Roy Sievers
Encyclopedia
Roy Edward Sievers is a former first baseman
/left fielder
in Major League Baseball
. From through , Sievers played for the St. Louis Browns
(1949–53), the original Washington Senators
(1954–59), Chicago White Sox
(1960–61), Philadelphia Phillies
(1962–64), and finally the new Senators
(1964–65). He batted and threw right-handed.
Signed by the St. Louis Browns as a free agent in 1947, Sievers debuted in the major leagues on April 21, 1949.
Rookie of the Year
and TSN Rookie of the Year
awards in 1949, batting
.306 with 16 home run
s and 75 RBI
. He struggled to .238 in 1950, and for the next three years he suffered shoulder and arm injuries that limited his playing time
to 134 games. He was traded to the Washington Senators for Gil Coan
before the season.
In Washington, Sievers collected 95 or more RBI and played at least 144 games during five consecutive years (1954–58) and made the AL All-Star
team three times (1956–57, 1959). His most productive season came in , when he led the league in home runs (42), RBI (114), extra base hit
s (70) and total bases
(331), batting .301. He finished third in the MVP
ballot with four first-place votes and 205 points –Mickey Mantle
got six and 233, Ted Williams
five and 209.
On April 4, , Sievers went to the Chicago White Sox in the same trade that sent Earl Battey
and Don Mincher
to Washington. In his first year with the Sox, he hit .295 with 28 homers and 93 RBI, and had almost an identical season in 1961 with .295, 27, 92, making his fourth All-Star appearance.
From 1962-64, Sievers remained productive with the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League
. In the 1964 midseason, he was sold to the AL expansion Senators, playing his final game on May 9, 1965.
At a time when achieving 300 home runs was still a rarity, Sievers became only the 18th ballplayer to reach the plateau. He also holds the dubious distinction of being the first member to hit 300 home runs and not make the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In a 17-season career, Sievers was a .267 hitter with 318 home runs and 1147 RBI in 1887 games. After his playing career ended, he served one season (1966) as a coach
for the Cincinnati Reds
and managed in the minor leagues
.
Mr. Sievers currently resides in St. Louis
, and attends the annual St. Louis Browns Alumni gathering each year.
, Camilo Pascual
, Pedro Ramos
, Johnny Schaive
, Zoilo Versalles
and Hal Woodeshick
.
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
/left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. From through , Sievers played for the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1949–53), the original Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
(1954–59), Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1960–61), Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1962–64), and finally the new Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1964–65). He batted and threw right-handed.
Signed by the St. Louis Browns as a free agent in 1947, Sievers debuted in the major leagues on April 21, 1949.
Career
Sievers won the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
and TSN Rookie of the Year
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award
The Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News .*In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball....
awards in 1949, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.306 with 16 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 75 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. He struggled to .238 in 1950, and for the next three years he suffered shoulder and arm injuries that limited his playing time
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
to 134 games. He was traded to the Washington Senators for Gil Coan
Gil Coan
Gilbert Fitzgerald Coan is a former outfielder in Major League, playing mainly as a left fielder for four different teams between the and seasons...
before the season.
In Washington, Sievers collected 95 or more RBI and played at least 144 games during five consecutive years (1954–58) and made the AL All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
team three times (1956–57, 1959). His most productive season came in , when he led the league in home runs (42), RBI (114), extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s (70) and total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(331), batting .301. He finished third in the MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
ballot with four first-place votes and 205 points –Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
got six and 233, Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
five and 209.
On April 4, , Sievers went to the Chicago White Sox in the same trade that sent Earl Battey
Earl Battey
Earl Jesse Battey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago White Sox , the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins...
and Don Mincher
Don Mincher
-External links:***...
to Washington. In his first year with the Sox, he hit .295 with 28 homers and 93 RBI, and had almost an identical season in 1961 with .295, 27, 92, making his fourth All-Star appearance.
From 1962-64, Sievers remained productive with the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. In the 1964 midseason, he was sold to the AL expansion Senators, playing his final game on May 9, 1965.
At a time when achieving 300 home runs was still a rarity, Sievers became only the 18th ballplayer to reach the plateau. He also holds the dubious distinction of being the first member to hit 300 home runs and not make the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In a 17-season career, Sievers was a .267 hitter with 318 home runs and 1147 RBI in 1887 games. After his playing career ended, he served one season (1966) as a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and managed in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
.
Mr. Sievers currently resides in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and attends the annual St. Louis Browns Alumni gathering each year.
Highlights
- 4-time All-Star (1956–57, 1959, 1961)
- AL Rookie of the Year (1949)
- Set seasonal and career records in home runs for the Senators:
- 42, in 1957
- 180, in 3547 at-batsAt batIn baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
Top 10 AL leaderboards and awards
- 3-time MVP vote (1957–58, 1960)
- 3-time in batting average (1949, 1957, 1960)
- 6-time in home runs (1954–58, 1960)
- 7-time in RBI (1949, 1954–58, 1960)
- 4-time in runsRun (baseball)In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(1956–58, 1960) - 7-time in extra base hits (1954–58, 1960)
- 6-time in slugging (1949, 1955, 1957–58, 1960–61)
- 4-time in intentional walksBase on ballsA base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
(1956–60)
Fact
Sievers was only one of seven players to donning the uniform of both the original and expansion Washington Senators teams, being the others Don MincherDon Mincher
-External links:***...
, Camilo Pascual
Camilo Pascual
Camilo Alberto Pascual is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During an 18-year baseball career , he played for the Washington Senators , the second Washington Senators franchise, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cleveland Indians...
, Pedro Ramos
Pedro Ramos
Pedro Ramos Guerra was a Major League pitcher with a 15-year career from 1955 to 1967, and again from 1969 to 1970...
, Johnny Schaive
Johnny Schaive
John Edward Schaive was a backup second and third baseman who played in Major League Baseball between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 8", 175 lb., Schaive batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Springfield, Illinois.Schaive spent 14 years in baseball as a player, manager, coach and scout...
, Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Casanova Versalles Rodriguez , nicknamed "Zorro", was a Cuban shortstop in Major League Baseball, who was considered a solid leadoff man, and a good baserunner whose speed helped him to cover a huge area at shortstop...
and Hal Woodeshick
Hal Woodeshick
Harold Joseph Woodeshick was an American left-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , both Washington Senators , Houston Colt .45s/Astros and St. Louis Cardinals...
.
See also
- The Sporting News Rookie of the Year AwardThe Sporting News Rookie of the Year AwardThe Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award was established in 1946 by The Sporting News .*In 1947-48, and again in 1950, a single award was given for all of Major League Baseball....
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
External links
- Baseball Library - profile and chronology