Bob Watson - Houston Astros 1975 Season; Watson, a highly popular OF & 1B led the Astros with his .324 batting average. He hit 18 HR's.  Bob Watson is the only player in baseball history to hit for the cycle in both leagues. In 1977, he did it for the Astros and 1979 he did it while with the Boston Red Sox.

Gaylord Perry - Texas Rangers1976 Season; Gaylord led all Rangers' pitchers with his 15-14 record, ERA of 3.24.  Known for his spit ball, Perry was always making headlines in the 1970's.  His hurling led the Rangers in the AL West to a 78-86 record.

Dave Winfield - San Diego Padres 1978 Season; Captain and team leader, Winfield hit .308.  Playing outfield, Dave was the Padres big gun.  He blasted 24 HR's, 97 RBI's, a .499 slugging pct.

Ray Burris - Chicago Cubs1976 Season; Burris was the mainstay of the Cubs' staff; his pitching record was 15-13 and he was among the NL leaders with a 3.11 ERA.  This was the second straight season that, Ray Burris won 15 games. The Cubs finished the year with a 75-87 record.

Dennis Eckersley - Cleveland Indians1976 Season; Eckersley was one of the top starting pitchers in the American League.  In 1976, he was 13-12, ERA of 3.43 and struckout 200 hitters in 199 innings.  The Indians went 81-78 in the AL East.

Here within are some popular men of this decade.  The fans cheered and the players responded with their best performances.  These team stars were important team leaders in these years.

- baseballhistorian. com - archives biographies -

Carney Lansford - California Angels 1978 Season; Rookie Season; Carney came out third in the voting for "Rookie of the Year."  This all-around player batted .294 with 20 stolen bases. Lansford's play helped the Angels to a 87-75 finish, only five games out of 1st place.  This was the first time in seven years that the Angels played over .500 baseball.

Rusty Staub - Detroit Tigers1978 Season; Rusty Staub was second in the American League with 121 RBI's. Rusty ripped 30 doubles, 24 homers, batted .273.  Staub's great bat control was evident by the fact he struck out only 35 times in 642 at bats, while he walked 76 times.  His clutch hitting helped the Tigers go 86-76 in this season.

Andre Dawson - Montreal Expos1979 Season; Super Star Right fielder, Andre Dawson batted .275, stole 35 bases, clubbed 24 doubles, 12 triples, hit 25 home runs, scored 90 runs, had 92 RBI's.  Dawson's rapid throwing arm, outstanding fielding, great speed, clutch hitting helped the Expos finish with a 95-65 record; second best in the National League East.

Sixto Lezcano - Milwaukee Brewers1979 Season; Right fielder Sixto Lezcano was a highly popular ball player in the Milwaukee area as he helped "the Brew Crew" win many games with his all-around play.  In 1979, he powered 28 home runs, batted .321 and had a .573 slugging average.  Sixto was often called "a ballplayer's ballplayer" for his great throwing arm, all-around play in the outfield, and with his clutch hitting.

Mark Lemongello - Houston Astros1978 Season; Lemongello was 9-14, he started 30 games for the Astros and completed 9.  Mark hurled one shutout with a 3.94 ERA. Lemongello pitched 210 innings and his opponents batting average was a fine .259.  The Astros ended with a 74-88 record.

Jack Billingham - Cincinnati Reds1975 Season; Jack Billingham went 15-10 for the "Big Red Machine."  His effective pitching led the Reds to their best ever 108-54 record.  Billingham pitched in 208 innings and his ERA was 4.11.  The Reds went on to win the 1975 world series over the Boston Red Sox.

Omar Moreno - Pittsburgh Pirates1979 Season; Great speed on the bases - 77 stolen bases, leadoff hitter, center fielder, Omar Moreno batted .282, led the all major league players in times at bat and was among the leaders in runs scored with 110.  His speed, fielding and on base performance helped the Pirates in the fight for the pennant.

TOTAL BASES LEADERS 1976

Mike Schmidt, Phillies 306
Pete Rose, Reds 299
George Brett, Royals 298
George Foster, Reds 298
Steve Garvey, Dodgers 284
Chris Chambliss, Yanks 283

Hits Leaders 1976

George Brett, Royals 215
Pete Rose, Reds 215
Willie Montanez, Braves 206
Rod Carew, Twins 200
Steve Garvey, Dodgers 200

Era - Pitchers 1976

Mark Fidrych, Tigers 2.34
Vida Blue, A's 2.35
Frank Tanana, Angels 2.43
Mike Torrez, A's 2.50
Jim Palmer, Orioles 2.51
John Denny, Cards 2.52
Doug Rau, Dodgers 2.57
Tom Seaver, Mets 2.59

Lee Mazzilli - New York Mets1979 Season; Mazzilli led all Mets' hitters with his .303 batting.  He hit 15 home runs and had 79 RBI's.  Even with Mazzilli's fine all-around play, the Mets ended the year in last place with a 63-99 record.

Brian Downing - California Angels1979 Season; Brian Downing, left fielder and catcher, batted .326 with 27 doubles, 12 HR's and 75 RBI's and was named to his 1st All-Star game.  His fine play helped the Angels win their first ever American League West Crown.

Ken Kravec - Chicago White Sox1979 Season; Kravec was the White Sox star pitcher in this era.  His record of 15-13, ERA of 3.74, in 250 innings was tops on the team. The White Sox ended 73-87.

Ed Figueroa - New York Yankees1977 Season; Strong-armed, right-handed Figueroa was 16-11 with an ERA of 3.57.  His opponents batting average was .252 in 239 innings.  His fine pitching efforts helped the New York Yankees go 100-62 as they battled their way to become the World Champions of 1977.

Greg Luzinski - Philadelphia Phillies1977 Season; Outfielder Greg Luzinski was one of the top long ball hitters and this year, he was among the American League leaders with 39 home runs and drove in 130 RBI's.  As a starter in the 1977 All-Star game, Luzinski poked a long first inning home run.

Dave Parker - Pittsburgh Pirates  Left-handed hitting Dave Parker was ranked as one of
the star major league players in this era. Parker, was nicked named  "the Cobra" because of his unusual batting stance.  In 1978, he led the major leagues with a .334 batting average, hit 30 HR's, scored 102 runs, had 117 RBI's and stole 20 bases.  Dave Parker's play  kept the Pirates in the pennant chase all season long.  The Pirates ended 88-73, only one and a half game behind the Phillies.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS 1977

George Foster Cincinnati Reds
Rod Carew Minnesota Twins

CY YOUNG AWARD WINNERS 1977

Steve Carlton Philadelphia Phillies
Sparky Lyle New York Yankees

Listed are the main men of all different teams; some were league leaders but most were team leaders.  They provided their fans with many lasting memories of the decade of the 1970's.  Check out the next few pages for more facts.

Sonny Siebert - Boston Red Sox1971 Season; Sonny Siebert was the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff.  He was among the league leaders in this time-period and in 1971, his 16-11 record, ERA of 2.91 made him a standout AL Star.

Boog Powell - Baltimore Orioles1971 Season; Boog was one of the power boys of the Orioles; driving in key runs with his tape-measured home runs.  Boog Powell, 1st. Baseman, helped the Orioles win the 1971 pennant.  He hit 22 HR's and had 92 RBI's.  Boog was a popular player in this era.

Leon Roberts - Seattle Mariners1978 Season; Leon was one of the top Mariners for this year.  He hit .301, stroked 22 home runs with 92 RBI's.  Leon Roberts in 1979 hit 15 more home runs.

Rollie Fingers - Oakland A's1971 Season; Rollie was a starting pitcher his first years in the big leagues.  At the start of this season, Fingers asked to become a reliever.  From May to July, now a reliever, Rollie pitched 29 straight scoreless innings which helped the A's win the pennant.  This year 1971, he saved 17 games for the world champion Oakland A's.

Joe Coleman - Detroit Tigers1973 Season; Big Joe Coleman, 6'3" won 23 games for the Detroit Tigers.  This was the second highest total of all major league pitchers.  His 23-15 record along with an ERA of 3.53 helped the Tigers in their quest for the pennant.  The Tigers won 85 games in 1973.

Dick Allen - Chicago White Sox1972 Season; Dick Allen was traded to the White Sox before the 1972 season began.  He responded by batting .308, hit 28 doubles, 37 HR's, scored 90 runs with 113 RBI's.  He also stole 19 bases. Allen's heavy hitting helped the White Sox finish 77-85; fifth place in their division.

Ron Bryant - San Francisco Giants1973 Season; Bryant led the Major Leagues in wins with 24.  His top pitching helped the Giants; his record was 24-13, a pct of .667, ERA of 3.53, started 39 games and completed 8.

 
Frank Tanana - California Angels1976 Season; Left-handed Tanana was 19-10 and was among the leaders with his ERA of 2.43. His hard-throwing mowed down 261 American Batters on strikeouts; Tanana pitched 283 innings.

Dave Lemanczyk - Toronto Blue Jays1979 Season; Dave led this new expansion team in their first
season in the Major Leagues. He was their ace pitcher and his
record was 13-16 with an ERA of 4.25.

baseballhistorian.com archives 1970'sSEATTLE MARINERS 19771977; This was the Mariners first first year in the major leagues.  Glenn Abbott led their starting pitchers with a 12-13 record, he appeared in 36 games and boasted a 4.45 ERA.  Other pitchers for the Mariners in their expansion year included Mike Kekich with a 5-4 record; Enrique Romo, 8-10 with a 2.83 ERA; John Montague was 8-12, ERA 4.29. Leroy Stanton was their big star with 27 HR's, .275 batting average and 90 RBI's.  Others who were on their roster included Steve Braun, Dave Collins, Skip Jutze, Dan Myer, Bill Stein; all had fine years.

1977 DOUBLES LEADERSHal McRae Royals 54
Dave Parker Pirates 44
Dave Cash Expos 42
Warren Cromartie Expos 41
Keith Hernandez Cardinals 411977 TRIPLES LEADERSGarry Templeton Cardinals 18
Rod Carew Twins 16
Jim Rice Red Sox 15
Al Cowens Royals 14
George Brett Royals 13

baseballhistorian.com archives : stats

Bobby Tolan - Cincinnati Reds 1970Bobby Tolan led the major leagues by stealing 57 bases.  Lou Brock, Cardinals was next with 51; Bobby Bonds, Giants stole 48 bases. Joe Morgan, Reds' Star swiped 42.  Bert Campaneris - Oakland A's 1970 Speedy Bert Campaneris led the American League with his 42 stolen bases.

Mike Marshall - Los Angeles Dodgers1974 Season: Mike Marshall became the first relief pitcher in baseball history to win the "Cy Young Award."  Marshall appeared in 106 games, pitched 208 innings, won 15 - lost 12, saved 21 games. His ERA was 2.42 and his opponents batting average was .247.

Mickey Lolich - Detroit Tigers1971 Season: This great pitcher captured the "Cy Young" by winning 25 games, the most in the major leagues.  He lost only 14 games; had an ERA of 2.92, threw 4 shutouts; started 45 games and completed 29.  He pitched 376 innings while walking only 92 batters and struck out 308.  He limited the opposing batters to a .237 average.

Jim Rice - Boston Red Sox1978 Season: Jim Rice led the major league with a high of 406 total bases. This was the highest total since Musial's total of 429 in 1948.  Jim Rice hit 25 doubles, 15 triples and whacked 46 Homers.  Rice walked 58 times and hit 127 singles.

Ken Brett - Chicago White Sox1976 Season: Pitcher Ken Brett was the only White Sox Player to win 10 games or more. Brett was 10-12 with an ERA of 3.32.

Jeff Burroughs - Texas Rangers1974 Season: Jeff was the AL Most Valuable Player with his power hitting.  Burroughs hit 33 Doubles, 25 Hr's and he batted .301, walked 91 times and struck out 104 times.

Pete Rose - Cincinnati Reds 1974 Season: Pete Rose led the major leagues with 110 runs scored.  Teammate Johnny Bench was tied with Mike Schmidt with 108 runs.

Ralph Garr - Atlanta Braves1974 Season: Speedster Ralph Garr led the major leagues with 17 triples.  Al Oliver, Pittsburgh Pirates was second with 12.

Ron Guidry - New York Yankees1978 Season: Guidry won the AL "Cy Young Award" which is given to the best pitcher in the league.  He was 25-3, a .893 pct. Guidry started 35 games, completed 16 and hurled 9 complete shutouts.  He pitched 273 innings, struck out 248 and only walked 72 batters.  Ron Guidry had an outstanding ERA of 1.73 and an OBA of .193.

Leading Baseball Players 

Harmon Killebrew - Minnesota Twins Aug. 11, 1971, Harmon Killebrew hit 2 home runs vs the Baltimore Orioles.  The home runs were his 500 & 501 of his career.  Killebrew became only the 10th man in history to perform this feat.  The Metropolitan Stadium crowd cheered loud and long for their popular star.