Sandy Koufax, the league's top pitcher, went 25-5 and led the Dodgers to the pennant (and World Series), and was rewarded with the MVP Award. Since we are not considering pitchers, the MVP race is wide open. The runner-up to Koufax was Dick Groat, the 1960 MVP who now played shortstop for the Cardinals.

         I think that the selection of Groat as MVP in 1960 was a misguided choice; but this year, I think that he was a great player. Maybe not quite at the same level as the two goliaths, Mays and Aaron, but as good as anyone else. Whereas in 1960 Groat was a singles hitter who missed three weeks of the season, this year he spiked his performance 60 extra-base hits, and he played in almost every game.
        This was the first really good year of Joe Torre's career. He was the best National League catcher of the 1960's, playing eight full seasons at the position. He then moved to third base, and won an MVP Award in 1971. Since he retired, Torre has managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, and, of course, the Yankees, and has led the Bombers to four championships. Torre was a better player than many members of the Hall Of Fame; add his managerial accomplishments into the mix, and I think he's got to be inducted someday.
        Orlando Cepeda was 20 years old when he won the National League Rookie Of The Year Award in 1958. His first three years were outstanding; in 1961 he muscled up and hit 46 home runs. "The Baby Bull" continued hitting home runs; by the end of the 1964 season, Cepeda was 26 years old and already had 222 home runs in his career.
        He began to have knee problems after that. Cepeda missed almost all of the 1965 season; he returned the following year, but Willie McCovey had taken over at first base, and Cepeda was dealt to the Cardinals. With St. Louis, Cepeda had a great year in 1967 and won the MVP Award; he was still only 29 years old, but his knee problems weren't behind him. He had one more good season, with the Braves in 1970, before his injuries finished him. Cepeda played 17 years in total, and hit 379 home runs.
        After he retired, opinion was divided over whether he belonged in the Hall Of Fame. He was a great player, but injuries severely cut into his career. For 20 years, Cepeda slowly gathered support; in 1994, his last year on the ballot, Cepeda fell seven votes short. Five years later, in 1999, Cepeda was finally inducted by the Veterans Committee.
        In 1959, the Giants moved Cepeda to left field for the final two months of the season so that another young first baseman, Willie McCovey, could play. McCovey dominated the league, and won the Rookie Of The Year Award despite playing only 52 games. So the Giants were stuck with two great young first basemen. What to do? McCovey had a little slump the next year, so the Giants decided to play Cepeda every day, while McCovey took his lumps and sat on the bench.
        Brilliant. McCovey, one of the scariest power hitters ever, spent the next three years of his career sitting on his hands, while Cepeda rung up huge numbers. In 1962, McCovey played only 91 games, but hit .293 with 20 homers. The Giants then decided to try him every day in the outfield, and McCovey responded by hitting 44 home runs. Cepeda's knees began to hurt, and he was dealt to the Cardinals; McCovey became the everyday first baseman in 1965.
        I think that the best two players in the league were clearly Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, with the edge going to Aaron. In addition to his big power stats, Aaron had a great year stealing bases; he was caught only five times. Hank and Willie are then followed by two Cardinals, Groat and Ken Boyer.