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| | Tuesday, December 14 Mays is Player of the Decade for 1960-69 | |||||
Even the home run king couldn't beat out Willie Mays for the Player of the Decade honor for the '60s. Mays was the clear favorite among the 33,436 that took the time to vote, despite the fact that his competition included five Hall of Famers.
The voting was conducted on ESPN.com in conjunction with the Players Choice Awards in Las Vegas on Nov. 5. ESPN.com users picked winners for the first nine decades of the century, and the players themselves will select the player of the '90s. The winner of that honor will be announced as part of the Players Choice Awards show, which will be televised on ESPN (8:30 p.m. ET).
Hank AaronAaron, the all-time HR king, never hit more than 44 homers in a season, but he hit exactly 44 homers three different times in the 1960s, and totaled 375 in the decade. He also batted .308 in the 1960s, and was a fine outfielder and an excellent base stealer. Roberto Clemente Clemente's .328 batting average in the 1960s was 20 points higher than the No. 2 man, Hank Aaron. But even more than his hitting, it's Clemente's throwing arm that people remember, as he routinely gunned down baserunners from the warning track in right field. Bob Gibson People still talk about Gibson's 1968 season, when he posted a 1.12 ERA, the lowest in National League history. He won the Cy Young and MVP that season (and another Cy Young in 1970). Gibson really shined in the World Series, going 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA in three Fall Classics. Sandy Koufax From 1962 through 1965, Sandy Koufax was the greatest pitcher in the game. In those five seasons, Koufax threw four no-hitters and won three Cy Young awards. Overall in the '60s, Koufax won 137 games and lost only 60. After winning his third Cy Young, Koufax retired at the age of 30 because of severe elbow pain. Willie Mays Regarded by many as baseball's greatest living player, Willie Mays was also arguably the greatest outfielder in the game's history. He won a dozen Gold Gloves, including nine in the 1960s. Mays was the National League's MVP in 1965. Frank Robinson Often overshadowed by fellow outfielders Aaron, Clemente and Mays, Frank Robinson could do just about anything on a ball field that he wanted to. In 1961, Robinson won the National League MVP award while leading the Reds to their first pennant since 1940. And after being traded to Baltimore in 1966, Robinson won the American League MVP award while leading the Orioles to their first pennant in franchise history. | ALSO SEE Baseball's Players Choice Awards Player of 1900-09: Honus Wagner Player of 1910-19: Ty Cobb Player of the '20s: Babe Ruth Player of the '30s: Jimmie Foxx Player of the '40s: Ted Williams Player of the '50s: Mickey Mantle Player of the '70s: Pete Rose Player of the '80s: Mike Schmidt  | |||||
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