Note: The #12 and #13 spots will be used to represent 2 tremendous seasons from the 1890′s: Ed Delahanty in 1895 and “Sliding Billy” Hamilton in 1894. I didn’t want to go prior to 1900 (due to the differences in the game), but these both changed my mind.
Stats and Ranks
Note: MLB and Phillies all-time Ranks are for players from 1890 on
Some Interesting Stats and Facts (all MLB all-time ranks are from 1890-2009)
- Most runs in a single-season in MLB history, by 15 over 2nd place (Babe Ruth, 1921) while playing in 23 less games than Ruth (192 runs in 129 games for Hamilton)
- Phillies single season leader in Runs and OBP
- 9th highest OBP and 12th most steals in a single season in MLB history
- Only player in MLB history with a season of 90+ steals and a 1.000+ OPS
- Only player in MLB history with a season of 90+ steals and a .400 BA
- 4th most walks in team history (126)
Why He’s Here
As I mentioned before, baseball prior to 1900 was a different game, but regardless of how the game was played, this season, and Ed Delahanty’s in 1895 stand out and deserve mention. This season stands out first and foremost because of one of the most ridiculous, and probably unbreakable records in baseball: 192 runs in a season. This is 15 more than the 2nd highest total, and since 1936, only one player has come within 40 runs of the mark (Jeff Bagwell, 152 in 2000). What makes it more ridiculous though is that the mark was reached in only 129 games, or 1.49 Runs/Game. The best R/G mark since 1900 is 1.16 by Babe Ruth, or, 2nd place on the runs list, or 28% lower than Hamilton’s pace. To put this gap in the proper perspective, this would be like someone breaking Barry Bonds single-season HR mark (73) by hitting 93 HR’s. Or, someone breaking Hack Wilson’s RBI mark (191) by driving in 244 runs. In today’s game, someone would have to score 242 runs to break Hamilton’s 1.49 R/G mark. They would need 1.18 R/G (or the best since 1899) to break his 192 run mark. Bottom line? It’s not happening.
But the runs weren’t the only thing that made this season great. Hamilton’s .404 BA is the 18 highest ever, his insane .523 OBP is the 9th best in MLB history and his 98 SB’s are the 12th best. If historians thought late 1800′s baseball was on par with 1900 on, this would EASILY be regarded as the best season for a lead-off man in the history of the game. As it stands, it is likely the most remarkable season by any player, on any team, prior to 1900.
Previous Top-20 Seasons
13. Ed Delahanty, 1895
14. Curt Schilling, 1997
15. Lefty O’Doul, 1929
16. Brad Lidge, 2008
17. Chris Short, 1964
18. John Denny, 1983
19. Tug McGraw, 1980
20. Greg Luzinski, 1977
21. Gavvy Cravath, 1913
22. Lenny Dykstra, 1993
Five pitchers that just missed (and criteria for rankings)
arbitration submision news…
#Phillies and Blanton exchange numbers: $10.25M by Blanton, $7.5M by #Phillies.>>
Me thinks the Phils are banking on Charlie’s lack of enthusiasm to use Joe in the post season.
And a mere 30 some days until pitchers and catchers report, soon to be 1 less as the midnight hour approaches.
Some comments on developments from the last couple days.
On Benjy Molina signing with the Giants. John Heyman reported that the Giants are now maxed out on payroll. You’ll recall Chan Ho Park was seemingly headed there. He was later mentioned in Cardinal circles as a possibility. Amidst salary limits in St. Louis, TLR said a couple days ago that if the Cards add another player, he’d like it to be a bat. These out of money statements might be, could be, are negotiation positioning, but carrying some credibility could mean Chan Ho’s options are thinning. What that means to RAJ, you’d have to ask him.
If Randy Wolf can get 10 mil a year (done), and Joel Piniero can command roughly the same (pretty close, or likely), I don’t see how Joe Blanton is thought of as a lesser value by an arbitrator.
Ben Sheets threw 92 mph today in a workout witnessed by multiple clubs.
That’s all I heard on the subject.
Billy Hamilton played in a time when if you took 3rd on a single, you got a stolen base. Just the facts. After the likes of the Babe came along, some 25 years later, and the stolen base became a distraction to hiting one out, teams stopped running. By 1950, I believe Dom DiMaggio led the American League with 15 stolen bases. Some ridiculously low figure. Thank you, Maury Wills, Lou Brock and Rickey Henderson for returning that lost art to the game
Hamilton got into the Hall of Fame in 1961. That’s 60 years after he retired.
That math would equate to a Pete Rose entry in 2045. Sounds about right.