Rookie of the Year: Rod Carew, 1967

Second Baseman, Minnesota Twins

Age:  22 (Oct. 1)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 170

Prior to 1967:

A native of Panama, Carew started out playing Little League baseball in his home town of Gamboa. He moved with his mother to New York and played sandlot baseball, where he drew attention for his hitting ability. Following graduation from high school in 1964 Carew signed with the Twins for $400 per month plus a $5000 bonus. He was initially assigned to the Cocoa Rookie League in Florida where he batted .325 in 37 games. In 1965 he moved on to Orlando of the Class A Florida State League where he hit .303 with 20 doubles, 8 triples, 1 home run, 52 RBIs, and 52 stolen bases. Carew was with Wilson of the Class A Carolina League in 1966 where he batted .292 and stole 28 bases. In the spring of 1967 the Twins made the determination that he was ready to make the leap from Class A to the parent club and installed him as the starting second baseman.

1967 Season Summary

Appeared in 137 games

2B – 134, PH – 3, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 561

At Bats – 514

Runs – 66

Hits – 150 [10]

Doubles – 22

Triples – 7 [3, tied with six others]

Home Runs – 8

RBI – 51

Bases on Balls – 37

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 91

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 9 [7]

Average - .292 [6]

OBP - .341 [16]

Slugging Pct. - .409 [18]

Total Bases – 210 [20, tied with Norm Cash]

GDP – 12

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 7 [15, tied with twelve others]

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: HR - 6, RBI – 31, AVG. - .313, OBP – .362

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. Washington 5/8

Longest hitting streak – 15 games

Most HR, game – 1 on eight occasions

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 7

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at California 5/19, at Baltimore 6/19

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 2 (.500) with 1 R & 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 618

Put Outs – 289

Assists – 314

Errors – 15

DP – 60

Pct. - .976

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star (started for AL at 2B)

AL ROY Voting:

Rod Carew, Min.: 19 of 20 votes, 95% share

Reggie Smith, Bos.: 1 vote, 5% share

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Twins went 91-71 to finish tied for second in the AL with the Detroit Tigers, one game behind the pennant-winning Boston Red Sox. Having replaced manager Sam Mele with Cal Ermer in June, Minnesota became involved in a dramatic four-team pennant race with the Red Sox, Tigers & White Sox. All four clubs were in first on Sept. 6 and the Twins stayed at or near the top the rest of the way. By the season’s final weekend the Twins were in first by one game and heading into Boston. The Red Sox, who were one behind, swept both games to take the flag.

Aftermath of ‘67:

Carew followed up in 1968 by hitting .273 and again starting for the AL at second base in the All-Star Game. With manager Billy Martin advocating aggressive base-running in 1969, Carew stole home a total of 7 times (among his stolen base total of 19), coming within one of Ty Cobb’s league record, and also won his first AL batting title with a .332 average as well as hitting 30 doubles and 8 home runs. Once more an All-Star, Carew also placed tenth in league MVP voting with the division-winning Twins. An intelligent player and bat control specialist who hit to all fields, Carew suffered a broken leg midway through the 1970 season that required surgery and limited him to 51 games, during which he batted .366. He continued to be a consistent .300 hitter and All-Star and won four straight AL batting titles from 1972 to ’75. Not a bad fielder at second base, but not outstanding either, he was given a brief trial at first base in 1975 that became a permanent position change in ’76. In 1977 Carew was the MVP in the AL while leading the league in batting (.388), hits (239), and triples (16), and tied his career high with 14 home runs while reaching 100 RBIs. He spent one more season with Minnesota in 1978 and won another batting championship (.333). With a year left on his contract and the likelihood that he would be lost to free agency, the Twins traded Carew to the California Angels in 1979. In seven seasons with the Angels, he continued to be a productive hitter while playing first base. He batted .314 over that span, with a high of .339 in 1983, and was a six-time All-Star. California won two AL West titles, in 1979 and ’82. Carew retired following the 1985 season. Overall, he batted .328 with 3053 hits that included 445 doubles, 112 triples, and 92 home runs. He also accumulated 1015 RBIs and 353 stolen bases (17 of which were steals of home). With the Twins he hit .334 with 2085 hits, including 305 doubles, 90 triples, and 74 home runs, to go with 733 RBIs and 271 stolen bases. He was an All-Star selection 18 times (12 with the Twins). Carew was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 and both the Twins and Angels retired his #29, and he was named to their team Halls of Fame as well.      

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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 & Cy Young Profile: Rollie Fingers, 1981

Pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers

Age:  35 (Aug. 25)

1^st season with Brewers

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 190

Prior to 1981:

A native of Ohio whose family moved to California, Fingers played American Legion baseball as well as for his high school team, where he pitched and played left field. After his American Legion team won the 1964 national championship Fingers received offers from several major league teams and signed with the Kansas City Athletics for $13,000. The A’s were initially more interested in him as an outfielder but determined to use him as a pitcher during his first spring training in 1965. That year he was assigned to Leesburg of the Class A Florida State League where he went 8-15 with a 2.98 ERA. He moved on to Modesto of the Class A California League in 1966 and compiled an 11-6 record with a 2.77 ERA. His next step up the minor league ladder brought him to Birmingham of the Class AA Southern League in 1967. In the season-opening game he took a line drive to the face and suffered both a broken cheekbone and jawbone which kept him out of action for two months. Upon his return he went 6-5 with a 2.21 ERA. He put in further work in the Arizona Instructional League. Fingers returned to Birmingham in 1968 and was 10-4 with a 3.00 ERA, earning a September call-up to the A’s, newly relocated to Oakland, where he appeared in one game. Following an offseason playing in the Venezuelan Winter League Fingers was utilized as a reliever and spot starter with the A’s in 1969. He appeared in 60 games and produced a 6-7 record with a 3.71 ERA and 12 saves. Fingers appeared in 45 games in 1970, 19 as a starter, and went 7-9 with a 3.65 ERA and just two saves. Under new manager Dick Williams in 1971, Fingers began the season as part of the starting rotation before becoming the closer in the bullpen in May. With the team on the way to winning the AL West, he contributed 17 saves. In 1972, with owner Charlie Finley encouraging the players to grow facial hair as a publicity stunt, Fingers grew the handlebar mustache that became his trademark. Fingers appeared in 65 games that year and produced an 11-9 record with 21 saves and a 2.51 ERA as Oakland won its first of three straight World Series titles. Utilizing a sinking fastball and slider to consistently good effect, Fingers saved 22 games in 1973 and 18 in a league-leading 76 appearances in ’74, after which he was named World Series MVP after saving two games and winning one other in the victory over the Dodgers. The fiercely competitive Fingers, who was an intimidating mound presence, continued to be a top reliever in 1975 and ’76 while, like many of his teammates, he was dissatisfied with his contract. In June of 1976, with the prospect of losing top players in free agency, owner Finley sold Fingers and outfielder Joe Rudi to the Red Sox in a deal that was voided by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. After the season Fingers departed the A’s for the San Diego Padres as a free agent. He led the NL in saves with 35 in 1977 and 37 in ’78. Fingers had a lesser year with the mediocre Padres in 1979 and in 1980 he compiled 23 saves with a 2.80 ERA. In the offseason he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a ten-player deal, and then was dealt by the Cards to the Brewers along with catcher Ted Simmons and RHP Pete Vuckovich, where he filled a pressing need for a reliable closer in the bullpen.   

1981 Season Summary

Appeared in 47 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 47 [3]

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 6

Losses – 3

PCT - .667 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 28 [1]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 78

Hits – 55

Runs – 9

Earned Runs – 9

Home Runs – 3

Bases on Balls – 13

Strikeouts – 61

ERA – 1.04 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 1

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

League-leading saves were +8 ahead of runner-up Rich Gossage

Midseason Snapshot: 1-2, ERA - 1.34, G – 23, SV – 12, SO - 36 in 40.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 4 (in 3.2 IP) at Toronto 4/20, (in 2 IP) vs. Oakland 5/16, (in 4 IP) vs. Boston 5/24

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fielding

Chances – 16

Put Outs – 2

Assists – 13

Errors – 1

DP – 1

Pct. - .938

Postseason Pitching:

G – 3 (ALDS vs. NY Yankees)

GS – 0, CG – 0, record – 1-0, PCT – 1.000, SV – 1, ShO – 0, IP – 4.2, H – 7, R – 3, ER – 2, HR – 0, BB – 1, SO – 5, ERA – 3.86, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP:BBWAA

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

All-Star

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Rollie Fingers, Mil. 319 pts. – 15 of 28 first place votes, 81% share

Rickey Henderson, Oak.: 308 pts. – 12 first place votes, 79% share

Dwight Evans, Bos.: 140 pts. – 36% share

Tony Armas, Oak.: 139 pts. – 1 first place vote, 35% share

Eddie Murray, Balt.: 137 pts. – 35% share

AL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Rollie Fingers, Mil.: 126 pts. – 22 of 28 first place votes, 90% share

Steve McCatty, Oak.: 84 pts. – 6 first place votes, 60% share

Jack Morris, Det.: 21 pts. – 15% share

Pete Vuckovich, Mil.: 8 pts. – 6% share

Rich Gossage, NYY: 3 pts. – 2% share

Dennis Martinez, Balt.: 3 pts. – 2% share

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In a season in which was interrupted by a players’ strike for nearly two months, the Brewers went 31-25 in the first half, placing third in the AL Eastern Division. In the second season that followed the strike, they were 31-22 to finish first in the division by 1.5 games over the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers while leading the league in saves (35). Lost ALDS to the New York Yankees, 3 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘81:

Fingers performed well again in 1982 up until he suffered a muscle tear in his right arm that prevented him from appearing in the postseason for the Brewers, who won the AL pennant. He finished up with 29 saves and a 2.60 ERA. He missed the entire 1983 season due to tendinitis but returned in 1984 to save 23 games with a 1.96 ERA before being sidelined by a back injury. His performance deteriorated significantly in 1985 and the Brewers released him. He retired rather than accept an offer from the Cincinnati Reds for 1986 that, due to their policy against facial hair, would have forced him to shave his mustache. Overall in the major leagues Fingers appeared in 944 games and compiled a 114-118 record with 341 saves, a 2.90 ERA, and 1299 strikeouts. With the Brewers he was 13-17 with 97 saves in 177 games and a 2.54 ERA. He was a seven-time All-Star and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. The Brewers and A’s both retired his #34.

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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.

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: Dontrelle Willis, 2003

Pitcher, Florida Marlins

Age:  21

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 230

Prior to 2003:

A California native who grew up in Alameda, he starred in baseball at Encinal High School. As a senior he produced a 12-1 record with an 0.82 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched. Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 2000 amateur draft, Willis played at the rookie level in the Arizona League where he appeared in 9 games and had a 3-1 record with a 3.86 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched.  Moving up to the Boise Hawks of the Short-Season Class A Northwest League in 2001, Willis was 8-2 with a 2.98 ERA. He was traded by the Cubs to the Marlins during the spring of 2002 and played for two Class A clubs where he had a combined record of 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 128 strikeouts. He started the 2003 season in the Class AA Southern League with the Carolina Mudcats where he was 4-0 with 1.49 ERA, thus earning a call-up to the Marlins. With his unorthodox, high-kick delivery, Willis had command of a fastball, changeup, and slider, and the affable lefthander quickly became a fan favorite as he got off to an outstanding start at the major league level.

2003 Season Summary

Appeared in 27 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 27

Games Started – 27

Complete Games – 2 [12, tied with eleven others]

Wins – 14 [12, tied with ten others]

Losses – 6

PCT - .700 [Non-qualifying]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [4, tied with six others]

Innings Pitched – 160.2

Hits – 148

Runs – 61

Earned Runs – 59

Home Runs – 13

Bases on Balls – 58

Strikeouts – 142

ERA – 3.30 [Non-qualifying]

Hit Batters – 3

Balks – 1 [16, tied with many others]

Wild Pitches – 7

Midseason Snapshot: 9-1, ERA - 2.08, SO - 79 in 82.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 8 IP) at Cincinnati 5/25

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. NY Mets 6/16

Batting

PA – 63, AB – 58, R – 2, H – 14, 2B – 2, 3B – 0, HR – 1, RBI – 4, BB – 3, SO – 8, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .241, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 2, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 23

Put Outs – 2

Assists – 17

Errors – 4

DP – 2

Pct. - .826

Postseason Pitching:

G – 7 (NLDS vs. San Francisco – 2 G, NLCS vs. Chi. Cubs 2 G, World Series vs. NY Yankees – 3 G)

GS – 2, CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 12.2, H – 15, R – 12, ER – 12, HR – 1, BB – 10, SO – 10, ERA – 8.53, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 1 

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

All-Star

34^th in NL MVP voting (1 point, 0% share)

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Dontrelle Willis, Fla.: 118 pts. – 17 of 32 first place votes, 74% share

Scott Podsednik, Mil.: 81 pts. – 8 first place votes, 51% share

Brandon Webb, Ariz.: 73 pts. – 7 first place botes, 46% share

Marlon Byrd, Phila..: 6 pts. –4% share

Miguel Cabrera, Fla.: 3 pts. – 2% share

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Marlins went 91-71 to finish second in the NL Eastern Division, 10 games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot. Off to a 16-22 start, 72-year-old Jack McKeon replaced Jeff Torborg as manager. After bottoming out at 19-29, personnel changes that included the arrival of Willis fueled a second-half surge that moved them into second place for good on Sept. 20 and they clinched the Wild Card spot on Sept. 26 in the midst of winning 18 games in the season’s last month. Won NLDS over the San Francisco Giants, 3 games to 1. Won NLCS over the Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 3. The turning point of the NLCS came in Game 6 when the Marlins scored 8 runs in the eighth inning on the way to tying the series at 3 games apiece. Won World Series over the New York Yankees, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of 2003:

“The D-Train” dropped to 10-11 with a 4.02 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 2004 as the Marlins started fast and ended up in third place in the NL East. He rebounded to 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA in 2005 and was an All-Star and placed second in NL Cy Young Award voting. Willis fell back to 12-12 with a 3.87 ERA in 2006. He dropped further in 2007 to 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA, leading the NL in earned runs surrendered (118), after which he was traded to the Detroit Tigers along with third baseman Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers signed Willis to a three-year contract extension worth $29 million. He proceeded to struggle during a 2008 season in which he spent time on the disabled list due to a knee injury and then had issues with his control that at one point caused him to be sent down to Lakeland of the Florida State League. He finished out the year with the Tigers by going 0-2 with a 9.38 ERA. Willis landed on the disabled list twice in 2009 and he had another overall poor season, with a 1-4 record and 7.49 ERA in 33.2 innings pitched. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010, and the performance continued to be poor, and he was released at mid-season and picked up by the Giants, who assigned him to the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League. His next stop was with the Cincinnati Reds in 2011, who sent him down to Class AAA Louisville, from where he was recalled in July. Willis put together a 1-6 record with a 5.00 ERA for Cincinnati. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012 and didn’t make it beyond spring training before being released. Further comeback attempts with the Orioles and Cubs in 2012 and ’13 also failed. Willis went next to the independent Atlantic League, pitching for the Long Island Ducks in 2013 and the Bridgeport Bluefish in 2014. He was 5-4 with a 2.57 ERA with the Ducks and 0-2 with a 6.39 ERA at Bridgeport. After one last failed attempt at a return to the major leagues with the Brewers in 2015 Willis retired. For his major league career, he was 72-69 with a 4.17 ERA and 896 strikeouts in 1221.2 innings pitched. He started 162 games for the Marlins and had a 68-54 record with a 3.78 ERA, 757 strikeouts, and 8 shutouts. “The D-Train” was twice selected as an All-Star.  As a batter he hit 9 home runs, including a grand slam, and averaged .244.

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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: Dolph Camilli, 1941

First Baseman, Brooklyn Dodgers

Age:  34 (April 23)

4^th season with Dodgers

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’10” Weight: 185

Prior to 1941:

A native of San Francisco, Camilli first played professionally at age 19 in 1926 with the Logan Collegians of the Class C Utah-Idaho League where he hit .311 in 68 games and then returned home to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League where he batted .312 in 81 games. He split his time between both teams again in 1927 and while he again hit .311 for Logan he dropped to .244 with the Seals. Moving on to Salt Lake City of the Utah-Idaho League in 1928 and slugging 20 home runs on his way to a .333 average, Camilli returned to the Pacific Coast League, this time with the Sacramento Senators. He spent five years with Sacramento, from 1929 to ’33, and averaged .297 during that time and hit 82 home runs with a high of 20 in 1933, after which he was signed by the Chicago Cubs, who he joined in September. He appeared in 16 games with the Cubs and batted .224 with two home runs and 7 RBIs. He started the 1934 season with the Cubs but was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in June. In 102 games with the Phils Camilli batted .265 with 12 home runs and 68 RBIs. A fixture at first base with the lowly Phillies, he appeared in every game in 1935 and hit .261 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs, also leading the NL by striking out 113 times.  Camilli followed up in 1936 with 28 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a .315 average, also drawing 116 walks as pitchers, wary of his power, tended to pitch around him. A good fielder as well as productive hitter, Camilli achieved a career high in 1937 by batting .339 and also hit 27 home runs with 80 RBIs. Drawing 90 walks, his .446 on-base percentage was the highest in the NL. Holding out for a better contract in 1938, the Phillies traded Camilli to the Dodgers for $45,000 and a marginal player. He hit .251 with 24 home runs and 100 RBIs in his first season with the Dodgers as he provided much-needed punch in the middle of the batting order. He followed up with another strong season in 1939, hitting .290 with 26 home runs and 104 RBIs. Camilli also topped the NL in walks drawn (110) and batter strikeouts (107) and was named as an All-Star for the first time. The Dodgers finished in third place as well. They finished second in 1940 with Camilli contributing 13 triples, 23 home runs, and 96 RBIs while batting .287.   

1941 Season Summary

Appeared in 149 games

1B – 148, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 641 [7, tied with Elbie Fletcher]

At Bats – 529

Runs – 92 [6]

Hits – 151 [13]

Doubles – 29 [11, tied with four others]

Triples – 6 [16, tied with Danny Litwhiler & Bama Rowell]

Home Runs – 34 [1]

RBI – 120 [1]

Bases on Balls – 104 [2]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 115 [1]

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .285 [18, tied with Billy Herman]

OBP - .407 [3]

Slugging Pct. - .556 [2]

Total Bases – 294 [2]

GDP – 5

Hit by Pitches – 4 [5, tied with five others]

Sac Hits – 4

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading home runs were +7 ahead of runner-up Mel Ott

League-leading RBIs were +16 ahead of runner-up Babe Young

League-leading batter strikeouts were +15 ahead of runner-up Vince DiMaggio

Midseason snapshot: HR – 16, RBI – 54, AVG – .283, SLG PCT – .538

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 7 AB) vs. Bos. Braves 9/1 – 15 innings

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

HR at home – 19

HR on road – 15

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) at St. Louis Cards 7/29 – 12 innings, (in 4 AB) vs. NY Giants 9/7

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 5 at NY Giants 4/22, vs. NY Giants 9/7

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 1493

Put Outs – 1379

Assists – 98

Errors – 16

DP – 107

Pct. - .989

Postseason Batting: 5 G (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 19, AB – 18, R – 1, H – 3, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 1, IBB – 0, SO – 6, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .167, OBP - .211, SLG - .222, TB – 4, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Dolph Camilli, Brook. : 300 pts. - 19 of 23 first place votes, 89% share

Pete Reiser, Brook.: 183 pts. – 2 first place votes, 54% share

Whit Wyatt, Brook.: 151 pts. – 45% share

Jimmy Brown, StLC.: 107 pts. – 1 first place vote, 32% share

Elmer Riddle, Cin.: 98 pts. – 29% share

(1 first place vote for Dixie Walker, Brook., who ranked tenth)

Dodgers went 100-54 to win NL pennant by 2.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. They led the NL in runs scored (800), hits (1494), doubles (286), triples (69) home runs (101), batting (.272), OBP (.347), and slugging (.405) on the way to winning their first pennant in 21 years. Lost World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 3. The turning point in the Series came in the 9^th inning of Game 4 when, on the cusp of victory with a 4-3 lead a third strike passed ball by Brooklyn catcher Mickey Owen sparked a 4-run Yankee rally that put the Yanks up by a 3-games-to-1 margin from which there was no coming back.

Aftermath of ‘41:

Camilli followed up with another strong season for the second place Dodgers in 1942, hitting .252 with 26 home runs and 109 RBIs. Midway through the 1943 season he was traded to the Giants and refused to report to Brooklyn’s arch rival. His rights were traded to the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League who made him player/manager in 1944. Fired as manager in 1945, he signed with the Boston Red Sox in the last World War II-affected season, after which he was released, thus ending his playing career. For his major league career Camilli batted .277 with 1482 hits that included 261 doubles, 86 triples, and 239 home runs. He also accumulated 950 RBIs and 60 stolen bases. With the Dodgers he hit .270 with 809 hits, 151 doubles, 55 triples, 139 home runs, 572 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases. He was a two-time All-Star, both while with Brooklyn. Following his playing career, he managed a few more times at the minor league level, and was later a scout for the Yankees, A’s, and Angels. His son Doug was a catcher for the Dodgers and expansion Senators in the 1960s.

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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.

Cy Young Profile: Dean Chance, 1964

Pitcher, Los Angeles Angels

Age:  23 (June 1)

3^rd season with Angels

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 200

Prior to 1964:

A native of Wooster, Ohio, where his family owned a farm, Chance compiled an astounding 51-1 record at Northwestern High School that included 17 no-hitters. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles for $30,000 in 1959 and was 10-3 with a 2.94 ERA for Bluefield of the Class D Appalachian League in ’59 and followed up with a 12-9 tally with a 3.13 ERA and 145 strikeouts for Fox Cities of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League in 1960. Reportedly put off by his brashness, the Orioles chose not to protect Chance in the expansion draft for the 1961 season and he was picked by the new Washington Senators franchise, who promptly traded him to the equally new Angels who assigned him to Dallas-Fort Worth of the Class AAA American Association for ’61. Chance was 9-12 with a 3.66 record and earned a late-season trial with the Angels in their inaugural season. He started four games and was 0-2 with a 6.87 ERA. He stuck with the Angels in 1962 who had a surprisingly good second season, finishing third in the AL. Chance contributed a 14-10 record with a 2.96 ERA. 1963 was tougher for both the young pitcher and the team. Chance posted a 13-18 record for the 70-91 club, with a 3.19 ERA and 168 strikeouts over the course of 248 innings pitched. His most effective pitches were his sinking fastball, sweeping curve, and slider, which he threw with a three-quarters delivery after turning his back to the plate during his windup. 

1964 Season Summary

Appeared in 46 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 46

Games Started – 35 [8, tied with Diego Segui, Al Downing & Bill Monbouquette]

Complete Games – 15 [1]

Wins – 20 [1, tied with Gary Peters]

Losses – 9

PCT - .690 [5]

Saves – 4

Shutouts – 11 [1]

Innings Pitched – 278.1 [1]

Hits – 194

Runs – 56

Earned Runs – 51

Home Runs – 7

Bases on Balls – 86 [7]

Strikeouts – 207 [3]

ERA – 1.65 [1]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 9 [9, tied with Moe Drabowsky & Dick Stigman]

League-leading complete games were +1 ahead of runner-up Camilo Pascual

League-leading shutouts were +3 ahead of runner-up Whitey Ford

League-leading innings pitched were +4.2 ahead of runner-up Gary Peters

League-leading ERA was -0.23 lower than runner-up Joe Horlen

Midseason Snapshot: 5-5, ERA - 2.18, SO - 84 in 111.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 15 (in 9 IP) vs. Boston 6/2

10+ strikeout games – 4

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) vs. Boston 6/2, (in 9 IP) vs. NY Yankees 7/28, (in 9 IP) at Washington 8/14, (in 9 IP) at Detroit 8/18, (in 9 IP) at NY Yankees 9/15

Batting

PA – 100, AB – 89, R – 3, H – 7, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 3, SO – 53, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .079, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 8, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 44

Put Outs – 10

Assists – 33

Errors – 1

DP – 1

Pct. - .977

Awards & Honors:

MLB Cy Young Award: BBWAA

AL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (starting P for AL)

5^th in AL MVP voting (97 points, 35% share)

MLB Cy Young voting:

Dean Chance, LAA: 17 of 20 votes, 85% share

Larry Jackson, ChiC.: 2 votes, 10% share

Sandy Koufax, LAD: 1 vote, 5% share

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Angels went 82-80 to finish fifth in the AL, 17 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees.

Aftermath of ‘64:

Chance had a lesser but respectable season for the seventh-place Angels in 1965, going 15-10 with a 3.15 ERA. Rechristened the California Angels, the team moved into the new Anaheim Stadium in 1966 and Chance’s record dropped to 12-17 with a 3.08 ERA. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in the offseason and had a fine performance for a contending club, leading the AL with 283.2 innings pitched and 18 complete games while compiling a 20-14 record and 2.73 ERA with 220 strikeouts. Along the way he pitched a no-hitter against Cleveland. Chance was 16-16 in 1968, with a 2.53 ERA and 234 strikeouts over the course of 292 innings pitched. It would prove to be his last effective season. A back injury before the 1969 season limited him to 20 appearances and a 5-4 tally with a 2.95 ERA. He was dealt to the Cleveland Indians after the injury-marred year and struggled to a 9-8 record with a 4.24 ERA in 1970 until being sold to the New York Mets in September where he pitched a total of two innings and had an 0-1 record. Chance was traded one more time, to the Detroit Tigers in 1971 where he compiled a 4-6 record with a 3.51 ERA in his last season. Overall in the major leagues Chance was 128-115 with a 2.92 ERA and 1534 strikeouts over 2147.1 innings. He was 74-66 with a 2.83 ERA and 857 strikeouts with the Angels. In all, he was a two-time All-Star. Chance was inducted into the Angels Hall of Fame in 2015, just a few months before his death at age 74.    

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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: Angel Berroa, 2003

Shortstop, Kansas City Royals

Age:  25

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prior to 2003:

Berroa, from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, signed initially with the Oakland Athletics in 1997. Playing in 50 games at the Rookie and Class AA levels in 1999, he batted .269. With the Visalia Oaks of the High Class A California League in 2000, Berroa batted .277 with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs and was viewed as a good prospect.  He was dealt to the Royals as part of a three-team-trade in 2001 and hit .317 in 51 games with Wilmington of the Carolina League before being promoted to Wichita of the Class AA Texas League where he batted .296 with 20 doubles, 4 triples, and 8 home runs over the course of 80 games. Receiving a September call-up to the Royals, Berroa appeared in 15 games and hit .302 in 53 at bats. Sent to Omaha of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League for further development in 2002, his average dropped to .215 with 8 home runs and 35 RBIs. Called up to the Royals again he hit .227 in 20 games. Despite his disappointing hitting, the Royals waived starting shortstop Neifi Perez in the offseason to open a spot for Berroa in the lineup for 2003.

2003 Season Summary

Appeared in 158 games

SS – 158

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 635

At Bats – 567

Runs – 92 [20, tied with Todd Walker & Rafael Palmeiro]

Hits – 163

Doubles – 28

Triples – 7 [10, tied with Scott Spiezio & Dmitri Young]

Home Runs – 17

RBI – 73

Bases on Balls – 29

Int. BB – 3

Strikeouts – 100

Stolen Bases – 21 [11]

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .287

OBP - .338

Slugging Pct. - .451

Total Bases – 256

GDP – 13

Hit by Pitches – 18 [4]

Sac Hits – 13 [2]

Sac Flies – 8 [9, tied with Casey Blake, Vernon Wells & Miguel Tejada]

Midseason snapshot: HR - 9, RBI - 37, AVG - .283, OBP - .343

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) at Cleveland 9/16

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – 1 on seventeen occasions

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 11

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 on five occasions

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 761

Put Outs – 264

Assists – 473

Errors – 24

DP - 108

Pct. - .968

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting:

Angel Berroa, KC.: 88 pts. – 12 of 28 first place votes, 63% share

Hideki Matsui, NYY.: 84 pts. –10 first place votes, 60% share

Rocco Baldelli, TB: 51 pts. – 5 first place votes, 36% share

Jody Gerut, Clev.: 20 pts. – 14% share

Mark Teixeira, Tex.: 9 pts. – 1 first place vote, 6% share

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Royals went went 83-79 to finish third in the AL Central Division, 7 games behind the division-winning Minnesota Twins. The team started strong at 16-3 and spent 93 days in first place before fading out of contention in the last two months.  

Aftermath of 2003:

Berroa suffered through a difficult season in 2004 in which he was sent down to Wichita at one point. He ended up batting .262 in 134 games for the Royals with 27 doubles, 6 triples, 8 home runs, and 43 RBIs. Berroa was again the starting shortstop in 2005 and hit .270 with 11 home runs but with few walks drawn and a subsequently low on-base percentage. The situation worsened in 2006 as Berroa batted .234 with a .259 OBP. He found himself back in Omaha in 2007 where he hit .300 with 8 home runs and saw his OBP rise to .364. He appeared in just 9 games with the Royals and hit .091. Failing to make the Royals in 2008 he returned to Omaha until traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in June where he was expected to be a short-term fill-in at shortstop. He ended up appearing in 84 games with the Dodgers and batted .230 in 226 at bats. He also appeared in the postseason for the only time, going one-for-two as a batter. Berroa signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in 2009 and ended up playing in 21 games with the Yanks before being released. He signed with the Mets and hit .233 in 14 games before again being let go. Berroa signed with the Dodgers in 2010 but failed to make the club in spring training. His next stop in his declining career was later in 2010 with the Fresno Grizzlies, a Class AAA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in the Pacific Coast League. He performed poorly and was released. He moved on to the Reno Aces, an Arizona affiliate in the PCL in 2011 and batted .320 in 42 games. Berroa bounced around with teams in minor independent leagues for the remainder of 2011 and 2012 before appearing with three Mexican League clubs between 2013 and ’15 which concluded his ultimately disappointing career. In the major leagues, he hit .258 with 46 home runs and 254 RBIs. With the Royals he appeared in 627 games and batted .263 with 45 home runs and 235 RBIs. His 2003 Rookie of the Year season remained 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. 

Cy Young Profile: Roger Clemens, 2004

Pitcher, Houston Astros

Age:  42 (Aug. 4)

1^st season with Astros

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 205

Prior to 2004:

A native of Ohio who moved to Texas in high school, Clemens attended San Jacinto Junior College, which had a strong baseball program, before moving on to the University of Texas, passing up a contract offer from the New York Mets, who drafted him as an amateur in 1981. He was a power-pitching member of the Texas squad that won the 1983 College World Series before signing with the Red Sox, who made him a first round draft pick that year. The highly driven Clemens climbed readily through Boston’s minor league system and joined the parent club in 1984. Somewhat unsteady as a rookie, Clemens compiled a 9-4 record with a 4.32 ERA and was shut down in September due to a tendon injury in his pitching arm. Several injuries marred his 1985 season that concluded with surgery on his right shoulder after posting a 7-5 record with 3.29 ERA in just 15 starts. “The Rocket” broke out with a dominating season in 1986 as he compiled a 24-4 record with an AL-leading 2.48 ERA. His 238 strikeouts included a single-game record 20 against Seattle. Clemens was the league MVP as well as Cy Young Award recipient. He spent ten more seasons with the Red Sox, often highlighted by controversy. He briefly walked out during spring training in 1987 over a contract dispute and overcame a slow 4-6 start to end up with another Cy Young Award-winning season, ultimately posting a 20-9 record with the fifth place Red Sox. In 1988 he returned to the All-Star Game and compiled an 18-12 tally and topped the AL in complete games (18) and shutouts (7). Boston returned to the top of the AL East. Clemens led the AL in ERA for three straight years from 1990 to ’92 and won a third Cy Young Award in 1991. His performance slipped thereafter as his record dropped to 11-14 with a 4.46 ERA in 1993, and after a fair year in 1994, he slipped badly again in ’95. Clemens had another 20-strikeout single-game performance in 1996 on his way to a 10-13 record with a league-leading 257 strikeouts. “The Rocket” signed a three-year free agent contract worth $24.75 million with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 and won the AL Cy Young Award that year with a fifth-place team that went 76-86 and again in 1998, when he was 20-6 and topped the circuit in ERA (2.65) and strikeouts (271). The Blue Jays rose to third at 88-74 and Clemens requested a trade to a contending team and was dealt to the New York Yankees just prior to the ’99 season. Clemens spent five years with the Yanks, who won three AL pennants and two World Series titles during that time. “The Rocket” won another Cy Young Award in 2001 and compiled 77 wins in all during that period. Hinting at retirement in 2003, he followed LHP Andy Pettitte, a teammate and friend with the Yankees, to the Houston Astros as a free agent in 2004.

2004 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

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

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 18 [2, tied with Jason Schmidt & Carl Pavano]

Losses – 4

PCT - .818 [1]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 214.1 [8]

Hits – 169

Runs – 76

Earned Runs – 71

Home Runs – 15

Bases on Balls – 79 [11, tied with Doug Davis]

Strikeouts – 218 [5]

ERA – 2.98 [5, tied with Oliver Perez]

Hit Batters – 6

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 5

League-leading win percentage was +.068 ahead of runner-up Chris Carpenter

Most strikeouts, game – 12 (in 7.1 IP) at Milwaukee 9/24

10+ strikeout games – 4

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 7 IP) vs. San Francisco 4/7

Batting

PA – 78, AB – 72, R – 1, H – 12, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 7, BB – 3, SO – 24, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .167, GDP – 2, HBP – 0, SH – 3, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 36

Put Outs – 12

Assists – 24

Errors – 0

DP – 2

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 4 (NLDS vs. Atlanta - 2 G, NLCS vs. St. Louis - 2 G)

GS – 4, CG – 0, Record – 2-1, PCT – .667 SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 25, H – 22, R – 11, ER – 10, HR – 4, BB – 10, SO – 21, ERA – 3.60, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 4

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

All-Star (Starting P for NL)

8^th in NL MVP voting (61 points, 14% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

Roger Clemens, Hou.: 140 pts. – 23 of 32 first place votes, 88% share

Randy Johnson, Ariz.: 97 pts. – 8 first place votes, 61% share

Roy Oswalt, Hou.: 19 pts. – 1 first place vote, 12% share

Jason Schmidt, SF.: 13 pts. – 8% share

Carlos Zambrano, ChiC.: 8 pts. – 5% share

Astros went 92-70 to finish second in the NL Central Division, 13 games behind the division-winning St. Louis Cardinals and qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot. Despite high expectations, the team was at 44-44 and in fifth place at the All-Star break when manager Jimy Williams was replaced by Phil Garner. The arrival of CF Carlos Beltran from the Royals in June helped the offensive production and the Astros finished strong to clinch a playoff spot on the season’s last day. Won NLDS over the Atlanta Braves, 3 games to 2. Lost NLCS to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 3.

Aftermath of 2004:

At age 43 in 2005, Clemens led the NL with a 1.87 ERA as the Astros won the league pennant for the first time in franchise history. Clemens re-signed with Houston in ’06 and ended up with a 7-6 record and 2.30 ERA while the club failed to reach the postseason. Clemens returned to the Yankees for one final year in 2007. Clemens returned to organized baseball in 2012 at the age of 50, appearing with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. He started two games and had no decisions.  Overall in the major leagues, he had a 354-184 record and 3.12 ERA with 4672 strikeouts over the course of 4916.2 innings. In the postseason he was 12-8 with a 3.75 ERA and 173 strikeouts. His numbers with Houston alone were 38-18 with a 2.40 ERA and 505 strikeouts. Controversy erupted over his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs during the later stages of his career, thus far keeping him from achieving election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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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.