Al Rosen Marquee

In 1953 he hit 43 home runs and drove in 145, leading the American League in both, and finished at .336 — one point behind Mickey Vernon, who was hitting for the title on the same afternoon. Rosen was thrown out at first base by half a step on his last at bat. Every one of the twenty-four voters put him first for the Most Valuable Player award.

He did not hold a job in the major leagues until he was twenty-six, having spent the war in the Navy and four seasons in the minor leagues, and a broken finger and back trouble ended him at thirty-two. Ten seasons gave him 1,063 hits, 192 home runs, 717 runs batted in, 587 walks and a .285 average, with four All-Star selections.

He was Jewish and was abused for it from dugouts throughout his career; he invited the men who did it to say it to his face, having boxed as a young man. He ran the Yankees, the Astros and the Giants afterward and was executive of the year in 1987. No writers' ballot ever listed him. He died in 2015, at ninety-one.