Cy Young Profile: David Cone, 1994

Pitcher, Kansas City Royals

Age:  31 (Sept. 10)

2^nd season with Royals

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1994:

A native of Kansas City, Cone played quarterback on his high school football team and also excelled at basketball. Since the school had no baseball team, he developed his pitching prowess during summers in the Ban Johnson League. In 1981 the hometown Royals selected him in the amateur draft. Cone signed for $17,500 and was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League where he pitched 67 innings and was 6-4 with a 2.55 ERA and 45 strikeouts. He was with two Class A teams in 1982 and went a combined 16-3 with a 2.08 ERA and 144 strikeouts over 177 innings pitched. A torn ACL cost him the 1983 season and he had problems with his control when he came back with the Memphis Chicks of the Class AA Southern League in 1984. He compiled an 8-12 record with a 4.28 ERA and walked 114 batters in 178.2 innings pitched. Cone still moved up to Omaha of the Class AAA American Association in 1985 where he was 9-15 with a 4.65 ERA and walked 93 batters and struck out 115 while pitching 158.2 innings. Shifted to the bullpen with Omaha in 1986 Cone was called up briefly by the Royals during the season before returning to Class AAA where he appeared in a total of 39 games and produced an 8-4 record with 14 saves and a 2.79 ERA. Called back up to Kansas City he appeared in a total of 11 major league games as a reliever and had no decisions while striking out 21 batters over 22.2 major league innings. In 1987 he was traded to the New York Mets in the spring where he gained a spot in the starting rotation and compiled a 5-6 record with a 3.71 ERA and 68 strikeouts over 99.1 innings. His season was interrupted when he broke a finger while attempting to bunt. He broke out in 1988 with a 20-3 record and 2.22 ERA with 213 strikeouts for the division-winning Mets and was an All-Star for the first time and finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting. Less dominating in 1989, Cone’s record slipped to 14-8 with a 3.52 ERA and 190 strikeouts. Adding a split-finger fastball to his array of pitches that included a fastball, curve, and change-up, Cone topped the NL in strikeouts in 1990 (233) and ’91 (241) while posting records of 14-10 with a 3.23 ERA and 14-14 with a 3.29 ERA respectively. The 1991 strikeout total included 19 in one game at Philadelphia. Allegations of bad behavior began to dog Cone during this period and he was traded to Toronto during the 1992 season. The Blue Jays topped the AL East and went on to win the World Series and Cone’s overall record was 17-10 with a 2.81 ERA and 261 strikeouts. A free agent in the offseason he signed a three-year $18 million contract with the Royals. He was 11-14 with a weak offensive club in 1993, producing a 3.33 ERA and 191 strikeouts. 

1994 Season Summary

Appeared in 23 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 23

Games Started – 23

Complete Games – 4 [11, tied with seven others]

Wins – 16 [2, tied with Mike Mussina]

Losses – 5

PCT - .762 [4, tied with Mike Mussina]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [2, tied with four others]

Innings Pitched – 171.2 [9]

Hits – 130

Runs – 60

Earned Runs – 56

Home Runs – 15

Bases on Balls – 54

Strikeouts – 132 [6]

ERA – 2.94 [3]

Hit Batters – 7 [5, tied with four others]

Balks – 1 [11, tied with many others]

Wild Pitches – 5

Most strikeouts, game – 12 (in 8 IP) at Detroit 7/23

10+ strikeout games – 2

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) at California 5/22

Fielding

Chances – 41

Put Outs – 20

Assists – 18

Errors – 3

DP – 3

Pct. - .927

Awards & Honors:

AL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

All-Star

9^th in AL MVP voting (40 points, 10% share)

AL Cy Young voting:

David Cone, KC: 108 pts. – 15 of 28 first place votes, 77% share

Jimmy Key, NYY: 96 pts. – 10 first place votes, 69% share

Randy Johnson, Sea.: 24 pts. – 2 first place votes, 17% share

Mike Mussina, Balt.: 23 pts. – 1 first place vote, 16% share

Lee Smith, Balt.: 1 pt. – 1% share

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Royals went 64-51 to finish third in the AL Central Division, 4 games behind the first place Chicago White Sox, at the point in August that a players’ strike prematurely shut down the season and eliminated the postseason. The pitching staff led the league in saves (38). 9.5 games out on July 23, the Royals put together a 14-game winning streak to pull into contention before the season prematurely ended.

Aftermath of ‘94:

Immediately following the settlement of the players’ strike in 1995, the Royals traded Cone back to Toronto where he was 9-6 with a 3.38 ERA in July when the last-place Blue Jays dealt him to the New York Yankees. He went 9-2 with a 3.82 ERA the rest of the way as the Yanks made it to the postseason. Cone was sidelined for four months in 1996 due to treatment for an aneurysm in his right shoulder. He returned in September and was 7-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 11 starts. He went on to win a game in the World Series triumph over Atlanta. Cone started strongly in 1997 and was an All-Star selection. A shoulder problem that required offseason surgery hindered him the rest of the way and he ended up with a 12-6 record, a 2.82 ERA, and 222 strikeouts. Adjusting to becoming more of a finesse pitcher in 1998 he compiled a 20-7 tally with a 3.55 ERA and 209 strikeouts. A strong start in 1999 was highlighted by a perfect game against Montreal in July. His velocity dropped off in the season’s second half and Cone finished at 12-9 with a 3.44 ERA and 177 strikeouts. Re-signed for one year and $8 million in 2000, he suffered through a dreadful 4-14 campaign with a 6.91 ERA. He signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2001 and was 9-7 with a 4.31 ERA. Cone sat out the 2002 season and returned to the Mets at age 40 in 2003. He retired in May after producing a 1-3 record and 6.50 ERA over 18 innings pitched. Overall for his major league career Cone was 194-126 with a 3.46 ERA and 2668 strikeouts. He pitched 448.1 of his 2898.2 innings with the Royals and went 27-19 with a 3.29 ERA and 344 strikeouts. He was a five-time All-Star (once with KC) and produced an 8-3 record with 94 strikeouts in 21 postseason games. 

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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.  

MVP Profile: Jeff Bagwell, 1994

First Baseman, Houston Astros

Age:  26 (May 27)

4^th season with Astros

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1994:

A soccer and baseball player in high school in Connecticut, Bagwell received a baseball scholarship to attend the University of Hartford, where he played third base and excelled, also playing summer baseball in the Cape Cod League. Chosen by the Boston Red Sox in the 1989 amateur draft, Bagwell hit for average (.310) without much power for Winter Haven in the Class A Florida State League in ’89 and advanced to the Class AA New Britain Red Sox of the Eastern League where he hit .333 with 34 doubles, 7 triples, and 4 home runs in 1990 prior to being traded to the Astros for RHP Larry Andersen. With first baseman Glenn Davis traded to Baltimore, a spot in the lineup was open for Bagwell in 1991, and he successfully adapted to the new position. He received NL Rookie of the Year honors after batting .294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBIs. Bagwell followed up with strong seasons in 1992 and ’93, with his home runs rising to 18 and 20, respectively, and he batted .320 in 1993.

1994 Season Summary

Appeared in 110 games

1B – 109, RF – 1, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 479 [14]

At Bats – 400

Runs – 104 [1]

Hits – 147 [2, tied with Dante Bichette]

Doubles – 32 [6]

Triples – 2

Home Runs – 39 [2]

RBI – 116 [1]

Bases on Balls – 65 [5]

Int. BB – 14 [5]

Strikeouts – 65

Stolen Bases – 15

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .368 [2]

OBP - .451 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .750 [1]

Total Bases – 300 [1]

GDP – 12 [10, tied with Kevin Mitchell, Tim Wallach & Javier Lopez]

Hit by Pitches – 4

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 10 [3]

League-leading runs scored were +8 ahead of runner-up Marquis Grissom

League-leading RBIs were +20 ahead of runner-up Matt Williams

League-leading slugging percentage was +.069 ahead of runner-up Kevin Mitchell

League-leading total bases were +30 ahead of runner-up Matt Williams

Midseason snapshot: HR - 27, RBI - 82, AVG - .348, SLG PCT - .698

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 18 games

Most HR, game – 3 (in 5 AB) vs. LA Dodgers 6/24

HR at home – 23

HR on road – 16

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. LA Dodgers 6/24

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

Fielding

Chances – 1051

Put Outs – 922

Assists – 120

Errors – 9

DPs - 94

Pct. - .991

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

Gold Glove

All-Star

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Jeff Bagwell, Hou.: 392 pts. – 28 of 28 first place votes, 100% share

Matt Williams, SF: 281 pts. – 72% share

Moises Alou, Mon.: 183 pts. – 47% share

Barry Bonds, SF: 144 pts. – 37% share

Greg Maddux, Atl.: 133 pts. – 34% share

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Astros went 66-49 to finish second in the NL Central Division, a half game behind the first place Cincinnati Reds, at the point in August that a players’ strike prematurely shut down the season and eliminated the postseason. The team led the NL in doubles (252) and RBIs (573).

Aftermath of ‘94:

A hand injury in 1995 caused Bagwell to miss a few weeks of action, during which the Astros went into a slump that knocked them out of postseason contention. Bagwell followed up with several outstanding seasons, leading the NL in runs scored in 1999 and 2000, drawing 149 walks in ’99, and hitting 42 home runs with 126 RBIs in ’99 and 47 home runs in 2000 with 132 RBIs.  Houston won four Central Division titles from 1997 through 2001, but consistently underperformed in the postseason. A shoulder injury that required surgery hampered Bagwell in 2001 and, while he hit 39 home runs and knocked in 130 RBIs, his performance began to drop off, both at bat and on the field in 2002 and ‘03. Further shoulder surgery in 2005 limited him to 39 games, although he was active for the postseason that resulted in Houston’s first World Series appearance, a loss to the Chicago White Sox. An unsuccessful attempt to return in the spring of 2006 forced his retirement. Overall, in a major league career spent entirely with the Astros, Bagwell hit 449 home runs with 1529 RBIs and a .297 batting average. He reached 40 home runs three times and 30 on nine occasions. He also reached 100 RBIs eight times with a high of 135 in 1997. A four-time All-Star, Bagwell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017, overcoming concerns about his peak seasons occurring during the “steroid era”. The Astros 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: Charlie Gehringer, 1937

Second Baseman, Detroit Tigers

Age:  34 (May 11)

12^th season with Tigers

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 180

Prior to 1937:

The son of German immigrants, Gehringer was a Michigan native who was a pitcher and infielder at Fowlerville High School. He played third base at the Univ. of Michigan prior to signing with the Tigers in 1923. First assigned to the London Tecumsehs of the Class B Michigan-Ontario League, Gehringer batted .292 and was shifted to second base. He received a September call-up to the Tigers and hit .462 in five games. With the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Class AA International League in 1925 he hit .325 with 38 doubles, 9 triples, and 25 home runs, earning another late stint with Detroit. He stuck with the Tigers as a reserve in 1926 until illness sidelined regular second baseman Frank O’Rourke. He ended up hitting .277 as a rookie with 19 doubles, 17 triples, 1 home run, and 48 RBIs and was okay in the field. He improved to .317 in 1927 with 29 doubles, 11 triples, 4 home runs, and 61 RBIs. He also led all AL second basemen with 769 total chances, 438 assists, and 84 double plays. The progress continued in 1928 when he hit .320, topped AL second basemen with 507 assists, and finished eighth in league MVP voting. Gehringer had a big offensive year in 1929 as he batted .339 and led the AL in plate appearances (717), runs (131), hits (215), doubles (45), triples (19), and stolen bases (27). Gehringer’s rise continued over the next several seasons as he regularly hit over .300 and ranked among the best defensive second basemen. Quiet and methodical in his approach to the game, he came to be called “the Mechanical Man”. In 1933 he started at second base for the AL in the first All-Star Game, a distinction he would repeat over the next five consecutive years. Detroit won the AL pennant in 1934 and Gehringer contributed a .356 batting average with a league-leading 135 runs scored and 214 hits. He also compiled 50 doubles, 7 triples, 11 home runs, and 127 RBIs. The Tigers repeated in 1935, this time winning the World Series as well, and the star second baseman batted .330 with 201 hits, 123 runs, 32 doubles, 8 triples, 19 home runs, and 108 RBIs. He also added a .375 average in the World Series triumph over the Cubs. Gehringer had another typically strong performance in 1936 for the second place Tigers, batting .354 with a league-leading 60 doubles, and finished fourth in league MVP voting, his fifth straight finish among the Top 10.   

1937 Season Summary

Appeared in 144 games

2B – 142, PH – 2

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 662 [19]

At Bats – 564

Runs – 133 [5]

Hits – 209 [5]

Doubles – 40 [11, tied with Joe Cronin]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 14 [17, tied with Beau Bell & Tony Lazzeri]

RBI – 96 [16]

Bases on Balls – 90 [6, tied with Red Rolfe]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 25

Stolen Bases – 11 [13, tied with four others]

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .371 [1]

OBP - .458 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .520 [12]

Total Bases – 293 [14]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 5

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading batting average was +.020 ahead of runner-up Lou Gehrig

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 16, HR – 3, RBI – 32, AVG - .362, SLG PCT - .486

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 8/14

Longest hitting streak – 20 games

HR at home – 10

HR on road – 4

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 5 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 8/14

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Chi. White Sox 8/12, vs. St. Louis Browns 8/14

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances - 828

Put Outs – 331

Assists – 485

Errors – 12

DP – 102

Pct. - .986

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (started for AL at 2B)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Charlie Gehringer, Det.: 78 pts. – 6 of 8 first place votes, 98% share

Joe DiMaggio, NYY: 74 pts. – 2 first place votes, 93% share

Hank Geenberg, Det.: 48 pts. – 60% share

Lou Gehrig, NYY: 42 pts. – 53% share

Bill Dickey, NYY: 22 pts. – 28% share

Luke Sewell, ChiWS: 22 pts. – 28% share

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Tigers went 89-65 to finish second in the AL, 13 games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees while leading the league in hits (1611), batting (.292), on-base percentage (.370), and batter strikeouts (712).

Aftermath of ‘37:

Gehringer followed up with one more All-Star season in 1938, batting .306 with a career-high 20 home runs plus 107 RBIs. He remained with the Tigers until 1942, when as a player/coach he appeared in 45 games, primarily as a pinch-hitter, and hit .267 before retiring at age 39 to enter the Navy for service during World War II. Over the course of his long career he batted .320 with 2839 hits that included 574 doubles, 146 triples, and 184 home runs. He also compiled 1427 RBIs and 181 stolen bases. In the field he led AL second basemen in fielding percentage and assists seven times apiece, in double plays four times, and in putouts three times. He was a six-time All-Star and hit .321 in 20 World Series games. “The Mechanical Man” was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949. The Tigers retired his #2. Gehringer lived until 1993 when he died at the age of 89.

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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: Chris Chambliss, 1971

First Baseman, Cleveland Indians

Age:  22

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 195

Prior to 1971:

The son of a Navy chaplain, Chambliss was born in Dayton, Ohio, but frequent relocations had him going to high school in Oceanside, California, where he played shortstop and first base on the baseball team. Drafted by Cincinnati in both 1967 and ’68 he declined to sign and instead enrolled at UCLA where, in 1969, he produced 15 home runs and 45 RBIs. In the summer he played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots team that won the National Baseball Congress championship. The Indians selected Chambliss in the first round of the 1970 amateur draft and this time he signed and was assigned to the Wichita Aeros of the Class AAA American Association where he hit a league-leading .342 with 17 doubles, 8 triples, 7 home runs, and 52 RBIs in 105 games. He was not given a late call-up to the Indians due to a military reserve commitment. He started the 1971 season back with Wichita in order to learn to play in the outfield although he was hindered by a leg injury. Called up to the Indians in May, he took over at first base for floundering veteran Ken Harrelson, who retired. 

1971 Season Summary

Appeared in 111 games

1B – 108, PH – 3

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 458

At Bats – 415

Runs – 49

Hits – 114

Doubles – 20

Triples – 4 [18, tied with fourteen others]

Home Runs – 9

RBI – 48

Bases on Balls – 40

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 83 [17, tied with Dick Green]

Stolen Bases – 2

Caught Stealing – 0

Average - .275

OBP - .341

Slugging Pct. - .407

Total Bases – 169

GDP – 9

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 2

Sac Flies – 0

Midseason snapshot: HR – 4, RBI - 28, AVG - .305, OBP - .383

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Most hits, game – 3 (in 5 AB) vs. Detroit 6/17, (in 3 AB) vs. Detroit 6/20, (in 4 AB) vs. Minnesota 8/29, (in 4 AB) vs. Detroit 9/28

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – 1 on nine occasions

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 4

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 4 vs. Detroit 6/18

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 3 (.000) with 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 1006

Put Outs – 943

Assists – 55

Errors – 8

DP – 85

Pct. - .992

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting:

Chris Chambliss, Clev.: 11 of 24 votes, 46% share

Bill Parsons, Mil.: 5 votes, 21% share

Angel Mangual, Oak.: 4 votes, 17% share

Doug Griffin, Bos.: 3 votes, 13% share

Paul Splittorff, KC: 1 vote, 4% share

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Indians went 60-102 to finish sixth in the AL Eastern Division, 43 games behind the division-winning Baltimore Orioles.

Aftermath of ‘71:

Chambliss pulled a hamstring early in the 1972 season and missed a month before coming back and a strong second half finish allowed him to produce a .292 average with 27 doubles, 6 home runs, and 44 RBIs. In 1973 he overcame an early slump to bat .273 with 30 doubles, 11 home runs, and 53 RBIs. Early in the 1974 season Chambliss was traded to the New York Yankees as part of a seven-player deal that most notably sent four pitchers, including LHP Fritz Peterson, to Cleveland. For the year Chambliss hit .255 with 20 doubles, 6 home runs, and 50 RBIs. In 1975 he batted .304 with 38 doubles, 4 triples, 9 home runs, and 72 RBIs. He also performed ably at first base. In 1976 the Yankees won the AL East and Chambliss contributed 32 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 96 RBIs, and a .293 batting average. He was also an All-Star and finished fifth in AL MVP voting, tied with Minnesota’s Rod Carew. In the postseason, his walk-off home run in the ninth inning of the decisive fifth game of the ALCS vs. the Kansas City Royals sent the Yanks to the World Series for the first time in 12 years, where they were swept by Cincinnati. A classy player and disciplined hitter, Chambliss hit .287 in 1977 with 17 home runs and 90 RBIs as the Yankees repeated as AL champions and went on to defeat the Dodgers in the World Series. 1978 was a more tumultuous season for the team, which required a season-extending one-game playoff to surpass the Red Sox for the AL East title, before going on to win another league pennant and the ensuing World Series. The steady Chambliss hit .274 with 12 home runs and 90 RBIs and was even awarded a Gold Glove for his play in the field, but a broken hand cost him three World Series games. He spent one more season with the Yankees in 1979, batting .280 with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs. In the offseason he was traded to Toronto with two other plays, primarily to obtain catcher Rick Cerone and LHP Tom Underwood. A month later the Blue Jays sent him to the Atlanta Braves as part of a four-player deal. The perennially losing Braves rose to fourth place in the NL West and Chambliss contributed 37 doubles, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a .282 batting average. He re-signed with the Braves for another five years and hit .272 in the strike-interrupted 1981 season, while committing only four errors at first base. Atlanta topped the NL West in 1982 and Chambliss contributed a career-high 20 home runs, 86 RBIs, and a .270 average. The Braves contended again in 1983 until they collapsed down the stretch, a period in which Chambliss was disabled by a rib cage injury. He still hit 20 home runs again, with 78 RBIs and a .280 average. Chambliss spent three more seasons with Atlanta and faced competition from Gerald Perry at first base. He retired following the 1986 season. After having gone into coaching, Chambliss was briefly activated by the Yankees in 1988 but struck out in his lone at bat. Overall for his major league career he batted .279 with 2109 hits that included 392 doubles, 42 triples, and 185 home runs. He also drove in 972 runs. With Cleveland he batted .282 with 428 hits that included 81 doubles, 8 triples, and 26 home runs and he also compiled 152 RBIs. Playing in 30 postseason games he hit .281 with 3 home runs and 15 RBIs. Chambliss was a one-time All-Star and also received one Gold Glove. Following his playing career he went on to become a long-time coach with several teams and also a minor league manager. In 1991 he was named Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News for his work with the Greenville Braves of the Class AA Southern League.

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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 Larkin, 1995

Shortstop, Cincinnati Reds

Age:  31 (Apr. 28)

10^th season with Reds

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 185

Prior to 1995:

A Cincinnati native, Larkin starred in football as well as baseball at that city’s Archbishop Moeller High School. Selected by the Reds in the 1982 amateur draft he decided to attend the Univ. of Michigan where he anticipated playing both sports. Larkin was advised to redshirt his freshman year in football and concentrated on baseball, where he became a two-time Big 10 Baseball Player of the Year. He also earned a spot on the US Olympic Baseball team in 1984 and was again drafted by the Reds, this time fourth overall in 1985. He was first assigned to Vermont of the Class AA Eastern League in ’85 and batted .267 in 72 games. Advancing to the Denver Zephyrs of the Class AAA American Association in 1986 Larkin hit .283 and was named to the league’s All-Star team. Receiving an August call-up to the Reds, he hit .283 in 41 games and made enough of an impression to receive a vote in NL Rookie of the Year balloting. Larkin overcame an early-season knee injury in 1987 to beat out another top prospect, Kurt Stillwell, as the starting shortstop. He batted .244 but the line-drive hitter began to exhibit some power with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs. He also stole 21 bases. He was an All-Star for the first time in 1988 on the way to improving his batting average to .296 along with 32 doubles, 5 triples, 12 home runs, and 56 RBIs while stealing 40 bases. He had a rough season in the field due to hand injuries and committed 29 errors. Larkin got off to a strong start in 1989 and was batting .340 at the All-Star break. Once again an All-Star selection, he injured his elbow while participating in an All-Star skills competition and missed most of the second half of the season. He ended up appearing in just 97 games and hit .342 with 22 extra base hits. Cincinnati topped the NL West and won the World Series in 1990 and Larkin contributed a .301 batting average with 25 doubles, 6 triples, 7 home runs, and 67 RBIs, along with 30 stolen bases. In the field he led all NL shortstops with 469 assists and 86 double plays. In addition to being an All-Star he received a Silver Slugger and finished seventh in NL MVP voting. In the post-season he hit .353 in the World Series sweep of Oakland. Larkin followed up in 1991 with a .302 average and 20 home runs along with 69 RBIs. Another solid season in 1992 was followed by a 1993 season in which he was limited to 100 games by injuries (a common problem with the Reds that year), but he still batted .315 with 8 home runs and 51 RBIs and remained a stellar performer in the field. He also received the Roberto Clemente Award in recognition of his team leadership and work within the community as well as on-field achievements. In the strike-shortened 1994 season Larkin hit .279, due to a slow start, and received his first Gold Glove. By 1995 he was widely considered to be the best all-around shortstop in the NL.

1995 Season Summary

Appeared in 131 games

SS – 130

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 567

At Bats – 496

Runs – 98 [5]

Hits – 158 [10]

Doubles – 29

Triples – 6 [12, tied with five others]

Home Runs – 15

RBI – 66

Bases on Balls – 61 [19, tied with Eric Karros]

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 49

Stolen Bases – 51 [2]

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .319 [6]

OBP - .394 [9]

Slugging Pct. - .492 [17]

Total Bases – 244 [19]

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 4

Midseason snapshot: HR - 6, RBI – 29, SB – 22, AVG – .289, SLG PCT - .458

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) at Pittsburgh 8/26

Longest hitting streak – 13 games

HR at home – 8

HR on road – 7

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 3 AB) at Atlanta 5/13, (in 6 AB) at San Francisco 7/27

Multi-HR games – 2

Most RBIs, game – 5 at San Francisco 7/27

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances – 544

Put Outs – 192

Assists – 341

Errors – 11

DP – 72

Pct. - .980

Postseason Batting: 7 G (NLDS vs. LA Dodgers – 3 G; NLCS vs. Atlanta – 4 G)

PA – 33, AB – 31, R – 3, H – 12, 2B – 2,3B – 1, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 3, SB – 5, CS – 1, AVG - .387, OBP - .424, SLG - .516, TB – 16, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for NL at SS)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Barry Larkin, Cin.: 281 pts. - 11 of 28 first place votes, 72% share

Dante Bichette, Col.: 251 pts. – 6 first place votes, 64% share

Greg Maddux, Atl.: 249 pts. – 7 first place votes, 64% share

Mike Piazza, LAD: 214 pts. – 3 first place votes, 55% share

Eric Karros, LAD: 135 pts. – 34% share

(1 first place vote for Ron Gant, Cin., who ranked 11th)

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Reds went 85-59, in the strike-shortened season, to finish first in the NL Central Division by 9 games over the Houston Astros while leading the league in doubles (277), and stolen bases (190). Won NLDS over the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to 0. Lost NLCS to the Atlanta Braves, 4 games to 0.

Aftermath of ‘95:

Larkin followed up with yet another All-Star season in 1996 in which he batted .298 with a career-high 33 home runs and 89 RBIs. He missed the final month of the 1997 season with a heel injury but still hit .317 with a drop-off in power. Larkin played his entire major league career with the Reds, finishing in 2004, although injuries were more of an issue in his last few years with the club. He batted .295 with 2340 hits that included 441 doubles, 76 triples, and 198 home runs. He also accumulated 960 RBIs and 379 stolen bases. A 12-time All-Star he also received 9 Silver Sluggers and three Gold Gloves. The Reds retired his #11 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. He was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2008. His brother Stephen appeared in one game with the Reds in 1998.

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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: Ozzie Guillen, 1985

Shortstop, Chicago White Sox

Age:  21

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 150

Prior to 1985:

Having first displayed his fielding prowess in his native Venezuela, Guillen was signed by the San Diego Padres at age 16 in 1980. Playing in the Class A Gulf Coast League in 1981 he batted .259 and appeared at second base and shortstop. With Reno of the Class A California League in 1982 he ranked second in batting with a .347 average and first with 103 runs scored. In the field he topped the circuit’s shortstops with 240 put outs. Moving on to the Beaumont Golden Gators of the Class AA Texas League in 1983 he hit .295 and ranked among the league’s top shortstops in the field. In 1984 Guillen advanced to Las Vegas of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League where he batted .296 and was named as shortstop on the league’s All-Star team after topping all other players at the position with 362 assists. In the offseason he was traded to the White Sox as part of a six-player deal that brought RHP LaMarr Hoyt to San Diego. For 1985 Guillen moved into Chicago’s lineup where his outstanding play at shortstop brought a major improvement to the club’s defense.

1985 Season Summary

Appeared in 150 games

SS – 150, PH – 14, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 513

At Bats – 491

Runs – 71

Hits – 134

Doubles – 21

Triples – 9 [5, tied with Jesse Barfield]

Home Runs – 1

RBI – 33

Bases on Balls – 12

Int. BB – 1

Strikeouts – 36

Stolen Bases – 7

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .273

OBP - .291

Slugging Pct. - .358

Total Bases – 176

GDP – 5

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 8 [19, tied with six others]

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 10, 3B – 2, HR – 0, RBI - 15, AVG - .240, OBP – .265

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. NY Yankees 8/14

Longest hitting streak – 8 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 4 AB) vs. NY Yankees 8/14

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 0

Multi-HR games – 0

Grand Slams – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. Seattle 7/2, vs. Detroit 7/22

Pinch-hitting – 1 of 14 (.071)

Fielding

Chances – 614

Put Outs – 220

Assists – 382

Errors – 12

DP - 80

Pct. - .980

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Ozzie Guillen, ChiWS.: 101 pts. – 16 of 28 first place votes, 72% share

Teddy Higuera, Mil.: 67 pts. – 9 first place votes, 48% share

Ernie Riles, Mil.: 29 pts. – 21% share

Oddibe McDowell, Tex.: 25 pts. – 1 first place vote, 18% share

Stew Cliburn, Cal.: 16 pts. – 1 first place vote, 11% share

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White Sox went 85-77 to finish third in the AL Western Division, 6 games behind the division-winning Kansas City Royals while committing a league-low 111 errors in the field.

Aftermath of ‘85:

While still a solid fielder in 1986, Guillen’s batting average dropped to .250 and his lack of patience at the plate again had him drawing only 12 walks, this time over 577 plate appearances. He raised his average to .279 in 1987 and stole 25 bases, still only walking 22 times in 604 plate appearances. He also led AL shortstops with 760 chances and 105 double plays. Guillen was an All-Star for the first time in 1988 primarily due to his excellent fielding, as he again led AL shortstops in chances (863) as well as assists (570). His batting average fell to .261 while he again stole 25 bases. The arrival of second baseman Scott Fletcher in a midseason trade in 1989 provided Guillen with a reliable double play partner and he ranked second among league shortstops with 806 chances, 272 putouts, and 512 assists, and third with 106 DPs. He batted .253 with 36 stolen bases and drew only 15 walks. The White Sox jumped from last place in ’89 to second in the AL West in 1990 and Guillen received a Gold Glove for his play at shortstop and ranked 17^th in AL MVP voting in addition to being an All-Star. He hit .279 and achieved a career high with 58 RBIs. He was an All-Star for the third, and last, time in 1991 and batted .273. Defensively, Guillen ranked second among AL shortstops with 709 chances, 249 put outs, and 439 assists. After seven seasons of never appearing in fewer than 149 games, a knee injury in April of 1992 ended his season in just 12 games and required surgery. He returned in 1993 to hit .280 and remained an outstanding performer in the field despite the effects of knee surgery. Guillen capped the comeback year by appearing in the postseason for the first time with the AL West champion White Sox. He hit .273 with a double and 2 RBIs in the six-game ALCS loss to Toronto. Guillen remained a reliable performer with the White Sox through 1997, after which he departed to the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent in 1998. He lasted only 12 games with the Orioles before being released. He caught on with the Atlanta Braves as a utility infielder and batted .277 the rest of the season. Guillen stayed on with the Braves in 1999, appeared in 92 games, and hit .241. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays signed him as a free agent in 2000, his last major league season in which he was again utilized as a utility player. For his overall career he batted .264 with 1764 hits that included 275 doubles, 69 triples, and 28 home runs. Guillen also compiled 619 RBIs and 169 stolen bases. With the White Sox he hit .265 with 1608 hits, 240 doubles, 68 triples, 24 home runs, 565 RBIs, and 163 stolen bases. He later went on to manage the White Sox from 2004 to 2011 where the team compiled a 678-617 record and won the 2005 World Series, garnering him AL Manager of the Year recognition. He later managed the Miami Marlins for a year and has since managed in his native Venezuela.

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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: Ken Hubbs, 1962

Second Baseman, Chicago Cubs

Age:  20

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 175

Prior to 1962:

A California native, Hubbs was a member of the Colton All-Stars that advanced to the Little League World Series in 1954. At Colton Union High School he lettered in football, basketball, and track, as well as baseball. Following his high school graduation in 1959 Hubbs signed with the Cubs for a $15,000 bonus and was initially assigned to Morristown of the Class D Appalachian League. He played shortstop and batted .298 in 56 games with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, and 50 RBIs. Hubbs started the 1960 season with Lancaster of the Class A Eastern League where he appeared in 97 games and hit just .216 before moving on to San Antonio of the Class AA Texas League where he batted .220 in 38 games. With the Wenatchee Chiefs of the Class B Northwest League in 1961 he raised his batting average to .286 with 20 doubles, 6 triples, 9 home runs, and 68 RBIs. He was also shifted to second base, with favorable results.  Hubbs received a September call-up to the Cubs, where he accumulated five hits that included a double, triple, and a home run. With an opening available at second base in 1962, Hubbs, who hit well in the Arizona Instructional League, quickly won a spot in the starting lineup.  

1962 Season Summary

Appeared in 160 games

2B – 159, PH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 716 [3]

At Bats – 661 [5]

Runs – 90 [19]

Hits – 172 [16]

Doubles – 24

Triples – 9 [5, tied with five others]

Home Runs – 5

RBI – 49

Bases on Balls – 35

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 129 [1]

Stolen Bases – 3

Caught Stealing – 7 [11, tied with eleven others]

Average - .260

OBP - .299

Slugging Pct. - .346

Total Bases – 229

GDP – 20 [1]

HBP – 3

Sac Hits – 13 [2, tied with Julian Javier]

Sac Flies – 3

League-leading batter strikeouts were +21 ahead of runner-up Frank Howard

League-leading times grounded into DPs were +1 ahead of runners-up Willie Mays & Ernie Banks

Midseason snapshot: 3B – 6, HR – 3, RBI – 34, AVG – .261, OBP – .292

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 5 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 4/17, (in 5 AB) at Philadelphia 5/20

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

Most HR, game – one on five occasions

HR at home – 4

HR on road – 1

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at St. Louis 4/22

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

Fielding

Chances – 867

Put Outs – 363

Assists – 489

Errors – 15 (Set then-MLB record with 78 straight errorless games at second base)

DP – 103

Pct. – .983

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

Gold Glove (First rookie to win the award)

NL ROY Voting:

Ken Hubbs, ChiC.: 19 of 20 votes, 95% share

Donn Clendenon, Pitt.: 1 vote, 5% share

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Cubs went 59-103 to finish in ninth place in the newly expanded NL, 42.5 games behind the pennant-winning San Francisco Giants, while leading the league in batter strikeouts (1044).

Aftermath of ‘62:

Hubbs followed up in 1963 by having a solid, if less dazzling, fielding performance while batting .235 with 8 home runs and 47 RBIs and cutting his strikeouts to 93. In the offseason he died in the crash of his small plane in Utah at the age of 22. For his all-too-brief career he hit .247 with 44 doubles, 13 triples, 14 home runs, and 98 RBIs.

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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.