Topps All Star Rookie Designation: How Accurate?

jskirwin

I just noticed that Johnny Bench received this designation in the '69 set, and Munson received it in the '71 set.
Overall, anyone know how well this designation matched the careers of the lucky players who received it?

helionaut

Sounds like a Master's thesis. Actually, the Topps Rookie Cup set that came out in January contains reprints and/or new cards of almost all players who got the "Rookie All-Star Team Cup" on their cards. As to how well those players actualy did is, of course, subjective. For instance, I would say my man Bake McBride, who was named to the team in 1975, had a nice if unspectacular career, and as a 1-time All-Star, did live up to the "hype." But most people would say he was a common player. Griffey, Pujols, and Ichiro won cups on their cards, but so did Dick Stigman, Rick Bosetti, and Hector Torres. I'd say that maybe 30-40% of players with the tag went on to have careers of distinction, with about 1 or 2 per year having HOF careers or close to it. Topps didn't do the cup thing for several years, though.

Boopotts

<< <i>Sounds like a Master's thesis. Actually, the Topps Rookie Cup set that came out in January contains reprints and/or new cards of almost all players who got the "Rookie All-Star Team Cup" on their cards. As to how well those players actualy did is, of course, subjective. For instance, I would say my man Bake McBride, who was named to the team in 1975, had a nice if unspectacular career, and as a 1-time All-Star, did live up to the "hype." But most people would say he was a common player. Griffey, Pujols, and Ichiro won cups on their cards, but so did Dick Stigman, Rick Bosetti, and Hector Torres. I'd say that maybe 30-40% of players with the tag went on to have careers of distinction, with about 1 or 2 per year having HOF careers or close to it. Topps didn't do the cup thing for several years, though. >>



30% sounds about right to me too. You have Danny Tartabull and Jose Canseco, for instance, who had decent careers, but then you have Andy Allenson, Mike Campbell and Jose Lind... Overall I'd say the rooke cup players fared significantly better than the Rated Rookies (if anyone needs any Jim Lindeman RC's I can set you up cheap...)

Stone193

This question comes up from time to time in different ways. All and all, I always wonder how the ROY's do in general with their over-all careers.

I'll let you be the judge:

American League:

Year, player, team

2005 Huston Street Oakland
2004 Bobby Crosby Oakland
2003 Angel Berroa Kansas City
2002 Eric Hinske Toronto
2001 Ichiro Suzuki Seattle
2000 Kazuhiro Sasaki Seattle
1999 Carlos Beltran Kansas City
1998 Ben Grieve Oakland
1997 Nomar Garciaparra Boston
1996 Derek Jeter New York
1995 Marty Cordova Minnesota
1994 Bob Hamelin Kansas City
1993 Tim Salmon California
1992 Pat Listach Milwaukee
1991 Chuck Knoblauch Minnesota
1990 Sandy Alomar, Jr. Cleveland
1989 Gregg Olson Baltimore
1988 Walt Weiss Oakland
1987 Mark McGwire Oakland
1986 Jose Canseco Oakland
1985 Ozzie Guillen Chicago
1984 Alvin Davis Seattle
1983 Ron Kittle Chicago
1982 Cal Ripken, Jr. Baltimore
1981 Dave Righetti New York
1980 Joe Charboneau Cleveland
1979 John CastinoMinnesota
Alfredo GriffinToronto
1978 Lou Whitaker Detroit
1977 Eddie Murray Baltimore
1976 Mark Fidrych Detroit
1975 Fred Lynn Boston
1974 Mike Hargrove Texas
1973 Al Bumbry Baltimore
1972 Carlton Fisk Boston
1971 Chris Chambliss Cleveland
1970 Thurman Munson New York
1969 Lou Piniella Kansas City
1968 Stan Bahnsen New York
1967 Rod Carew Minnesota
1966 Tommie Agee Chicago
1965 Curt Blefary Baltimore
1964 Tony Oliva Minnesota
1963 Gary Peters Chicago
1962 Tom Tresh New York
1961 Don Schwall Boston
1960 Ron Hansen Baltimore
1959 Bob Allison Washington
1958 Albie Pearson Washington
1957 Tony Kubek New York
1956 Luis Aparicio Chicago
1955 Herb Score Cleveland
1954 Bob Grim New York
1953 Harvey Kuenn Detroit
1952 Harry Byrd Philadelphia A's
1951 Gil McDougald New York
1950 Walt Dropo Boston
1949 Roy Sievers St. Louis Browns

National League

Year Player Team
2005 Ryan Howard Philadelphia
2004 Jason Bay Pittsburgh
2003 Dontrelle Willis Florida
2002 Jason Jennings Colorado
2001 Albert Pujols St. Louis
2000 Rafael Furcal Atlanta
1999 Scott Williamson Cincinnati
1998 Kerry Wood Chicago
1997 Scott Rolen Philadelphia
1996 Todd Hollandsworth Los Angeles
1995 Hideo Nomo Los Angeles
1994 Raul Mondesi Los Angeles
1993 Mike Piazza Los Angeles
1992 Eric Karros Los Angeles
1991 Jeff Bagwell Houston
1990 Dave Justice Atlanta
1989 Jerome Walton Chicago
1988 Chris Sabo Cincinnati
1987 Benito Santiago San Diego
1986 Todd Worrell St. Louis
1985 Vince Coleman St. Louis
1984 Dwight Gooden New York
1983 Darryl Strawberry New York
1982 Steve Sax Los Angeles
1981 Fernando Valenzuela Los Angeles
1980 Steve Howe Los Angeles
1979 Rick Sutcliffe Los Angeles
1978 Bob Horner Atlanta
1977 Andre Dawson Montreal
1976 Butch Metzger
Pat Zachry
San Diego
Cincinnati

1975 John Montefusco San Francisco
1974 Bake McBride St. Louis
1973 Gary Matthews San Francisco
1972 Jon Matlack New York
1971 Earl Williams Atlanta
1970 Carl Morton Montreal
1969 Ted Sizemore Los Angeles
1968 Johnny Bench Cincinnati
1967 Tom Seaver New York
1966 Tommy Helms Cincinnati
1965 Jim Lefebvre Los Angeles
1964 Richie Allen Philadelphia
1963 Pete Rose Cincinnati
1962 Ken Hubbs Chicago
1961 Billy Williams Chicago
1960 Frank Howard Los Angeles
1959 Willie McCovey San Francisco
1958 Orlando Cepeda San Francisco
1957 Jack Sanford Philadelphia
1956 Frank Robinson Cincinnati
1955 Bill Virdon St. Louis
1954 Wally Moon St. Louis
1953 Jim Gilliam Brooklyn
1952 Joe Black Brooklyn
1951 Willie Mays New York Giants
1950 Sam Jethroe Boston
1949 Don Newcombe Brooklyn

First two years - only one player selected from Both leagues:

1948 Alvin Dark Boston (NL)
1947 Jackie Robinson Brooklyn (NL)

One of my favorite pair of "busts" - Kittle and Charboneau.

mike

digicat

I've always liked the All-Star rookie subset. It'd be a fun set to do for the registry.

mudflap02

1994 was a bad vintage for ROYs.

And not to split hairs, but I'm thinking Jose Lind was one of the Ultra-Elite - not the All-Star Rookies with the trophy, but the "FUTURE STARS" with the big rainbow banner. There were only 3 or 4 Future stars in the sets they did them (87, 88, and 89 I think). Now that would be a fun set, and completable fairly quickly.

jskirwin

I suppose the true test would be to compare the ROY with other starters of the same year to see if they did any better.

digicat

<< <i>1994 was a bad vintage for ROYs. >>



Well... Mondesi did really good for a about 6 years after his ROY. Hamelin tanked immediately though.
How about 1980?

In the NL, you've got Steve Howe, who couldn't keep off the dope. (12 years, 7 drug related suspensions)
In the AL, you've got the legendary Joe Charboneau, who couldn't keep up the pace. (3 years)