February 9, 2010
Order Now Get "The world champ of baseball annuals." The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2010 features articles by THT's staff as well as Bill James, Tom Tango and Craig Wright and contains much, much more. Please support THT and use this link to purchase the Annual.  Get the fantasy book that everyone's raving about! Edited by THT Fantasy's Rob McQuown and Michael Street, and featuring our own Matt Hagen on prospects. Shipping now from ACTA! 
Pat Andriola
Rich Barbieri John Barten Brian Borawski Craig Brown Evan Brunell Chuck Brownson Kevin Dame Joshua Fisher David Gassko Jeremy Greenhouse Brandon Isleib Chris Jaffe Max Marchi Bruce Markusen Dan Novick Harry Pavlidis Alex Pedicini Jeff Sackmann Nick Steiner Dave Studeman Steve Treder Bryan Tsao Tuck! Geoff Young John Brattain And here's the full roster.
Or you can search by:
Gear up for baseball season with Chicago White Sox tickets and New York Yankees tickets. LA Angels tickets, Houston Astros tickets, and Atlanta Braves tickets are hot sellers! You can get Boston Red Sox tickets, San Diego Padres tickets or Chicago Cubs tickets for your favorite baseball fan. Coast to Coast Tickets has the best MLB tickets like Minnesota Twins tickets, LA Dodgers tickets, Milwaukee Brewers tickets, New York Met tickets and St. Louis Cardinals tickets. Find premium Chicago Cubs tickets and other Chicago tickets at JustGreatTickets.com. Chicago Cubs Tickets Chicago Tickets  All content on this site (including text, graphs, and any other original works), unless otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons License. |
Leveling the 1930s Playing Field, Part 1: The Seasonsby Steve TrederDecember 28, 2004 Last spring, we explored the history of the comparative styles of baseball offered by the American and National Leagues. In so doing, we noted that the period from 1931-1942 marked the most dramatic difference ever between the leagues in terms of scoring; the AL was consistently the higher-scoring league, by margins rarely if ever matched before or since. Here's the gist it: The 1920s had featured higher and higher scoring, and the 1930 season was the highest, with record-setting levels in both leagues. Suddenly in 1931, things changed -- but only in the National League. Wondering about the explanation for this extraordinary historical oddity, we focused primarily on the baseball itself: I think there's only one possible explanation: the baseball. Each league in those days authorized and used its own private-label baseball; there was no such thing as a single standard "major league" ball. Given the evidence, I don't think there's any possible conclusion to draw but this: whether intentionally or not, the National League used a distinctly less lively baseball than the American League from 1931 through 1942. And we concluded with this: ... this is something very important to keep in mind when assessing players of the 1931-42 era. We may tend to see the best hitters of that time as being in the AL (Gehrig, Foxx, Greenberg, etc.), with the NL's best hitters (Ott, Klein, Medwick, etc.) as not quite measuring up. Maybe the best hitters were American Leaguers, but a careful scoring-environment context assessment needs to be applied in order to be certain. All these months later, we've decided to finally get around to taking up that challenge we presented ourselves last April: here we'll present an attempt at a "careful scoring-environment context assessment" look at the achievements of the best players of the 1930s. In doing further research, I've come to two conclusions I wasn't ready to make earlier. First, while I remain very confident that the different-resiliency baseball is the primary variable causing the very different scoring levels between the leagues in that period, the research I conducted in preparing the "Eddie, Eddie, Eddie and the American League Walkathon" piece alerted me to a second important factor as well: AL umpires were calling a much more batter-friendly strike zone than NL umps in the 1930s, just as they would be through the height of the AL walk boom of 1947-56. (To be clear, in the 1930s it might be just as correct to phrase it as NL umps calling a particularly pitcher-friendly zone.) The second conclusion is that the era in which the two league's baseballs were so differently constructed was actually only 1931 through 1941, and doesn't include 1942. Upon closer examination, it's clear that the WWII-era "balata ball" was in use in both leagues for all or most of 1942. The difference in scoring between the leagues in '42 was minor compared to that of 1931-41. So our examination here won't include 1942. So, my fundamental assertion is that the enormous difference between league scoring environments in 1931-41 was a function of (a) different baseballs, and (b) different de facto strike zones. These ball and zone differences yielded raw stats for hitters and pitchers that make for problematic comparisons between the leagues. So how to address that challenge? While league-normalized metrics such as OPS+, ERA+, Win Shares, and the like account for different scoring environments, in boiling raw stat lines down to a simple, abstract single figure, they're all too efficient. They do a good job at summing the end-of-the-day differences in value between players, but they don't allow us to see the broader details of just how players would have appeared and compared, given a standard environment. In short, uber-stats solve the essential problem -- but they also miss the interesting fun, and perhaps the tangential insights, that only a complete stat line can provide. So here's what I did instead. I took the overall major league average rate in the basic categories for each season from 1931 through 1941: runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, walks, and strikeouts. I then adjusted the stats for each league to that season's major league-wide norm, whether up or down, to create a scenario in which each year, both leagues achieved identical per-game rates of runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, walks, and strikeouts. Each player's stats in these key categories were thus adjusted proportionally. (For details on the precise percentage adjustments, please see the References and Resources section below.) So let's have a look at how key players in the 1931-41 period might have appeared, if instead of the two leagues offering distinctly different scoring conditions, they had presented identical scoring environments. This time we'll focus on each individual season, and next time we'll assess the impact on the careers of key players. 1931 Major league offense cools off considerably from the extraordinary spike that had occurred in 1929 and, especially, 1930. Levels of runs, hits, and home runs are just about exactly back to where they had been throughout most of the 1920s. Earl Webb of the Boston Red Sox -- an undistinguished journeyman before 1931 --sets a major league record with 65 doubles, surpassing the mark of 64 that had been achieved by Cleveland's George Burns just five years before. But no major hitting star in either league has a career year; no new personal bests are achieved by any of the game's best hitters in a significant category. This isn't the case among pitchers, however. Lefty Grove, who had emerged as the major leagues' best pitcher in 1930, has an even better season in 1931. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 153 Runs, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, and Bill Terry, Giants, 130 RBI, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 172 RBI, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 130 Total Bases, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 397 Total Bases, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 358 Home Runs, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, and BABE RUTH, Yankees, 43 Home Runs, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 34 Walks, AL: BABE RUTH, Yankees, 118 Walks, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 88 Batting Average, AL: AL SIMMONS, Athletics, .387 Batting Average, NL: Chick Hafey, Cardinals, .352 On-Base Percentage, AL: BABE RUTH, Yankees, .484 On-Base Percentage, NL: Paul Waner, Pirates, .409 Slugging Average, AL: BABE RUTH, Yankees, .679 Slugging Average, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, .601 OPS, AL: BABE RUTH, Yankees, 1.163 OPS, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 1.105 Strikeouts, AL: LEFTY GROVE, Athletics, 171 Strikeouts, NL: Wild Bill Hallahan, Cardinals, 163 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: Bump Hadley, Senators, 6.06 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: DAZZY VANCE, Dodgers, 6.31 Hits/9 Innings, AL: LEFTY GOMEZ, Yankees, 7.54 Hits/9 Innings, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 7.75 Walks/9 Innings, AL: HERB PENNOCK, Yankees, 1.31 Walks/9 Innings, NL: Syl Johnson, Cardinals, 1.54 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: LEFTY GROVE, Athletics, 9.45 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 10.41 ERA, AL: LEFTY GROVE, Athletics, 1.93 ERA, NL: Bill Walker, Giants, 2.43 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: No one really makes a case to challenge either the number three hitter in the Yankee batting order, or their cleanup man. Between Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, however, it's a very close call. The teammates tie for the major league lead in home runs, with 43, and they also both hit 30 doubles. Gehrig bests Ruth in several counting stat categories: runs (153 to 139), hits (209 to 197), triples (15 to 3), RBI (172 to 153), and total bases (397 to 361). But the Babe draws a few more walks than Gehrig (118 to 108), and clearly outpaces the younger man in the rate stats: BA (.370 to .338), OBP (.484 to .437), SLG (.679 to .643), and therefore OPS (1.163 to 1.080). On balance the nod goes to the 36-year-old Sultan of Swat. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: Not a close call by any means. Lefty Grove goes an astonishing 31-4, with 5 saves, and a major-league-leading 171 strikeouts against just 57 walks. His 1.93 ERA is the best in the majors since 1923. It's Grove's best year yet, and no other pitcher in either league remotely approaches him. 1932 24-year-old Jimmie Foxx of the Athletics bursts into superstardom, blasting 56 homers to challenge Ruth's mark. In the National League, two records are broken: Chuck Klein establishes a new NL standard with 163 runs scored, while Paul Waner hits 62 doubles, becoming the first National Leaguer to reach 60. A bright new pitching star arrives in the form of 21-year-old brash rookie Jerome "Dizzy" Dean, who goes 18-15, giving up 123 walks, but leading the majors in strikeouts with 196. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, 142 Runs, NL: CHUCK KLEIN, Phillies, 163 RBI, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, 159 RBI, NL: Don Hurst, Phillies, 153 Total Bases, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, 430 Total Bases, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 427 Home Runs, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, 56 Home Runs, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, and Mel Ott, Giants, 40 Walks, AL: Babe Ruth, Yankees, 111 Walks, NL: MEL OTT, Giants, 120 Batting Average, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, .364 Batting Average, NL: LEFTY O'DOUL, Dodgers, .368 On-Base Percentage, AL: BABE RUTH, Yankees, .470 On-Base Percentage, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, .438 Slugging Average, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, .734 Slugging Average, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, .657 OPS, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, 1.191 OPS, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 1.070 Strikeouts, AL: Red Ruffing, Yankees, 186 Strikeouts, NL: DIZZY DEAN, Cardinals, 196 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: RED RUFFING, Yankees, 6.45 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: Dizzy Dean, Cardinals, 6.16 Hits/9 Innings, AL: Johnny Allen, Yankees, 7.60 Hits/9 Innings, NL: STEVE SWETONIC, Pirates, 7.39 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Clint Brown, Indians, 1.46 Walks/9 Innings, NL: BILL SWIFT, Pirates, 1.32 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: Lefty Grove, Athletics, 10.39 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: CARL HUBBELL, Giants, 9.76 ERA, AL: Lefty Grove, Athletics, 2.67 ERA, NL: LON WARNEKE, Cubs, 2.53 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: Klein has a phenomenal year. Baker Bowl influence notwithstanding, a .348, 50-double, 16-triple, 40-homer season is one impressive season, and Klein throws in a league-leading 20 stolen bases for good measure. Mel Ott's .318, 40-homer, 120-walk performance is quite noteworthy as well. But the top honor definitely has to go to Jimmie Foxx, who dominates counting stats and rate stats pretty much across the board, and whose .734 Slugging Average is the highest yet achieved by a hitter not named Ruth or Gehrig. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: Grove has another tremendous year, at 25-10 with 7 saves and a league-leading 2.67 ERA. But several other pitchers approach him. Alvin Crowder of the Senators goes 26-13, 3.13, in a major-league-leading 327 innings. Carl Hubbell is a very sharp 18-11, 2.84, with 140 strikeouts and just 48 walks in 284 innings. Red Ruffing goes 18-7, 2.90, with 186 strikeouts in 259 innings. 23-year-old Lon Warneke of the Cubs, in his first full season, is 22-6 with a major-league-leading 2.53 ERA. All things considered, Lefty Grove gets the call again, but it's no slam dunk this time. 1933 It's a pitchers' year. At 4.48 runs per team/game, it's the lowest-scoring season since 1920. None of the established batting stars reach new heights, but a couple of newer faces emerge. The Cardinals' 29-year-old Pepper Martin, in his first season as a full-time regular, hits .320 while drawing 83 walks, leads the league with 26 steals, and leads the majors with 138 runs scored. Twenty-one-year-old Pittsburgh shortstop Arky Vaughan steps into stardom with a .319 average, 80 walks, 22 triples, and 109 RBI. Numerous pitchers in both leagues put up sterling numbers, but no records are set. Dramatizing the low-scoring mode, Mel Harder of the Indians leads the AL in ERA with a 2.64 mark, but is able to forge just a 15-17 won-lost record. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, 124 Runs, NL: PEPPER MARTIN, Cardinals, 138 RBI, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, 146 RBI, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 135 Total Bases, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, 376 Total Bases, NL: CHUCK KLEIN, Phillies, 389 Home Runs, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, 42 Home Runs, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 33 Walks, AL: BABE RUTH, Yankees, 95 Walks, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 93 Batting Average, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, .351 Batting Average, NL: CHUCK KLEIN, Phillies, .373 On-Base Percentage, AL: Mickey Cochrane, Athletics, .434 On-Base Percentage, NL: CHUCK KLEIN, Phillies, .437 Slugging Average, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, .661 Slugging Average, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, .638 OPS, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, 1.092 OPS, NL: Chuck Klein, Phillies, 1.075 Strikeouts, AL: Lefty Gomez, Yankees, 154 Strikeouts, NL: DIZZY DEAN, Cardinals, 211 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: Lefty Gomez, Yankees, 5.90 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: DIZZY DEAN, Cardinals, 6.50 Hits/9 Innings, AL: Tommy Bridges, Tigers, 7.26 Hits/9 Innings, NL: HAL SCHUMACHER, Giants, 7.07 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Clint Brown, Indians, 1.38 Walks/9 Innings, NL: RED LUCAS, Reds, 0.92 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: Firpo Marberry, Tigers, 10.51 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: CARL HUBBELL, Giants, 9.33 ERA, AL: Mel Harder, Indians, 2.64 ERA, NL: CARL HUBBELL, Giants, 1.88 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: Once again, Klein and Foxx each lead their leagues in just about everything, including the Triple Crown categories. Taking park factors into consideration, Wally Berger of the Boston Braves -- .317 with 32 homers and 120 RBI in a very poor hitters' park - strongly rivals Klein. But Jimmie Foxx, despite backing off a bit from his stunning 1932 performance, retains the title. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: The list of contenders is long. Grove comes in at 24-8, with 6 saves, and a 2.87 ERA. Dean is 20-18, 3.43, with 4 saves and a major-league-leading 211 strikeouts. 22-year-old Hal Schumacher of the Giants goes 19-12, 2.43. Lon Warneke follows up his stellar 1932 performance with another gem: 18-13, 2.27. But none of these aces matches Carl Hubbell. In 309 NL-leading innings, he strikes out 166 while walking only 59. He has 23 wins and 5 saves against 12 losses, with a scintillating 1.88 ERA, the best in the major leagues since the Dead Ball season of 1919. 1934 Scoring bounces back up to a level very closely in line with 1931-32, at 4.91 runs per team/game. But it takes a slightly different shape than ever before: the walk rate (3.21) is the second-highest of all time, and the strikeout rate (3.45) is the highest since the Dead Ball year of 1917. No personal bests are achieved by any of the veteran stars. But strapping 23-year-old Hank Greenberg of the Tigers, in his first full season, leads the majors with 62 doubles, while batting .341 with 26 homers and 133 RBI. Another sensational young slugger is Cleveland's Hal Trosky: .331 with 34 homers and 136 RBI, at the age of 21. On the pitching side, 34-year-old Lefty Grove comes up sore-armed and woefully ineffective (8-8, 6.23), but both 24-year-old Dizzy Dean and 25-year-old Lefty Gomez emerge with their most dazzling performances yet. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: CHARLIE GEHRINGER, Tigers, 128 Runs, NL: PAUL WANER, Pirates, 128 RBI, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 158 RBI, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 141 Total Bases, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 407 Total Bases, NL: Ripper Collins, Cardinals, 371 Home Runs, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 48 Home Runs, NL: Ripper Collins, Cardinals, and Mel Ott, Giants, 36 Walks, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, 95 Walks, NL: ARKY VAUGHAN, Pirates, 113 Batting Average, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, .364 Batting Average, NL: Paul Waner, Pirates, .361 On-Base Percentage, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, .452 On-Base Percentage, NL: Arky Vaughan, Pirates, .445 Slugging Average, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, .701 Slugging Average, NL: Ripper Collins, Cardinals, .619 OPS, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 1.154 OPS, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 1.021 Strikeouts, AL: Lefty Gomez, Yankees, 156 Strikeouts, NL: DIZZY DEAN, Cardinals, 197 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: Red Ruffing, Yankees, 5.18 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: PAUL DEAN, Cardinals, 5.86 Hits/9 Innings, AL: LEFTY GOMEZ, Yankees, 7.17 Hits/9 Innings, NL: Roy Parmelee, Giants, 7.83 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Wes Farrell, Red Sox, 2.09 Walks/9 Innings, NL: CARL HUBBELL, Giants, 1.28 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: Lefty Gomez, Yankees, 9.80 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: CARL HUBBELL, Giants, 9.45 ERA, AL: LEFTY GOMEZ, Yankees, 2.23 ERA, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 2.41 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: Foxx has another terrific year (.336, 43 homers, 95 walks). So does Mel Ott (.325, 36 homers, 102 walks), and the Cardinals' Ripper Collins comes out of nowhere with a .332, 36-homer monster season. But no one approaches the performance of Lou Gehrig: he's not only the AL Triple Crown winner, but the Major League Triple Crown winner at .364 with 48 homers and 158 RBI. He also leads the majors in total bases, OBP, SLG, and of course OPS. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: Hubbell is brilliant again, at 21-12, with 8 major-league leading saves and a 2.41 ERA in 313 innings. The Yankees' Lefty Gomez is perhaps even more brilliant: 26-5, 2.23, with 156 strikeouts in 282 innings. But the best overall performance is by the colorful young Dizzy Dean: 30-7 (the NL's first 30-game winner since 1917), 7 saves, a 2.78 ERA in 312 innings, and 197 major-league-leading strikeouts. 1935 Offensive rates overall hold steadily close to 1934 levels. Other hitters may have slightly better seasons, but few pull off an achievement quite as impressive as that of the Braves' Wally Berger: playing for a team that wins a total of 38 games, and in a very poor hitters' park, he leads the NL in homers (34) and RBI (135). The Chicago Cubs feature two emerging young stars: 25-year-old second baseman Billy Herman hits .342 and leads the majors with 59 doubles and 228 hits, and 23-year-old left fielder Augie Galan hits .315 with 104 walks and 138 major-league-leading runs scored. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, 120 Runs, NL: AUGIE GALAN, Cubs, 138 RBI, AL: HANK GREENBERG, Tigers, 164 RBI, NL: Wally Berger, Braves, 135 Total Bases, AL: HANK GREENBERG, Tigers, 383 Total Bases, NL: Joe Medwick, Cardinals, 370 Home Runs, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, and HANK GREENBERG, Tigers, 36 Home Runs, NL: Wally Berger, Braves, 34 Walks, AL: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, 113 Walks, NL: ARKY VAUGHAN, Pirates, 116 Batting Average, AL: Buddy Myer, Senators, .348 Batting Average, NL: ARKY VAUGHAN, Pirates, .386 On-Base Percentage, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, .446 On-Base Percentage, NL: ARKY VAUGHAN, Pirates, .502 Slugging Average, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Athletics, .630 Slugging Average, NL: Arky Vaughan, Pirates, .615 OPS, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, 1.076 OPS, NL: ARKY VAUGHAN, Pirates, 1.116 Strikeouts, AL: Tommy Bridges, Tigers, 165 Strikeouts, NL: DIZZY DEAN, Cardinals, 188 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: JOHNNY ALLEN, Yankees, 6.16 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: Van Mungo, Dodgers, 5.95 Hits/9 Innings, AL: Johnny Allen, Yankees, 7.99 Hits/9 Innings, NL: CY BLANTON, Pirates, 7.83 Walks/9 Innings, AL: MEL HARDER, Indians, 1.42 Walks/9 Innings, NL: Watty Clark, Dodgers, 1.46 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: Lefty Grove, Red Sox, 10.66 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: CY BLANTON, Pirates, 10.17 ERA, AL: LEFTY GROVE, Red Sox, 2.60 ERA, NL: Cy Blanton, Pirates, 2.70 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: The familiar sluggers (Gehrig, Foxx, and Ott) all produce excellent seasons. Young Hank Greenberg builds on his breakthrough 1934 performance with an even better one, leading the majors in homers, RBI, and total bases. But no one matches the amazing year of the Pirates' 23-year-old shortstop: Arky Vaughan leads the majors in OPS, and his .502 on-base percentage is the best by anyone since 1926. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: The Boston Red Sox feature two aces, both presenting remarkable comebacks from arm trouble: Wes Ferrell goes 25-14, 3.39, in 322 innings (while batting .347 with 7 homers and 31 RBI), and Lefty Grove bounces back to 20-12, 2.60 in 273 innings. The Tigers' Tommy Bridges is 21-10, 3.38 in 274 innings. But once again no one tops Dizzy Dean: 28-12 with 5 saves, a 3.17 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 325 innings. 1936 It's a hitters' year: scoring comes in at 5.19 runs per team/game, matching the 1929 level (though still well behind 1930's 5.55). A new walk rate record is set, at 3.40. Billy Herman, who had hit 59 doubles in 1935, improves upon that mark with 62 -- but he finishes a distant second in that category to Joe Medwick of the Cardinals, who whacks 69, easily setting a new major league record. The season's outstanding rookie is unquestionably 21-year-old Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees, who lives up to his hype with a .319, 26-homer, 348-total base performance. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 153 Runs, NL: Arky Vaughan, Pirates, 134 RBI, AL: Hal Trosky, Indians, 148 RBI, NL: JOE MEDWICK, Cardinals, 152 Total Bases, AL: Hal Trosky, Indians, 383 Total Bases, NL: JOE MEDWICK, Cardinals, 387 Home Runs, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 44 Home Runs, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 37 Walks, AL: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, 113 Walks, NL: ARKY VAUGHAN, Pirates, 140 Batting Average, AL: LUKE APPLING, White Sox, .383 Batting Average, NL: Paul Waner, Pirates, .377 On-Base Percentage, AL: Luke Appling, White Sox, .459 On-Base Percentage, NL: ARKY VAUGHAN, Pirates, .469 Slugging Average, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, .661 Slugging Average, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, .621 OPS, AL: LOU GEHRIG, Yankees, 1.117 OPS, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 1.085 Strikeouts, AL: Tommy Bridges, Tigers, 178 Strikeouts, NL: VAN MUNGO, Dodgers, 234 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: Johnny Allen, Indians, 6.23 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: VAN MUNGO, Dodgers, 6.74 Hits/9 Innings, AL: MONTE PEARSON, Yankees, 7.56 Hits/9 Innings, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 8.01 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Ted Lyons, White Sox, 1.93 Walks/9 Innings, NL: RED LUCAS, Pirates, 1.57 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: Lefty Grove, Red Sox, 10.25 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: CARL HUBBELL, Giants, 10.00 ERA, AL: Lefty Grove, Red Sox, 2.57 ERA, NL: CARL HUBBELL, Giants, 2.55 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: There's a long list of impressive candidates. Ott, Foxx, Medwick, Trosky, and Vaughan are all terrific. 34-year-old Earl Averill has his best year, at .373 with 25 homers. 29-year-old Dolf Camilli emerges from obscurity with a .320, 32-homer, 137-walk blockbuster season. But the best performance of all comes from the amazing Lou Gehrig, who at 33 is nearly as great as he's ever been: .349, 44 homers, 113 walks. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: Dean is tremendous, at 24-13, 3.50, with a major-league-leading 11 saves. The remarkable 36-year-old Grove goes 17-12 and leads the AL in ERA yet again, with a 2.57 mark in 253 innings. Van Mungo of the Dodgers strikes out 234, most by anyone since 1924. Tommy Bridges has his best year, at 23-11, 3.29, in 295 innings. Still, no one really compares with the masterful Carl Hubbell, who breezes through the high-scoring environment with a 26-6 record (plus 3 saves), and a 2.55 ERA in 304 innings. 1937 Scoring eases back to typical 1930s levels, at 4.87 runs per team/game. But walks remain historically high, at 3.40, and the strikeout rate climbs to a new record level, at 3.63. The most impressive emerging hitter is 24-year-old Johnny Mize of the Cardinals, who in his first season as a full-time regular hits .369 with 29 homers. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: JOE DiMAGGIO, Yankees, 141 Runs, NL: Joe Medwick, Cardinals, 120 RBI, AL: HANK GREENBERG, Tigers, 171 RBI, NL: Joe Medwick, Cardinals, 166 Total Bases, AL: Joe DiMaggio, Yankees, 394 Total Bases, NL: JOE MEDWICK, Cardinals, 431 Home Runs, AL: JOE DiMAGGIO, Yankees, 41 Home Runs, NL: Joe Medwick, Cardinals, and Mel Ott, Giants, 35 Walks, AL: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, 113 Walks, NL: MEL OTT, Giants, 117 Batting Average, AL: Charlie Gehringer, Tigers, .366 Batting Average, NL: JOE MEDWICK, Cardinals, .379 On-Base Percentage, AL: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, .455 On-Base Percentage, NL: DOLF CAMILLI, Phillies, .460 Slugging Average, AL: Joe DiMaggio, Yankees, .638 Slugging Average, NL: JOE MEDWICK, Cardinals, .676 OPS, AL: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, 1.067 OPS, NL: JOE MEDWICK, Cardinals, 1.097 Strikeouts, AL: LEFTY GOMEZ, Yankees, 197 Strikeouts, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 156 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: Lefty Gomez, Yankees, 6.38 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: VAN MUNGO, Dodgers, 6.71 Hits/9 Innings, AL: LEFTY GOMEZ, Yankees, 7.38 Hits/9 Innings, NL: Van Mungo, Dodgers, 7.76 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Monty Stratton, White Sox, 1.79 Walks/9 Innings, NL: DIZZY DEAN, Cardinals, 1.73 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: MONTY STRATTON, White Sox, 9.38 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: Cliff Melton, Giants, 10.24 ERA, AL: LEFTY GOMEZ, Yankees, 2.17 ERA, NL: Jim Turner, Bees, 2.57 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: Joe DiMaggio steps forward as one of the game's great sluggers. Hank Greenberg rebounds from a 1936 broken wrist with his best season yet. Dolf Camilli proves that his '36 breakthrough was no fluke, and both Lou Gehrig and Mel Ott come through with predictably outstanding seasons. But the performance of the year belongs to Joe Medwick, the NL Triple Crown winner who also leads the majors in hits (242), doubles (61), total bases, slugging, and OPS. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: Numerous pitchers have fine years. Red Ruffing is 20-7, 2.79, Lefty Grove 17-9, 2.82, Carl Hubbell 22-8, 3.45. The NL features three 20-game-winning rookies: Lou Fette (20-10, 3.11), Cliff Melton (20-9, 2.82), and Jim Turner (20-11, 2.57). But only one pitcher has a great year: Lefty Gomez, who comes in at 21-11 with a 2.17 ERA and 197 strikeouts in 278 innings. 1938 Scoring (4.89 runs per team/game) holds almost exactly steady at the 1937 rate. But its shape continues to change, as several trends continue: hits (9.52) are at their second-lowest rate since 1920, while homers (0.60) are at their second-highest of all time. Strikeouts ease off a bit from their record 1937 rate, but are still historically high at 3.41, and another new walk rate record is established, at 3.53. Several new pitchers emerge as stars. The most intriguing of these is unquestionably Bob Feller, who at the tender age of 19 is placed in the Indians' rotation for the full season, and goes 17-11, 3.72 in 278 innings -- with 236 strikeouts (most in the majors since 1924, and most in the AL since 1913), and 183 walks (most ever in the AL, and most in the majors since 1898). League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: HANK GREENBERG, Tigers, 131 Runs, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 129 RBI, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Red Sox, 160 RBI, NL: Joe Medwick, Cardinals, 135 Total Bases, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Red Sox, 370 Total Bases, NL: Johnny Mize, Cardinals, 350 Home Runs, AL: HANK GREENBERG, Tigers, 50 Home Runs, NL: Mel Ott, Giants, 43 Walks, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Red Sox, and Hank Greenberg, Tigers, 105 Walks, NL: DOLF CAMILLI, Dodgers, 138 Batting Average, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Red Sox, .344 Batting Average, NL: ERNIE LOMBARDI, Reds, .347 On-Base Percentage, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Red Sox, .447 On-Base Percentage, NL: MEL OTT, Giants, .456 Slugging Average, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Red Sox, .660 Slugging Average, NL: Johnny Mize, Cardinals, .653 OPS, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Red Sox, 1.106 OPS, NL: Johnny Mize, Cardinals, 1.087 Strikeouts, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 236 Strikeouts, NL: Clay Bryant, Cubs, 137 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 7.64 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 5.32 Hits/9 Innings, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 7.13 Hits/9 Innings, NL: Johnny Vander Meer, Reds, 7.24 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Dutch Leonard, Senators, 1.88 Walks/9 Innings, NL: CURT DAVIS, Cardinals, 1.63 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: DUTCH LEONARD, Senators, 10.60 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 10.72 ERA, AL: LEFTY GROVE, Red Sox, 2.81 ERA, NL: Bill Lee, Cubs, 2.95 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: Joe Medwick falls back from his torrid 1937 pace, but still hits .327 with 50 doubles, 25 homers, and 135 RBI. The tremendously productive Mel Ott has perhaps his best season yet: .316, with career highs in homers (43) and walks (137). Hank Greenberg hits .310 and also establishes career highs in homers (50) and walks (105). Johnny Mize has a wonderful all-around year, at .342 with 17 triples, 33 homers, and 86 walks. But overall the best performance comes from Jimmie Foxx, rebounding from a sub-par 1937 (.281, 32 homers) to hit .344 with 43 homers, and reach career highs in walks (105) and RBI (160). Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: There are a number of interesting contenders. The lowly St. Louis Browns feature a workhorse ace in Bobo Newsom, who goes 20-16 for a 55-97 team, with 222 strikeouts in 330 major-league-leading innings (along with 327 hits, 169 walks, and a 4.63 ERA). The Yankees' Ruffing is 21-7, 3.03 in 247 innings. 31-year-old Paul Derringer enjoys a breakthrough season, at 21-14 with 3 saves and a 3.25 ERA in 307 innings. The best overall performance is probably that of the Cubs' Bill Lee: 22-9. 2.95, in 291 innings. 1939 Overall rates of offense remain almost exactly at 1938 levels, with most everything receding just a tiny bit, while strikeouts climb just a tiny bit (to 3.46, second-highest yet recorded). The newcomer of the year is Boston's sensational brash 20-year-old, Ted Williams. "The Kid" hits .324 with 28 homers and 97 walks, and leads the AL in RBI with 134. League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: RED ROLFE, Yankees, 129 Runs, NL: Bill Werber, Reds, 125 RBI, AL: Ted Williams, Red Sox, 134 RBI, NL: FRANK McCORMICK, Reds, 139 Total Bases, AL: Ted Williams, Red Sox, 330 Total Bases, NL: JOHNNY MIZE, Cardinals, 369 Home Runs, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Red Sox, 32 Home Runs, NL: Johnny Mize, Cardinals, 31 Walks, AL: Harlond Clift, Browns, 101 Walks, NL: DOLF CAMILLI, Dodgers, 122 Batting Average, AL: JOE DiMAGGIO, Yankees, .377 Batting Average, NL: Johnny Mize, Cardinals, .353 On-Base Percentage, AL: Jimmie Foxx, Red Sox, .452 On-Base Percentage, NL: MEL OTT, Giants, .462 Slugging Average, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Red Sox, .666 Slugging Average, NL: Johnny Mize, Cardinals, .651 OPS, AL: JIMMIE FOXX, Red Sox, 1.118 OPS, NL: Johnny Mize, Cardinals, 1.103 Strikeouts, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 242 Strikeouts, NL: Claude Passeau, Phillies-Cubs, and Bucky Walters, Reds, 139 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 7.35 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: Mort Cooper, Cardinals, 5.63 Hits/9 Innings, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 6.77 Hits/9 Innings, NL: Bucky Walters, Reds, 7.17 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Ted Lyons, White Sox, 1.23 Walks/9 Innings, NL: PAUL DERRINGER, Reds, 1.16 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: TED LYONS, White Sox, 9.52 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: Carl Hubbell, Giants, 10.47 ERA, AL: LEFTY GROVE, Red Sox, 2.36 ERA, NL: Bucky Walters, Reds, 2.49 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: The rookie Williams steps right in as one of the best all-around hitters. Joe DiMaggio is terrific as well, at .377 with 27 homers in 459 at-bats. Mel Ott, despite being limited to 125 games and 398 at-bats by severe charley horses, still hits .312 with 30 homers and 111 walks. Jimmie Foxx hits a robust .356, leading the majors in home runs despite playing in just 124 games. But even though DiMaggio, Ott, and Foxx edge him in the rate stats, the best overall performance comes from Johnny Mize. The Big Cat leads the majors in total bases, and has a brilliant all-around year, with 200 hits, 45 doubles, 15 triples, 31 homers, 102 walks, and a .353 average. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: At the age of 39, Lefty Grove leads the major leagues in ERA for the seventh time, going 15-4, 2.36 in 191 innings. Red Ruffing is 21-7, 2.72 in 233 innings. Bobo Newsom, traded from the Browns to the Tigers in May, turns in a 20-11, 3.32 performance, with 189 strikeouts in 292 innings. Paul Derringer goes 25-7, 3.18 in 301 innings. The amazing 20-year-old Bob Feller blazes into superstardom, at 24-9, 2.64, with 242 strikeouts in 297 innings, reducing his walks from 183 to 129. But the best season of all is enjoyed by 30-year-old Bucky Walters. An unimpressive journeyman through 1938, he suddenly breaks through to go 27-11 with a 2.49 ERA in 319 major-league-leading innings. 1940 The trends of the previous few seasons accelerate. Scoring drops to 4.68 runs per team/game, the lowest since 1933. Hits, at 9.31, are occurring at the lowest rate since 1919. Walks are down a bit to 3.34, but are still quite high historically. Meanwhile, both home runs (0.64) and strikeouts (3.66) reach all-time highs. Two new power hitters emerge in 1940. 26-year-old Rudy York of the Tigers, deployed as a full-time regular for the first time, hits .313 with 29 homers, and is second in the AL in doubles (44), RBI (126), and total bases (326). 25-year-old Bill Nicholson of the Cubs, in his first season as a regular, hits .300 with 28 homers, and is second in the NL in slugging (.563). League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, 126 Runs, NL: Arky Vaughan, Pirates, 120 RBI, AL: Hank Greenberg, Tigers, 141 RBI, NL: JOHNNY MIZE, Cardinals, 146 Total Bases, AL: Hank Greenberg, Tigers, 364 Total Bases, NL: JOHNNY MIZE, Cardinals, 393 Home Runs, AL: Hank Greenberg, Tigers, 37 Home Runs, NL: JOHNNY MIZE, Cardinals, 49 Walks, AL: Charlie Keller, Yankees, 98 Walks, NL: ELBIE FLETCHER, Pirates, 130 Batting Average, AL: JOE DiMAGGIO, Yankees, .349 Batting Average, NL: Stan Hack, Cubs, .320 On-Base Percentage, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, .431 On-Base Percentage, NL: Elbie Fletcher, Pirates, .422 Slugging Average, AL: Hank Greenberg, Tigers, .638 Slugging Average, NL: JOHNNY MIZE, Cardinals, .676 OPS, AL: Hank Greenberg, Tigers, 1.062 OPS, NL: JOHNNY MIZE, Cardinals, 1.085 Strikeouts, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 250 Strikeouts, NL: Kirby Higbe, Phillies, 143 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 7.03 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: Cliff Melton, Giants, 5.13 Hits/9 Innings, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 6.79 Hits/9 Innings, NL: Bucky Walters, Reds, 7.21 Walks/9 Innings, AL: Ted Lyons, White Sox, 1.65 Walks/9 Innings, NL: PAUL DERRINGER, Reds, 1.59 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 9.85 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: Bucky Walters, Reds, 10.18 ERA, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 2.46 ERA, NL: Bucky Walters, Reds, 2.64 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: For the second season in a row, Joe DiMaggio leads the majors in average (.349), and also contributes 28 homers and 125 RBI. Ted Williams follows up his spectacular rookie year by hitting .341 with 20 homers and 88 walks, leading the majors in runs (126) and OBP (.431). Detroit's Hank Greenberg, voluntarily shifting to left field to make room for York at first base, turns in possibly his best all-around season: hitting .337 and leading the majors with 47 doubles, and leading the AL in homers (37), RBI (141), total bases (364), OBP (.424, a career high), SLG (.638, a career high), and OPS (1.062, a career high). Still, none can match Johnny Mize, who has his best year, hitting .317 and achieving major league-leading career highs in homers (49), RBI (146), total bases (393), SLG (.676), and OPS (1.085). Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: Several pitchers have excellent years: Bobo Newsom is 21-5, 2.67, with 157 strikeouts in 264 innings; Claude Passeau is 20-13, 2.66, with 5 saves in 281 innings; Bucky Walters is 22-10, 2.64 in 305 innings. But it's really no contest. Bob Feller blows everyone else away: at 27-11 with 4 saves, he leads the majors in wins, ERA (2.46), innings (320), complete games (31), and strikeouts (250), as well as dominating the rate stats. 1941 Scoring continues to decline, now down to 4.49 runs per team/game, just a hair above 1933. Hits remain at the lowest rate since 1919, doubles are at their lowest since 1923, and triples are at an all-time low. Even home runs, which had been hit at a record pace in 1940, drop to their lowest rate since 1933. Strikeouts decline a bit from their 1940 record high, but walks are at a new all-time high, at 3.57. The most exciting new face of the year is unquestionably the Dodgers' Pete Reiser. At 22 years old, in his first full season, he leads the NL in runs (124), total bases (316), average (.348), and doubles (41), and leads the majors in triples (21). League Leaders (ML LEADER IN CAPS): Runs, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, 128 Runs, NL: Pete Reiser, Dodgers, 124 RBI, AL: Joe DiMaggio, Yankees, 118 RBI, NL: DOLF CAMILLI, Dodgers, 127 Total Bases, AL: JOE DiMAGGIO, Yankees, 331 Total Bases, NL: Pete Reiser, Dodgers, 316 Home Runs, AL: Ted Williams, Red Sox, 34 Home Runs, NL: DOLF CAMILLI, Dodgers, 38 Walks, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, 136 Walks, NL: Elbie Fletcher, Pirates, 126 Batting Average, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, .401 Batting Average, NL: Pete Reiser, Dodgers, .348 On-Base Percentage, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, .539 On-Base Percentage, NL: Elbie Fletcher, Pirates, .430 Slugging Average, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, .700 Slugging Average, NL: Dolf Camilli, Dodgers, .588 OPS, AL: TED WILLIAMS, Red Sox, 1.240 OPS, NL: Dolf Camilli, Dodgers, 1.000 Strikeouts, AL: BOB FELLER, Indians, 260 Strikeouts, NL: Johnny Vander Meer, Reds, 202 Strikeouts/9 Innings, AL: Bob Feller, Indians, 6.82 Strikeouts/9 Innings, NL: JOHNNY VANDER MEER, Reds, 8.04 Hits/9 Innings, AL: Al Benton, Tigers, 7.26 Hits/9 Innings, NL: JOHNNY VANDER MEER, Reds, 6.99 Walks/9 Innings, AL: TED LYONS, White Sox, 1.67 Walks/9 Innings, NL: Claude Passeau, Cubs, 2.17 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, AL: Thornton Lee, White Sox, 10.18 Hits + Walks/9 Innings, NL: Whitlow Wyatt, Dodgers, 9.86 ERA, AL: THORNTON LEE, White Sox, 2.24 ERA, NL: Elmer Riddle, Reds, 2.37 Best Hitter in the Major Leagues: With all due respect to Reiser, to Dolf Camilli (.290, 38 homers, 111 walks), and certainly to Joe DiMaggio (.352, 27 homers, 118 RBI), this one is a complete no-brainer. With a flurry of hits in the doubleheader on the season's final day, Ted Williams pushes his average up to .401 -- the first major leaguer to reach that level since Bill Terry in 1930. Despite the generally low-scoring environment, Williams has the highest SLG (.700) since 1934, the highest OBP (.539) since 1923, and the highest OPS (1.240) since 1927. Best Pitcher in the Major Leagues: Two well-past-30 veterans who had never known stardom are suddenly brilliant in 1941. 33-year-old Whitlow Wyatt of the Dodgers goes 22-10, 2.48, with 176 strikeouts in 288 innings. 34-year-old Thornton Lee of the White Sox goes 22-11, 2.24, with 30 complete games and 300 innings. But still, this one is also a no-brainer: Bob Feller is once again dominant. Although he struggles again with his control -- his walks balloon from 109 to 182 -- he goes 25-13, 2.98, leading the majors in wins, innings (343), and strikeouts (260). So Here's Where We Are Year Best Hitter Best Pitcher ---- ----------- ------------ 1931 Babe Ruth (AL) Lefty Grove (AL) 1932 Jimmie Foxx (AL) Lefty Grove (AL) 1933 Jimmie Foxx (AL) Carl Hubbell (NL) 1934 Lou Gehrig (AL) Dizzy Dean (NL) 1935 Arky Vaughan (NL) Dizzy Dean (NL) 1936 Lou Gehrig (AL) Carl Hubbell (NL) 1937 Joe Medwick (NL) Lefty Gomez (AL) 1938 Jimmie Foxx (AL) Bill Lee (NL) 1939 Johnny Mize (NL) Bucky Walters (NL) 1940 Johnny Mize (NL) Bob Feller (AL) 1941 Ted Williams (AL) Bob Feller (AL)That's seven Best Hitters in the eleven seasons for the American League, while the National gets six of the eleven Best Pitchers. Food for further thought ... Next time we'll take a look at this exercise from the standpoint of the careers of these key players, and assess "what it all means." References and Resources Here are the actual major league average per team/game rates for 1931-41: Year R H 2B 3B HR BB SO 1931 4.81 9.72 1.82 0.43 0.43 3.10 3.20 1932 4.91 9.78 1.86 0.43 0.55 3.06 3.19 1933 4.48 9.37 1.61 0.39 0.44 3.00 3.03 1934 4.91 9.80 1.76 0.36 0.55 3.21 3.45 1935 4.90 9.80 1.74 0.40 0.54 3.19 3.26 1936 5.19 10.04 1.81 0.40 0.55 3.40 3.33 1937 4.87 9.59 1.70 0.40 0.58 3.40 3.63 1938 4.89 9.52 1.65 0.38 0.60 3.53 3.41 1939 4.82 9.49 1.68 0.37 0.59 3.44 3.46 1940 4.68 9.31 1.66 0.38 0.64 3.34 3.66 1941 4.49 9.06 1.59 0.35 0.53 3.57 3.55In order to adjust both leagues to these average rates for each season, each player's stats were multiplied by the following factors: American Leaguers Year R H 2B 3B HR BB SO 1931 0.936 0.989 0.971 0.994 0.928 0.920 0.978 1932 0.939 1.001 0.999 0.938 0.958 0.854 0.977 1933 0.896 0.979 0.936 0.880 0.872 0.833 0.944 1934 0.957 1.007 0.984 0.988 0.982 0.856 0.989 1935 0.962 0.995 0.959 0.935 0.994 0.857 1.012 1936 0.915 0.980 0.930 0.892 0.898 0.866 1.019 1937 0.932 0.980 0.923 0.929 0.891 0.887 1.016 1938 0.912 0.978 0.951 0.966 0.856 0.878 0.983 1939 0.926 0.984 0.981 0.919 0.907 0.909 0.985 1940 0.942 0.987 0.948 0.907 0.891 0.921 0.959 1941 0.946 0.980 0.958 0.853 0.907 0.937 0.998National Leaguers Year R H 2B 3B HR BB SO 1931 1.074 1.012 1.031 1.006 1.084 1.095 1.024 1932 1.069 0.999 1.001 1.070 1.046 1.205 1.024 1933 1.129 1.022 1.072 1.155 1.169 1.245 1.063 1934 1.048 0.993 1.017 1.013 1.019 1.205 1.011 1935 1.041 1.005 1.044 1.073 1.006 1.198 0.989 1936 1.102 1.021 1.081 1.138 1.127 1.183 0.982 1937 1.080 1.021 1.092 1.084 1.141 1.147 0.984 1938 1.108 1.023 1.055 1.036 1.204 1.162 1.018 1939 1.086 1.017 1.019 1.097 1.114 1.111 1.015 1940 1.065 1.014 1.059 1.115 1.140 1.095 1.045 1941 1.060 1.020 1.046 1.208 1.115 1.072 1.002And the adjustment of batters' at-bats followed the same principle as we did here. An impact of a greater/lesser rate of hits is an increase/decrease in at-bats. Every batter's at-bats were increased/decreased by his number of increased/decreased hits. Outs are constant, of course, and I assumed a constant rate of double plays and other baserunning outs - probably not exactly proper assumptions, but close enough for our purposes. Steve Treder can often be found spending way too much time talking baseball at Baseball Primer. He welcomes your questions and comments via e-mail. Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Do you have a general question or comment for one of THT's writers? Send it in to our weekly mailbag We also welcome unsolicited op-ed pieces of approximately 500 words for consideration. We reserve the right to edit for length, clarity and consistency of style. Please include your whole name and location to be considered. If you have a comment about this specific article, please email the writer. Next Article: Around the Majors: Randy Johnson rumors>> <<Previous Article: Around the Majors: Reds sign Milton | ||||
