Baseball's Best Decade (28 page)

With Dizzy Dean as the ace of the staff, the St. Louis Cardinals consistently led the National League in strikeouts during the 1930s. When injuries curtailed Dean’s career, the Cardinals’ strikeout prowess – and the team’s pennant chances – faded with him.

Red Ruffing was third in the American League in strikeouts during the 1930s. He led the AL in strikeouts only once, with 190 in 1932.

Bob Feller played only 6 full seasons during the 1940s, but led the American League in strikeouts 4 times during that decade. He was 98-50 over those 4 seasons.

1920s –
The Brooklyn Dodgers pitchers outdistanced all other pitching staffs in the 1920s in terms of strikeouts. Led by Dazzy Vance, the Dodgers topped the National League in strikeouts 9 years out of 10, bested only in 1921 by the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the American League, the Philadelphia Athletics and the New York Yankees were only 5 strikeouts apart for their decade totals. The Yankees led the league in strikeouts 3 times between 1920 and 1924, but the arrival of Lefty Grove in Philadelphia spurred the A’s to lead the league in strikeouts each year from 1925 to 1929.

Who almost made the list?
Detroit Tigers at 4,511, St. Louis Browns at 4,341, St. Louis Cardinals at 4,311.

1930s –
The New York Yankees’ dominance of the American League in the 1930s was not confined to the batter’s box. Yankee pitchers led all major league staffs in strikeouts during the decade.  The Yankees led the American League in strikeouts 6 times during the decade. In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals, led by the strikeout prowess of the great Dizzy Dean, topped the league in strikeouts for the first 6 years of the decade. When injury cut short Dean’s career, the Cardinals’ leadership in strikeouts vanished for the rest of the decade.

Who almost made the list?
New York Giants at 5,331, Brooklyn Dodgers at 5,224, Philadelphia Athletics at 4,957.

1940s –
The Hal Newhouser-led Detroit Tigers piled up the most strikeouts of opposing batters during the 1940s. The Tigers led the American League in strikeouts 7 times; the Brooklyn Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals each led the National League in strikeouts 5 times during the decade.

Who almost made the list?
Chicago Cubs at 5,665, Boston Red Sox at 5,578, New York Giants at 5,463.

Top St
rikeout Teams for Each Decade (1950s-1970s)

Warren Spahn (left) of the Milwaukee Braves and Sam Jones of the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs each led the National League in strikeouts 3 times during the 1950s.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the most prolific strikeout team of the 1960s. Sandy Koufax (right) or Don Drysdale (center) led the National League in strikeouts 7 times between 1959 and 1966.

(Also pictured – Johnny Podres)