Cy Young Profile: Brandon Webb, 2006

Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks

Age:  27 (May 9)

4^th season with Diamondbacks

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 230

Prior to 2006:

A native of Ashland, Kentucky, Webb excelled in Little League and as a high school pitcher, earning a scholarship to the Univ. of Kentucky, where he developed an effective slider to go with his sinking fastball. He was chosen by the Diamondbacks in the eighth round of the 2000 amateur draft. He had a brief stint in the Arizona Rookie League and South Bend of the Class A Midwest League in 2000 until sidelined by a sore arm. Webb moved up to Lancaster of the Class A California League in 2001 where he set a club record with 16 strikeouts in a game on his way to a 6-10 record with 158 strikeouts and a 3.99 ERA. He also walked 44 batters as he dealt with control issues. Webb moved up to El Paso of the Class AA Texas League in 2002 where he started 25 games and compiled a 10-6 record with 122 strikeouts in 152 innings and a 3.14 ERA. He made one appearance with Class AAA Tucson, where he also started the 2003 season. After three starts he was promoted to the Diamondbacks and moved into the starting rotation following one relief appearance. He ended up with a 10-9 record and 2.84 ERA and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. With a defensively-deficient last-place team in 2004, Webb had a respectable performance, going 7-16 with a 3.59 ERA, although leading the NL with 119 walks. He emerged as the ace of the staff in 2005, posting a 14-12 tally and a 3.54 ERA in his 33 starts while also striking out 172 batters in 229 innings. In the offseason he was rewarded with a four-year $19.5 million contract extension.   

2006 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

Games Started – 33 [13, tied with six others]

Complete Games – 5 [2, tied with Chris Carpenter]

Wins – 16 [1, tied with four others]

Losses – 8

PCT - .667 [4, tied with Derek Lowe]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [1, tied with Chris Carpenter]

Innings Pitched – 235 [2]

Hits – 216 [18]

Runs – 91

Earned Runs – 81

Home Runs – 15

Bases on Balls – 50

Strikeouts – 178 [10, tied with Andy Pettitte]

ERA – 3.10 [3]

Hit Batters – 6

Balks – 2 [5, tied with five others]

Wild Pitches – 5

Midseason Snapshot: 9-3, ERA - 2.65, SO – 103 in 139.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 10 (in 7 IP) vs. Milwaukee 7/15, (in 9 IP) vs. Colorado 9/15

10+ strikeout games – 2

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis 9/9

Batting

PA – 86, AB – 73, R – 4, H – 11, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR- 0, RBI – 9, BB – 2, SO – 33, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .151, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 10, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances – 66

Put Outs – 17

Assists – 46

Errors – 3

DP – 3

Pct. - .955

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

All-Star

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Brandon Webb, Ariz.: 103 pts. – 15 of 32 first place votes, 64% share

Trevor Hoffman, SD: 77 pts. – 12 first place votes, 48% share

Chris Carpenter, StL.: 63 pts. – 2 first place votes, 39% share

Roy Oswalt, Hou.: 31 pts. – 3 first place votes, 19% share

Carlos Zambrano, ChiC.: 6 pts. – 4% share

Diamondbacks went 75-87 to finish fourth in the NL Western Division, 12 games behind the division-winning San Diego Padres.  

Aftermath of 2006:

Webb followed up with another strong season in 2007, compiling an 18-10 record with a 3.01 ERA and 194 strikeouts in a league-leading 236.1 innings, which included a string of 42 consecutive shutout innings. Webb was runner-up to San Diego’s Jake Peavy in NL Cy Young voting. Arizona topped the NL West and Webb was 1-1 in the postseason as the Diamondbacks advanced to the NLCS. In 2008, Webb was the winningest pitcher in the NL with a 22-7 record. His ERA was 3.30 and he struck out 183 batters and once again placed second in NL Cy Young Award voting. Webb opened the 2009 season by pitching four innings and giving up six runs before being lifted. It would prove to be his last major league appearance due to shoulder bursitis that required surgery and finished off a short career that was outstanding for a brief period. An attempted comeback with the Texas Rangers ended with rotator cuff surgery. In all, Webb started 198 games for the Diamondbacks and had an 87-62 record with 1065 strikeouts and a 3.27 ERA. He was a three-time All-Star.   

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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: Andre Dawson, 1977

Outfielder, Montreal Expos

Age:  23 (July 10)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1977:

A native of Miami, Florida Dawson earned the nickname “The Hawk” as a Little Leaguer due to his keen batting eye. A knee injury suffered while playing football for Southwest Miami High School resulted in surgery (the first of many) and caused him to concentrate on baseball. He went on to Florida A & M University and was drafted by the Expos as an amateur in 1975. Dawson played for Lethbridge of the Pioneer League in ’75 and hit .330 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs. He spent 1976 with Class AA Quebec and Class AAA Denver and batted a combined .352 with 28 home runs and 73 RBIs. He earned a September call-up to the Expos and hit .235 in 24 games. Dawson became the team’s starting center fielder in 1977.

1977 Season Summary

Appeared in 139 games

CF – 129, LF – 14, RF – 3, PH – 6

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 566

At Bats – 525

Runs – 64

Hits – 148

Doubles – 26

Triples – 9 [11, tied with Omar Moreno]

Home Runs – 19

RBI – 65

Bases on Balls – 34

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 93 [17]

Stolen Bases – 21

Caught Stealing – 7

Average - .282

OBP - .326

Slugging Pct. - .474 [20]

Total Bases – 249

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: HR – 11, RBI – 39, AVG. - .295, SLG PCT – .511

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Chi. Cubs 6/29

Longest hitting streak – 7 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Chi. Cubs 7/5

HR at home – 7

HR on road – 12

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Chi. Cubs 7/4

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 5 (.000) with 1 SB

Fielding

Chances – 365

Put Outs – 352

Assists – 9

Errors – 4

DP – 1

Pct. - .989

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting:

Andre Dawson, Mon.: 10 of 24 votes, 42% share

Steve Henderson, NYM.: 9 votes, 38% share

Gene Richards, SD.: 4 votes, 17% share

Floyd Bannister, Hou.: 1 vote, 4% share

Expos went 75-87 to finish fifth in the NL Eastern Division, 26 games behind the division-winning Philadelphia Phillies while leading the NL in doubles (294).

   

Aftermath of ‘77:

Dawson followed up in 1978 by hitting .253 with 25 home runs and 72 RBIs. He also topped the NL by being hit by 12 pitches. While his batting average rose to .275 in 1979, and his RBIs to 92, his home run total was again 25, along with 8 triples and 35 stolen bases. Dawson won his first Gold Glove in 1980 while he also batted .308 with 17 home runs, 34 stolen bases, and 87 RBIs. He followed up with another strong performance in the strike-interrupted 1981 season, finishing second in the National League’s MVP voting as he hit .302 with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs. Dawson was chosen to his first All-Star Game and won another Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. The Expos also reached the postseason for the only time during their Montreal tenure. In 1982 Dawson batted .301 with 23 home runs and 83 RBIs, received another Gold Glove, and was again an All-Star while the Expos dropped to third place. He led the NL with 189 hits in 1983 to go with 36 doubles, 10 triples, 32 home runs, and 113 RBIs. Dawson was once again the second-place finisher for the league’s MVP award in addition to being an All-Star, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger recipient. The toll taken on his knees from playing on artificial turf in the outfield began to become apparent in 1984 as he appeared in just 138 games and batted .248 with 17 home runs and 86 RBIs. Shifted to right field to take best advantage of his strong throwing arm while reducing stress on his knees, he still won a Gold Glove. With his numbers dropping further in 1985 and ’86, Dawson departed the Expos following the 1986 season and signed with the Chicago Cubs, where he was the NL MVP with a last-place club in 1987, based on his 49 home runs, 137 RBIs, and .287 batting average. He spent six seasons with the Cubs and was a five-time All-Star although his numbers, while respectable, never again approached those of his 1987 MVP year. The Cubs improved to reach the postseason in ’89, where Dawson hit .105 in a five-game NLCS loss to the Giants. He joined the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 1993, and with the move to the AL was able to be a Designated Hitter as well as right fielder. Dawson returned to the National League with the Florida Marlins in 1995 and retired after the ’96 season. Overall for his major league career, Dawson batted .279 with 2774 hits that included 503 doubles, 98 triples, and 438 home runs. He also totaled 1591 RBIs. Dawson, a popular and classy player with strong leadership skills who prevailed despite numerous knee surgeries, was an eight-time All-Star who also received eight Gold Gloves and was a four-time Silver Slugger recipient. Of his career totals, 1575 hits, 295 doubles, 67 triples, and 225 home runs were compiled with Montreal. He knocked in 838 runs and hit .280 for the Expos, who retired his #10. Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.

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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: George Bell, 1987

Outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays

Age:  27

6^th season with Blue Jays

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 190

Prior to 1987:

A native of San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, Bell signed with the Philadelphia Phillies at age 18 in 1978 and batted .311 in 33 games with Helena of the Pioneer League. He moved on to Spartanburg of the Class A Western Carolinas League in 1979, where he hit .305 with 24 doubles, 15 triples, and 22 home runs with 102 RBIs. Bell was promoted to Reading of the Class AA Eastern League in 1980 until taken by the Blue Jays in the Rule 5 draft, which required him to be placed on the major league roster. He appeared in 60 games with Toronto in 1981 and batted .233 with 5 home runs and 12 RBIs. Bell went back and forth between the Blue Jays and Class AAA Syracuse of the International League in 1982 and ’83 to hone his skills before moving into the outfield in 1984, seeing action in both right and left fields. He hit .292 with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs. Together with CF Lloyd Moseby and RF Jesse Barfield, Bell was part of a potent and highly-regarded outfield. The club topped the AL East in 1985 with Bell contributing 28 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a .275 batting average. He followed up in 1986 with 31 home runs, 108 RBIs, and a .309 average for the fourth-place Blue Jays.   

1987 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

LF – 148, DH – 7, 2B – 1, 3B – 1, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 667 [15, tied with Wade Boggs & Danny Tartabull]

At Bats – 610 [9, tied with Willie Wilson]

Runs – 111 [2]

Hits – 188 [6]

Doubles – 32 [18, tied with Kirby Puckett, Frank White & Mike Davis]

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 47 [2]

RBI – 134 [1]

Bases on Balls – 39

Int. BB – 9 [8, tied with Mike Pagliarulo]

Strikeouts – 75

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .308 [12]

OBP - .352

Slugging Pct. - .605 [2]

Total Bases – 369 [1]

GDP – 17 [12, tied with Alvin Davis, Chet Lemon & Ernie Whitt]

Hit by Pitches – 7 [12, tied with Jim Rice & Kelly Gruber]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 9 [5, tied with Jose Canseco & B.J. Surhoff]

League-leading RBIs were +11 ahead of runner-up Dwight Evans

League-leading total bases were +25 ahead of runner-up Mark McGwire

Midseason snapshot: HR – 29, RBI - 76, AVG - .293, SLG PCT – .609

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Minnesota 7/26

Longest hitting streak – 17 games

HR at home – 19

HR on road – 28

Most home runs, game – 2 on nine occasions

Multi-HR games – 9

Most RBIs, game – 7 at Texas 5/9

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000) with 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 273

Put Outs – 248

Assists – 14

Errors – 11

DP – 1

Pct. - .960

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for AL in LF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

George Bell, Tor.: 332 pts. - 16 of 28 first place votes, 85% share

Alan Trammell, Det.: 311 pts. – 12 first place votes, 79% share

Kirby Puckett, Min.: 201 pts. – 51% share

Dwight Evans, Bos.: 127 pts. – 32% share

Paul Molitor, Mil.: 125 pts. – 32% share

Blue Jays went 96-66 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, 2 games behind the division-winning Detroit Tigers. Toronto was in first place by 3.5 games as late as September 26 before losing seven straight games to finish the season including being swept by the Tigers in a three-game series on the final weekend that determined the club’s fate. During the losing streak Bell hit .111 with one RBI.  

Aftermath of ‘87:

Bell started off the 1988 season strongly by hitting three home runs in the opening game, but he became involved in controversy over the decision by Manager Jimy Williams to use him primarily as a Designated Hitter rather than in left field, where he was never a strong fielder, in order to lessen stress on his knees, which were causing him trouble. Bell ended up hitting only .269 with 24 home runs and 97 RBIs. He bounced back in 1989 to bat .297 with 18 home runs and 104 RBIs. Following a 1990 season that saw him gain selection as an All-Star on his way to a .265 batting average with 21 home runs, Bell signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent in 1991. He had a solid year with 25 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a .285 average before being traded across town to the White Sox where he batted .255 with 25 home runs and 112 RBIs in 1992 and following a lesser year in 1993 in which his skills were clearly eroding, he retired. Overall in the major leagues, Bell hit .278 with 1702 hits, 265 home runs, and 1002 RBIs. With the Blue Jays alone he compiled a .286 average with 1294 hits, 202 home runs, and 740 RBIs. He was a three-time All-Star, twice with Toronto, and won three Silver Sluggers. Bell was an inaugural selection to the Blue Jays’ Level of Excellence in 1996 and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013.

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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.

MVP Profile: Jeff Burroughs, 1974

Outfielder, Texas Rangers

Age:  23

4th season with Senators/Texans 

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 200

Prior to 1974:

A native of Long Beach, California Burroughs was chosen by the then-Washington Senators as the first overall pick in the 1969 major league amateur draft and received an $88,000 contract. With his fine batting stroke that allowed him to spray hits to all fields, he hit .355 with 8 home runs and 48 RBIs in 52 games with Wytheville of the Rookie-level Appalachian League in ’69. He advanced to Denver of the Class AAA American Association in 1970 when he also had a brief call-up to the Senators and hit .167 in six games. Burroughs batted .269 with 17 home runs and 71 RBIs during his time with Denver that year and bounced between Denver and Washington again in 1971. With the move of the Senators to Arlington, Texas in 1972 it was more of the same for the temperamental Burroughs who hit .303 with 24 home runs in Class AAA and .185 for the Rangers. He made it to the Rangers to stay in 1973 and hit 30 home runs with a .279 average and 85 RBIs.

1974 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

RF – 150, 1B – 2, DH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 662 [8]

At Bats – 554 [17, tied with John Briggs]

Runs – 84 [7, tied with Sal Bando & Dick Allen]

Hits – 167 [7, tied with Hal McRae]

Doubles – 33 [5]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 25 [4, tied with Bobby Darwin]

RBI – 118 [1]

Bases on Balls – 91 [3]

Int. BB – 12 [5, tied with Thurman Munson]

Strikeouts – 104 [8]

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 3

Average - .301 [7, tied with Carl Yastrzemski & Dick Allen]

OBP - .397 [3]

Slugging Pct. - .504 [3]

Total Bases – 279 [3]

GDP – 17 [7, tied with five others]

Hit by Pitches – 5 [13, tied with thirteen others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 12 [2, tied with Amos Otis & Bobby Murcer]

League-leading RBIs were +15 ahead of runner-up Sal Bando

Midseason snapshot: HR – 16, RBI – 73, AVG – .285, SLG PCT – .486

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Kansas City 5/19, (in 5 AB) at Chi. White Sox 8/3, (in 6 AB) at Oakland 9/6 – 11 innings

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 8

HR on road – 17

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) at Chi. White Sox 8/4

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 6 at Chi. White Sox 8/3

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 248

Put Outs – 231

Assists – 10

Errors – 7

DP – 5

Pct. - .972

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Started for AL in LF)

Top 6 in AL MVP Voting:

Jeff Burroughs, Tex.: 248 pts. - 10 of 23 first place votes, 74% share

Joe Rudi, Oak.: 161 pts. – 5 first place votes, 48% share

Sal Bando, Oak.: 143 pts. – 3 first place votes, 43% share

Reggie Jackson, Oak.: 119 pts. – 1 first place vote, 35% share

Ferguson Jenkins, Tex.: 118 pts. – 3 first place votes, 35% share

Jim Hunter, Oak.: 107 pts. – 1 first place vote, 32% share

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Rangers went 84-76 to finish second in the AL Western Division, 5 games behind the division-winning Oakland Athletics.  

Aftermath of '74:

Burroughs followed up by hitting 29 home runs and knocking in 94 runs in 1975, although his average dropped to .226 as he began to pull the ball and swing for the fences at Arlington Stadium, which was not a venue conducive to the long ball. His productivity dropped off further in 1976, with 18 home runs and 86 RBIs to go with a .237 batting average. Burroughs was traded to the Atlanta Braves and hit .271 with 41 home runs and 114 RBIs in 1977. He was an All-Star with the Braves in 1978 when he hit 23 home runs with 77 RBIs and a .301 average while leading the NL in walks drawn (117) and on-base percentage (.432). Lesser seasons in 1979 and ’80 led to his being traded to the Seattle Mariners in 1981. Following another mediocre year (10 home runs, 41 RBIs, .254 average) Burroughs moved on to Oakland in ’82 where he was utilized primarily as a Designated Hitter who batted .277 with 16 home runs and 48 RBIs. His production dropped in 1983 to 10 home runs and a .269 average and Burroughs bottomed out in 1984 with the A’s by hitting just .211 in 58 games. He finished his career with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985, batting .257 with 6 home runs and 28 RBIs. Never fully reaching the heights that were anticipated for him, overall in the major leagues Burroughs hit .261 with 240 home runs and 882 RBIs. Of those totals, 108 home runs, 412 RBIs, and a .255 batting average were achieved with the Senators/Rangers. His son Sean, who he coached in Little League, went on to play third base for San Diego and Tampa Bay.

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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: Jeremy Hellickson, 2011

Pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays

Age:  24 (Apr. 8)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 190

Prior to 2011:

A native of Iowa, Hellickson starred at Hoover High School in Des Moines and was drafted by what were then the Devil Rays in 2005. Following a brief Rookie League stint in ’05 he spent 2006 in the Short-Season Class A New York-Pennsylvania League in 2007, going 4-3 with Hudson Valley before moving up to the Columbus Catfish of the South Atlantic League where he compiled a 13-3 record with a 2.67 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 21 starts. Hellickson split 2009 with Columbus and the Durham Bulls of the Class AAA International League where he had a 6-1 record in 9 starts with a 2.51 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. He was back with Durham in 2010 prior to a call-up to the Rays to make one start before being sent down to Charlotte of the Class High-A Florida State League to work out of the bullpen before returning to the Rays in September where he was used primarily as a reliever and finished up at 4-0 with a 3.47 ERA in 10 games. Hellickson was awarded the fifth starting slot for the Rays in the spring of 2011.

2011 Season Summary

Appeared in 29 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 29

Games Started – 29

Complete Games – 2 [15, tied with four others]

Wins – 13 [17, tied with Josh Beckett, Alexi Ogando & Mark Buehrle]

Losses – 10

PCT - .565 [20]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 1 [8, tied with eighteen others]

Innings Pitched – 189

Hits – 146

Runs – 64

Earned Runs – 62

Home Runs – 21

Bases on Balls – 72 [8, tied with Ervin Santana]

Strikeouts – 117

ERA – 2.95 [8]

Hit Batters – 4

Balks – 1 [9, tied with many others]

Wild Pitches – 8 [20, tied with Jered Weaver]

Midseason Snapshot: 8-7, ERA - 3.21, SO - 68 in 103.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 10 (in 5.2 IP) vs. LA Angels 4/6

10+ strikeout games – 1

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 7 IP) at NY Yankees 9/21

Batting

PA – 2, AB – 2, 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 – 31

Put Outs – 15

Assists – 16

Errors – 0

DP – 0

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching:

G – 1 (ALDS vs. Texas)

GS – 1, CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 4, H – 4, R – 3, ER – 3, HR – 3, BB – 1, SO – 1, ERA – 6.75, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 6):

Jeremy Hellickson, TB.: 102 pts. – 17 of 28 first place votes, 73% share

Mark Trumbo, LAA.: 63 pts. – 5 first place votes, 45% share

Eric Hosmer, KC.: 38 pts. – 4 first place votes, 27% share

Ivan Nova, NYY.: 30 pts. – 1 first place vote, 21% share

Michael Pineda, Sea.: 11 pts. – 8% share

Dustin Ackley, Sea.: 6 pts. – 1 first place vote, 4% share

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Rays went 91-71 to finish second in the AL Eastern Division, 6 games behind the division-winning New York Yankees and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot while leading the league in fewest hits allowed (1263) and fewest runs allowed (614). Lost ALDS to Texas Rangers, 3 games to 1.

Aftermath of 2011:

Nicknamed “Hellboy” by Tampa Bay fans, Hellickson followed up with a 10-11 record and 3.10 ERA in 2012 and also received a Gold Glove for his fielding prowess. The unassuming low-strikeout pitcher spent two more years with the Rays, undergoing surgery on his throwing elbow following the 2013 season. Overall with Tampa Bay he compiled a 40-36 record with 463 strikeouts in 640 innings and a 3.78 ERA. Traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks after the 2014 season, Hellickson started 27 games in 2015 and was 9-12 with a 4.62 ERA. He was traded once again to the Philadelphia Phillies where he compiled a 12-10 tally with a 3.71 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 2016. He started the 2017 season with Philadelphia before being dealt to the Baltimore Orioles in July. Overall with the two clubs Hellickson was a disappointing 8-11 with a 5.43 ERA. A free agent following the season, he signed with the Washington Nationals in 2018. Through 2017 his record was 69-69 with a 4.12 ERA in 197 starts. Following the promise of his rookie season, Hellickson had settled into being a mid-level starting pitcher.

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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. 

Rookie of the Year: Alvin Davis, 1984

First Baseman, Seattle Mariners

Age:  24 (Sept. 9)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1984:

A native of Riverside, California, Davis was first drafted as an amateur by the San Francisco Giants in 1978 but chose to attend college at Arizona State and was a sixth-round pick by Oakland in 1981 following a junior year in which his performance suffered due to a lung infection. Bouncing back with 13 home runs and a .351 average as a senior in 1982 he was drafted once more, by the Mariners, and this time he signed. Davis batted .284 with 12 home runs and 56 RBIs with the Lynn Sailors of the Class AA Eastern League in 74 games in ’82 and moved on to the Southern League’s Chattanooga Lookouts in 1983 where he batted .296 with 18 home runs and 83 RBIs. He appeared in one Class AAA game in 1984 with Salt Lake City of the Pacific Coast League before being called up to the Mariners.

1984 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

1B – 147, DH – 7

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 678 [13]

At Bats – 567

Runs – 80

Hits – 161

Doubles – 34 [8, tied with four others]

Triples – 3

Home Runs – 27 [13, tied with five others]

RBI – 116 [4]

Bases on Balls – 97 [2]

Int. BB – 16 [2]

Strikeouts – 78

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .284

OBP - .391 [5]

Slugging Pct. - .497 [13]

Total Bases – 282 [14]

GDP – 7

Hit by Pitches – 7 [8, tied with Brian Downing, Chet Lemon & Mike Young]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 7 [18, tied with ten others]

Midseason snapshot: HR – 18, RBI - 65, AVG. - .287, SLG PCT – .536

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Most hits, game – 3 on seven occasions

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

Most HR, game – one on 27 occasions

HR at home – 15

HR on road – 12

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Oakland 4/18, vs. Cleveland 6/23, vs. Toronto 7/20, at Oakland 8/3

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 1376

Put Outs – 1271

Assists – 94

Errors – 11

DP - 108

Pct. - .992

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

12^th in AL MVP voting (26 points, 7% share)

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Alvin Davis, Sea.: 134 pts. – 25 of 28 first place votes, 96% share

Mark Langston, Sea.: 82 pts. – 3 first place votes, 59% share

Kirby Puckett, Min.: 23 pts. – 16% share

Tim Teufel, Min.: 5 pts. – 4% share

Mike Young, Balt.: 3 pts. – 2% share

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Mariners went 74-88 to finish tied for fifth in the AL Western Division with the Chicago White Sox, 10 games behind the division-winning Kansas City Royals.  

Aftermath of ‘84:

Davis followed up in 1985 by hitting .287 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs. He remained with Seattle, where he was a fan favorite, through 1991, a total of eight seasons. With the Mariners he batted .281 with 1163 hits that included 212 doubles and 160 home runs, and he drove in 683 runs. He twice reached 100 RBIs in a season and had over 20 home runs on three occasions and was a one-time All-Star. He moved on to the California Angels as a free agent in 1992, where he was released after 40 games in his last major league season. He ended up in Japan with the Kintetsu Buffaloes where he hit .275 in 40 games to finish his professional playing career. For his overall major league career Davis batted .280 with 160 home runs and 683 RBIs. He was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame in 1997.

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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: Barry Bonds, 1993

Outfielder, San Francisco Giants

Age:  29 (July 24)

1^st season with Giants

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1993:

The son of major league outfielder Bobby Bonds was born in Riverside, California and hit .476 with 14 home runs as a senior at Junipero Serra High School where he also played football and basketball. Initially he was drafted as an amateur by the Giants in 1982 but rejected a $70,000 offer and instead attended Arizona State where he was criricized for being a rule-breaker with a poor attitude as well as lauded for outstanding all-around ability. Bonds was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 1985 amateur draft. He batted .299 with 13 home runs for Prince William of the Carolina League in ’85, moved up to Hawaii in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1986 but was called up to the Pirates after 44 games. He was inserted in center field and batted only.223 but showed flashes of future greatness with 16 home runs, 36 stolen bases, and 48 RBIs in 113 games. Bonds was shifted to left field in 1987 and improved to 25 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and 59 RBIs, and a .261 batting average. The numbers continued to rise over the next two seasons until he broke through with a MVP year in 1990 as Pittsburgh won the NL Eastern Division. Bonds batted .301 with 33 home runs, 52, stolen bases, and a .301 batting average to go with his league-leading .565 slugging percentage. He was also selected to his first All-Star Game and received a Gold Glove for his play in left field. He finished second in NL MVP voting in 1991 following a season in which he batted .292 with 25 home runs, 43 stolen bases, and 116 RBIs. Pittsburgh again topped the NL East and fell in the NLCS while Bonds hit only .148. It was a similar situation in 1992 as Bonds batted .311 with 34 home runs, 39 stolen bases, and 103 RBIs in his final year with the Pirates. The club won a third straight NL East pennant and lost once more in the NLCS. In three NLCS appearances Bonds hit only .191 in 20 games with one home run. Having garnered his second NL MVP award in three years he left the Pirates as a free agent and signed a six-year $43 million contract with the Giants.

1993 Season Summary

Appeared in 159 games

LF – 157, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 674 [12]

At Bats – 539

Runs – 129 [2]

Hits – 181 [7, tied with Brett Butler]

Doubles – 38 [8]

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 46 [1]

RBI – 123 [1]

Bases on Balls – 126 [2]

Int. BB – 43 [1]

Strikeouts – 79

Stolen Bases – 29 [15, tied with Larry Walker]

Caught Stealing – 12 [11, tied with Lenny Dykstra]

Average - .336 [4]

OBP - .458 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .677 [1]

Total Bases – 365 [1]

GDP – 11

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 7 [20, tied with eleven others]

League-leading home runs were +6 ahead of runner-up David Justice

League-leading RBIs were +3 ahead of runner-up David Justice

League-leading intentional bases on balls were +23 ahead of runner-up Larry Walker

League-leading OBP was +.028 ahead of runner-up John Kruk

League-leading slugging percentage was +.075 ahead of runner-up Andres Galarraga

League-leading total bases were +40 ahead of runner-up Matt Williams

Midseason snapshot: HR – 24, RBI - 71, AVG - .348, SLG PCT - .696

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. Atlanta 4/18 – 11 innings, (in 4 AB) vs. Philadelphia 5/5, (in 5 AB) at Pittsburgh 8/18, (in 4 AB) at Atlanta 8/31

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 21

HR on road – 25

Most home runs, game – 2 on seven occasions

Multi-HR games – 7

Most RBIs, game – 7 at LA Dodgers 10/1

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 3 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 322

Put Outs – 310

Assists – 7

Errors – 5

DP – 0

Pct. - .984

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for NL in LF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Barry Bonds, SF: 372 pts. - 24 of 28 first place votes, 95% share

Lenny Dykstra, Phila.: 267 pts. – 4 first place votes, 68% share

David Justice, Atl.: 183 pts. – 47% share

Fred McGriff, SD/Atl.: 177 pts. – 45% share

Ron Gant, Atl.: 176 pts. – 45% share

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Giants went 103-59 to finish second in the NL Western Division, 1 game behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves while leading the league in batting (.276) and slugging (.427). The Giants, in first from May 10 to September 10, were as much as 10 games in the lead in July but were derailed in September by an 8-game losing streak that put them 3.5 games behind Atlanta who clinched the title on the season’s last day.    

Aftermath of ‘93:

Bonds continued to be a strong performer, gaining seven consecutive All-Star selections from 1992 through ’98 and six Gold Gloves during the same time span. The Giants reached the postseason only once during that period. Bonds became the second player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season in 1996 and regularly led the NL in walks and intentional walks. Following a 1998 season in which the home run race between Mark McGwire of St. Louis and Sammy Sosa of the Cubs drew headlines, Bonds apparently turned to steroid use to improve his already impressive power-hitting. Initially this was problematic in that his 1999 season was limited to 102 games due to a torn triceps that required surgery. He came back with a 49-home run season in 2000 and broke McGwire’s single-season record of 70 with 73 home runs in 2001. He was voted NL Most Valuable Player for an unprecedented fourth time and was signed to a five-year $90 million deal by the Giants despite being 37 years old. Bonds finally got to play in a World Series in 2002 and hit .471 with four home runs in a losing cause. He was the NL MVP a total of seven times, the last in 2004. His career, which became plagued by injuries in its late stages finally came to an end in 2007. Overall, Bonds hit a major league record 762 home runs, 586 of which were compiled as a member of the Giants. He stole 514 bases, 263 with San Francisco, and knocked in 1996 runs, 1440 as a Giant, and batted .298, .312 with San Francisco. He walked 2558 times, 688 intentionally, which are all-time major league records, as well as his single-season highs of 232 total walks and 120 intentional walks in 2004. A 14-time All-Star, the lingering suspicions regarding performance enhancing drugs have thus far kept him from election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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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.