How did Jerome Walton win ROY?

[Mizzou]

I was just looking around on baseball reference and came to the 89 Cubs page. After comparing their stats, I don't see how Walton won the award over Dwight Smith. Comparing the two:

 

(Stat... Smith, Walton)

AVG... 324, 293

OBP... 382, 335

SLG... 493, 385

HR/RBI... 9/52, 5/46

SB/CS... 9/4, 24/7

 

So it looks like Smith outperformed Walton in just about every offensive category. And it's not like it was a close vote for the award... Walton had 22 first place votes and Smith had only 2. I was just a little kid back in 89 and don't remember much of the season. Surely some of you older people remember it well though. How on earth did Jerome Walton win the award over Dwight Smith?

[Abe Frohman]

Basically, stats don't tell the whole story. Jerome Walton was a sparkplug for the offense. Remember, the guy had a 30 game hitting streak, was a headache on the bases, and could drop a bunt for a hit at will.

 

Dwight Smith was solid, but he wasn't as big a part of the offense as Walton.

[abuck1220]

Basically, stats don't tell the whole story. Jerome Walton was a sparkplug for the offense. Remember, the guy had a 30 game hitting streak, was a headache on the bases, and could drop a bunt for a hit at will.

 

Dwight Smith was solid, but he wasn't as big a part of the offense as Walton.

 

yeah, it looks like he was a bigger part of the offense.

[stitchface]

how many ABs for each? Dwight Smith was the worst baserunner I have ever seen btw.

[Shilzzz]

so what happened to those two anyways? did pitchers just figure them out or were they both one season wonders?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

how many ABs for each? Dwight Smith was the worst baserunner I have ever seen btw.

 

502 PA's for Walton, 374 PA's for Smith

[illiniguy]

I always wondered, how did chris sabo win his over mark grace?

[imb]

everyone loves goggles

[Tracer Bullet]

As I remember - that 30 game hit streak was a big story that year. I always attributed Walton's ROY to that.

 

I remember thinking at the time that Smith looked like he'd be the better major leaguer. I guess that's probably true, he hung around Atl for a while, I think, but neither of them amounted to much.

[wade]

I always wondered, how did chris sabo win his over mark grace?

 

Sabo corked his bat.

[LoneStarCubFan]

Walton's streak came later in the season, it ended in late August if I remember correctly, when the Cubs were making their run to the division title.

 

Walton broke camp with the Cubs as their starting CF and leadoff hitter and there was some buzz about him as the season started, putting him on the radar early in the year.

 

I think Smith started the year in Des Moines and came up when the Cubs suffered some injuries early in the year. I believe he was platooning in LF with Lloyd McClendon early on.

 

Despite the numbers, Walton was more valuable to the Cubs' line-up and a better choice for ROY.

 

Let me be the first to point out that this scenario would never happen under Dusty Baker.

 

I really miss Don Zimmer. He's easily the best manager this franchise has had since Jim Frey left.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Walton's streak came later in the season, it ended in late August if I remember correctly, when the Cubs were making their run to the division title.

 

Walton broke camp with the Cubs as their starting CF and leadoff hitter and there was some buzz about him as the season started, putting him on the radar early in the year.

 

I think Smith started the year in Des Moines and came up when the Cubs suffered some injuries early in the year. I believe he was platooning in LF with Lloyd McClendon early on.

 

Despite the numbers, Walton was more valuable to the Cubs' line-up and a better choice for ROY.

 

Let me be the first to point out that this scenario would never happen under Dusty Baker.

 

I really miss Don Zimmer. He's easily the best manager this franchise has had since Jim Frey left.

 

Walton was a starter from day one. Smith, if my memory is correct, didn't get many at bats until Dawson went down with injury.

[Lefty]

Walton's streak came later in the season, it ended in late August if I remember correctly, when the Cubs were making their run to the division title.

 

Walton broke camp with the Cubs as their starting CF and leadoff hitter and there was some buzz about him as the season started, putting him on the radar early in the year.

 

I think Smith started the year in Des Moines and came up when the Cubs suffered some injuries early in the year. I believe he was platooning in LF with Lloyd McClendon early on.

 

Despite the numbers, Walton was more valuable to the Cubs' line-up and a better choice for ROY.

 

Let me be the first to point out that this scenario would never happen under Dusty Baker.

 

I really miss Don Zimmer. He's easily the best manager this franchise has had since Jim Frey left.

 

You liked Zimmer and Frey!? I'm gonna be watching you.

[cl smooth]

so what happened to those two anyways? did pitchers just figure them out or were they both one season wonders?

 

didn't walton blow out his hamstring one year? i remember him not being the same player after that. smith had a few decent seasons with cubs and got a ring with the '95 braves.

[J.R.]

so what happened to those two anyways? did pitchers just figure them out or were they both one season wonders?

 

didn't walton blow out his hamstring one year? i remember him not being the same player after that. smith had a few decent seasons with cubs and got a ring with the '95 braves.

 

He injured the hammy in '89, in May I believe. I remember him coming up lame between second and third in a night game verus the Giants that we lost late.

[jjgman21]

Basically, stats don't tell the whole story. Jerome Walton was a sparkplug for the offense. Remember, the guy had a 30 game hitting streak, was a headache on the bases, and could drop a bunt for a hit at will.

 

Dwight Smith was solid, but he wasn't as big a part of the offense as Walton.

 

yeah, it looks like he was a bigger part of the offense.

 

concluding how valuable a player was to a team by watching the games is not the most popular notion around here, but anyone who watched the Cubs in 89 would not hesitate in saying that Jerome was the more valuable player, despite what the state sheet may say.

 

Dwight was a strict platoon player that year. I doubt if he got more than 20 ABs against lefties all year. Walton's downfall was his quirky wide open stance. pitchers learned to get in on him and he never made the adjustment.

 

the future sure looked bright in 89. almost everyone on the team was 27 or younger and Sandberg and Sutcliffe seemed to have a few good years left in them. 90-91 sure was disappointing. not 2004-05 disappointing, but disappointing nonetheless.

[NewUserName]

I agree about the future looked bright. Good and young. It just so happened that the Cubs got career years out of Smith, Walton, Mitch Williams, Mike Bielecki, Lloyd McClendon and Paul Wilson. I am doing this just out of memory but didnt Vance Law have a really good year that year at 3rd also?

 

Jerome Waltons biggest problem was he played way over his head as a rookie. If I remember correctly he never hit over 275 in the minors and was moved from AA. Didnt someone get hurt? He got the job by default and did great. The rest of his career was more what you would have expected from his minor league Numbers.

 

Dwight Smith was a terrible "ballplayer". Lousy defense to go with his lousy baserunning. He and Lloyd made a good platoon tandem though. Lloyd was a 2nd string catcher and still was a better outfielder than Smith. Smith was a good hitter though. I always thought he would have done well to become a Yankee where he could DH and use that short RF porch. My brother always said that Dwight Smith was Lonnies little left handed brother. Probably true except Dwight was probably a better outfielder and Lonnie was a better baserunner

[NorthsideAvenger]

I am doing this just out of memory but didnt Vance Law have a really good year that year at 3rd also?

 

.235/.296/.355. No Vance did not have a "Really good year" in 1989.

[bmkhawk]

I thought Luis Salazar was the 3B in 1989.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I thought Luis Salazar was the 3B in 1989.

 

Baseball Reference says Salazar only played 26 games as a Cub in '89. He came over on August 30th.

[RynoRules]

I thought Luis Salazar was the 3B in 1989.

 

Baseball Reference says Salazar only played 26 games as a Cub in '89. He came over on August 30th.

 

True, but Mr. Salad Bar saw a bunch of ABs down the stretch and in the Giants series, as I recall.

 

I cried my eyes out at the end of the Giants series. Sandberg and Dawson were brutal, only Grace showed up. Will Clark yanked an HR out of Wrigley towards Sheffield that would have hit the "el" tracks if not for the buidlings. Matt Williams announced his presence to America with some rockets over the old chain-link at Candlestick.

 

That series sucked.

[cl smooth]

I cried my eyes out at the end of the Giants series. Sandberg and Dawson were brutal, only Grace showed up. Will Clark yanked an HR out of Wrigley towards Sheffield that would have hit the "el" tracks if not for the buidlings. Matt Williams announced his presence to America with some rockets over the old chain-link at Candlestick.

 

That series sucked.

 

sandberg hit .400 in the '89 NLCS. grace put on a one-man show. dawson was the one who didn't show up...he hit something like .157 or something horrid like that. i'll always remember that series...i was in 2nd grade and couldn't believe the cubs were playing baseball on my birthday. it was game 5 and they were eliminated. i was very sad and proceeded to play with my plastic baseball game that i received as a birthday present.

 

freakin' will clark! *shakes fist*

[Abe Frohman]

Yeah, Sandberg wasn't bad, but Grace hit .647 and was 11-17. I'll never forget it. Lloyd McClendon quietly had an excellent year, and if I am not mistaken he played every position on the field except P and the Keystone.

 

Bielecki won 18, Maddux 19, & Sutcliffe 16. It was a great team who knew how to execute.

[RynoRules]

Ah, my bust. I forgot that it was Ryne and Grace who played well and Hawk who didn't show.

 

I was 13, and even then I recognized that there was no way Mike Bielecki was going to repeat the year he had in 89'. And who was that Maddux kid anyway? When he came up all I knew was that he has a fu-man-chu 'stache.

[Warren Brusstar]

I really miss Don Zimmer. He's easily the best manager this franchise has had since Jim Frey left.

 

Jim Riggleman doesn't get nearly enough respect. The '98 team that won the wild card couldn't sniff any of the last three Cub teams in terms of talent.