – 2.65 [1]

Hit Batters – 7 

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 6

League-leading strikeouts were +20 ahead of runner-up Pedro Martinez

League-leading ERA was - 0.24 lower than runner-up Pedro Martinez

Midseason Snapshot: 9-6, ERA - 3.55, SO - 120 in 119 IP

---

Most strikeouts, game – 18 (in 9 IP) vs. KC Royals 8/25

10+ strikeout games – 11

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 7 IP) at Oakland 5/2

Batting

PA – 6, AB – 4, R – 0, H – 0, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 1, SO – 0, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .000, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 35

Put Outs – 7

Assists – 27

Errors – 1

DP – 1

Pct. - .971

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

11^th in AL MVP voting (49 points, 13% share)

AL Cy Young voting:

Roger Clemens, Tor.: 140 points – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Pedro Martinez, Bos.: 65 points – 46% share

David Wells, NYY: 31 points – 22% share

David Cone, NYY: 16 points – 11% share

---

The Blue Jays went 88-74 to finish third in the AL Eastern Division, 26 games behind the division-winning New York Yankees. A youth movement had the Blue Jays unloading several veterans at the end of July and brought an improvement to the club’s fortunes that included an 11-game winning streak as part of a 42-32 August and September that lifted them into third place. For the second straight year Clemens won the pitching version of the Triple Crown in the AL.

Aftermath of 1998:

In the offseason Clemens requested a trade to a contending team and was dealt to the New York Yankees just prior to the 1999 season. He posted a 14-10 tally for the ’99 Yankees. At age 36 he was showing signs of wear as he completed only one of his 30 starts while dropping to under 200 innings pitched, and his ERA rose to 4.60. He picked up a win in the World Series triumph over Atlanta. Clemens improved in 2000 to 13-8 with a 3.70 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 204.1 innings. The Yankees were again division champs and Clemens pitched a one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against Seattle in the ALCS. In the World Series against the cross-town Mets, he pitched 8 shutout innings in a game better remembered for an odd altercation with Mets catcher Mike Piazza who broke his bat on a play in which Clemens threw the barrel of the broken bat at him as he ran toward first as the ball rolled foul, infuriating Piazza and causing the benches to clear. The Yankees won the Series and Clemens was fined $50,000 for the broken bat incident. “The Rocket” won another Cy Young Award in 2001 as he posted a 20-3 tally and 3.51 ERA with 213 strikeouts for the pennant-winning club. Clemens followed up with a 13-6 record in 2002 and a 4.35 ERA and 192 strikeouts while pitching 180 innings. Hinting at retirement in 2003, in which he went 17-9 with a 3.91 ERA, he followed LHP Andy Pettitte, a teammate and friend with the Yankees, to the Houston Astros as a free agent in 2004 and had an 18-4 record with a 2.98 ERA and received a seventh Cy Young Award. At age 43 in 2005, he led the NL with a 1.87 ERA as the Astros won the league pennant for the first time in franchise history. Clemens re-signed with Houston in ’06 and ended up with a 7-6 record and 2.30 ERA while the club failed to reach the postseason. Clemens returned to the Yankees for one final year in 2007. He later returned to organized baseball in 2012 at the age of 50, appearing with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. He started two games and had no decisions.  Overall, in the major leagues, he compiled a 354-184 record and 3.12 ERA with 4672 strikeouts over the course of 4916.2 innings. In the postseason he was 12-8 with a 3.75 ERA and 173 strikeouts. His numbers with Blue Jays were 41-13 with a 2.33 ERA and 563 strikeouts. Controversy erupted over his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs during the later stages of his career, thus far keeping him from achieving election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

---

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: Ben Grieve, 1998

 Outfielder, Oakland Athletics

Age:  22 (May 4)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 200

 

Prior to 1998:

The son of former major league player Tom Grieve, who became general manager of the Texas Rangers, Grieve was a native of Arlington, Texas and was playing baseball at James W. Martin High School when his father’s friend Tom Robson, the hitting instructor for the Rangers, began to work with him. He developed into a top prospect and was taken by the A’s as the second overall pick in the 1994 amateur draft (giving him a unique distinction as the son of a former first round amateur draft choice who was also taken in the first round). The 18-year-old outfielder was initially assigned to Southern Oregon of the short season Class A Northwest League where he batted .329 with 7 home runs and 50 RBIs in 72 games. He was named to the league All-Star team. With teams at the A and high Class A levels in 1995, Grieve appeared in a total of 130 games and hit .262 with 21 doubles, 6 home runs, and 76 RBIs. The highly self-disciplined outfield prospect returned to Modesto of the advanced Class A California League in 1996, which had been his second stop in ’95, and batted .356 in 72 games with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs, garnering league All-Star recognition, and advanced to Huntsville of the Class AA Southern League where he added 8 home runs and 32 RBIs in 63 games. With Huntsville again in 1997 Grieve hit .328 with 24 home runs and 108 RBIs and moved on with Edmonton of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .426 in 27 games. In a late-season call-up to the A’s he batted .312 in 93 at bats and went into 1998 as the starting right fielder.

 

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

RF – 151, DH – 3, PH – 2

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 678 [18]

At Bats – 583

Runs – 94

Hits – 168

Doubles – 41 [7, tied with Garret Anderson, Will Clark & Todd Walker]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 18

RBI – 89

Bases on Balls – 85 [10]

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 123 [13]

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .288

OBP - .386 [11, tied with Rusty Greer]

Slugging Pct. - .458

Total Bases – 267

GDP – 18 [9, tied with six others]

Hit by Pitches – 9 [13, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 1

 

Midseason snapshot: HR - 12, RBI - 55, AVG - .311, SLG - .508

 

---

 

Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) at Cleveland 4/29

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Texas 6/16

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 13

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Texas 6/16, at Colorado 6/26

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 2 (.000)

 

Fielding

Chances – 271

Put Outs – 262

Assists – 7

Errors – 2

DP – 0

Pct. - .993

 

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

 

AL ROY Voting (Top 4):

Ben Grieve, Oak.: 130 pts. – 23 of 28 first place votes, 93% share

Rolando Arrojo, TB: 61 pts. –4 first place votes, 44% share

Mike Caruso, ChiWS.: 34 pts. –  24% share

Orlando Hernandez, NYY: 25 pts. – 1 first place vote, 18% share

 

---

 

A’s went 74-88 to finish fourth (last) in the AL Western Division, 14 games behind the division-winning Texas Rangers.

 

Aftermath of ‘98:

Grieve, who moved over to left field, overcame a poor start in 1999 to finish at .265 with 28 home runs and 86 RBIs for an Oakland club that posted its first winning record since 1992. The A’s won the AL West in 2000 and Grieve contributed 40 doubles, 27 home runs, 104 RBIs, and a .279 average, but also grounded into a league-leading 32 double plays. Traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the offseason, Grieve played in both corner outfield spots in 2001 and batted .264 with 30 doubles, 11 home runs, and 72 RBIs, while drawing 87 walks and striking out 159 times. Hindered by injuries in 2002, his production dropped off to .251 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs. An injury-riddled 2003 season resulted in Grieve appearing in only 55 games (mostly as a DH), during which he hit .230 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. Moving on to the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent in 2004 he batted .261 with 7 home runs and 29 RBIs until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs at the end of August. Appearing primarily as a pinch-hitter, Grieve hit .250 with three extra base hits that included a home run and six RBIs. Signing with Pittsburgh for 2005, he was released at the end of spring training and re-joined the Cubs with a minor league contract. He spent most of the year with Iowa of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League and had some brief call-ups to the Cubs in which he hit .250 in 23 games. He then retired at age 29, his initially promising career having come to an injury-riddled end. Overall, for his major league career, Grieve batted .269 with 864 hits that included 192 doubles, 5 triples, and 118 home runs. In addition, he scored 471 runs and compiled 492 RBIs. With the A’s the totals were .280 with 492 hits, 108 doubles, 3 triples, 76 home runs, 278 runs scored, and 303 RBIs. In five postseason games he hit .118 with two RBIs. His All-Star selection in 1998 was the only one of his career.

 

--

 

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: Juan Gonzalez, 1998

Outfielder, Texas Rangers

Age:  28

9^th season with Rangers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1998:

A native of Puerto Rico, the lanky Gonzalez drew attention while playing youth baseball and signed with the Rangers as a 16-year-old in 1986. He appeared in 60 games that year in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and hit .240. Gonzalez moved on to Gastonia of the Class A South Atlantic League in 1987 where he produced 21 doubles, 14 home runs, and 74 RBIs with a .265 batting average over the course of 127 games. In 1988 he was with Port Charlotte of the Class A Florida State League and hit .256 with 8 home runs and 43 RBIs in 77 games. Gonzalez moved up to the Tulsa Drillers of the Class AA Texas League in 1989 where he improved to .293 with 30 doubles, 21 home runs, and 85 RBIs while leading the league with 254 total bases. He was named to the Texas League All-Star team for his performance. He also received a late-season call-up to the Rangers where he batted only .150 in 24 games but hit his first major league home run. Gonzalez was with the Oklahoma City 89ers of the Class AAA American Association in 1990, where he hit .258 with 29 home runs and 101 RBIs (the home run and RBI totals led the league). Named MVP of the American Association, Gonzalez received another call-up to the Rangers and batted .289 with 4 home runs and 12 RBIs in 25 games. Sticking with Texas in 1991, despite struggling with a back injury, he split his time between center and left fields and hit .264 with 27 home runs and 102 RBIs. A line-drive hitter with power, Gonzalez, regularly playing center field in 1992, led the AL with 43 home runs and also compiled 109 RBIs and batted .260. “Juan-Gone” topped the league in home runs once again in 1993 with 46 to go along with 118 RBIs and a .310 batting average while also leading the AL with a .632 slugging percentage. He was an All-Star for the first time and placed fourth in league MVP balloting. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, while adjusting to The Ballpark in Arlington, Gonzalez dropped to 19 home runs and 85 RBIs with a .275 average. In an injury-plagued 1995 season, he appeared in 90 games, primarily as a Designated Hitter, and slugged 27 home runs with 82 RBIs and a .295 average. In 1996 he was utilized in right field, his natural position, although he was not an exceptional fielder. Gonzalez was the league MVP in ‘96 as the Rangers won their first division title in franchise history. He batted .314 with 47 home runs and 144 RBIs. In the NLDS loss to the Yankees he hit .438 with 5 home runs and 9 RBIs. He missed the first 24 games of the 1997 season due to a thumb injury but still had another strong year at bat by hitting 42 home runs with 131 RBIs and a .296 average. 

1998 Season Summary

Appeared in 154 games

RF – 116, DH – 38, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 669

At Bats – 606 [15]

Runs – 110 [11]

Hits – 193 [6]

Doubles – 50 [1]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 45 [4, tied with Manny Ramirez]

RBI – 157 [1]

Bases on Balls – 46

Int. BB – 9 [6, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 126 [11]

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .318 [10]

OBP - .366

Slugging Pct. - .630 [2]

Total Bases – 382 [4]

GDP – 20 [3, tied with Nomar Garciaparra]

Hit by Pitches – 6

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 11 [3, tied with Frank Thomas & Paul O’Neill]

League-leading doubles were +2 ahead of runner-up Albert Belle

League-leading RBIs were +5 ahead of runner-up Albert Belle

Midseason snapshot: HR – 26, RBI - 101, AVG - .293, SLG – .590

---

Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Detroit 8/31

Longest hitting streak – 20 games

HR at home – 21

HR on road – 24

Most home runs, game – 2 on six occasions

Multi-home run games – 6

Most RBIs, game – 7 at Detroit 8/31

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 225

Put Outs – 213

Assists – 8

Errors – 4

DP – 2

Pct. - .982

Postseason: 3 G (ALDS vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 12, AB – 12, R – 1, H – 1, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .083, OBP - .083, SLG - .167, TB – 2, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for AL in RF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Juan Gonzalez, Tex.: 357 pts. - 21 of 28 first place votes, 91% share

Nomar Garciaparra, Bos.: 232 pts. – 5 first place votes, 59% share

Derek Jeter, NYY: 180 pts. – 2 first place votes, 46% share

Ken Griffey Jr, Sea.: 135 pts. – 34% share

Mo Vaughn, Bos.: 135 pts. – 34% share

---

Rangers went 88-74 to finish first in the AL Western Division by 3 games over the Anaheim Angels while leading the league in hits (1637) and batting (.289). The Rangers, who were at or near the top of the AL West throughout the season faced off with the Angels five times in the final two weeks, winning all of the games, to take control of the division race. Lost ALDS to the New York Yankees, 3 games to 0.  

Aftermath of ‘98:

The numbers dropped to 39 home runs with 128 RBIs and a .326 average in 1999, following which he was traded to the Detroit Tigers as part of a nine-player deal. Bothered by a foot injury and playing home games at spacious Comerica Park, Gonzalez had a down year in 2000, hitting just 22 home runs with 67 RBIs and a .289 average. He still received a one-year, $10 million contract to join the Cleveland Indians in 2001. He hit .325 with 35 home runs and 140 RBIs and was voted to the All-Star Game as well as placing fifth in league MVP balloting and receiving a Silver Slugger. In the offseason he signed a two-year, $24 million contract to return to the Rangers. Gonzalez suffered through an injury plagued 2002 season in which he was limited to 70 games and hit just 8 home runs and his 2003 season was cut short by a leg injury that held him to 24 home runs and 70 RBIs in 82 games. Moving on to the Kansas City Royals as a free agent in 2004, Gonzalez played in 33 games due to a bad back and ended up with a mere 5 home runs and 17 RBIs. He signed with Cleveland in 2005 but appeared in only one game. Thus ended his major league career, despite getting a feeler from the St. Louis Cardinals to attempt a comeback in 2008. He did play in 36 games for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League in 2006, hitting 6 home runs and batting .323. Overall for his major league career Gonzalez batted .295 with 1936 hits that included 388 doubles, 25 triples, and 434 home runs. He also compiled 1404 RBIs. With Texas he batted .293 with 320 doubles, 21 triples, and 372 home runs, and knocked in 1180 runs as well. Appearing in 15 postseason games, Gonzalez hit .290 with 8 home runs and 15 RBIs. He was a three-time All-Star as well as two-time AL MVP and six-time Silver Slugger Award recipient. Gonzalez was elected to the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2015, but his legacy has been clouded by allegations of steroid use during his career.  

--

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.