I'm back this week with my newest installment of my favorite greatest season of all-time before the turn of the century. The countdown to number is quickly approaching and I have been debating on changing my top 3 with every word that I write. On to #3!!!
Babe Ruth, in 1921 set records at that time with 59 home runs -- eclipsing the totals of eight other teams -- and 177 RBIs. His totals for runs (177), extra-base hits (119), and total bases (457) still stand as records. The Bambino also led the league in on-base percentage (.512), slugging percentage (.846) and walks (145). He hit .378, third in the league, and led the Yankees to their first World Series, where Babe hit .313 despite being limited by injuries. As impressive as Ruth's 1921 numbers were, they could have been more so under modern conditions. Until 1931 in the AL, balls that hit the foul pole were considered ground-rule doubles, and balls that went over the wall in fair territory but hooked foul were ruled foul. Many fields, including Ruth's home Polo Grounds, had exceptionally deep center fields--in the Polo Grounds' case, nearly five hundred feet. Bill Jenkinson, author of the book -
The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Homeruns concluded that Ruth would have been credited with 104 home runs in 1921, if modern rules and field dimensions were in place. The Yankees had high expectations when they met the New York Giants in the 1921 World Series, and the Yankees won the first two games with Ruth in the lineup. However, Ruth badly scraped his elbow during Game 2 sliding into third base (he had walked and stolen both second and third). After the game, he was told by the team physician not to play the rest of the series. Although he did play in Games 3, 4 and 5, and pinch-hit in Game 8 of the best-of-9 Series, his productivity was diminished, and the Yankees lost the series. As much as I am a huge baseball fan and baseball historian, I couldn't get myself to put this in the top 2. I have always been a hateful person when there are talks of "The Babe". I hate the fact that mostly everyone (especially Yankee fans) consider him as the greatest baseball player ever. I never got to see him and neither did anyone who reads this blog so until they prove me otherwise he was good but not as good as some other Yankees. That's all I have though in my argument. His career credentials are out of this world, so save your hate for me for someone else. Anyway, this is my blog and I rank Babe Ruth's season of 1921 3rd! Number 2 coming next week!!!
Babe Ruth, in 1921 set records at that time with 59 home runs -- eclipsing the totals of eight other teams -- and 177 RBIs. His totals for runs (177), extra-base hits (119), and total bases (457) still stand as records. The Bambino also led the league in on-base percentage (.512), slugging percentage (.846) and walks (145). He hit .378, third in the league, and led the Yankees to their first World Series, where Babe hit .313 despite being limited by injuries. As impressive as Ruth's 1921 numbers were, they could have been more so under modern conditions. Until 1931 in the AL, balls that hit the foul pole were considered ground-rule doubles, and balls that went over the wall in fair territory but hooked foul were ruled foul. Many fields, including Ruth's home Polo Grounds, had exceptionally deep center fields--in the Polo Grounds' case, nearly five hundred feet. Bill Jenkinson, author of the book - The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Homeruns concluded that Ruth would have been credited with 104 home runs in 1921, if modern rules and field dimensions were in place. The Yankees had high expectations when they met the New York Giants in the 1921 World Series, and the Yankees won the first two games with Ruth in the lineup. However, Ruth badly scraped his elbow during Game 2 sliding into third base (he had walked and stolen both second and third). After the game, he was told by the team physician not to play the rest of the series. Although he did play in Games 3, 4 and 5, and pinch-hit in Game 8 of the best-of-9 Series, his productivity was diminished, and the Yankees lost the series. As much as I am a huge baseball fan and baseball historian, I couldn't get myself to put this in the top 2. I have always been a hateful person when there are talks of "The Babe". I hate the fact that mostly everyone (especially Yankee fans) consider him as the greatest baseball player ever. I never got to see him and neither did anyone who reads this blog so until they prove me otherwise he was good but not as good as some other Yankees. That's all I have though in my argument. His career credentials are out of this world, so save your hate for me for someone else. Anyway, this is my blog and I rank Babe Ruth's season of 1921 3rd! Number 2 coming next week!!!
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