gold star for USAHOF

16. John Mayberry

16. John Mayberry
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: February 18, 1949 in Detroit, MI USA
  • Weight: 215 lbs.
  • Height: 6'3"
  • Bats: L
  • Throws: L
  • Debut: September 10, 1968
  • Final Game: September 28, 1982
  • TSN All-Star - 1973
  • TSN All-Star - 1975
  • MVP - 1972
  • MVP - 1973
  • MVP - 1975
  • MVP - 1976
 
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In the mid-1970’s it would be hard to dispute that John Mayberry was one of the biggest reasons to catch a Royals Game.  On a team that did not have a lot of power hitters, it was Mayberry who would be the one to most likely go deep. 

The two-time All-Star would hit at least 20 Home Runs in five of his six seasons in KC, three of which would also see him exceed the 100 RBI mark.  Mayberry also possessed strong plate discipline as shown by his 1973 American League Leading .417 On Base Percentage.  He would finish second in that category in 1975 and third in 1972.  His best season was in 1975 where he finished with career-high numbers in Home Runs (34), Hits (161), and Doubles (38) with a nice Slash Line of .291/.416/.547.  He was voted the runner-up that year for the American League MVP Award.

Unfortunately, Mayberry declined and fell out of favor with management and was benched in the 1977 playoffs against the New York Yankees.  He was subsequently sold to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Mayberry loses out on a higher ranking primarily due to his poor defensive skills even for a First Basemen.  Kansas City selected Mayberry for their franchise Hall of Fame in 1996.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: First Base, Designated Hitter
  • Acquired: Traded from the Houston Astros with David Grangaard for Lance Clemons and Jim York 12/2/71.
  • Departed: Purchased by the Toronto Blue Jays 5/5/82.
  • Games Played: 897
  • Notable Statistics:

    459 Runs Scored
    816 Hits
    139 Doubles
    10 Triples
    143 Home Runs
    522 Runs Batted In
    16 Stolen Bases
    .261/.374/.448 Slash Line
    21.4 bWAR

    9 Playoff Games
    5 Runs Scored
    6 Hits
    1 Double
    0 Triples
    2 Home Runs
    6 Runs Batted In
    0 Stolen Bases
    .200/.250/.433 Slash Line

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    All-Star (1973 & 1974)
    Highest On Base Percentage (1973)
    Most Walks (1973 & 1975)
    Highest OPS+ (1975)
    Most Sacrifice Flies (1976)
    Most Intentional Walks (1973)
    Most Putouts (1972, 1973 & 1976)
    Most Putouts by a First Baseman (1972, 1973 & 1976)
    Most Double Plays Turned by a First Baseman (1972 & 1973)
    Highest Range Factor per Game by a First Baseman (1973 & 1974)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a First Baseman (1972 & 1977)

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