Highlighted Year: Enos Slaughter, 1955

Outfielder, New York Yankees/Kansas City Athletics

Age: 39 (April 27)

2^nd season with Yankees

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1955:

A native of Roxboro, North Carolina, Slaughter was raised on a farm where he developed into a stocky young man with much of his strength and fitness due to working chores. He and his brothers played for the local county baseball team, and he also played football in addition to baseball in high school. Slaughter passed on a college scholarship to work at a textile mill in Durham and play semipro ball. A tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals resulted in his signing with them. Assigned to Martinsville of the Class D Bi-State League in 1935, he found himself moved to the outfield after originally having been a second baseman. He batted .273 with 25 doubles, 11 triples, and 18 home runs. Advancing to Columbus of the Class B South Atlantic (or Sally) League in 1936 he received sarcastic advice from manager Eddie Dyer that proved meaningful to his entire baseball career. While loping toward the dugout from the outfield during a change of innings, he slowed to a walk as he passed first base and Dyer said “Are you too tired to run all the way? If you are, I’ll get some help for you.” From then on Slaughter always ran when entering and exiting the ballfield and became noted for his hustling, and aggressive, style of play. For the season he hit .325 with 31 doubles, 20 triples, 9 home runs, 118 RBIs, a .394 on-base percentage, and a .497 slugging percentage. Moving from Columbus, Georgia to Columbus, Ohio (both teams were called the Red Birds but the Ohio team was in the Class AA American Association) in 1937 he obtained the nickname “Country”, which proved to be long-lasting, from manager Burt Shotton, based on his appearance and manner of dress. He again hit the ball with authority and batted .382 with 245 hits, 42 doubles, 13 triples, 26 home runs, 122 RBIs, a .444 OBP, and a .609 slugging percentage. Having earned a promotion to the Cardinals in 1938, Slaughter hit .276 as a rookie with 20 doubles, 10 triples, 8 home runs, 58 RBIs, a .330 OBP, and a .438 slugging percentage. In 1939 Slaughter led the NL with 52 doubles while batting .320 with 12 home runs, 86 RBIs, a .371 OBP, and a .482 slugging percentage. He tied for nineteenth in league MVP voting. His development continued in 1940 as he hit .306 with 25 doubles, 13 triples, 17 home runs, 73 RBIs, a .370 OBP, and a .504 slugging percentage. With the Cardinals developing into contenders in 1941 and despite being somewhat hindered while playing with a broken collarbone, Slaughter hit .311 with 22 doubles, 9 triples, 13 home runs, 76 RBIs, a .390 OBP, and a .496 slugging percentage. Gaining recognition for his defensive play in addition to his productive batting, he was an All-Star for the first time. The Cardinals won the NL pennant in 1942 and Slaughter contributed by leading the league in hits (188), triples (17), and total bases (292) while batting .318 with 31 doubles, 13 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .412 OBP, and a .494 slugging percentage. He became the club’s inspirational leader and part of an esteemed outfield along with center fielder Terry Moore and rookie left fielder Stan Musial. Slaughter finished second in league MVP balloting and in the five-game World Series defeat of the New York Yankees, he homered and contributed a couple of significant defensive plays. Slaughter missed the next three seasons due to World War II military service. Upon his return to the Cardinals in 1946, he continued where he had left off as the Cardinals reached the World Series again. “Country” led the NL in RBIs (130) while batting .300 with 30 doubles, 8 triples, 18 home runs, a .374 OBP, and a .465 slugging percentage. Defensively he led all NL right fielders with 21 assists. He finished third in league MVP voting. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, he famously scored the winning run of the decisive seventh game with his “Mad Dash” from first base on a double, ignoring the third base coach’s signal to hold up, and beating the slow relay throw from Boston shortstop Johnny Pesky. It was a legendary play that exemplified Slaughter’s style of play and for the Series, he hit .320 with a home run and 5 runs scored while playing through the pain of a sore elbow after being hit by a pitch in Game 5. He remained a key contributor in 1947 and 1948, batting .294 and .321, respectively, along with 13 and 11 triples, 10 and 11 home runs, 86 and 90 RBIs, and a .366 and .409 OBP. He tied for seventh in league MVP voting in 1948. Now playing in left field, he was among the leaders in putouts and assists both seasons. Slaughter placed third in MVP balloting in 1949 and tied for the NL lead in triples, along with teammate Musial. He further hit .336 with 34 doubles, 13 home runs, 96 RBIs, a .418 OBP, and a .511 slugging percentage. The Sporting News named him NL Player of the Year. The perennially contending Cardinals dropped to fifth place in 1950 but Slaughter batted .290 with 26 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs, 101 RBIs, and a .367 OBP. He spent three more productive seasons with the Cardinals before being traded to the New York Yankees prior to the 1954 season to make room for rookie outfielder Wally Moon (Slaughter openly cried in the clubhouse when informed of the trade). Hampered by a wrist injury, the 38-year-old Slaughter was limited to 69 games and hit a mere .248 with a .386 OBP, seeing most of his action as a pinch-hitter. He started the 1955 season with the Yankees but was dealt to the Athletics in May.

1955 Season Summary

Appeared in 118 games (NY – 10/KC – 108)

RF – 77, PH – 59

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 325 (NY – 10/KC – 315)

At Bats – 276 (NY – 9/KC – 267)

Runs – 50 (NY – 1/KC – 49)

Hits – 87 (NY – 1/KC – 86)

Doubles – 12 (KC)

Triples – 4 (KC)

Home Runs – 5 (KC)

RBI – 35 (NYY – 1/KC – 34)

Bases on Balls – 41 (NY – 1/KC – 40)

Int. BB – 4 (KC)

Strikeouts – 18 (NY – 1/KC – 17)

Stolen Bases – 2 (KC)

Caught Stealing – 3 (KC)

Average - .315 [Non-qualifying] (NY – .111/KC – .322)

OBP - .401 [Non-qualifying] (NY – .200/KC – .408)

Slugging Pct. - .442 [Non-qualifying] (NY – .111/KC – .453)

Total Bases – 122 (NY – 1/KC – 121)

GDP – 8 (KC)

Hit by Pitches – 2 (KC)

Sac Hits – 1 (KC)

Sac Flies – 5 [18, tied with nine others] (KC) 

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 2, HR - 1, RBI - 12, AVG - .271, OBP – .352

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Most hits, game – 3 (in 5 AB) at Chi. White Sox 5/21, (in 4 AB) at Chi. White Sox 5/22, (in 5 AB) at Cleveland 8/19 – 11 innings

Longest hitting streak – 10 games

HR at home – 3

HR on road – 2

Most home runs, game – 1 on five occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 2 at NY Yankees 5/15, vs. Baltimore 6/12, at Washington 7/26, at Cleveland 9/5

Pinch-hitting – 16 for 41 (.390) with 8 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 12 BB & 1 HBP 

Fielding (appeared in OF with KC only)

Chances – 133

Put Outs – 126

Assists – 5

Errors – 2

DP – 2

Pct. – .985

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The relocated Athletics went 63-91 to finish sixth in the AL, 33 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in fewest stolen bases (22) and fewest walks drawn (462). The pitching-poor A’s lost seven of their first nine games which set the tone for a season in which they still finished higher than their final Philadelphia year and drew a healthy 1,393,054 fans to Municipal Stadium, which was over a million more than they drew in ’54.

Aftermath of 1955:

Slaughter was back with the A’s in 1956 and batting .278 with a .362 OBP when he was waived in August and claimed by the Yankees. He proved his value in a utility role when he hit a three-run home run in Game 3 of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers that provided the winning margin for the Yankees. In 1957 he appeared in 96 games, mostly in left field and as a pinch-hitter. He hit .254 with 5 home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .369 OBP. He batted .304 in 1958 at age 42 and would typically sit next to manager Casey Stengel in the dugout and complain about some of the younger players. He remained with the Yankees in his part-time role in which he was especially effective as a pinch-hitter until he was released late in the 1959 season. Picked up by the Milwaukee Braves, his major league career reached a conclusion at season’s end. For his major league career, Slaughter batted .300 with 2383 hits that included 413 doubles, 148 triples, and 169 home runs. He scored 1247 runs and compiled 1304 RBIs, 71 stolen bases, a .382 OBP, and a .453 slugging percentage. With the Athletics he batted .302 with 148 hits, 86 runs scored, 26 doubles, 7 triples, 7 home runs, 57 RBIs, a .387 OBP, and a .427 slugging percentage. Slaughter appeared in 27 World Series games and hit .291 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs. A 10-time All-Star, he placed in the top 10 in NL MVP voting five times and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985. The Cardinals retired his #9. Following his playing career Slaughter was a minor league manager for two years and later became the baseball coach at Duke University. He also worked on his large North Carolina farm and was married and divorced five times. He summed up his playing career by saying in his characteristic gravel voice that “regardless of what uniform I wore. I gave 100 % for whatever team I played.” Slaughter, died in 2002 at age 86. 

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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. 

Highlighted Year: Vic Power, 1955

First Baseman, Kansas City Athletics

Age:  27

2^nd season with Athletics

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 186 

Prior to 1955:

A native of Arecibo in Puerto Rico, Power was born Victor Felipe Pellot and had his surname accidentally changed to Power by his first grade teacher. He played sandlot baseball and was signed to play for Caguas of the Puerto Rican Winter League at age 15 for $100 per week. Mentored by former Negro League player Quincy Trouppe he went to Quebec, Canada in 1949 to play for the Drummondville Cubs of the independent Provincial League where he drew the interest of a scout for the New York Yankees and signed a contract. Assigned to the Syracuse Chiefs of the Class AAA International League in 1951, Power batted .294 with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 6 home runs, 56 RBIs, and a .350 on-base percentage. Moving on to Kansas City of the Class AAA American Association in 1952, he played out of position in the outfield and at third base due to the presence of first baseman Bill Skowron. A line-drive hitter to all fields out of his low crouching stance, he batted .331 with 40 doubles, 17 triples, 16 home runs, 109 RBIs, a .370 OBP, and a .553 slugging percentage. Agile, with excellent reflexes, and flashy in the field, he would make one-handed catches with a sweeping motion and was labeled a “showboat” or “hot dog” for his style. Power had another strong season with Kansas City in 1953, leading the league in batting (.349) and hits (217) while also producing 39 doubles, 10 triples, 16 home runs, 93 RBIs, a .380 OBP, and a .521 slugging percentage. His flashy style of play continued to draw criticism and Yankee GM George Weiss referred to him as “impudent” (he responded to rude criticism with sarcasm) and inappropriate in his conduct for dating white women. In the offseason he was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics as part of a multi-player swap. Utilized in the outfield as a rookie in 1954 Power batted a disappointing .255 with 17 doubles, 5 triples, 8 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a .287 OBP. With the move of the franchise to Kansas City in 1955, Power returned to the city where he had his most impressive minor league seasons and was now stationed full-time at first base.

1955 Season Summary

Appeared in 147 games

1B – 144, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 639 [9]

At Bats – 596 [6]

Runs – 91 [10, tied with Larry Doby]

Hits – 190 [3, tied with Harvey Kuenn]

Doubles – 34 [2]

Triples – 10 [3]

Home Runs – 19 [14, tied with Walt Dropo]

RBI – 76 [16]

Bases on Balls – 35

Int. BB – 6 [10, tied with nine others]

Strikeouts – 27

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .319 [2]

OBP - .354 [20, tied with Gene Woodling]

Slugging Pct. - .505 [4, tied with Larry Doby]

Total Bases – 301 [3]

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 0

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 5 [18, tied with nine others]

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 18, 3B – 4, HR - 11, RBI - 42, AVG - .305, SLG - .500, OBP - .345

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Cleveland 4/19, (in 4 AB) at Baltimore 8/4, (in 5 AB) at Boston 8/6

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 12

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 6 AB) vs. Detroit 7/3 – 14 innings

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Detroit 7/3 – 14 innings

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 3 (.333) with 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 1421

Put Outs – 1281

Assists – 130

Errors – 10

DP – 140

Pct. – .993

Awards & Honors:

All-Star

9^th in AL MVP voting (53 points – 1 first place vote, 16% share)

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The relocated Athletics went 63-91 to finish sixth in the AL, 33 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in fewest stolen bases (22) and fewest walks drawn (462). The pitching-poor A’s lost seven of their first nine games which set the tone for a season in which they still finished higher than their final Philadelphia year and drew a healthy 1,393,054 fans to Municipal Stadium, which was over a million more than they drew in ’54.

Aftermath of 1955:

The arrival of veteran first baseman Eddie Robinson had Power appearing in 47 games at second base and still receiving an All-Star nod as he batted .309 with 21 doubles, 5 triples, 14 home runs, 63 RBIs, a .340 OBP, and a .447 slugging percentage. Primarily playing at first base in 1957, Power continued to excel defensively as he put together a 69-game errorless streak and committed only two miscues all year for a .998 fielding percentage while also leading the league’s first sackers with 99 assists. Nevertheless, his batting production dipped to .259 with 15 doubles, 14 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a .291 OBP. Still maligned for being temperamental and a malcontent (although not by teammates), he was traded to the Cleveland Indians during the 1958 season along with outfielder Woody Held for three players that included up-and-coming outfielder Roger Maris. Hitting .302 and In the midst of a 22-game hitting streak at the time of the deal, he ended up batting .312 with 37 doubles, a league-leading 10 triples, 16 home runs, 80 RBIs, a .332 OBP, and .490 slugging percentage. Two of his three steals were of home in the same game against Detroit, a rare feat and highlighted that he was a smart baserunner if not an especially fast one. He received a Gold Glove for his play at first base although he also saw significant time at second base with Cleveland. With the Indians contending in 1959, Power went on to another Gold Glove performance at first base but, following a fast start offensively, he finished at .289 with 31 doubles, 6 triples, 10 home runs, 60 RBIs, a .334 OBP, and a .412 slugging percentage. He performed well again in 1960, hitting .288 with 26 doubles, 10 home runs, 84 RBIs, a .313 OBP, and a .395 slugging percentage. He was an All-Star and Gold Glove recipient once again. In 1961 Power’s average dropped to .268 with 34 doubles, 5 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a .309 OBP, although he remained a Gold Glove performer at first base. Just prior to the 1962 season Power was dealt to the Minnesota Twins along with LHP Dick Stigman for RHP Pedro Ramos. He proved to be a stabilizing influence with his outstanding defense that saved many errant throws from the club’s young infielders from becoming errors and also batted .290 with 28 doubles, 16 home runs, 63 RBIs, a .316 OBP, and a .421 slugging percentage. The Twins rose to second place. Power played very deep at first base and encouraged the infielders to throw to the base rather than to him directly. While his fielding remained solid in 1963 his batting production dropped to .270 with 28 doubles, 10 home runs, 52 RBIs, and a .297 OBP. He started the 1964 season with the Twins but was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in June. Hitting .244 in September he was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies who had a pressing need for a veteran first baseman down the stretch as they attempted to nail down the NL pennant. For the year Power batted .239 with 17 RBIs and a .269 OBP. Reacquired by the Angels in the offseason, he was strictly a part-time player in his final major league season in 1965, hitting .259 with a .281 OBP while appearing in 124 games. For his major league career, Power batted .284 with 1716 hits that included 290 doubles, 49 triples, and 126 home runs. He scored 765 runs and compiled 658 RBIs, a .315 OBP, and a .411 slugging percentage. With the A’s he batted .290 with 655 hits, 287 runs scored, 100 doubles, 25 triples, 59 home runs, 246 RBIs, a .321 OBP, and a .435 slugging percentage. Power never appeared in the postseason. A six-time All-Star, he was awarded seven consecutive Gold Gloves. Following his playing career he returned to Puerto Rico where he conducted youth baseball clinics, managed a team, and scouted for the Angels. He died in 2005 at the age of 78. Baseball historians continue to recognize Power for his defensive excellence at first base.   

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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. 

Highlighted Year: Jim Finigan, 1955

Second Baseman/Third Baseman, Kansas City Athletics

Age:  27 (Aug. 19)

2^nd season with Athletics

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175 

Prior to 1955:

A native of Quincy, Illinois, Finigan starred in football and basketball, in addition to baseball at Quincy Notre Dame High School. Following graduation in 1946 he attended St. Ambrose College (now University) on a baseball scholarship. Playing sandlot ball on the side, Finigan signed with the New York Yankees for $400 per month in 1948. He initially was assigned to Independence of the Class D Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League where he played second base and batted .309 with a .393 on-base percentage and 59 RBIs in 109 games before moving up to the Joplin Miners of the Class C Western Association for 18 games in which he hit .361. Spending all of 1949 with Joplin he batted .320 with 180 hits, 120 runs scored, 34 doubles, 19 triples, 7 home runs, 79 RBIs, 22 stolen bases,. and a .393 OBP. Promoted to the Norfolk Tars of the Class B Piedmont League in 1950, Finigan hit .260 with 22 extra-base hits, and a .321 OBP. Following the season, he enlisted in the Army where he played service baseball for Fort Leonard Wood. After missing two minor league seasons, Finigan played for Binghamton of the Class A Eastern League in 1953 where he batted .303 with 38 doubles, 8 triples, 13 home runs, 80 RBIs, and a .377 OBP while playing exclusively at third base. In the offseason he was traded to the Philadelphia Athletics as part of a ten-player deal. Expecting that he needed further development before moving up to the majors, Finigan surprisingly stuck with the A’s in 1954 thanks to a strong spring performance. Taking over as the club’s starting third baseman, he had a solid rookie season, gaining selection as an All-Star on his way to hitting .302 with 25 doubles, 6 triples, 7 home runs, 51 RBIs, and a .381 OBP. He also proved to be a solid performer at third base and placed second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. In the offseason, the Athletics were sold and moved to Kansas City.

1955 Season Summary

Appeared in 150 games

2B – 90, 3B – 59, PH – 2, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 615 [12, tied with Yogi Berra, Gil McDougald & Minnie Minoso]

At Bats – 545 [9]

Runs – 72

Hits – 139

Doubles – 30 [4, tied with Sammy White]

Triples – 7 [8, tied with six others]

Home Runs – 9

RBI – 68 [19, tied with Hector Lopez]

Bases on Balls – 61

Int. BB – 6 [10, tied with nine others]

Strikeouts – 49

Stolen Bases – 1

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .255

OBP - .333

Slugging Pct. - .385

Total Bases – 210

GDP – 18 [4, tied with Minnie Minoso]

Hit by Pitches – 3 [19, tied with sixteen others]

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 22, 3B – 6, HR - 9, RBI - 48, AVG - .286, OBP - .358

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Most hits, game – 3 on six occasions

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 4

Most home runs, game – 1 on nine occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Boston 4/26 – 11 innings

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 2 (.500)

Fielding (2B)

Chances – 476

Put Outs – 236

Assists – 228

Errors – 12

DP – 72

Pct. – .975 

Awards & Honors:

All-Star (Started for AL at 3B)

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The relocated Athletics went 63-91 to finish sixth in the AL, 33 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees, while leading the league in fewest stolen bases (22) and fewest walks drawn (462). The pitching-poor A’s lost seven of their first nine games which set the tone for a season in which they still finished higher than their final Philadelphia year and they drew a healthy 1,393,054 fans to Municipal Stadium, which was over a million more than they drew in ’54. Following a solid first half, Finigan slumped badly at the plate after the All-Star break, apparently distracted by being moved to second base to make room for rookie third baseman Hector Lopez.

Aftermath of 1955:

Shifted back to third base in 1956, Finigan suffered a leg injury early in the season which sidelined him for a week. He missed more time due to a May illness and a sprained ankle in July. Shifted back to second base again, his hitting suffered and, limited to 91 games he ended up with a miserable .216 average with 11 extra base hits, 21 RBIs, and a .298 OBP. Vision problems that led to him wearing glasses for the remainder of his career also were an apparent contributor to his hitting problems. In the offseason he was traded to the Detroit Tigers, who anticipated that he would fill a need at third base. Overweight when he reported to spring training in 1957, Finigan suffered a hand injury that sidelined him briefly. He returned to action in April and took over the starting job at third base from 22-year-old Reno Bertoia. Lack of batting production caused him to be benched in favor of Bertoia and Finigan was used sparingly the rest of the way. Appearing in 64 games, Finigan batted .270 with a .357 OBP. In the offseason he was dealt to the newly relocated San Francisco Giants. Beaten out at third base by rookie Jim Davenport, Finigan appeared in only 23 games with the Giants in 1958 before being sent down to Phoenix of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. He hit .285 in 60 games with Phoenix with a .336 OBP. In the offseason he was traded within the PCL to Vancouver and that team’s major league parent, the Baltimore Orioles, purchased his contract. Anticipated to be a reserve outfielder in 1959, a strong spring caused him to take over at third base while young Brooks Robinson, coming off a six-month military commitment, was sent down to the minors. Upon Robinson’s return to the Orioles in July, Finigan was sent to Vancouver. Released by the Orioles, he played three more minor league seasons before retiring, his once promising career having faded away. For his major league career, he batted .264 with 422 hits that included 74 doubles, 17 triples, and 19 home runs. He scored 195 runs and compiled 168 RBIs while drawing 190 walks for a .342 OBP. With the Athletics he batted .265 with 340 hits, 158 runs scored, 62 doubles, 15 triples, 18 home runs, 140 RBIs, 155 walks drawn, and a .344 OBP. The two-time All-Star had no postseason appearances. Finigan was an instructor at a baseball school in Florida for a time and managed an unaffiliated minor league team. He also obtained a college degree and coached at the high school and college levels. He died of a sudden heart attack at age 52 in 1981.  

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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.