AL Rookie of the Year | Sports Then and Now

Al Bumbry: From Bronze Star to AL Rookie of the Year 1931502021-05-31+18%3A21%3A42Dean+Hybl

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Dean Hybl

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month won a Bronze Star in Vietnam before going on to win American League Rookie of the Year honors and playing 14 seasons in the Major Leagues.

Though only 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, Al Bumbry was a four-year basketball player at Virginia State College (now University). The school restarted its baseball program during his career and Bumbry hit .578 during his senior season to earn notice from the Baltimore Orioles, who picked him in the 11^th round of the MLB Draft.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: Al Bumbry AL Rookie of the Year Baltimore Orioles
Category Baseball, Sports History, Vintage Athletes

Vintage Athlete of the Month

Rusty Staub: A Man For All Ages
April 8, 2024 | 1:26 pm

The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is a former major league baseball player who came into the game as a teenager and stayed until he was in his 40s. In between, Rusty Staub put up a solid career that was primarily spent on expansion or rebuilding teams.

Originally signed by the Colt .45s at age 17, he made his major league debut as a 19-year old rookie and became only the second player in the modern era to play in more than 150 games as a teenager.

Though he hit only .224 splitting time between first base and rightfield, Staub did start building a foundation that would turn him into an All-Star by 1967 when he finished fifth in the league with a .333 batting average.

Archive for Vintage Athlete of the Month »

Post Categories

Sports Then and Now

Al Bumbry: From Bronze Star to AL Rookie of the Year 1931502021-05-31+18%3A21%3A42Dean+Hybl

Vintage Athlete of the Month

Follow Us Online

Current Poll

Post Categories