Vada Pinson was such a solid player for the Cincinnati Redsin the first half of the 1960s that it is actually something of a challenge to pick a career year for him. But 1963 proved to be the most productive season overall for the Reds’ center fielder. And it proved to be another season when Pinson’s excellence was overshadowed by a fleet of future Hall of Famers who patrolled the outfield as his contemporaries – including one on his own team.
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| Vada Pinson |
“Overshadowed” aptly applied to the best years of Pinson’s 18-season career. Called up by the Reds for the last month of the 1958 season, he claimed the center field job in his 1959 rookie season and promptly led the major leagues in runs scored (131) and doubles (47). He batted .316 as a rookie with 20 home runs and 84 runs batted in, and was named to the 1959 All-Star team.
Rookie of the Year for 1959? Unfortunately, in 1959 a player had to have fewer than 75 official at-bats to keep his rookie status. Pinson had 96 at-bats in 1958, and thus didn’t qualify (though he would have under today’s rules).
He hit .287 in 1960 and led the league again in doubles with 37. In 1961, he batted .343 and led the major leagues with 208 hits. He also won his only Gold Glove that season, finishing third in the balloting for Most Valuable Player (won by teammate Frank Robinson).
All terrific seasons, and Pinson would have more. But none of his seasons was more “complete” as a hitter than the performance he turned in for 1963. Pinson batted .313 (seventh in the National league) and again led the majors in hits with 204. He appeared in all 162 games, tying him for first with Bill White and Ron Santo. His .514 slugging average was fifth in the league. He finished third in total bases (335), second in doubles (37), first in triples with 14, eighth in singles (131), third in stolen bases (27) and fourth with 106 runs batted in.
An All-Star season? Not for Pinson. From 1961 through 1963, he batted a combined .316 and averaged 20 home runs and 98 RBIs per season. But there were no All-Star appearances again in his career after 1960. The National League's 1963 All-Star team included Tommy Davis, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron as the starting outfielders, with Roberto Clemente, Stan Musial, Willie McCovey and Duke Snider in reserve.
All of them except Davis ended up in the Hall of Fame. None of them had a better 1963 season than Vada Pinson.
An All-Star season? Not for Pinson. From 1961 through 1963, he batted a combined .316 and averaged 20 home runs and 98 RBIs per season. But there were no All-Star appearances again in his career after 1960. The National League's 1963 All-Star team included Tommy Davis, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron as the starting outfielders, with Roberto Clemente, Stan Musial, Willie McCovey and Duke Snider in reserve.
All of them except Davis ended up in the Hall of Fame. None of them had a better 1963 season than Vada Pinson.
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