None of the story's main characters played key roles in the final weeks of the 1936 season, which I'll wrap up with a statistical update.
Code:
AMERICAN W L PCT GB
Philadelphia 92 62 .597 --
Detroit 87 67 .565 5.0
New York 86 68 .558 6.0
Chicago 82 72 .532 10.0
Boston 80 74 .519 12.0
Cleveland 70 84 .455 22.0
St. Louis 67 87 .435 25.0
Washington 52 102 .338 40.0
NATIONAL W L PCT GB
St. Louis 96 58 .623 --
New York 93 61 .604 3.0
Pittsburgh 83 71 .539 13.0
Brooklyn 77 77 .500 19.0
Philadelphia 74 80 .481 22.0
Chicago 71 83 .461 25.0
Cincinnati 63 91 .409 33.0
Boston 59 95 .383 37.0
The Cardinals completed their outstanding 1936 season by winning the World Series in seven games over the Athletics. The unhappiest fans in baseball were undoubtedly those who support the Cincinnati Reds, who won 21 fewer ballgames in 1936 than they had the year before and dropped from third to seventh place. Meanwhile, White Sox fans rejoiced as their 18-game improvement vaulted them into the first division.
Code:
BATTING AVERAGE
1 M. Almada (BOS) .344
2 C. Hafey (BOS) .343
3 J. DiMaggio (NYA) .342
4 L. Lary (DET) .335
5 Z. Bonura (CHA) .333
6 L. Gehrig (BOS) .328
7 G. Walker (DET) .327
8 G. Wright (CHA) .327
9 F. Spurgeon (SLA) .325
10 B. Johnson (PHA) .325
The presence of three Red Sox among the league's top ten hitters is small consolation for a lackluster third place season. Almada, Hafey, and rookie sensation DiMaggio battled for the crown throughout the season's final weeks.
Code:
ON BASE PERCENTAGE
1 L. Gehrig (BOS) .444
2 J. Foxx (PHA) .434
3 W. Wells (DET) .420
4 B. Johnson (PHA) .418
5 J. DiMaggio (NYA) .415
DiMaggio demonstrated great on-base skills as a rookie, and lived up to every bit of his preseason hype. He's poised to become the American League's next young superstar.
Code:
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
1 J. Foxx (PHA) .681
2 L. Gehrig (BOS) .643
3 M. Suttles (SLA) .577
4 B. Johnson (PHA) .573
5 J. DiMaggio (NYA) .572
While the mid-season acquisition of Jimmie Foxx certainly helped the A's pennant chances, Indian Bob Johnson swung a potent war club all season long.
Code:
ON BASE PLUS SLUGGING
1 J. Foxx (PHA) 1.116
2 L. Gehrig (BOS) 1.087
3 B. Johnson (PHA) .990
4 J. DiMaggio (NYA) .987
5 W. Wells (DET) .986
Foxx won his third consecutive AL Outstanding Batter Award, while the man who had won three in a row immediately preceding him put up another typical Lou Gehrig season.
Code:
HOME RUNS
1 J. Foxx (PHA) 49
2 W. Wells (DET) 39
3 L. Gehrig (BOS) 33
4 G. Selkirk (PHA) 28
4 E. Averill (CLE) 28
"Devil" Wells added home run power to his repertoire, giving him one more weapon with which to torment opposing pitchers.
Code:
RUNS BATTED IN
1 J. Foxx (PHA) 155
2 L. Gehrig (BOS) 126
3 C. Hafey (BOS) 123
4 E. Averill (CLE) 119
5 J. Gibson (BOS) 115
Offense was not the Red Sox' problem in 1936. If the team's pitchers had prevented runs as well as the hitters produced them, the Sox would have been a pennant contender once again.
Code:
STOLEN BASES
1 C. Bell (DET) 69
2 M. Dihigo (BOS) 37
3 F. Frisch (BOS) 32
4 W. Wells (DET) 31
5 B. Werber (BOS) 19
Most American League teams have let the stolen base go the way of the Model T Ford, a relic of an earlier day. That's why a hoary veteran like Frank Frisch can rank third in the league. Cool Papa is slapping and running his way straight to Cooperstown.
Code:
EARNED RUN AVERAGE
1 H. Smith (CHA) 2.84
2 K. Greenfield (PHA) 3.06
3 R. Dobens (PHA) 3.09
4 M. Gudat (DET) 3.33
5 H. Pyle (CHA) 3.44
6 C. Roe (DET) 3.45
7 D. Coffman (WS1) 3.50
8 W. Foster (SLA) 3.68
9 M. Brown (NYA) 3.75
10 J. Broaca (SLA) 3.97
Have you ever seen an ERA leaderboard with fewer household names? That's Clay ROE, not Schoolboy ROWE, for example. Smith and Foster are likely the only players you know much about, unless you possess an encyclopedic knowledge of 1930s baseball.
Code:
WINS
1 H. Smith (CHA) 30
2 R. Dobens (PHA) 27
3 H. Pyle (CHA) 23
3 D. Galehouse (CLE) 23
5 T. Freitas (PHA) 22
5 K. Greenfield (PHA) 22
7 W. Foster (SLA) 20
Smith won his second straight AL Outstanding Pitcher title. It's not Denny Galehouse's fault that most people know of him for losing a playoff game in 1948. I admit I'm rooting for him to be a star in this universe.
Code:
STRIKEOUTS
1 H. Smith (CHA) 267
2 W. Foster (SLA) 260
3 H. Pyle (CHA) 258
4 C. Roe (DET) 244
5 R. Brown (BOS) 228
Two of the three Negro Leaguers listed here imported nicely from ArodGarlon's database, and I created Ray Brown myself after I enjoyed a great conversation with Brown's grand-nephew. Hilton Smith is arguably the best American League pitcher of the decade, and he's now the only active hurler among the 25 lifetime ERA leaders.
Code:
WHIP
1 H. Smith (CHA) 1.05
2 K. Greenfield (PHA) 1.17
3 H. Pyle (CHA) 1.18
4 N. Brady (BOS) 1.19
5 M. Gudat (DET) 1.20
Neal Brady still doesn't walk many guys, but it's now easier for opposing hitters to get good hacks against him. This might be the last time we see Neal on a season leaderboard. It's been a great ride.
Code:
BATTING AVERAGE
1 M. Ott (BSN) .361
2 G. Goslin (BRO) .355
3 S. Hogan (PHI) .342
4 S. West (SLN) .341
5 C. Gelbert (SLN) .340
6 B. Delancey (SLN) .338
7 T. Cuccinello (PIT) .334
8 B. Jordan (BSN) .331
9 J. Mize (SLN) .327
10 A. Vaughan (PIT) .322
Take a look at that list, and tell me who won the NL pennant and the World Series. Sammy West bats eighth for the Cardinals.
Code:
ON BASE PERCENTAGE
1 M. Ott (BSN) .445
2 D. Camilli (PHI) .419
3 J. Mize (SLN) .415
4 A. Vaughan (PIT) .413
5 A. Galan (CHN) .412
Mel Ott can't make the lowly Braves respectable by himself, no matter how hard he tries. Mize, like DiMaggio, should build upon his outstanding freshman season and eventually add a MOB or two to his trophy case, along with his 1936 ROY.
Code:
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
1 M. Ott (BSN) .657
2 B. Leonard (NY1) .565
3 D. Camilli (PHI) .559
4 W. Brown (SLN) .559
5 J. Mize (SLN) .554
Branch Rickey was willing to trade Chick Hafey to Pat O'Farrell's Red Sox because he had a feeling that Willard Brown was going to develop into a masher. As usual, Rickey was right.
Code:
ON BASE PLUS SLUGGING
1 M. Ott (BSN) 1.102
2 D. Camilli (PHI) .978
3 B. Leonard (NY1) .977
4 J. Mize (SLN) .970
5 W. Brown (SLN) .943
Ott, at age 27, should just be reaching his peak. Unless they begin to contend soon, the Braves might think about seeing how big a raft full of young players Ott might bring in a trade.
Code:
HOME RUNS
1 M. Ott (BSN) 35
2 W. Brown (SLN) 33
3 D. Camilli (PHI) 31
3 D. Hurst (CHN) 31
5 B. Leonard (NY1) 30
Dolf Camilli followed up his 1935 Rookie of the Year season by slamming another 31 homers. Unlike Ott's Braves, Camilli's Dodgers have pulled themselves up to .500 and a spot in the first division.
Code:
RUNS BATTED IN
1 B. Delancey (SLN) 120
2 J. Mize (SLN) 112
3 D. Hurst (CHN) 108
4 D. Camilli (PHI) 102
5 B. Leonard (NY1) 100
The reports that Bill Delancey came to bat only five times with the bases empty during the 1936 season are not true, but it sure seemed that way.
Code:
STOLEN BASES
1 A. Graham (CHN) 53
2 B. James (BSN) 42
3 C. Gelbert (SLN) 26
4 S. Clarke (NY1) 25
5 P. Martin (NY1) 23
Archie Graham needs 19 steals to give him 500 in his career, and last summer he stroked his 2000th career hit. With a lifetime .316 average, he's building the kind of career that will make him a candidate for the Hall of Fame. He's 34, and will need to remain productive for a few more years to increase his chances for induction.
Code:
EARNED RUN AVERAGE
1 S. Paige (CHN) 2.89
2 C. Hubbell (NY1) 3.05
3 R. Lucas (PIT) 3.17
4 J. Weaver (PHI) 3.21
5 V. Starffin (NY1) 3.27
6 C. Moore (SLN) 3.45
7 P. Derringer (CIN) 3.54
8 B. Breckinridge (SLN) 3.64
9 P. Dean (SLN) 3.76
10 R. Henshaw (CHN) 3.97
These ERA leaders look a little more familiar, don't they? In 1936, Paul Dean pitched every bit as well as his more colorful older brother.
Code:
WINS
1 C. Hubbell (NY1) 26
2 V. Starffin (NY1) 23
3 J. Weaver (PHI) 22
4 R. Lucas (PIT) 21
5 S. Paige (CHN) 20
King Carl and the Russian Rocket gave the Giants a powerful one-two pitching punch. Meanwhile, Red Lucas reels off one 20-win season after another for the Buccaneers.
Code:
STRIKEOUTS
1 S. Paige (CHN) 372
2 C. Hubbell (NY1) 267
3 R. Lucas (PIT) 266
4 D. Dean (SLN) 260
5 J. Weaver (PHI) 257
Satchel broke the National League record for strikeouts, previously held by Bill Otey of the old Pirates. Satch lost the MOP to Hubbell, but I doubt if many managers would trade him for Carl, even-up.
Code:
WHIP
1 S. Paige (CHN) 1.04
2 V. Starffin (NY1) 1.12
3 R. Lucas (PIT) 1.16
4 C. Hubbell (NY1) 1.18
5 D. Dean (SLN) 1.20
Precocious Starffin looks like he has the right stuff, and could very well be among the best pitchers in the game through the 1940s. The Yankees and Reds have to be kicking themselves for letting him slip through their fingers.