Baseball's Best Decade by Carroll Conklin Page B

1940s.
     

    From 1944-1946, Hal Newhouser was the most dominating pitcher in baseball, winning 80 games and posting a combined 1.99 ERA for those 3 years.
     
    1920s – Half of the major league teams in the 1920s posted ERAs under 4.00, led by the Pittsburgh Pirates. As a team, the Pirates had the National League’s lowest season ERA only in 1921, while the Cincinnati Red and Brooklyn Dodgers each led the league in ERA 3 times during the decade. In the American League, the New York Yankees led in ERA 4 times, while the Philadelphia Athletics closed out the decade by leading the league 3 consecutive years.
    Who almost made the list? Chicago Cubs at 3.85, St. Louis Cardinals at 3.91, Washington Senators at 3.95.
     
    1930s – The major leagues’ earned run average for the 1930s was 4.28 – tied with the 1990s for the highest in the century. Only 6 teams finished the decade with ERAs under 4.00. The New York Yankees were the only American League club to finish under 4.00, leading the junior circuit in ERA 7 times. In the National League, the New York Giants were the ERA leaders 4 times, while the Chicago Cubs posted the best team ERA 3 times.
    Who almost made the list? New York Yankee at 3.98, Cincinnati Reds at 4.02, Brooklyn Dodgers at 4.04.
     
    1940s – Earned run averages were one of the few areas of improved statistical performance during the 1940s, as the major leagues’ ERA dipped to 3.73 for the decade. In all, 12 different teams finished the decade with ERAs under 4.00, with the St. Louis Cardinals leading the National League in that category 6 different seasons. The New York Yankees posted the American League’s best ERA 3 times, as did the Cleveland Indians.
    Who almost made the list? Brooklyn Dodgers at 3.61, Chicago White Sox at 3.72, Boston Braves at 3.73.
     

     
    The Be st Team ERAs for Each Decade (1950s-1970s)
    195 0s
New York Yankees
3.40
Chicago White Sox
3.49
Cleveland Indians
3.51
Milwaukee Braves
3.53
New York Giants
3.71
     
    1960s
Los Angeles Dodgers
3.12
Chicago White Sox
3.21
Baltimore Orioles
3.21
San Francisco Giants
3.28
St. Louis Cardinals
3.30
     
    1970s
New York Mets
3.19
California Angels
3.21
Philadelphia Phillies
3.35
Houston Astros
3.39
Los Angeles Dodgers
3.41
     
     
     
    Allie Reynolds                         Whitey Ford
     
     
    Bobby Shantz                                    Ed Lopat
     
    As a team, the New York Yankees lead the American League in earned run average 5 times during the 1950s. Four Yankee pitchers were the individual ERA champions for the AL during that decade.
     

    Hoyt Wilhelm was an ERA champion twice during the 1950s … once in each league, as a New York Giant in 1952, and as a Baltimore Oriole in 1959.
     
       
    Frank Baumann             Joe Horlen                     Gary Peters
    Three Chicago White Sox pitchers won ERA titles during the 1960s. Gary Peters was the American League ERA leader in both 1963 and 1965.
     

    During the 1968 season, when Bob Gibson posted a 1.12 ERA, he was practically unhittable in June and July. During those two months, Gibson was 12-0, all complete games with 8 shutouts, and a 0.50 earned run average. He was 10-9 with a 3.21 ERA over the rest of that season.
     

    Mike McCormick was the National League ERA champion in 1960, going 15-12 with a 2.70 earned run average. He would not have another winning season – or an ERA under 3.00 – until 1967, when his 22-10 record and 2.85 ERA would win for him the NL Cy Young award.
     

    Pitching for the first-year expansion Washington Senators in 1961, Dick Donovan managed only a 10-10 record despite a career low 2.40 ERA … that was the best in the American league.
     

    In his first 7 big league seasons, with the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers, Hank Aguirre worked almost exclusively as a reliever. In 1962, his first season as a starter, the 31-year-old Aguirre won 16 games … 2