Tony Kubek, baseball player, 1957-1965

Tony Kubek

Born: 10/12/1935 in Milwaukee, WI, USA

MLB Debut: 1957-04-20 | Final Game: 1965-10-03

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: Anthony Christopher Kubek

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Biography

Tony Kubek was a prominent American professional baseball player, recognized for his contributions as a position player during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Born in 1935, Kubek made his Major League Baseball debut with the New York Yankees in 1957, where he quickly established himself as a key member of the team. Over the course of his career, which spanned from 1957 to 1965, Kubek played in 1,092 games, compiling a total of 1,109 hits, 57 home runs, and 373 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .266. His speed on the base paths was notable, as he recorded 29 stolen bases throughout his career. Kubek's achievements did not go unnoticed, as he earned accolades including the Rookie of the Year award and the TSN Rookie of the Year award, alongside four All-Star selections. He played during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the integration of the sport and the rise of competition in the American League. Known for his solid defensive skills and versatility on the field, Kubek became a fan favorite and an integral part of the Yankees' lineup, contributing to the team's success in a highly competitive era. After retiring in 1965, he transitioned into broadcasting, where he continued to share his love for the game with fans.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1092 4167 522 1109 178 30 57 373 29 217 441 0.266 0.303 0.364 0.667 -5360.4

Career AVG .266 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .303 vs. league average .320 across their career seasons — 5.4% below league average.

Career SLG .364 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 5.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.667 vs. league average 0.706 across their career seasons — 5.5% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1957 NYY AL 127 431 56 128 21 3 3 39 6 24 48 0.297 .257 (+15%) .323 (+4%) .391 (-3%) .715 (avg) -21.0
1958 NYY AL 138 559 66 148 21 1 2 48 5 25 57 0.265 .257 (+3%) .324 (-9%) .394 (-20%) .719 (-15%) -1701.9
1959 NYY AL 132 512 67 143 25 7 6 51 3 24 46 0.279 .256 (+9%) .323 (-3%) .392 (avg) .715 (-2%) -303.0
1960 NYY AL 147 568 77 155 25 3 14 62 3 31 42 0.273 .255 (+7%) .323 (-4%) .387 (+4%) .711 (avg) -100.0
1961 NYY AL 153 617 84 170 38 6 8 46 1 27 60 0.276 .258 (+7%) .328 (-7%) .399 (-1%) .727 (-4%) -661.1
1962 NYY AL 45 169 28 53 6 1 4 17 2 12 17 0.314 .257 (+22%) .326 (+10%) .393 (+10%) .719 (+10%) 276.3
1963 NYY AL 135 557 72 143 21 3 7 44 4 28 68 0.257 .246 (+4%) .308 (-5%) .371 (-8%) .680 (-6%) -732.3
1964 NYY AL 106 415 46 95 16 3 8 31 4 26 55 0.229 .250 (-9%) .312 (-12%) .377 (-10%) .690 (-11%) -879.1
1965 NYY AL 109 339 26 74 5 3 5 35 1 20 48 0.218 .245 (-11%) .310 (-17%) .371 (-21%) .682 (-19%) -1238.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
37 146 16 35 2 0 2 10 5 23 0.240

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1963 WS NYA 4 16 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.188
1962 WS NYA 7 29 2 8 1 0 0 1 1 3 0.276
1961 WS NYA 5 22 3 5 0 0 0 1 1 4 0.227
1960 WS NYA 7 30 6 10 1 0 0 3 2 2 0.333
1958 WS NYA 7 21 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 7 0.048
1957 WS NYA 7 28 4 8 0 0 2 4 0 4 0.286

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2 0 4 1 0 0
2B 3 0 1 1 0 0
3B 55 51 46 108 10 12
OF 145 95 213 6 8 2
SS 882 850 1544 2734 144 569

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1957 NYA 2B 1 0 1 1 0 0
1957 NYA 3B 38 36 26 72 8 7
1957 NYA OF 50 36 88 2 6 0
1957 NYA SS 41 32 74 108 6 26
1958 NYA 1B 1 0 2 0 0 0
1958 NYA 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1958 NYA OF 3 3 5 0 0 0
1958 NYA SS 134 133 242 453 28 98
1959 NYA 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0
1959 NYA 3B 17 15 20 36 2 5
1959 NYA OF 53 47 78 3 2 2
1959 NYA SS 67 64 121 217 11 42
1960 NYA OF 29 3 23 1 0 0
1960 NYA SS 136 133 228 443 22 84
1961 NYA SS 145 145 261 449 30 107
1962 NYA OF 6 6 17 0 0 0
1962 NYA SS 35 35 71 117 9 27
1963 NYA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1963 NYA SS 132 132 227 403 13 80
1964 NYA SS 99 95 186 307 11 52
1965 NYA 1B 1 0 2 1 0 0
1965 NYA OF 3 0 2 0 0 0
1965 NYA SS 93 81 134 237 14 53

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2
Second Base 3
Third Base 54
Shortstop 882
Left Field 84
Center Field 45
Right Field 31

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1961 TSN All-Star SS
1957 Rookie of the Year
1957 TSN Rookie of the Year

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1963 Most Valuable Player AL 27th 1.0 280 0
1960 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 29.0 336 0
1957 Most Valuable Player AL 26th 1.0 336 0
1957 Rookie of the Year AL 1st 23.0 24 23