1967 AL Stargell Award

For the second straight year, an American League player won the Triple Crown. This year it was Carl Yastrzemski, whose monster season propelled the Red Sox to their first pennant in 21 years. It was a shocking victory for the Sox, who had finished last in 1966. But they had a great year from Yaz and some fine young players and a smart new manager in Dick Williams, and together they pulled it out, finishing one game ahead of both the Twins and Tigers.
They lost in the World Series, of course, falling to the Cardinals in seven games. But it was still a great year in Boston.

American League 1967

			AVG	OBA	SLU	AB	HIT	DB	TP	HR	RUN	RBI	BB	SB	OPS
RF	F ROBINSON	BAL	311	408	576	479	149	23	7	30	83	94	71	2	979
LF	F HOWARD	WAS	256	339	511	519	133	20	2	36	71	89	60	0	849
1B	H KILLEBREW	MIN	269	413	558	547	147	24	1	44	105	113	131	1	965
RF	T OLIVA	MIN	289	347	463	557	161	34	6	17	76	83	44	11	810
LF	B ALLISON	MIN	258	356	470	496	128	21	6	24	73	75	74	6	826
1B	M MANTLE	NYY	245	391	434	440	108	17	0	22	63	55	107	1	825

LF	C YASTRZEMSKI	BOS	326	421	622	579	189	31	4	44	112	121	91	10	1040
RF	A KALINE	DET	308	415	541	458	141	28	2	25	94	78	83	8	952

SS	R PETROCELLI	BOS	259	330	420	491	127	24	2	17	53	66	49	2	750
O/3/2	C TOVAR	MIN	267	325	365	649	173	32	7	6	98	47	46	19	691
CF	P BLAIR	BAL	293	353	446	552	162	27	12	11	72	64	50	8	799
2B/SS	D MCAULIFFE	DET	239	364	411	557	133	16	7	22	92	65	105	6	775
3B	B ROBINSON	BAL	269	332	434	610	164	25	5	22	88	77	54	1	763
SS	J FREGOSI	CAL	290	349	395	590	171	23	6	9	75	56	49	17	744
CA	B FREEHAN	DET	282	392	447	517	146	23	1	20	66	74	73	1	835

         Yaz had been a regular for six seasons; his credentials before this season included a batting title and three All-Star appearances. But he had never hit more than 20 homers in a season. He must have put on some muscle, because he topped the 40-homer mark three times in the next four seasons. Then he went back to hitting 15 homers a season, and retired with 452 in his career.
        Yastrzemski played for 23 years, all of them with the Red Sox, and for two decades was Boston's biggest star. He replaced Ted Williams in left field, and was eventually replaced in left by Jim Rice, giving the Red Sox one of the baseball's greatest legacies at one position. He won his only MVP Award this year, but he also an All-Star 18 times, and led the league at one time or another in almost every offensive category.
        Yastrzemski led the Red Sox to two pennants, in 1967 in 1975, their only post-season appearances in an otherwise desolate 40-year span of baseball. Only Pete Rose has played more games then Yastrzemski; he also ranks among the top ten in at bats, hits (3419), doubles (646), walks, and total bases.
         Brooks Robinson had the same season he had in 1966 (when he was second in the MVP vote), and in 1965 (when he was third). The voters must have gotten tired of him, because he didn't receive any votes at all this year. His point totals from 1964-67: 269, 150, 153, 0. As usual, Brooks combined good hitting with spectacular defense; my own humble opinion is that he was clearly one of the top ten players in the league, probaby one of the top five.
         The Twins and the Tigers finished in a second place tie, one game behind the Red Sox. Harmon Killebrew led the Twins, and finished second in the vote behind Yaz. Bill Freehan was probably the best American League catcher of the era; he had his first of two monster seasons for the Tigers, and finished a deserving third in the MVP balloting.