Baseball's Best Decade (33 page)
Read Baseball's Best Decade Online
Authors: Carroll Conklin
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 | |
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.
