1961 Leaders & Numbers
The majors’ first modern expansion led to a statistical expansion for the game’s best players, feasting on diluted opposition that produced a barrelful of career years. For his incredible spike of success, Norm Cash thanked not so much expansion but a corked bat, as he would confess to using years later. Speaking of incredible, only batting in front of Mickey Mantle could allow Roger Maris to launch 61 homers with no intentional walks. With the fences brought in for Candlestick Park’s second year, Orlando Cepeda and Willie Mays put on their own friendly—and far less remembered—competition for the NL home run title. Jim Gentile, anything but with his frequent dugout tantrums, had little to pout about in his monster year; his five grand slams would set an AL standard lasting through 1987. The Pirates may have struggled in defense of their world championship, but an improved Dick Stuart was not to blame. Joey Jay, for years denied a consistent spot in the Braves’ starting rotation, got one in Cincinnati and tied former teammate Warren Spahn for the NL lead in wins and shutouts (four). A well-preserved Whitey Ford finally got to pitch every fourth turn and had his best year yet. Frank Lary got the offensive support that so badly eluded him the year before. Reining in his wildness, Sandy Koufax set the NL strikeout record at 269—but that was just a small precursor of things to come. Luis Arroyo, in a sudden and all-too-brief burst of success, became the latest reliever to reset the bar on saves.
The Ten Best National League Hitters, 1961 | ||||||||||||||||
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Name | Team | G | BA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IB | HB | SB | CS | GD |
1. Frank Robinson | Cincinnati | 153 | .323 | 545 | 117 | 176 | 32 | 7 | 37 | 124 | 48 | 23 | 10 | 22 | 3 | 15 |
2. Willie Mays | San Francisco | 154 | .308 | 572 | 129 | 176 | 32 | 3 | 40 | 123 | 66 | 15 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 14 |
3. Hank Aaron | Milwaukee | 155 | .327 | 603 | 115 | 197 | 39 | 10 | 34 | 120 | 36 | 20 | 2 | 21 | 9 | 16 |
4. Orlando Cepeda | San Francisco | 152 | .311 | 585 | 105 | 182 | 28 | 4 | 46 | 142 | 28 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 21 |
5. Ken Boyer | St. Louis | 153 | .329 | 589 | 109 | 194 | 26 | 11 | 24 | 95 | 59 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 11 |
6. Dick Stuart | Pittsburgh | 138 | .301 | 532 | 83 | 160 | 28 | 8 | 35 | 117 | 33 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 22 |
7. Wally Moon | Los Angeles | 134 | .328 | 463 | 79 | 152 | 25 | 3 | 17 | 88 | 80 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 9 |
8. Eddie Mathews | Milwaukee | 152 | .306 | 572 | 103 | 175 | 23 | 6 | 32 | 91 | 90 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 10 |
9. Vada PInson | Cincinnati | 154 | .343 | 607 | 101 | 208 | 34 | 8 | 16 | 87 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 10 | 9 |
10. George Altman | Chicago | 138 | .303 | 518 | 77 | 157 | 28 | 12 | 27 | 96 | 37 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
The Ten Best American League Hitters, 1961 | ||||||||||||||||
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Name | Team | G | BA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IB | HB | SB | CS | GD |
1. Mickey Mantle | New York | 153 | .317 | 514 | 132 | 163 | 16 | 6 | 54 | 128 | 117 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
2. Norm Cash | Detroit | 159 | .361 | 535 | 119 | 193 | 22 | 8 | 41 | 132 | 105 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
3. Jim Gentile | Baltimore | 148 | .302 | 486 | 96 | 147 | 25 | 2 | 46 | 141 | 91 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
4. Rocky Colavito | Detroit | 163 | .290 | 583 | 129 | 169 | 30 | 2 | 45 | 140 | 111 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
5. Roger Maris | New York | 161 | .269 | 590 | 132 | 159 | 16 | 4 | 61 | 142 | 94 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
6. Harmon Killebrew | Minnesota | 150 | .288 | 541 | 94 | 156 | 20 | 7 | 46 | 122 | 101 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
7. Al Kaline | Detroit | 153 | .324 | 586 | 116 | 190 | 41 | 7 | 19 | 82 | 64 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 16 |
8. Roy Sievers | Chicago | 141 | .295 | 492 | 76 | 145 | 26 | 6 | 27 | 92 | 57 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
9. Norm Siebern | Kansas City | 153 | .296 | 560 | 68 | 166 | 36 | 5 | 18 | 98 | 79 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
10. Tito Francona | Cleveland | 155 | .301 | 592 | 87 | 178 | 30 | 8 | 16 | 85 | 53 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
The Ten Best National League Pitchers, 1961 |
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Name | Team | ERA | W | L | PCT | SV | G | GS | IP | TB | ER | BB | IB | WP | HB | BK | SB | CS | GD | |
1. Warren Spahn | Milwaukee | 3.02 | 21 | 13 | .618 | 0 | 38 | 34 | 262.2 | 360 | 88 | 63 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 30 | |
2. Jim O'Toole | Cincinnati | 3.10 | 19 | 9 | .679 | 2 | 39 | 35 | 252.2 | 329 | 87 | 86 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 19 | |
3. Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles | 3.52 | 18 | 13 | .581 | 1 | 42 | 35 | 255.2 | 336 | 100 | 90 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 14 | |
4. Joey Jay | Cincinnati | 3.53 | 21 | 10 | .677 | 0 | 34 | 34 | 247.1 | 330 | 97 | 91 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 15 | |
5. Joe Gibbon | Pittsburgh | 3.32 | 13 | 10 | .565 | 0 | 30 | 29 | 195.1 | 267 | 72 | 53 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 16 | |
6. Don Cardwell | Chicago | 3.82 | 15 | 14 | .517 | 0 | 39 | 38 | 259.1 | 349 | 110 | 88 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 19 | |
7. Stu Miller | San Francisco | 2.66 | 14 | 5 | .737 | 17 | 63 | 0 | 122 | 136 | 36 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 6 | |
8. Curt Simmons | St. Louis | 3.13 | 9 | 10 | .474 | 0 | 30 | 29 | 195.2 | 287 | 68 | 58 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 16 | |
9. Bob Gibson | St. Louis | 3.24 | 13 | 12 | .520 | 1 | 35 | 27 | 211.1 | 274 | 76 | 112 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 22 | |
10. Lew Burdette | Milwaukee | 4.00 | 18 | 11 | .621 | 0 | 40 | 36 | 272.1 | 458 | 121 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 22 |
The Ten Best American League Pitchers, 1961 |
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Name | Team | ERA | W | L | PCT | SV | G | GS | IP | TB | ER | BB | IB | WP | HB | BK | SB | CS | GD | |
1. Whitey Ford | New York | 3.21 | 25 | 4 | .862 | 0 | 39 | 39 | 283 | 366 | 101 | 89 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28 | |
2. Steve Barber | Baltimore | 3.33 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 1 | 37 | 34 | 248.1 | 262 | 92 | 126 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 38 | |
3. Frank Lary | Detroit | 3.24 | 23 | 9 | .719 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 275.1 | 373 | 99 | 64 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 25 | |
4. Bill Stafford | New York | 2.68 | 14 | 9 | .609 | 2 | 36 | 25 | 195 | 238 | 58 | 55 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 22 | |
5. Luis Arroyo | New York | 2.19 | 15 | 5 | .750 | 29 | 65 | 0 | 119 | 115 | 29 | 41 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | |
6. Dick Donovan | Washington | 2.40 | 10 | 10 | .500 | 0 | 23 | 22 | 168.2 | 212 | 45 | 32 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 14 | |
7. Jim Bunning | Detroit | 3.19 | 17 | 11 | .607 | 1 | 38 | 37 | 268.1 | 354 | 95 | 68 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 18 | |
8. Ralph Terry | New York | 3.15 | 16 | 3 | .842 | 0 | 31 | 27 | 188.1 | 255 | 66 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 13 | |
9. Hal Brown | Baltimore | 3.19 | 10 | 6 | .625 | 1 | 27 | 23 | 166.2 | 224 | 59 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | |
10. Don Mossi | Detroit | 2.96 | 15 | 7 | .682 | 1 | 35 | 34 | 240.1 | 368 | 79 | 44 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 21 |
Brown type indicates league leader.
Notes: Walks (BB) do not include intentional walks (IB). For pitchers, caught stealing (CS) also includes pickoffs.
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