John Mayberry
Encyclopedia
John Claiborn Mayberry (born February 18, 1949, in Detroit, Michigan
) is a former Major League Baseball
player who played for the Houston Astros
, Kansas City Royals
, Toronto Blue Jays
and New York Yankees
from 1968 to 1982.
, graduating in 1967. He was a gifted high school athlete, playing baseball, football, and basketball at Northwestern; John was twice named to the Detroit News All-State Basketball Team. After graduation, Mayberry was selected by the Houston Astros
in the first round (sixth overall) of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft
. He was the second first baseman taken in the draft, Ron Blomberg
having been selected number one overall by the New York Yankees
.
As an 18-year-old, Mayberry was assigned to the Covington Astros
of the Appalachian League
. While there, he batted .252 in the 1967 season, hitting 4 home run
s in 155 at-bats. He continued to develop the following season, making appearances at three different levels of minor league baseball
. His batting average
for the 1968 season was a robust .320, with a high of .338 in 195 at-bats for the Cocoa Astros of the Florida State League
. Between three levels, Mayberry hit 23 home runs and slugged .552. He made his major league debut that season, appearing in four games but amassing no hits. During his four-game call-up, Mayberry recalled the first time that he met Hank Aaron, who was playing for the Atlanta Braves
:
At 20 years old, Mayberry played 123 games for the Oklahoma City 89ers of the AAA-level American Association
. With 21 home runs, a .303 batting average, and a .522 slugging percentage, his power began to resemble the man he met the year before in the majors. He batted in
78 runs
and scored 95, walking
more times than he struck out
(62/42). Mayberry's second short stint in the majors did not result in his first hit, though he did make it on base with one walk in five plate appearance
s. That would not come until the following year; after playing 70 games at Oklahoma City and batting .273 with 13 home runs, Mayberry was called up to the Houston Astros.
in a 7–4 loss; he hit a single to right field off of Giants right-hander Frank Reberger
. The 1971 season was yet another year split between the minor leagues and the major leagues. While he hit .324 with 13 home runs in 64 games in the minors that year, Mayberry could only muster a .182 batting average in 46 games with Houston, hitting seven home runs and striking out 32 times. The Astros tried to turn Mayberry into a slap hitter rather than utilizing his natural power:
In the 1971 offseason, the Astros traded Mayberry, along with Dave Graangard, to the Kansas City Royals
for Lance Clemons
and Jim York
. The trade was regarded as one of the worst in baseball history.
, who equaled Mayberry's 1973 home run total, no other Royals batter achieved double-digits in home runs.
1975 was widely considered Mayberry's best season in Kansas City. He set career marks in doubles, home runs, runs scored, and RBI. His 34 home runs in a season were a Royals team record when he retired after the 1982 season. He was named the American League Player of the Month in July 1975 for hitting 12 home runs and posting a .365 batting average, and he hit three home runs in a game against future Hall of Famer
Ferguson Jenkins
. He also had an eight-game stretch during which he hit eight home runs.
But his good fortune was not to continue. Mayberry's statistics declined drastically in 1976 and 1977. He amassed a .232 batting average and only 13 home runs in 1976. Mayberry's home run production rebounded slightly in 1977; he hit 23 home runs, earning him a tie for the Royals team lead (with right fielder Al Cowens
) in that department. But his batting average remained low at .230, and his RBI total declined from 95 in 1976 to 82 in 1977.
On August 5, 1977, Mayberry went 4-for-5 against the Chicago White Sox
, hitting a single off Chris Knapp, a home run and a triple
off Bart Johnson
, and a double off Don Kirkwood
to complete the cycle; the Royals won the game, 12–2.
During the 1977 American League Championship Series
against the New York Yankees
, Mayberry arrived late for the fourth game, which was played in the afternoon, after a late-night outing. Mayberry played very poorly on both offense (striking out twice in two plate appearances) and defense (dropping a foul pop and a routine infield throw). Mayberry's ragged play prompted manager Whitey Herzog
to bench him midway through Game Four and to leave him out of the starting lineup for the decisive fifth game.
Herzog later blamed Mayberry for the Royals' failure to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS and demanded Mayberry's dismissal from the team, even though he also said he had "always loved the way John played". Consequently, before the start of the 1978 season, the Royals sold Mayberry to the Toronto Blue Jays
, who were beginning their second season of play in the American League
.
twice in his career (1973–1974). In 15 seasons, he compiled a .253 batting average
with 255 home run
s and 879 RBI. He had 1,379 career hits
in 5,447 at bat
s. He shares the record for most home runs in a season without hitting a double, with 7 in 1971. Upon his retirement, he held both the Royals (34 in 1975) and Blue Jays franchise records for home runs in a single season,. Mayberry had a sharp eye at the plate as evidenced by his leading the American League in walks (bases on balls) twice 1973 and 1975 and leading the American League with Intentional walks (bases on balls) with 17 in 1973. Mayberry still holds several Royals single season records including most home runs in a season for a left handed batter with 34 (1975), most walks in a season with 122 (1973), and most home runs on the road with 23 (1975).
, is currently an outfielder
in the Philadelphia Phillies
system. When watching his son's first game at Yankee Stadium
, the Fox telecast incorrectly identified Mayberry Sr. in the stands. When told of the incident, John, Jr. said, "I got a kick out of that". John, Jr. hit his first two career home runs in 2009 against his father's last two teams.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who played for the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
from 1968 to 1982.
High school and minor leagues
Mayberry attended Northwestern High SchoolNorthwestern High School (Michigan)
Northwestern High School is a secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan. The most recent enrollment figures for Northwestern indicate a student population of approximately 2,000. Northwestern High School features numerous extracurricular activities; including: Debate, US Army JROTC,...
, graduating in 1967. He was a gifted high school athlete, playing baseball, football, and basketball at Northwestern; John was twice named to the Detroit News All-State Basketball Team. After graduation, Mayberry was selected by the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
in the first round (sixth overall) of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft
1967 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The June draft was filled with talented prospects who would go on to pro careers...
. He was the second first baseman taken in the draft, Ron Blomberg
Ron Blomberg
Ronald Mark Blomberg , nicknamed Boomer, is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder...
having been selected number one overall by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
As an 18-year-old, Mayberry was assigned to the Covington Astros
Covington Astros
The Covington Astros were a minor league baseball team that played from 1967 to 1976 in the Appalachian League. Affiliated with the Houston Astros, they were located in Covington, Virginia. They played their home games at Casey Field.-Year-by-year record:...
of the Appalachian League
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Rookie-class minor league that began play in 1937 with one year of inactivity in 1956. From 1937 to 1962, it was a Class D League. Teams are located in the Appalachian regions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Tennessee...
. While there, he batted .252 in the 1967 season, hitting 4 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 155 at-bats. He continued to develop the following season, making appearances at three different levels of minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. His batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
for the 1968 season was a robust .320, with a high of .338 in 195 at-bats for the Cocoa Astros of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
. Between three levels, Mayberry hit 23 home runs and slugged .552. He made his major league debut that season, appearing in four games but amassing no hits. During his four-game call-up, Mayberry recalled the first time that he met Hank Aaron, who was playing for the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
:
I just stood there looking at him,' Mayberry said. 'I said to myself, "so this is the Hammer, this is Henry Aaron.
At 20 years old, Mayberry played 123 games for the Oklahoma City 89ers of the AAA-level American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
. With 21 home runs, a .303 batting average, and a .522 slugging percentage, his power began to resemble the man he met the year before in the majors. He batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
78 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
and scored 95, walking
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
more times than he struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
(62/42). Mayberry's second short stint in the majors did not result in his first hit, though he did make it on base with one walk in five plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s. That would not come until the following year; after playing 70 games at Oklahoma City and batting .273 with 13 home runs, Mayberry was called up to the Houston Astros.
Houston Astros
Mayberry played in 50 games during his first extended stint in "the Show", with his first career hit coming in April 1970 before he was sent back down to AAA. It came against the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in a 7–4 loss; he hit a single to right field off of Giants right-hander Frank Reberger
Frank Reberger
Frank Beall Reberger is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball.-Playing career:...
. The 1971 season was yet another year split between the minor leagues and the major leagues. While he hit .324 with 13 home runs in 64 games in the minors that year, Mayberry could only muster a .182 batting average in 46 games with Houston, hitting seven home runs and striking out 32 times. The Astros tried to turn Mayberry into a slap hitter rather than utilizing his natural power:
They wanted me to cut down on my strikeouts,' he said, 'but all long ball hitters seem to strike out a lot, don't they? What happened was that I not only wasn't cutting down on my strikeouts, but I wasn't hitting the long ball any more either.
In the 1971 offseason, the Astros traded Mayberry, along with Dave Graangard, to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
for Lance Clemons
Lance Clemons
Lance Levis Clemons was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals , St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox ....
and Jim York
Jim York
James Harlan York, born August 27, 1947, in Maywood, California is a former major league baseball player. In his six year career, he played for the Kansas City Royals, the Houston Astros, and the New York Yankees....
. The trade was regarded as one of the worst in baseball history.
Kansas City Royals
Mayberry was a classic slugging first baseman who batted left-handed. In his first season with the Royals, he hit 25 home runs and drove in 100 runs. His 78 walks were slightly more than his 74 strikeouts, and his .298 batting average came with the re-discovery of his power stroke. The 1973 season produced nearly identical statistics, but yielded better production. Mayberry led the league in walks (122) and on-base percentage (.417) while still batting .278, hitting 26 home runs, and driving in 100 for the second consecutive season. Mayberry's pure statistics, though, were even more remarkable in light of the fact that the Royals had no other power hitters in the lineup to protect him. Other than center fielder Amos OtisAmos Otis
Amos Joseph Otis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets , Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed....
, who equaled Mayberry's 1973 home run total, no other Royals batter achieved double-digits in home runs.
1975 was widely considered Mayberry's best season in Kansas City. He set career marks in doubles, home runs, runs scored, and RBI. His 34 home runs in a season were a Royals team record when he retired after the 1982 season. He was named the American League Player of the Month in July 1975 for hitting 12 home runs and posting a .365 batting average, and he hit three home runs in a game against future Hall of Famer
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
. He also had an eight-game stretch during which he hit eight home runs.
But his good fortune was not to continue. Mayberry's statistics declined drastically in 1976 and 1977. He amassed a .232 batting average and only 13 home runs in 1976. Mayberry's home run production rebounded slightly in 1977; he hit 23 home runs, earning him a tie for the Royals team lead (with right fielder Al Cowens
Al Cowens
Alfred Edward Cowens, Jr. was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From through , Cowens played for the Kansas City Royals , California Angels , Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners . He batted and threw right-handed.A native of Los Angeles, California, Cowens was a product of the Kansas...
) in that department. But his batting average remained low at .230, and his RBI total declined from 95 in 1976 to 82 in 1977.
On August 5, 1977, Mayberry went 4-for-5 against the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, hitting a single off Chris Knapp, a home run and a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
off Bart Johnson
Bart Johnson
Barton Robert "Bart" Johnson , is an American actor, best known for his role as Coach Jack Bolton in the High School Musical film series.-Personal life:...
, and a double off Don Kirkwood
Don Kirkwood
Donald Paul Kirkwood is a retired professional baseball player who played five seasons for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.-References:...
to complete the cycle; the Royals won the game, 12–2.
During the 1977 American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
against the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Mayberry arrived late for the fourth game, which was played in the afternoon, after a late-night outing. Mayberry played very poorly on both offense (striking out twice in two plate appearances) and defense (dropping a foul pop and a routine infield throw). Mayberry's ragged play prompted manager Whitey Herzog
Whitey Herzog
Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog is a former Major League Baseball manager. Born in New Athens, Illinois, he made his debut as a player in 1956 with the Washington Senators. After his playing career ended in 1963, Herzog went on to perform a variety of roles in Major League Baseball, including...
to bench him midway through Game Four and to leave him out of the starting lineup for the decisive fifth game.
Herzog later blamed Mayberry for the Royals' failure to defeat the Yankees in the ALCS and demanded Mayberry's dismissal from the team, even though he also said he had "always loved the way John played". Consequently, before the start of the 1978 season, the Royals sold Mayberry to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, who were beginning their second season of play in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
Toronto Blue Jays / New York Yankees
After his trade to Toronto, Mayberry only hit above .250 once again in his career. His season high in home runs for Toronto was 30, hit in 1980, but his statistics never returned to their 1975 level. He batted in 82 runs in 1980, but never approached the 100-RBI mark that he had met or exceeded three times with Kansas City. The Blue Jays traded Mayberry to the Yankees in 1982, but he retired at the end of the season having posted a .218 batting average, 10 home runs, and 30 RBI. In his last three seasons, Mayberry began to strike out more than walk, a trend that differed from his early career.Career notes
Mayberry was an All-StarMajor League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
twice in his career (1973–1974). In 15 seasons, he compiled a .253 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 255 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 879 RBI. He had 1,379 career hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 5,447 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. He shares the record for most home runs in a season without hitting a double, with 7 in 1971. Upon his retirement, he held both the Royals (34 in 1975) and Blue Jays franchise records for home runs in a single season,. Mayberry had a sharp eye at the plate as evidenced by his leading the American League in walks (bases on balls) twice 1973 and 1975 and leading the American League with Intentional walks (bases on balls) with 17 in 1973. Mayberry still holds several Royals single season records including most home runs in a season for a left handed batter with 34 (1975), most walks in a season with 122 (1973), and most home runs on the road with 23 (1975).
After baseball
After his retirement, Mayberry spent five years as a coach for the Blue Jays' farm system, two years as a coach for the Royals, and worked for the Royals' Community Affairs Department. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1996.Personal
Mayberry's son, John, Jr.John Mayberry, Jr.
John Claiborn Mayberry, Jr. is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies...
, is currently an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
system. When watching his son's first game at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, the Fox telecast incorrectly identified Mayberry Sr. in the stands. When told of the incident, John, Jr. said, "I got a kick out of that". John, Jr. hit his first two career home runs in 2009 against his father's last two teams.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...