MVP Profile: Mickey Cochrane, 1934

Catcher, Detroit Tigers

 Age:  31 (April 6)

1^st season with Tigers

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 180

Prior to 1934:

Cochrane, from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, played sandlot baseball and also excelled in football and basketball in high school and at Boston University. With baseball being the athletic option that had the best economic potential in the 1920s, he played under an assumed name with Dover of the Eastern Shore League while still in college in 1923, where he hit .322 in 65 games while performing at the unfamiliar position of catcher. Cochrane then signed with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League in 1924. Initially a poor fielding catcher, he established himself as a hitter, batting .333 for the Beavers. Drawing the attention of Philadelphia Athletics owner/manager Connie Mack, he joined the A’s in 1925 where he was painstakingly developed into a catcher, taking advantage of his excellent throwing arm, sharp mind, and leadership skills. He hit .331 as a rookie with 6 home runs and 55 RBIs. By 1928 Cochrane was a key player on an Athletics club that was on the rise, and he won the League Award as American League MVP that year as he batted .293 with 92 runs scored, 10 home runs, and 57 RBIs. Having become an excellent all-around catcher who was a fine handler of pitchers, the presence of the tenacious Cochrane played no small part in the A’s winning three straight pennants from 1929 to ’31, including two World Series triumphs. He remained with the A’s through 1933, a season in which he hit .322 and drew 106 walks. He had an excellent batting eye and rarely struck out. With the A’s shedding talent to stay afloat financially, Cochrane was traded to Detroit for a player and $100,000. The Tigers named him player/manager, hoping his intensity and winning background would help to elevate a team that had not won a pennant since 1909.

1934 Season Summary

Appeared in 129 games

C – 123, PH – 14

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 523

At Bats – 437

Runs – 74

Hits – 140

Doubles – 32 [17, tied with Bill Knickerbocker, Bill Rogell & Fred Schulte]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 2

RBI – 75

Bases on Balls – 78 [10]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 26

Stolen Bases – 8

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .320 [11, tied with Roy Johnson]

OBP - .428 [4]

Slugging Pct. - .412

Total Bases – 180

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 4 [3, tied with five others]

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 15, HR - 2, RBI - 31, AVG. - .293, OBP – .422

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 8/9

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

HR at home – 0

HR on road – 2

Most home runs, game – 1 (in 5 AB) at Phila. A’s 5/11, (in 5 AB) at Chi. White Sox 6/3

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. St. Louis Browns 8/9

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 6 (.167) with 3 R & 3 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 593

Put Outs – 517

Assists – 69

Errors – 7

DP – 7

Pct. - .988

Postseason Batting: 7 G (World Series vs. St. Louis Cardinals)

PA – 33, AB – 28, R – 2, H – 6, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 4, IBB – N/A, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .214, OBP - .313, SLG - .250, TB – 7, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA Award

All-Star

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Mickey Cochrane, Det.: 67 pts. - 84% share

Charlie Gehringer, Det.: 65 pts. – 81% share

Lefty Gomez, NYY : 60 pts. – 75% share

Schoolboy Rowe, Det.: 59 pts. – 74% share

Lou Gehrig, NYY: 54 pts. – 68% share

Tigers went 101-53 to win the AL pennant by 7 games over the New York Yankees while leading the league in runs scored (959), hits (1643), doubles (349), stolen bases (125), batting (.300), OBP (.376), and total bases (2320). Lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3.  

Aftermath of ‘34:

The Tigers won the pennant again in 1935, with Cochrane batting .319 and finishing seventh in the AL MVP voting. This time Detroit went on to defeat the Cubs in the World Series where Cochrane hit .292. For his efforts he was promoted to general manager in addition to his manager and player duties which caused him to suffer a nervous breakdown in 1936, a season in which he hit .270 in 44 games and Detroit finished in second place. Upon returning to action in 1937 a severe beaning nearly killed him and finished off his playing career. He managed again in 1938 until he was fired in August, leaving the Tigers with a 348-250 record that included two pennants and a World Series title. Overall as a player, Cochrane batted .320 with 1652 hits that included 333 doubles, 64 triples, and 119 home runs. He also accumulated 830 RBIs and drew 857 walks while rarely striking out (217 batter strikeouts in 5169 at bats). His production with the Tigers alone amounted to a .313 average on 335 hits with 83 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs, and 150 RBIs. His value as an on-field leader and abilities as a catcher were the key factors in his winning two MVP awards during his career. In retirement Cochrane joined the Navy during World War II and managed the baseball team at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Later he briefly returned to the Philadelphia A’s in a front office role. Widely considered to be the best catcher of his era, Cochrane was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947, 15 years before his death from cancer at age 59.   

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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: Larry Walker, 1997

Outfielder, Colorado Rockies

Age: 30

3^rd season with Rockies

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1997:

A native of Maple Ridge in British Columbia, Canada, Walker played volleyball and ice hockey in high school and played baseball in an amateur league in Vancouver. He was signed by the Montreal Expos out of high school in 1984. A raw talent, he batted .223 in 62 games with Utica of the Short-Season Class A New York-Pennsylvania League in 1985 while drawing praise for his toughness. He put in further work in the Florida Instructional League to develop his skills. It began to pay off in 1986 when Walker hit .289 with 29 home runs with Burlington of the Class A Midwest League before moving on in July to West Palm Beach of the Florida State League where in 38 games he accumulated 7 doubles, 5 triples, and 4 home runs with a .283 average. Walker had another promising season in 1987 with Jacksonville of the Southern League where he batted .287 with 26 home runs and 83 RBIs and was selected to the league’s all-star team. While playing winter ball in Mexico, he suffered a knee injury that required surgery and cost him the entire 1988 season. Walker resumed his budding career with Indianapolis of the Class AAA American Association in 1989 where he hit .270 with 18 doubles, 12 home runs, and 59 RBIs in 114 games before he was called up to the Expos in August. In 20 games he batted .170 with 4 RBIs. He stuck with Montreal in 1990 and became the starting right fielder and had a solid rookie season in which he batted .241 with 19 home runs and 51 RBIs. A slow start in 1991 was followed by a stint on the disabled list due to a pulled hamstring. He got hot at the plate after his return to action and ended up hitting .290 with 30 doubles, 16 home runs, and 64 RBIs. Walker broke out in 1992 as he hit .301 with 31 doubles, 23 home runs, and 93 RBIs. He was an All-Star for the first time and was awarded a Silver Slugger. Additionally, 16 outfield assists were a key to his receiving a Gold Glove. In 1993 Walker slugged 22 home runs and drove in 86 RBIs although his batting average dropped to .265. He received another Gold Glove for his outfield prowess and the Expos finished second in the NL East with a 94-68 record. Montreal was atop the division when the 1994 season came to an early end due to a players’ strike. Walker contributed a .322 batting average that included a league-leading 44 doubles as well as 19 home runs and 86 RBIs. He finished eleventh in NL MVP voting but departed Montreal as a free agent in 1995, signing with the Rockies. Colorado reached the postseason as a wild card entry in ’95 and Walker was a key contributor with his 36 home runs, 101 RBIs, and .306 batting average. He hit just .214 in the NLDS loss to Atlanta in the postseason. Walker suffered a broken collarbone due to a collision with an outfield wall in 1996 and a shoulder injury after he collided with Cincinnati SS Barry Larkin once he returned, that limited him to just 83 games that produced 18 home runs, 58 RBIs, and a .276 average.  By 1997 he was a highly respected hitter who was also one of major league baseball’s best defensive outfielders, although prone to injury.

1997 Season Summary

Appeared in 153 games

RF – 150, 1B – 3, CF – 2, DH – 1, PH – 1, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 664 [15]

At Bats – 568 [19, tied with Jose Vizcaino]

Runs – 143 [2]

Hits – 208 [2]

Doubles – 46 [3]

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 49 [1]

RBI – 130 [3]

Bases on Balls – 78 [12, tied with Willie Greene]

Int. BB – 14 [4]

Strikeouts – 90

Stolen Bases – 33 [7, tied with Quilvio Veras]

Caught Stealing – 8

Average - .366 [2]

OBP - .452 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .720 [1]

Total Bases – 409 [1]

GDP – 15

Hit by Pitches – 14 [8]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 4

League-leading home runs were +6 ahead of runner-up Jeff Bagwell

League-leading OBP was +.006 ahead of runner-up Barry Bonds

League-leading slugging pct. was +.082 ahead of runner-up Mike Piazza

League-leading total bases were +54 ahead of runner-up Mike Piazza

Midseason snapshot: HR - 25, RBI - 68, AVG - .398, SLG PCT - .741

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 16 games

HR at home – 20

HR on road – 29

Most home runs, game – 3 (in 5 AB) at Montreal 4/5

Multi-HR games – 8

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Montreal 4/5

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 246

Put Outs – 232

Assists – 12

Errors – 2

DP – 4

Pct. - .992

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for NL in RF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Larry Walker, Col.: 359 pts. - 22 of 28 first place votes, 92% share

Mike Piazza, LAD: 263 pts. – 3 first place votes, 67% share

Jeff Bagwell, Hou.: 233 pts. – 3 first place votes, 59% share

Craig Biggio, Hou.: 157 pts. – 40% share

Barry Bonds, SF.: 123 pts. – 31% share

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Rockies went 83-79 to finish third in the NL Western Division, 7 games behind the division-winning San Francisco Giants while leading the league in runs scored (923), hits (1611), home runs (239), batting (.288), OBP (.357), and slugging percentage (.478).  

Aftermath of '97:

Walker was hampered by a sore elbow in 1998 and was limited to 130 games, although he still was voted to the NL All-Star team. Despite the injury he won the NL batting title with a .363 average while his home run total dropped to 23 and RBIs to 67. He received another Gold Glove and ranked 17^th in NL MVP voting. Walker had surgery in the offseason and was sidelined at the beginning of 1999 due to a rib cage injury. He started slowly when he returned to the lineup but went on to win another batting championship with a .379 average and hit 37 home runs and knocked in 115 runs. He was both an All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the third straight season and topped the NL in on-base percentage (.458) and slugging percentage (.710) as well. An elbow injury that ultimately required surgery marred Walker’s 2000 season, in which he appeared in only 87 games although he batted .309. He bounced back in 2001 by winning his third NL batting title (.350) while belting 38 home runs with 123 RBIs. He hit .338 in 2002 with 26 home runs and 104 RBIs. But dealing with injuries again in 2003 his numbers dropped off to 16 home runs, 79 RBIs, and a .284 batting average. When injuries hindered his performance again in 2004, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in August where he rebounded with 11 home runs, 27 RBIs, and a .280 batting average in 44 games. The Cards won the NL pennant but were swept by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, although Walker batted .357 with two home runs. He played one last season with St. Louis in 2005 and hit .289 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs as the Redbirds topped the NL Central only to lose to Houston in the NLCS. Over the course of his major league career, Walker batted .313 with 2160 hits that included 471 doubles, 62 triples, and 383 home runs. He compiled 1311 RBIs and stole 230 bases as well and won 7 Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and was a 5-time All-Star. With Colorado he won three batting titles while hitting .334 overall, and compiled 297 doubles, 44 triples, 258 home runs, and 848 RBIs.  He won five of his Gold Gloves while with Colorado as well. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.

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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: Lou Boudreau, 1948

Shortstop, Cleveland Indians

Age:  31 (July 17)

10^th season with Indians

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185

Prior to 1948:

Boudreau, a native of Harvey, Illinois, was the son of a semipro baseball player who worked with him from a young age to develop his baseball skills. He was a very fine basketball player in a high school and went on to play baseball and basketball at the Univ. of Illinois. A natural leader with abundant self-confidence and competitiveness, he captained both teams. Boudreau signed with the Indians in 1938. He appeared in 60 games with the Cedar Rapids Raiders of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League in ’38 and hit .290 while playing at third base. He earned a late-season call-up to the Indians and appeared in one game, going hitless in two plate appearances. Boudreau went to spring training with the Indians in 1939 and was advised to switch to shortstop due to the presence of talented young Ken Keltner at third base. He was sent to the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AA International League to learn the new position and performed well while also hitting .331 with 17 home runs, earning a promotion back to the Indians. He appeared in 53 games at shortstop with Cleveland in ’39 and batted .258. 1940 was a tumultuous season for the Indians and the rookie shortstop performed well, batting .295 with 46 doubles, 10 triples, 9 home runs, and 101 RBIs. He earned an All-Star selection and was named Rookie of the Year by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, a precursor to the current Rookie of the Year award. Boudreau had a lesser year in 1941, batting .257 with a league-leading 45 doubles, plus 8 triples, 10 home runs, and 56 RBIs. He was once again an AL All-Star and tied for seventeenth in league MVP voting. Despite his youth, in the offseason the 24-year-old shortstop was named player/manager. With the US entry into World War II players began leaving for the military, not including Boudreau, who was declared unfit for service due to the arthritic ankles that also contributed to his being a slow baserunner. Cleveland, without star pitcher Bob Feller, who went into the Navy, had a rough first season in 1942 under Boudreau, who was assisted by a group of veteran coaches, going 75-79 and placing fourth in the AL. Boudreau hit .283 with 58 RBIs and was an All-Star for the third straight year. The Indians improved to 82-71 in 1943 and Boudreau helped with solid play in the field and a .286 batting average with 32 doubles, 7 triples, 3 home runs, and 67 RBIs. The Indians dropped to 72-82 in 1944, otherwise an outstanding year for Boudreau the player who won the AL batting title with a .327 average in addition to leading the league with 45 doubles. A broken leg limited him to 97 games in 1945. The fifth-place Indians were 73-72 in the last of the war-affected seasons. Boudreau hit .293 in 1946 with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, and 62 RBIs for the 68-86 Indians. He was an innovative manager who also implemented a defensive shift to try and thwart Boston’s star left-handed hitter, Ted Williams. Also in ’46 Bill Veeck became the team’s principal owner, vowing to revamp the club. Boudreau was retained as manager and during the 1947 season, Larry Doby joined the team to become the first African-American player in the AL, following Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson in the NL by three months. Cleveland finished in fourth place at 80-74 while Boudreau batted .307 and topped the AL with 45 doubles and finished third in MVP voting. While Veeck toyed with the idea of trading the popular shortstop and thus replacing him as manager, the popular Boudreau returned as player/manager in 1948, which was viewed as a make-or-break season.   

1948 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

SS – 151, C – 1, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 676 [6]

At Bats – 560 [11, tied with Jerry Priddy]

Runs – 116 [5]

Hits – 199 [3]

Doubles – 34 [7, tied with Bob Dillinger]

Triples – 6

Home Runs – 18 [10]

RBI – 106 [8]

Bases on Balls – 98 [6]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 9

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – 2

Average - .355 [2]

OBP - .453 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .534 [4]

Total Bases – 299 [4, tied with Vern Stephens]

GDP – 15 [18, tied with Jerry Priddy & Eddie Yost]

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 16 [5]

Sac Flies – N/A

Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Chi. White Sox 4/26 – 14 innings

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 12

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) vs. Phila. A’s 9/19, (in 4 AB) at Bos. Red Sox 10/4 – playoff, counted as part of regular season

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 4 at Chi. White Sox 4/26 – 14 innings, vs. St. Louis Browns 5/31, at St. Louis Browns 8/12

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 1 (1.000) with 2 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 800

Put Outs – 297

Assists – 483

Errors – 20

DP – 119

Pct. - .975

Postseason Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. Bos. Braves)

PA – 24, AB – 22, R – 1, H – 6, 2B – 4, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 1, SO – 1, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .273, OBP - .333, SLG - .455, TB – 10, GDP – 2, HBP – 1, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (started for AL at SS)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Lou Boudreau, Clev.: 324 pts. - 22 of 24 first place votes, 96% share

Joe DiMaggio, NYY.: 213 pts. – 2 first place votes, 63% share

Ted Williams, BosRS.: 171 pts. – 51% share

Vern Stephens, BosRS.: 121 pts. – 36% share

Bob Lemon, Clev.: 101 pts. – 30% share

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Indians went 96-58 to finish tied for first in the AL with the Boston Red Sox, which necessitated a season-extending one-game playoff in Boston. They defeated the Red Sox 8-3 as Boudreau went 4 for 4 including his 17^th and 18^th home runs of the season, to clinch the AL pennant with a final record of 97-58. The team led the league in hits (1534), home runs (155), and batting (.282) while battling the Red Sox and New York Yankees, who ended up in third, 2.5 games behind Cleveland. Won World Series over the Boston Braves, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘48:

Boudreau received a raise to $62,000 in 1949 and he hit .284 with 20 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 60 RBIs while the Indians dropped to third place. He managed the club again in 1950 and played in only 81 games, batting just .269. With new ownership in place, Boudreau was released after the season and signed with the Red Sox in 1951 as a utility infielder. Nearing the end as a player, he appeared in 82 games and batted .267 with 5 home runs and 47 RBIs. The Red Sox named him manager in 1952 and he played in four games, thus ending his playing career and becoming strictly a bench manager. He managed in Boston for three seasons and the team had a 229-232 record under his direction. Fired by the Red Sox following the 1954 season, he was next hired by the newly-relocated Kansas City Athletics in 1955, where he lasted for nearly three years and was released during the 1957 season with a 151-260 record. Overall as a player Boudreau batted .295 with 1779 hits that included 385 doubles, 66 triples, and 68 home runs. He drove in 789 runs. With the Indians he hit .296 with 367 doubles, 65 triples, 63 home runs, and 740 RBIs. He was an eight-time All-Star and a two-time batting champion. He topped all AL shortstops in fielding seven times, twice in assists, four times in put outs and five times in double plays. Following his firing as manager of the A’s Boudreau moved into the broadcast booth for Chicago Cubs games. He had one more managerial stint with the Cubs, finishing out the 1960 season after Charlie Grimm was removed. As a major league manager Boudreau’s teams went 1162-1224. In his nine seasons in Cleveland, the Indians compiled a 728-649 tally that included the one pennant and World Series title. He returned to broadcasting after his last managerial job with the Cubs and stayed with it until retiring in 1988 at age 71. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Indians retired his #5.   

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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: George Foster, 1977

Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds

Age: 28

7^th season with Reds

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1977:

Foster was born in Alabama, but his mother relocated to Hawthorne, California where he played Little League baseball before moving on to Leuzinger High School where he participated in several sports. A broken leg suffered while playing basketball cost him his baseball season as a senior. Following graduation he attended El Camino Junior College where he played baseball and drew the attention of the San Francisco Giants, who chose him in the third round of the 1968 amateur draft. He played in 72 games with Medford of the Short-Season Class A Northwest League where he hit .277. He advanced to Fresno of the Class A California League in 1969, where he batted .321 with 14 home runs and 85 RBIs and was named to the league’s all-star team. He got his first taste of major league action after the conclusion of the California League season, appearing in 9 games for the Giants and getting two hits and driving in his first major league RBI. Foster spent 1970 with Phoenix of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit 8 home runs and drove in 66 runs with a .308 batting average. He received another late-season call-up to the Giants where he batted .316 in 19 at bats, with a home run and 4 RBIs. Foster made the Giants as a reserve outfielder in 1971 but hit poorly while not playing regularly. His average was .267 when he was traded to the Reds in May. He started in center field in place of the injured Bobby Tolan and batted .234 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs over the rest of the year with his new team. With Tolan’s return to center field in 1972, Foster was once again utilized as a reserve who appeared in 59 games and hit .200. The Reds won the NL West and Foster scored the winning run in the fifth and deciding game of the NLCS vs. Pittsburgh. He saw little action in the ensuing World Series and was sent down to Class AAA Indianapolis in 1973 where it was hoped that regular action would aid in his development. Foster hit .262 with 15 home runs and 60 RBIs in 134 games. He returned to the Reds in 1974 in a part-time role and batted .264 with 7 home runs and 41 RBIs in 314 plate appearances. Foster became Cincinnati’s starting left fielder in 1975 and broke out with 23 home runs, 78 RBIs, and a .300 average. The Reds again topped the NL West and Foster hit .364 in the NLCS win over the Pirates and .276 in the dramatic but victorious World Series against the Red Sox. That set the stage for a bigger year in 1976 that included Foster’s first All-Star selection on the way to accumulating 29 home runs and a league-leading 121 RBIs with a .306 batting average. Cincinnati again won the World Series and Foster finished second to teammate Joe Morgan in the NL MVP voting.     

1977 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

LF – 143, CF – 37

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 689 [6]

At Bats – 615 [11, tied with Dave Winfield]

Runs – 124 [1]

Hits – 197 [4]

Doubles – 31 [18, tied with five others]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 52 [1]

RBI – 149 [1]

Bases on Balls – 61

Int. BB – 10 [19, tied with four others]

Strikeouts – 107 [9, tied with Dave Parker]

Stolen Bases – 6

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .320 [3]

OBP - .382 [11]

Slugging Pct. - .631 [1]

Total Bases – 388 [1]

GDP – 17 [8, tied with four others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 8 [5, tied with seven others]

League-leading runs scored were +7 ahead of runner-up Ken Griffey

League-leading home runs were +11 ahead of runner-up Jeff Burroughs

League-leading RBIs were +19 ahead of runner-up Greg Luzinski

League-leading slugging pct. was +.037 ahead of runner-up Greg Luzinski

League-leading total bases were +50 ahead of runner-up Dave Parker

Midseason snapshot: HR – 29, RBI – 90, AVG - .316, SLG PCT - .629

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) at Atlanta 4/25, (in 5 AB) at Philadelphia 9/4, (in 4 AB) at San Diego 9/22, (in 5 AB) at Atlanta 9/23

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

HR at home – 21

HR on road – 31

Most home runs, game – 3 (in 4 AB) vs. Atlanta 7/14

Multi-HR games – 8

Most RBIs, game – 7 at Atlanta 4/25

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 367

Put Outs – 352

Assists – 12

Errors – 3

DP – 1

Pct. - .992

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (started for NL in CF)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

George Foster, Cin.: 291 pts. - 15 of 24 first place votes, 87% share

Greg Luzinski, Phila.: 255 pts. – 9 first place votes, 76% share

Dave Parker, Pitt.: 156 pts. – 46% share

Reggie Smith, LAD.: 112 pts. – 33% share

Steve Carlton, Phila.: 100 pts. – 30% share

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Reds went 88-74 to finish second in the NL Western Division, 10 games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Aftermath of ‘77:

Foster followed up with a NL-leading 40 home runs and 120 RBIs in 1978 to go with a .281 batting average. Injuries limited Foster to 121 games in 1979 although he still produced 30 home runs and 98 RBIs with a .302 average and was an All-Star for the fourth straight year. Another injury-plagued season in 1980 saw Foster’s numbers drop to 25 home runs and 93 RBIs and a .273 average. He had one final significant season for the Reds in 1981, where his strike-interrupted numbers were 22 home runs, 90 RBIs, and a .295 average in 108 games. He finished third in NL MVP voting. In the off-season he was traded to the New York Mets. He signed a five-year, $10 million contract extension with the Mets and batted only .247 with 13 home runs and 70 RBIs in ’82, becoming a frequent target of booing by the New York fans. He bounced back to 28 home runs and 98 RBIs in 1983 and 24 home runs and 86 RBIs in ’84 as the club developed into a contender. Following a lesser season in 1985, Foster was benched during ’86 as the Mets were surging toward a title and amid some controversy he was released in August after having batted only .227 with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox and hit just .216 in 15 games before he was released in September, which ended his career. Overall, Foster hit .274 with 1925 hits, 348 home runs, and 1239 RBIs. With the Reds he batted .286 with 1276 hits, 244 home runs, and 861 RBIs. He was a five-time All-Star who led the NL in home runs twice and RBIs three times. Foster was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2003. 

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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: Luis Aparicio, 1956

Shortstop, Chicago White Sox

Age:  22

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’9”    Weight: 160

Prior to 1956:

A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Aparicio was the son of a shortstop who was a star nationally in the 1930s and ‘40s. Introduced to baseball at an early age, he turned professional in 1953 at age 19 and excelled at shortstop with his speed on the basepaths and quickness in the field. Aparicio signed with the White Sox for $10,000 in 1954. Chicago already had a star Venezuelan shortstop in Chico Carrasquel. Aparicio, who spoke little English at the time, played in 94 games with Waterloo of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League in ’54 and batted .282 with 20 stolen bases. He moved up to Memphis of the Class AA Southern Association in 1955, where he hit .273 and played well enough in the field that the White Sox traded Chico Carrasquel to Cleveland after the season to open a spot for Aparicio for 1956.

1956 Season Summary

Appeared in 152 games

SS – 152

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 583

At Bats – 533 [14, tied with Mickey Mantle]

Runs – 69

Hits – 142 [18]

Doubles – 19

Triples – 6 [14, tied with five others]

Home Runs – 3

RBI – 56

Bases on Balls – 34

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 63

Stolen Bases – 21 [1]

Caught Stealing – 4 [20, tied with nine others]

Average - .266

OBP - .311

Slugging Pct. - .341

Total Bases – 182

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 14 [1, tied with George Kell]

Sac Flies – 1

League-leading stolen bases were +1 ahead of runner-up Jim Rivera

Midseason snapshot: HR - 1, SB – 4, RBI - 28, AVG - .258, OBP - .286

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. KC Athletics 9/22

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 3 AB) at KC Athletics 5/28, (in 4 AB) at Boston 8/22, (in 4 AB) vs. Washington 9/16

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at NY Yankees 6/13, vs. Cleveland 8/8 – 13 innings, vs. Washington 9/16

Pinch-running – 1 SB

Fielding

Chances – 759

Put Outs – 250

Assists – 474

Errors – 35

DP – 91

Pct. - .954

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

25^th in AL MVP voting (7 points, 2% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Luis Aparicio, ChiWS.: 22 of 24 votes, 92% share

Rocky Colavito, Clev.: 1 vote, 4% share

Tito Francona, Balt.: 1 vote, 4% share

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White Sox went 85-69 to finish third in the AL, 12 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in stolen bases (70), fielding percentage (.979), and fewest errors (122).

Aftermath of ‘56:

Aparicio followed up his fine rookie season by again leading the AL in stolen bases with 28 in 1957 to go with his .257 batting average. He combined with second baseman Nellie Fox to create an excellent double play combination. In 1958 Aparicio was named an All-Star for the first time and was awarded his first Gold Glove while topping the league in stolen bases for the third (of an eventual nine) consecutive seasons. The White Sox benefited from their emphasis on pitching, speed, and defense, of which Aparicio played a key role, by winning the AL pennant in 1959, although they lost the World Series to the Dodgers. Aparicio, who finished second to Fox in the league MVP voting, contributed 98 runs, 157 hits, and a league-leading 56 stolen bases to the pennant-winning effort (and he batted .308 in the World Series). He was once again an All-Star and Gold Glove recipient. The player known as “Little Louie” spent three more years with the White Sox in his first stint with the club and was an All-Star each season as well as Gold Glove winner and league leader in stolen bases. With the White Sox seeking to revamp the roster after the 1962 season, Aparicio was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles as part of a seven-player trade. He continued to excel with the Orioles, who were developing into a contender, adding speed to the top of the batting order and defensive excellence. He was an All-Star in 1963 and ’64 in addition to being a Gold Glove performer at shortstop. His string of nine straight AL stolen base titles lasted through ’64, after which his totals dropped off significantly. He was a key player for the Orioles as they topped the AL and won the World Series in 1966. Following one more year in Baltimore, Aparicio was traded back to the White Sox, where he won his last two Gold Gloves in 1968 and ’70. No longer as fast on the basepaths, Aparicio remained a solid performer who hit a career-high .313 in 1970, after which he was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he spent the final three seasons of his career, which came to an end at age 39 in 1973 with his release by Boston. Overall in his major league career, he batted .262, with 2677 hits, 1335 runs scored, 394 doubles, 92 triples, 83 home runs, 506 stolen bases, and 791 RBIs. Of that, 1576 hits, 223 doubles, 54 triples, 43 home runs, 318 stolen bases, and 464 RBIs were compiled during his two stints with the White Sox, with who he batted .269. Adept at all aspects of the shortstop position, Aparicio was a nine-time Gold Glove recipient. An All-Star selection 13 times, he was voted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, the first Venezuelan to be so honored. The White Sox also retired his #11. Aparicio returned to Venezuela following his retirement where he became a winter league manager and later, a commentator for baseball telecasts.

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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: Phil Cavarretta, 1945

First Baseman, Chicago Cubs

Age:  29 (July 19)

12^th season with Cubs

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’11” Weight: 175

Prior to 1945:

A child of Italian immigrants, Cavarretta starred as a pitcher and first baseman at Chicago’s Lane Technical High School, which won the city championship in 1933. On the verge of dropping out to get a job to help his family in the midst of the Depression in 1934, his coach arranged for Cavarretta to get a tryout with the Cubs, who signed him for $125 per month. He was assigned to the Peoria Tractors of the Class B Central League where he batted .316 in 23 games before the league folded and he moved on to Reading of the Class A New York-Pennsylvania League where he hit .308 in 85 games. Toward the end of the ’34 season he was called up to the Cubs and the 18-year-old went 8 for 21 (.381) with a home run and 6 RBIs in seven games. Early in the 1935 season first baseman Charlie Grimm, who was also the team’s manager, made Cavarretta, who he nicknamed “Philibuck”, the starting first baseman. He started 145 games and hit .275 with 28 doubles, 12 triples, 8 home runs, and 82 RBIs in a season in which the Cubs won the NL pennant, although he batted just .125 in the six-game loss to Detroit in the World Series. Cavarretta had another solid year for the Cubs in 1936, hitting .273 with 18 doubles, 9 home runs, and 56 RBIs. He spent most of 1937 and ’38 in the outfield, playing primarily in center field in ’37 and right field in 1938, when the Cubs again won the NL pennant. During the season Cavarretta batted only .239 but he hit .462 in the World Series loss to the Yankees, who swept the Cubs in four games. Injuries limited Cavarretta to just 87 games in 1939 and ’40 combined. He split time between first base and the outfield in 1941 and ’42 and remained a solid hitter. Exempt from World War II military service due to a perforated eardrum, he hit .291 in 1943 and .321 in ’44, the first year that he was an All-Star selection, and he played primarily at first base in both of those seasons.

1945 Season Summary

Appeared in 132 games

1B – 120, LF – 10, RF – 1, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 586

At Bats – 498

Runs – 94 [10, tied with Don Johnson]

Hits – 177 [7, tied with Augie Galan]

Doubles – 34 [5]

Triples – 10 [5]

Home Runs – 6

RBI – 97 [8]

Bases on Balls – 81 [6]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 34

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .355 [1]

OBP - .449 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .500 [3]

Total Bases – 249 [8]

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 4 [12, tied with seven others]

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading average was +.003 ahead of runner-up Tommy Holmes

League-leading OBP was +.026 ahead of runner-up Augie Galan

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 20, HR – 3, RBI - 56, AVG - .368, OBP - .465

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 7 AB) at Bos. Braves 7/3, (in 6 AB) at Cincinnati 8/5

Longest hitting streak – 11 games

HR at home – 2

HR on road – 4

Most home runs, game – 1 on six occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Bos. Braves 7/3, at Cincinnati 8/3, at Cincinnati 8/5

Pinch-hitting/running – 1 R

Fielding

Chances – 1235

Put Outs – 1149

Assists – 77

Errors – 9

DP – 83

Pct. - .993

Postseason Batting: 7 G (World Series vs. Detroit)

PA – 31, AB – 26, R – 7, H – 11, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 5, BB – 4, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .423, OBP - .500, SLG - .615, TB – 16, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Phil Cavarretta, ChiC.: 279 pts. – 15 of 24 first place votes, 83% share

Tommy Holmes, BosB.: 175 pts. – 3 first place votes, 52% share

Red Barrett, BosB./StLC: 151 pts. – 1 first place vote, 45% share

Andy Pafko, ChiC.: 131 pts. – 4 first place votes, 39% share

Whitey Kurowski, StLC: 90 pts. – 27% share

(1 first place vote for Hank Borowy, ChiC., who ranked sixth)

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Cubs went 98-56 to win the NL pennant by 3 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. They swept 20 doubleheaders and led the NL in batting (.277). Lost the World Series to the Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 3. A 4-run 6^th inning in Game 5 led to a crucial win for the Tigers.

Aftermath of ‘45:

Cavaretta spent eight more years with the Cubs and was named player/manager during the 1951 season, a position he held through 1953. He was fired during spring training in 1954 and moved across town to the White Sox as a player only in 1954 and ’55. For his 20 seasons playing for the Cubs he batted .292 with 1927 hits that included 341 doubles, 99 triples, and 92 home runs. He also had 896 RBIs and 61 stolen bases. A fiery competitor who was popular with the fans, Cavarretta was a three-time All-Star. His managerial record was 169-213. Playing for the White Sox in a part-time role he added 50 hits, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 4 stolen bases, and 24 RBIs to his career totals. After his playing career, he spent 11 years as a minor league manager, never again managing at the major league level.

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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: Walt Dropo, 1950

First Baseman, Boston Red Sox

Age:  27

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’5”    Weight: 220

Prior to 1950:

A native of Moosup, Connecticut (hence his subsequent nickname, “the Moose from Moosup”), Dropo along with his brother Milt were multi-sport athletes in high school who received athletic scholarships to the Univ. of Connecticut. College was interrupted by service with the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II where he played service baseball. Dropo returned to school and played football and basketball in addition to baseball. He signed with the Red Sox directly out of college in 1947 and appeared in 87 games with Scranton of the Class A Eastern League, batting .297 with 18 doubles and 12 home runs. Dropo started the 1948 season with Louisville of the Class AAA American Association but overmatched by the pitching he was sent to Birmingham of the Class AA Southern Association where he broke out with 14 home runs, and a .359 average in 118 games. “Moose” started the 1949 season with the Red Sox but was sent to Sacramento of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he hit .287 with 17 home runs and 85 RBIs. He was back with Louisville to start the 1950 season but was promoted back to Boston due to an injury to infielder/outfielder Billy Goodman and he quickly established himself at first base.

1950 Season Summary

Appeared in 136 games

1B – 134, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 609

At Bats – 559 [13, tied with Vic Wertz]

Runs – 101 [13]

Hits – 180 [6]

Doubles – 28 [12]

Triples – 8 [9, tied with Johnny Groth & Tommy Henrich]

Home Runs – 34 [2]

RBI – 144 [1, tied with Vern Stephens]

Bases on Balls – 45

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 75 [7]

Stolen Bases – 0

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .322 [8, tied with Yogi Berra]

OBP - .378

Slugging Pct. - .583 [2]

Total Bases – 326 [1]

GDP – 16 [14, tied with five others]

Hit by Pitches – 5 [9, tied with Chico Carrasquel, Johnny Pesky & Hank Bauer]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading total bases were +5 ahead of runner-up Vern Stephens

Midseason snapshot: HR - 19, RBI - 83, AVG - .343, SLG PCT – .631

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 6/8

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Detroit 5/17, (in 6 AB) vs. St. L. Browns 6/8, (in 4 AB) vs. Cleveland 7/16, (in 4 AB) vs. NY Yankees 9/7

HR at home – 24

HR on road – 10

Multi-HR games – 4

Most RBIs, game – 7 vs. St. Louis Browns 6/8, vs. NY Yankees 7/1

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 2 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 1234

Put Outs – 1142

Assists – 77

Errors – 15

DP – 147

Pct. - .988

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star (started for AL at 1B)

6^th in AL MVP voting (75 points, 22% share)

AL ROY Voting:

Walt Dropo, Bos.: 15 of 23 votes, 63% share

Whitey Ford, NYY: 6 votes, 25% share

Chico Carrasquel, ChiWS.: 2 votes, 8% share

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Red Sox went 94-60 to finish third in the AL, four games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in runs scored (1027), hits (1665), doubles (287), batting (.302), on-base percentage (.385), and slugging (.464).

Aftermath of 1950:

Dropo had a rough time in 1951, getting sent down to San Diego of the Pacific Coast League where he hit .286 in 33 games before he returned to Boston where he produced overall totals of 11 home runs, 57 RBIs, and a .239 batting average for the Red Sox. In mid-1952 he was part of a nine-player trade with the Detroit Tigers. Dropo’s average climbed from .265 to .279 the rest of the way with his new team and he ended up with totals of 29 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a .276 average. He had a lesser season in 1953 as he hit .248 with 13 home runs and 96 RBIs. His playing time fell to 107 games in 1954 with a batting average of .281 with only 4 home runs and 44 RBIs. Dropo was traded once again, this time to the Chicago White Sox in 1955. He partially recovered his power stroke, hitting 19 home runs and knocking in 79 runs with a .280 average. Following undistinguished years in 1956 and ‘57, Dropo was waived by the White Sox in late June of 1958 and was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. Batting only .192 at the time of his release, Dropo hit .290 the rest of the way with 7 home runs and 31 RBIs. Always a slow runner and a limited defensive player, Dropo was strictly a backup for the Reds in 1959 until being traded back to the American League and the Baltimore Orioles in June where his career that began with such promise finally came to an end in 1961. Overall, he hit .270 with 1113 hits that included 168 doubles, 152 home runs, and 704 RBIs. His Rookie of the Year season was by far his best.

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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.