Rookie of the Year Synergy Happens Once Every 3 Decades

Neftali Feliz and Buster Posey won the Rookie of the Year for 2010 and frankly the picks are spot on.

They both had great years, both look like future stars and both sparked their teams to the post season.

Voters made their selection before the post season began, so they had no idea that Feliz’s Rangers and Posey’s Giants were going to meet in the World Series. It was a nice coincidence. And it got me thinking… how often has the Rookie of the Year been awarded to players who faced off against each other in the World Series?

And we here at Sully Baseball can’t just have an idle thought like that.

The Rookie of the Year was first awarded in 1947. Jackie Robinson won it for the NL Champion Dodgers. Alvin Dark won it in 1948 for the NL Champion Braves.

Starting in 1949, both the American League and National League were naming their Rookie of the Year.

And since then, both rookies have faced off three times in the World Series.

1951

WILLIE MAYS - Giants GIL McDOUGALD - Yankees

Gil McDougald of the Yankees played against Willie Mays of the New York Giants. McDougald homered and helped the Yankees win. Mays struggled to a .182 average and no extra base hits.

1981
FERNANDO VALENZUELA - Dodgers DAVE RIGHETTI - Yankees

Dodger ace Fernando Valenzuela took his mania to the World Series against Dave Righetti and the Yankees. The two squared off in Game 3. Ron Cey hit a three run homer off of Righetti who only lasted 2 innings and got a no decision. Bob Watson and Rick Cerone homered off of Valenzuela but he settled down and went all 9 innings for the Series turning win.

2010

BUSTER POSEY - Giants NEFTALI FELIZ - Rangers

Feliz shut down San Francisco in Game 3, giving the Rangers their first World Series victory. But Posey and the Giants had the last laugh. He hit a home run in Game 4 to put the score out of reach and went 2-4 in the Game 5 clincher.


Don’t feel badly for Rookie of the Year, World Series runners up Dave Righetti and Willie Mays. They both had good Octobers this year.

Rags?
He finally got a World Series ring as a coach for the Giants this year.
And Willie?

Well he got to be part of the World Series celebration.

Stay tuned to see if the 2040 American League and National League Rookies of the Year match up.

It gets lonelier for Don Mattingly

I started thinking about Don Mattingly at the end of the 2010 World Series.

Why?

Because, as I wrote in a previous post, the Giants had three former Mattingly era Yankees on their coaching staff.

Dave Righetti, who was the Rookie of the Year in the AL for 1981, just before Mattingly arrived.

Roberto Kelly, who was supposed to be the next great Yankee superstar and make a 1-2 punch with Mattingly.

And Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens, who was supposed to be the fan favorite right handed slugger.

They all toiled with Mattingly in disappointing season after disappointing season in the Bronx and shared with Donnie Baseball in ringless frustration.

Except now... they will all be fitted with rings... and Mattingly still has yet to participate in a World Series.

His luck, as I wrote before, is staggeringly bad.

And if his managerial abilities are any indication, he won't be getting a ring any time soon as the Dodgers skipper.

Man, he can't catch a break. Maybe he can as Bam Bam to take a look at HIS ring.

Coaches looking for their first ring

When the World Series is over each year, we recognize that the players on the team have their World Series rings... and accomplished the great goal that every player wants to achieve.

And the managers as well are praised for reaching the promised land.

But what about the coaching staff?
A lot of times you see long time veterans win their first ever World Series ring as a player.

I remember Harold Baines, who meant as much to the White Sox as any player over the last few decades, hold up the World Series trophy in 2005... a World Champion finally after 20+ years not winning one as a player.

Long time veteran Chris Speier won his as a coach with the 2001 Diamondbacks. Tony Pena finally got his with the 2009 Yankees.

That got me thinking... what other coaches are there in the post season who were big leaguers and never won a ring?

It's fun to think about the veterans like Jim Thome and Aubrey Huff finally getting a shot at a ring during their playing days... but who is getting a shot at their rings after they've ended their careers.

So these are the coaches on the current playoff teams who were former big leaguers and never won a ring as a player, manager or coach.

I am not including managers on this list. It should be noted that Ron Washington of the Rangers and Bruce Bochy of the Giants are the only playoff managers without a ring.

Joe Girardi, Dusty Baker, Ron Gardenhire, Bobby Cox, Joe Maddon and Charlie Manuel have all won rings as either a player, coach or manager.




Brook Jacoby

11 big league seasons.

2 All Star appearances.

No post season experience as a player.







Pete Mackanin

9 big league seasons

No post season experience as a player.










Tim Flannery

11 big league seasons.

Appeared in 1984 NLCS and World Series for the Padres.








Mark Gardner

13 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 2000 Division Series for the Giants.







Roberto Kelly

14 big league seasons.

2 All Star appearances.

Appeared in the 1995 Division Series for the Dodgers.
The 1997 Division Series for the Mariners.
The 1998 and 1999 Division Series for the Rangers.



Hensley Meulens

7 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.







Dave Righetti

16 big league seasons.

2 All Star appearances.

1981 AL Rookie of the Year.

Appeared in 1981 Divisional Series, ALCS and World Series for the Yankees.




Ron Wotus

2 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.








Glenn Hubbard

12 big league seasons.

1 All Star appearances.

Appeared in the 1982 NLCS for the Braves.
The 1988 World Series for the A's.





Terry Pendleton

15 big league seasons.

1All Star appearance.

1991 NL MVP.

Appeared in the 1985 NLCS and World Series for the Cardinals.
1987 NLCS and World Series for the Cardinals.
1991 NLCS and World Series for the Braves.
1992 NLCS and World Series for the Braves.
1993 NLCS for the Braves.
1996 Division Series, NLCS and World Series for the Braves.





Andy Hawkins

10 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1984 NLCS and World Series for the Padres.







Clint Hurdle

10 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1978 ALCS for the Royals.
The 1980 ALCS and World Series for the Royals.
The 1981 Divisional Series for the Royals.






Mike Maddux

15 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1995 Division Series for the Red Sox.








Gary Pettis

11 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1986 ALCS for the Angels.










Rick Stelmaszek

3 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.








Scott Ullger

1 big league season.

No post season experience as a player.








Jerry White

11 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1981 Divisional Series and NLCS for the Expos.










Tom Foley

13 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.








Dave Martinez

2 big league seasons.


Appeared in the 2001 Division Series and NLCS for the Braves.







The entire coaching staff of the Yankees got rings last year. That's why they are not included here.

So I am not sure how much of a factor it would be to want a coach to win a ring. I can't imagine many out there are thinking "I hope the Rangers win it for Gary Pettis!"

But know there are some coachs who are going to be savoring a title as much as the players!

Real Yankee fans should be rooting for the Giants in the NL

It's very easy to be a Yankee fan now.
They've won a ton of titles and are almost always playing in October. They are THE marquee franchise and virtually every huge star passes through the Bronx.

Celebrities are at the games and the new Stadium is the crown jewel of baseball.

20 years ago... that wasn't the case. For some people who are young fans or casual fans, this might be something startling to hear... but the 1990 Yankees were THE WORST TEAM IN BASEBALL.

I was there. It was my first year living in New York. And you couldn't even get mugged in Yankee Stadium (but lord knows you could all around the neighborhood.)

25,000 was considered a great crowd. Nobody knew the players nor cared about the team. And there were rumors they would move to New Jersey or along the West Side of Manhattan.

If you were a Yankee fan then, you were a HARD CORE baseball fan.
They were old... they were expensive... they were bad.

And their minor leaguers sucked. Their free agents were busts. And the managers kept changing.

If you were a fan of the 1990 Yankees, you were the ones who cheered the loudest in 1996... You were the fans who truly savored the Torre years and the subsequent titles because you saw Yankee baseball at its worst.

And if you were one of those fans... trudging to Yankee Stadium to see Tim Leary lose 19 games... you should be rooting for the San Francisco Giants to win the National League Pennant.

The three players who best symbolized the 1990 Yankees are currently on the Giants coaching staff.

Dave Righetti... the last link to the World Series days... was on that 1990 team.

Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens... the very symbol of over hyped Yankee prospects... was on that 1990 team.

Roberto Kelly... the Yankees token All Star and supposed hope for better times before he was dealt for Paul O'Neill... was on that 1990 team.

Yeah that team stunk. But if you went to even ONE GAME that year, you never have to prove your loyalty again. And if someone calls you a bandwagon jumper, you can say "Hey! I was there cheering for Bam Bam Meulens!"

That 1990 team was a good barometer for true fandom.
That awful team deserves a salute in its own way.

So in the NL, cheer for the Giants. Their coaches stunk it up so the World Series nectar could taste sweeter.