1964 Leaders & Numbers
Baseball witnessed the explosive debuts of Richie Allen and Tony Oliva—the latter a virtual Vada Pinson clone with a fast start followed by a gradual career decline that ultimately made him one of the best players not in the Hall of Fame. Willie Mays was named the first-ever black captain of a major league ballclub and responded with one of his best years yet. Yankee manager Yogi Berra’s chalkboard fodder wrote of Brooks Robinson’s bat fading in the summer, only encouraging the Oriole third baseman to step it up with his best offensive stint ever. Ron Santo and Billy Williams gave long-sought protection that was too little, too late for a fading Ernie Banks. The last great Yankee season to be experienced for nearly a generation came courtesy of old warriors Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford, both forging their last great hurrahs. Dean Chance channeled his outspoken anger over not receiving a raise from the Angels and became a man on a mission on the mound. Larry Jackson’s 24 wins were the most ever for an eighth-place team. A dried-up Dodger offense could only explain Don Drysdale’s terrific ERA—and ordinary won-lost record. Phillie manager Gene Mauch told Jim Bunning and Chris Short to get aggressive with hitters; the results were telling. At Boston, there was the Green Monster, and then there was simply “The Monster,” Dick Radatz—one of the majors’ best closers at 6’5”, 250 pounds. Lighter on the scale but no less effective was reliever Hoyt Wilhelm, 40 years young and beginning a streak of five straight years with a sub-2.00 ERA.
The Ten Best National League Hitters, 1964 | ||||||||||||||||
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Name | Team | G | BA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IB | HB | SB | CS | GD |
1. Willie Mays | San Francisco | 157 | .296 | 578 | 121 | 171 | 21 | 9 | 47 | 111 | 69 | 13 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 11 |
2. Richie Allen | Philadelphia | 162 | .318 | 632 | 125 | 201 | 38 | 13 | 29 | 91 | 54 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
3. Ron Santo | Chicago | 161 | .313 | 592 | 94 | 185 | 33 | 13 | 30 | 114 | 81 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
4. Frank Robinson | Cincinnati | 156 | .306 | 568 | 103 | 174 | 38 | 6 | 29 | 96 | 59 | 20 | 9 | 23 | 5 | 13 |
5. Hank Aaron | Milwaukee | 145 | .328 | 570 | 103 | 187 | 30 | 2 | 24 | 95 | 53 | 9 | 0 | 22 | 4 | 22 |
6. Billy Williams | Chicago | 162 | .312 | 645 | 100 | 201 | 39 | 2 | 33 | 98 | 51 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 11 |
7. Rico Carty | Milwaukee | 133 | .330 | 455 | 72 | 150 | 28 | 4 | 22 | 88 | 39 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
8. Ken Boyer | St. Louis | 162 | .295 | 628 | 100 | 185 | 30 | 10 | 24 | 119 | 58 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 22 |
9. Roberto Clemente | Pittsburgh | 155 | .339 | 622 | 95 | 211 | 40 | 7 | 12 | 87 | 35 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
10. Orlando Cepeda | San Francisco | 142 | .304 | 529 | 75 | 161 | 27 | 2 | 31 | 97 | 36 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 13 |
The Ten Best American League Hitters, 1964 | ||||||||||||||||
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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 | 143 | .303 | 465 | 92 | 141 | 25 | 2 | 35 | 111 | 81 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
2. Tony Oliva | Minnesota | 161 | .323 | 672 | 109 | 217 | 43 | 9 | 32 | 94 | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 9 |
3. Bob Allison | Minnesota | 149 | .287 | 492 | 90 | 141 | 27 | 4 | 32 | 86 | 88 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 7 |
4. Harmon Killebrew | Minnesota | 158 | .270 | 577 | 95 | 156 | 11 | 1 | 49 | 111 | 88 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
5. Brooks Robinson | Baltimore | 163 | .317 | 612 | 82 | 194 | 35 | 3 | 28 | 118 | 41 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
6. Boog Powell | Baltimore | 134 | .290 | 424 | 74 | 123 | 17 | 0 | 39 | 99 | 70 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
7. Rocky Colavito | Kansas City | 160 | .274 | 588 | 89 | 161 | 31 | 2 | 34 | 102 | 79 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 16 |
8. Dick Stuart | Boston | 156 | .279 | 603 | 73 | 168 | 27 | 1 | 33 | 114 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
9. Jim Fregosi | Los Angeles | 147 | .277 | 505 | 86 | 140 | 22 | 9 | 18 | 72 | 70 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 10 |
10. Leon Wagner | Cleveland | 163 | .253 | 641 | 94 | 162 | 19 | 2 | 31 | 100 | 44 | 12 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 13 |
The Ten Best National League Pitchers, 1964 |
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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. Don Drysdale | Los Angeles | 2.18 | 18 | 16 | .529 | 0 | 40 | 40 | 321.1 | 331 | 78 | 59 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 21 | |
2. Sandy Koufax | Los Angeles | 1.74 | 19 | 5 | .792 | 1 | 29 | 28 | 223 | 222 | 43 | 48 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
3. Juan Marichal | San Francisco | 2.48 | 21 | 8 | .724 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 269 | 332 | 74 | 44 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 17 | |
4. Chris Short | Philadelphia | 2.20 | 17 | 9 | .654 | 2 | 42 | 31 | 220.2 | 250 | 54 | 46 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 22 | |
5. Bob Veale | Pittsburgh | 2.74 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 0 | 40 | 38 | 279.2 | 279 | 85 | 115 | 9 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 33 | |
6. Larry Jackson | Chicago | 3.14 | 24 | 11 | .686 | 0 | 40 | 38 | 297.2 | 374 | 104 | 50 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 22 | |
7. Jim Bunning | Philadelphia | 2.63 | 19 | 8 | .704 | 2 | 41 | 39 | 284.1 | 373 | 83 | 43 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 20 | |
8. Jim O'Toole | Cincinnati | 2.66 | 17 | 7 | .708 | 0 | 30 | 30 | 220 | 259 | 65 | 44 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 11 | |
9. Bob Bruce | Houston | 2.76 | 15 | 9 | .625 | 0 | 35 | 29 | 202.1 | 256 | 62 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 10 | |
10. Bob Gibson | St. Louis | 3.01 | 19 | 12 | .613 | 1 | 40 | 36 | 287.1 | 369 | 96 | 77 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 16 |
The Ten Best American League Pitchers, 1964 |
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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. Dean Chance | Los Angeles | 1.65 | 20 | 9 | .690 | 4 | 46 | 35 | 278.1 | 243 | 51 | 77 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 31 | |
2. Whitey Ford | New York | 2.13 | 17 | 6 | .739 | 1 | 39 | 36 | 244.2 | 279 | 58 | 54 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | |
3. Dick Radatz | Boston | 2.29 | 16 | 9 | .640 | 29 | 79 | 0 | 157 | 171 | 40 | 49 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 5 | |
4. Gary Peters | Chicago | 2.50 | 20 | 8 | .714 | 0 | 37 | 36 | 273.2 | 317 | 76 | 96 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 27 | |
5. Juan Pizarro | Chicago | 2.56 | 19 | 9 | .679 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 239 | 295 | 68 | 50 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 17 | |
6. Joe Horlen | Chicago | 1.88 | 13 | 9 | .591 | 0 | 32 | 28 | 210.2 | 197 | 44 | 51 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 25 | |
7. Wally Bunker | Baltimore | 2.69 | 19 | 5 | .792 | 0 | 29 | 29 | 214 | 254 | 64 | 57 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 | |
8. Fred Newman | Los Angeles | 2.75 | 13 | 10 | .565 | 0 | 32 | 28 | 190 | 232 | 58 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 22 | |
9. Bob Lee | Los Angeles | 1.51 | 6 | 5 | .545 | 19 | 64 | 5 | 137 | 116 | 23 | 50 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 13 | |
10. Hoyt Wilhelm | Chicago | 1.99 | 12 | 9 | .571 | 23 | 73 | 0 | 131.1 | 131 | 29 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 11 |
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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