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. 

Rookie of the Year: Al Bumbry, 1973

Outfielder, Baltimore Orioles

Age:  26 (Apr.21)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’8”    Weight: 170

Prior to 1973:

A Virginia native, Bumbry first excelled athletically in basketball at Ralph Bunche High School in King George County. He went to Virginia State College (now University) on a basketball scholarship and also played baseball, batting .578 as a senior. Bumbry was chosen by the Orioles in the eleventh round of the 1968 amateur draft. He appeared in 35 games with Stockton of the Class A California League in 1969 and batted an unimpressive .178, following which he entered the Army and was awarded a Silver Star for his service in Vietnam. Returning from the military in 1971, Bumbry played for Aberdeen of the Short Season Class A Northern League and hit .336 with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, and 34 stolen bases in 66 games. He spent 1972 with Asheville of the Class AA Southern League and Rochester of the Class AAA International League and hit a combined .345 with 33 doubles, 19 triples, 10 home runs, 57 RBIs, and stole 32 bases. Bumbry batted .364 in a nine-game late-season call-up to Baltimore and stuck with the Orioles for 1973.

1973 Season Summary

Appeared in 110 games

LF – 63, RF – 29, PH – 9, DH – 8, CF – 1, PR – 12

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 395

At Bats – 356

Runs – 73

Hits – 120

Doubles – 15

Triples – 11 [1, tied with Rod Carew]

Home Runs – 7

RBI – 34

Bases on Balls – 34

Int. BB – 0

Strikeouts – 49

Stolen Bases – 23 [9]

Caught Stealing – 10 [9, tied with four others]

Average - .337 [Non-qualifying]

OBP - .398 [Non-qualifying]

Slugging Pct. - .500 [Non-qualifying]

Total Bases – 178

GDP – 5

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: 3B – 7, HR – 7, RBI - 23, AVG - .304, OBP - .373

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Most hits, game – 5 (in 6 AB) at Milwaukee 6/25 – 12 innings

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

Most HR, game – 1 on seven occasions

HR at home – 2

HR on road – 5

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 at Cleveland 9/8

Pinch-hitting/running – 5 of 8 (.625) with 2 R, 2 SB & 1 RBI

Postseason Batting: 2 G (ALCS vs. Oakland)

PA – 9, AB – 7, R – 1, H – 0, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 2, IBB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .000, OBP - .222, SLG - .000, TB – 0, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances - 139

Put Outs – 134

Assists – 2

Errors – 3

DP – 0

Pct. – .978

Awards & Honors:

AL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

AL ROY Voting:

Al Bumbry, Balt.: 13 of 23 votes, 54% share

Pedro Garcia, Mil.: 3 votes, 13% share

Steve Busby, KC: 2 votes, 8% share

George Medich, NYY: 2 votes, 8% share

Darrell Porter, Mil.: 2 votes, 8% share

Rich Coggins, Balt.: 1 vote, 4% share

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Orioles went 97-65 to finish first in the AL Eastern Division by 8 games over the Boston Red Sox for their fourth division title in five years. The team led the league in triples (48), stolen bases (146), walks drawn (648), and on-base percentage (.345). The Orioles pulled away from the pack in the AL East thanks to a 14-game winning streak in August. Lost ALCS to the Oakland Athletics, 3 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘73:

Bumbry slumped in 1974, batting just .233 with 12 stolen bases in 94 games. In a part-time role in ’75 he appeared in 114 games, mostly in left field and at DH, and hit .269 with 94 hits and 16 stolen bases. Bumbry saw more action in left and center fields in 1976 and, as a testament to his being considered the fastest player on the club, stole a team-leading 42 bases. As the primary center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Orioles in 1977, Bumbry had a fine season, batting .317 with 31 doubles, 19 stolen bases, and 74 runs scored. He was limited to 33 games in 1978 due to a major ankle injury but bounced back in Baltimore’s pennant-winning 1979 season to hit .285 with 80 runs scored and 37 stolen bases. Bumbry was an All-Star for the only time in his career in 1980, a season in which he compiled 205 hits on the way to batting .318 with 29 doubles, 9 triples, 9 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 44 stolen bases. A popular player known as “The Bumblebee” or simply “The Bee”, Bumbry continued with the Orioles through 1984, including 1983 when the team won the World Series. Overall with Baltimore, he hit .281 with 1422 hits that included 217 doubles, 52 triples, and 53 home runs. He stole 252 bases and knocked in 392 runs as well. Bumbry signed with the San Diego Padres as a free agent in 1985 and in his last major league season added 19 hits, 3 doubles, a home run, 10 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases to his career totals. He was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. 

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

Rookie of the Year: Alvin Dark, 1948

Shortstop, Boston Braves

Age:  26

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 185

Prior to 1948:

An Oklahoma native, Dark starred in football and basketball in high school, which didn’t field a baseball team, so he played American Legion baseball as a teen. He enrolled at LSU in 1940, where he lettered in football, baseball, and basketball. In 1943 with World War II well underway, Dark entered a Marine Corps program which allowed him to stay in school for another year. The Marines sent him to Southwestern Louisiana Institute where he continued to display his all-around athletic prowess until his Marine training began. Once his military commitment was completed, Dark considered his options, including an offer from pro football’s Philadelphia Eagles, who had chosen him in the third round of the 1945 NFL draft. Preferring to play baseball he signed a $50,000 contract with the Braves in 1946. Dark appeared in 15 games with the Braves in ’46 and hit .231 with three doubles in 13 at bats. He spent 1947 with Milwaukee of the Class AAA American Association where he batted .303 with 49 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs and 66 RBIs. Dark made the Braves for the 1948 season, initially as a backup to veteran SS Sibby Sisti, who he replaced in the lineup in short order.

1948 Season Summary

Appeared in 137 games

SS – 115

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 581 [19, tied with Bill Nicholson]

At Bats – 543 [14]

Runs – 85 [12, tied with Stan Rojek & Tommy Holmes]

Hits – 175 [5]

Doubles – 39 [3]

Triples – 6 [14, tied with Ed Stevens, Wally Westlake & Duke Snider]

Home Runs – 3

RBI – 48

Bases on Balls – 24

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 36

Stolen Bases – 4

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .322 [4]

OBP - .353 [18]

Slugging Pct. - .433 [16]

Total Bases – 235 [13, tied with Stan Rojek]

GDP – 4

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 10 [6, tied with Earl Torgeson]

Sac Flies – N/A

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 14, HR - 2, RBI - 23, AVG - .333, OBP – .375

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at St. Louis Cards 7/23, (in 5 AB) vs. NY Giants 8/10

Longest hitting streak – 23 games

Most HR, game – 1 (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 6/25, (in 3 AB) at Phila. Phillies 7/4, (in 4 AB) at Pittsburgh 7/18

HR at home – 1

HR on road – 2

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 3 vs. NY Giants 4/24

Pinch-hitting – 3 of 4 (.750)

Fielding

Chances – 671

Put Outs – 253

Assists – 393

Errors – 25

DP – 66

Pct. - .963

Postseason Batting: 6 G (World Series vs. Cleveland)

PA – 25, AB – 24, R – 2, H – 4, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 2, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .167, OBP - .167, SLG - .208, TB – 5, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 1, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

MLB Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

3^rd in NL MVP voting (174 points, 1 first place vote, 52% share)

MLB ROY Voting:

Al Dark, BosB.: 27 of 48 votes, 56% share

Gene Bearden, Clev.: 8 votes, 17% share

Richie Ashburn, PhilaP.: 7 votes, 15% share

Lou Brissie, PhilaA.: 3 votes, 6% share

Billy Goodman, BosRS.: 3 votes, 6% share

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Braves went 91-62 to win the NL pennant by 6.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals. They led the NL in hits (1458), doubles (272), walks drawn (667), batting (.275), and on-base percentage (.358). Benefiting from the arrival of newcomers like the rookie Dark and veteran 2B Eddie Stanky, obtained from the Dodgers, as well as the pitching of Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain, the Braves moved into the lead thanks to a hot stretch in June and July and remained there until late August when a slump bumped them out of first, which they regained on Sept. 2. They clinched the pennant on Sept. 26 and lost the World Series to the Cleveland Indians, 4 games to 2.

Aftermath of ‘48:

The Braves dropped to fourth place in 1949, although Dark had another solid season, batting .276. He and second baseman Eddie Stanky were traded to the New York Giants in the offseason, where Manager Leo Durocher named him team captain, making good use of his leadership qualities. Dark hit .279 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs in 1950. A natural #2 hitter with speed on the basepaths, Dark was prone to making errors in the field, although he had good range, continued to team well with Stanky in the middle of the infield, and led NL shortstops in assists (465) in 1951 and was named an All-Star for the first time. Dark hit .303 with a league-leading 41 doubles, plus 14 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Giants, who forced a season-extending playoff by tying the Brooklyn Dodgers atop the NL standings, winning the pennant in dramatic fashion. Dark hit .417 in the ensuing loss to the Yankees in the World Series. He remained a highly regarded player and team leader with the Giants, who finished second in 1952 and sank to fifth in ’53 before surging to the NL pennant in 1954. He hit .293 with 20 home runs and 70 RBIs for the first-place club and .412 in the stunning four-game sweep of Cleveland in the World Series. Dark suffered through an injury-plagued season in 1955, appearing in just 115 games and batting .282 with 9 home runs and 45 RBIs. An eight-player midseason trade in 1956 sent Dark to the St. Louis Cardinals and he batted .275 for the year. He hit .290 for the Redbirds in 1957 and was shifted to third base in 1958, a season during which he was traded once again, this time to the Chicago Cubs for RHP Jim Brosnan in May. He hit .295 the rest of the way for the Cubs and .264 in 1959, after which he was dealt again, this time to the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder Richie Ashburn. Dark appeared in 55 games for the Phillies in 1960 before being dealt to the Braves in June where he finished the season and his playing career as a utility infielder, backup outfielder, and pinch-hitter. Overall for his major league career Dark hit .289 with 2089 hits that included 358 doubles, 72 triples, and 126 home runs. He knocked in 757 runs and was a three-time All-Star, all with the Giants.  Dark didn’t stay away from the game for long, as he was hired to manage the Giants, now in San Francisco, in 1961 guiding them to the 1962 NL pennant. Fired following a third-place finish in 1964, he next managed the Kansas City Athletics in 1966 and part of ’67. His next stop was the Cleveland Indians from 1968 to ’71. He returned to the Athletics in 1974, now in Oakland and winners of two consecutive World Series titles under Dick Williams, who had resigned due to conflicts with owner Charlie Finley. The A’s made it three straight championships in ’74 and were division winners under Dark in 1975, falling to Boston in the ALCS, after which Dark was terminated by Finley. Dark next managed the San Diego Padres in 1977, his last managerial stop. His overall record as a major league manager was 994-954 with two league pennants and a World Series title. Dark was inducted into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.   

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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: Brandon Webb, 2006

Pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks

Age:  27 (May 9)

4^th season with Diamondbacks

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 230

Prior to 2006:

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

2006 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 33

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

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

Wins – 16 [1, tied with four others]

Losses – 8

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

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [1, tied with Chris Carpenter]

Innings Pitched – 235 [2]

Hits – 216 [18]

Runs – 91

Earned Runs – 81

Home Runs – 15

Bases on Balls – 50

Strikeouts – 178 [10, tied with Andy Pettitte]

ERA – 3.10 [3]

Hit Batters – 6

Balks – 2 [5, tied with five others]

Wild Pitches – 5

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

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

10+ strikeout games – 2

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

Batting

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

Fielding

Chances – 66

Put Outs – 17

Assists – 46

Errors – 3

DP – 3

Pct. - .955

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

All-Star

NL Cy Young voting (Top 5):

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aftermath of 2006:

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

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Rookie of the Year: Andre Dawson, 1977

Outfielder, Montreal Expos

Age:  23 (July 10)

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1977:

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

1977 Season Summary

Appeared in 139 games

CF – 129, LF – 14, RF – 3, PH – 6

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 566

At Bats – 525

Runs – 64

Hits – 148

Doubles – 26

Triples – 9 [11, tied with Omar Moreno]

Home Runs – 19

RBI – 65

Bases on Balls – 34

Int. BB – 4

Strikeouts – 93 [17]

Stolen Bases – 21

Caught Stealing – 7

Average - .282

OBP - .326

Slugging Pct. - .474 [20]

Total Bases – 249

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 1

Sac Flies – 4

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

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

Longest hitting streak – 7 games

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

HR at home – 7

HR on road – 12

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 5 at Chi. Cubs 7/4

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

Fielding

Chances – 365

Put Outs – 352

Assists – 9

Errors – 4

DP – 1

Pct. - .989

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting:

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

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

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

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

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

   

Aftermath of ‘77:

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

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league. 

MVP Profile: George Bell, 1987

Outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays

Age:  27

6^th season with Blue Jays

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 190

Prior to 1987:

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

1987 Season Summary

Appeared in 156 games

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

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

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

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

Runs – 111 [2]

Hits – 188 [6]

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

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 47 [2]

RBI – 134 [1]

Bases on Balls – 39

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

Strikeouts – 75

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – 1

Average - .308 [12]

OBP - .352

Slugging Pct. - .605 [2]

Total Bases – 369 [1]

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

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

Sac Hits – 0

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

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

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

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

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

Longest hitting streak – 17 games

HR at home – 19

HR on road – 28

Most home runs, game – 2 on nine occasions

Multi-HR games – 9

Most RBIs, game – 7 at Texas 5/9

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

Fielding

Chances – 273

Put Outs – 248

Assists – 14

Errors – 11

DP – 1

Pct. - .960

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

All-Star (started for AL in LF)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aftermath of ‘87:

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

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.