What impact it may have had on limiting big-bonus signings is unclear: despite the rule’s severity, all sixteen major league teams carried at least one Bonus Baby on their roster in those years, and most had several, for a total of 57 by my count (see below). Batting Stats Pitching Stats On May 31, 1955, the Kansas City Athletics signed There was one particularly odious aspect to the Bonus Baby phenomenon that received little notice or commentary: not one of the 57 highly touted and lavishly compensated 1953-57 Bonus Babies was a player of color. Despite all the tremendous young African American and Latin American talent being scouted and signed by major league organizations in the 1950s – Hall of Famers It’s worth pondering why this was so. The last Bonus Babies in major league history were the 1965 crop: The complete list of Bonus Babies of the 1953-57 period: Pitching: Being a Bonus Baby Hurt. His parents, Jack Braun and Evelyn, divorced when Sandy was three years old. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted Positional Depth Charts WAR Tools The Bonus Rule of 1953-57 didn’t prove to be entirely enforceable. WPA Tools In 41-2/3 innings, he struck out 30 hitters, which was a portent of things to come, but he walked 29 (one intentionally), which was a problem he had to conquer before he became Sandy Koufax.It wasn't until 1962 that he became a dependable pitcher, and after the 1966 season, he called it quits.One cannot help but wonder how not receiving $20,000 to sign with Brooklyn would have affected baseball history.Both today and tomorrow’s games in Cincinnati have been postponed after Reds’ positive COVID-19 testNats star pitcher left Friday's start against the Orioles after 16 pitches due to an apparent hand injuryFrom court to concrete. They were called “babies” because of their youth; most were fuzzy-cheeked teenagers, signed directly out of high school or early college. 3 Year Projections Walt Alston used him judiciously, and only the fact that Brooklyn was in …

The Reds managed seven hits and six walks, while striking out only once.Today, three earned runs in six-and-two-thirds innings is a quality start.Handed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, Koufax was horrible. We win together. What it did, in different ways over the years (and with different triggering bonus amounts over the years), was impose limitations on a team’s capacity to farm out big-bonus players. The inability of most Bonus Babies to provide a meaningful contribution to the team’s chances of winning, all the while taking a job away from a veteran, completed the disquieting picture.There were a few great Bonus Baby successes: Al Kaline became a star almost overnight, and Harmon Killebrew and Sandy Koufax eventually developed into Hall of Famers. Simply this: they were all major league Bonus Babies between 1953 and 1957.“Bonus Baby” was the not-particularly-complimentary term applied to describe a player receiving a particularly large signing bonus upon turning pro. The majority of Bonus Babies spent their two years anchored to the bench, picking up little more than the odd pinch-running assignment; one, pitcher As Qualters’ derisive nickname suggests, the status of Bonus Babies could hardly have endeared them to their big league teammates. They were called “babies” because of their youth; most were fuzzy-cheeked teenagers, signed directly out of high school or early college.The Bonus Baby era began in 1947, and ended in 1965. It was believed that Koufax received $20,000 to sign.In front of only 7,204 fans at Ebbets Field, Koufax won his first major league game, striking out 14 batters as he hurled a brilliant two-hit shut out.Alston didn't visit Koufax on the mound until the sixth inning, which was considered significant because it indicated how effectively Koufax was pitching.Today, if a 19-year-old worked into the sixth inning, On Sept. 11, the Reds beat Koufax in Cincinnati, 5-3. All minor league baseball data provided by Major League Baseball Advanced Media He has frequently been a presenter at baseball forums such as the SABR National Convention, the Nine Spring Training Conference, and the Cooperstown Symposium.

“Bonus Baby” was the not-particularly-complimentary term applied to describe a player receiving a particularly large signing bonus upon turning pro. What do these players, disparate in ability, position, and background, have in common? While many (though assuredly not all) major league organizations in this period were avidly scouting and signing young players of color, every team, without exception, was hotly competing for young white American talent. Current Depth Charts The Bonus Baby era began in 1947, and ended in 1965. Competition for top amateur talent was stimulating ever-greater signing bonus figures, and the bonus rule had two purposes:– In the interest of competitive balance, to forestall the ability of the wealthiest franchises (primarily, the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Cardinals) to buy up the best young talent and hoard it in their vast farm systems.– In the interest of limiting labor costs, to dampen the attractiveness of prospects commanding the greatest interest, inhibiting competition for them and thus weakening the bonus payment market.The logic of the Bonus Rule was indirect, and rather clever. There was one rather scandalous episode. Reds scouts, reported sportswriter Lou Smith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, were turned off by the teenager’s lack of control and doubted he would ever develop big-league “stuff.”1 The Dodgers swooped in and signed Koufax for $20,000 (including a $6,000 salary), but were required to keep the “bonus baby” on their roster for two full seasons.2 It was obvious that Koufax was not ready for the big …