Player-Seasonal Notation: 1893-1945
Last week we played around with a simple method of making team stat lines easier to interpret and compare, by rendering them into a form that mimics individual player seasons. Now we’ll apply that methodology to every major league season since 1893 (this time going through 1945 and continuing to the present day next week) and see what it reveals about the ever-changing interplay of conditions and approaches that impacts hitting and scoring.
Scoring rates and offensive styles have stayed anything but constant over the decades, of course. In this exercise, we identify 19 distinct periods of run production, each displaying its own unique profile. This week we’ll look at the first 10 such periods, taking us from the introduction of baseball’s current playing dimensions through the end of World War II.
Era 1, 1893-1897: The Big Bang
For the 1893 season, the pitching distance was increased to the 60-foot 6-inch dimension that has prevailed ever since. Placing the pitcher farther away from the batter would obviously benefit hitting and scoring, and the impact of this change was indeed emphatically in that direction. Scoring boomed to levels never seen before or since, as pitchers struggled to adapt to the new condition and through trial-and-error worked to develop what we now recognize as the standard windup motion.
Presented here in Player-Seasonal Notation are the three highest-scoring major league teams of the 1893-1897 period (as measured by runs per game). Also presented are the three lowest-scoring offenses. As a standard of comparison, the overall mean average of all 1893-1897 teams is also offered in Player-Seasonal Notation.
National League 1893-1897
Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS
1894 Beaneaters 557 136 184 30 10 11 116 59 29 27 ? .331 .395 .484 .879
1894 Orioles 533 130 183 30 17 4 108 57 22 36 ? .343 .407 .483 .890
1894 Phillies 552 127 192 28 15 4 109 55 27 30 ? .349 .408 .476 .884
1893-97 Average 524 95 154 22 10 4 ? 49 32 27 ? .293 .354 .397 .751
1897 Browns 516 65 142 17 7 3 54 39 35 19 ? .275 .326 .356 .682
1896 Browns 502 66 129 15 9 4 54 37 33 21 ? .257 .308 .346 .654
1896 Colonels 510 73 133 16 9 4 58 41 47 22 ? .261 .316 .351 .667
It was the purest Golden Age for hitters. Foul balls weren’t counted as strikes. Many fielders wore no glove, and when mitts were employed, they were quite rudimentary. Combine these factors with pitchers learning to deal with a more challenging throwing distance, and the result was that the best hitting teams batted in the .330s and even .340s, ran wild on the bases and scored more than nine runs per game. The overall National League batting average for the entire five-year period was .293, and the very lowest-scoring lineup of the era, the hapless 1897 St. Louis Browns, hit .275.
Era 2, 1898-1903: Turmoil and Transformation
As the decade and century turned, pitchers were exercising increasing mastery of the new pitching distance. Moreover, fielding gloves were improving and becoming commonplace. Scoring rates moderated.
In 1900, the National League was forced by economic necessity to contract from 12 franchises to eight. Sensing an opportunity, a rival enterprise (building on the foundation of the minor Western League) was formed, calling itself the American League. Beginning in 1901, the AL was generally recognized to have achieved major league status, as a ferocious player talent bidding war raged. Finally in 1903, a truce was forged, as both the NL and AL ownerships agreed to respect one another’s player contract rights and abide by the terms of the new universally applied Reserve Clause.
Here are the three best and worst offenses from both the National and American Leagues and the league averages for both:
National League 1898-1903 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1898 Orioles 582 104 176 17 9 1 84 58 35 28 ? .302 .365 .368 .733 1899 Superbas 549 99 160 20 11 3 80 53 29 30 ? .291 .353 .383 .736 1899 Phillies 595 102 179 27 9 3 87 49 38 24 ? .301 .355 .395 .750 1898-1903 Avg. 551 77 149 19 8 3 ? 42 ? 21 ? .271 .323 .349 .672 1902 Giants 508 45 121 16 4 1 37 28 59 21 ? .238 .278 .290 .568 1899 Spiders 587 59 148 16 6 1 50 32 31 14 ? .253 .291 .305 .596 1902 Phillies 513 54 127 12 5 1 43 40 53 12 ? .247 .301 .293 .594 American League 1901-1903 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1901 White Sox 525 91 145 19 10 4 73 53 37 31 ? .276 .342 .370 .712 1901 A's 542 89 157 27 10 4 74 33 38 19 ? .289 .330 .395 .725 1902 A's 529 86 152 26 7 4 75 38 33 22 ? .287 .335 .389 .724 1901-03 Average 526 73 141 22 9 3 ? 36 45 18 ? .252 .307 .324 .630 1903 Senators 513 49 118 19 8 2 41 29 51 15 ? .231 .272 .311 .583 1903 Browns 515 56 126 18 8 1 45 30 60 11 ? .244 .286 .317 .603 1903 White Sox 519 57 128 20 5 2 48 36 60 20 ? .247 .296 .314 .610
Batters got more bad news, as the foul-strike rule was implemented in the National League in 1901 and the American in 1903. Application of the new rule wasn’t entirely consistent, however, as precise definition of what constituted a bunt wasn’t codified in the rules until 1904.
Era 3, 1904-1910: The True Deadball Era
With the foul-strike rule firmly in place in both the leagues (including clarity that a foul bunt with two strikes counted as a strikeout), and with gloves (still primitive though they were) now standard equipment, beginning in 1904 baseball entered into the lowest-scoring period it has ever known. The new pitching-dominant style was all the more dramatic, occurring as it did on the heels of the raucously high-scoring 1890s.
National League 1904-1910 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1905 Giants 566 87 155 21 10 4 71 57 ? 32 ? .273 .340 .368 .708 1904 Giants 572 83 150 22 7 3 63 48 ? 31 ? .262 .319 .344 .663 1905 Reds 578 82 156 18 11 3 68 48 ? 20 ? .269 .325 .354 .679 1904-10 Average 561 64 139 18 7 2 ? 47 ? 21 ? .247 .305 .319 .624 1908 Cardinals 551 41 123 15 6 2 33 31 ? 17 ? .223 .265 .283 .548 1908 Superbas 544 42 116 12 7 3 34 36 ? 13 ? .213 .262 .277 .539 1906 Beaneaters 547 45 124 15 5 2 37 40 ? 10 ? .226 .279 .281 .560 American League 1904-1910 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1907 Tigers 578 77 154 20 8 1 61 35 ? 21 ? .266 .308 .335 .643 1910 Tigers 560 75 146 21 8 3 61 51 ? 28 ? .261 .323 .344 .667 1910 A's 573 75 153 21 12 2 60 45 ? 23 ? .266 .320 .355 .675 1904-10 Average 565 62 138 19 7 2 ? 40 ? 20 ? .244 .294 .313 .607 1909 Senators 554 42 124 17 5 1 34 36 ? 15 ? .223 .270 .275 .545 1904 Senators 572 49 130 19 6 1 39 31 84 17 ? .227 .267 .288 .555 1909 Browns 552 49 128 13 5 1 39 37 ? 15 ? .232 .280 .279 .559
The very weakest offensive teams in this era barely registered a pulse, scoring fewer than 2.5 runs per game.
In this period, there wasn’t any significant difference in offensive style between the two leagues; a slightly higher walk rate in the NL is the only distinction between them.
Era 4, 1911-1913: Popping the Cork
With the 1911 season, the first cork-centered live ball was introduced. Its impact was dramatic, with revived hitting and scoring all across both leagues.
National League 1911-1913 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1912 Giants 563 91 161 26 10 5 78 57 55 35 ? .286 .352 .395 .747 1911 Cubs 570 84 148 24 11 6 70 65 69 24 ? .260 .336 .374 .710 1912 Cubs 561 84 155 27 10 5 71 62 68 18 ? .277 .349 .387 .736 1911-13 Average 572 75 151 23 9 4 ? 54 65 22 ? .265 .328 .360 .688 1913 Cardinals 552 59 137 17 8 2 47 50 64 19 ? .247 .310 .316 .626 1911 Superbas 562 60 133 17 8 3 52 47 76 20 ? .237 .296 .311 .607 1913 Superbas 574 66 155 21 10 4 56 40 62 21 ? .270 .318 .363 .681 American League 1911-1913 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1911 A's 578 96 171 26 10 4 77 47 ? 25 ? .296 .349 .398 .747 1911 Tigers 588 92 172 26 11 3 73 52 ? 31 ? .292 .350 .388 .738 1912 Red Sox 563 89 156 30 9 3 73 63 ? 21 ? .277 .349 .380 .729 1911-13 Average 565 74 149 22 9 2 ? 51 ? 24 ? .265 .326 .347 .673 1913 White Sox 536 54 127 17 7 3 46 44 61 17 ? .236 .294 .311 .605 1913 Browns 559 59 133 20 8 2 47 51 85 23 ? .237 .300 .312 .612 1913 Yankees 542 59 129 17 5 1 48 59 69 23 ? .237 .312 .292 .604
But pitchers didn’t accept the new rabbit-ball lying down. Spitballs and other ball-doctoring methods had been around for a long time (and were entirely legal), but now more and more pitchers began applying them with renewed vigor. In 1913, scoring was still higher than it had been in any season of the 1904-1910 period, but it declined noticeably from its 1911-1912 heights, as ball-doctoring, with ever-greater alacrity, became increasingly the norm.
Era 5, 1914-1919, The Spitball Era
Loading them up like never before, and taking full advantage of the custom that allowed scratched, stained and soiled baseballs to remain in play, pitchers reasserted their mastery (as we explored here and here). Hitting and scoring didn’t quite revert to their 1904-1910 depths, but they approached them.
National League 1914-1919 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1914 Giants 572 75 151 25 7 3 63 50 53 27 ? .265 .324 .348 .672 1914 Braves 578 73 145 24 7 4 64 56 69 15 ? .251 .317 .335 .652 1917 Giants 579 71 151 19 8 4 60 41 59 18 ? .261 .310 .343 .653 1914-19 Average 545 60 137 19 8 3 ? 42 58 17 ? .251 .305 .331 .636 1917 Pirates 574 52 137 18 7 1 44 44 64 17 ? .238 .293 .298 .591 1916 Cardinals 559 53 136 17 8 3 46 37 72 20 ? .243 .290 .318 .608 1916 Pirates 576 54 138 16 10 2 45 41 69 19 ? .240 .291 .316 .607 American League 1914-1919 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1915 Tigers 570 86 152 23 10 3 72 76 59 27 16 .268 .353 .358 .711 1914 A's 570 83 155 18 9 3 70 61 57 26 21 .272 .342 .352 .694 1919 White Sox 519 74 149 24 8 3 63 47 40 17 ? .287 .347 .380 .727 1914-19 Average 540 62 136 20 8 2 ? 52 59 18 ? .252 .318 .329 .647 1916 A's 557 50 135 19 7 2 42 45 70 17 ? .242 .299 .313 .612 1914 White Sox 560 54 134 18 8 2 43 45 68 19 17 .239 .296 .311 .607 1919 A's 526 51 128 19 8 4 44 39 63 11 ? .244 .296 .334 .630
We still see little meaningful difference in scoring levels or offensive styles between the two leagues, although the AL was now exhibiting the greater rate of bases on balls.
The most dramatic individual team story in this period was that of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics. Glamorous champions in 1910 to 1914, flashing a fearsome offense as potent as any in the game, they suffered a stunning and somewhat suspicious World Series flattening at the hands of the 1914 Miracle Braves. Owner-manager Mack totally gutted the entire roster, and immediately the A’s lineup became one of the most feeble in baseball and would remain so for years.
Era 6, 1920-1928: Ka-Boom
In 1920, in the wake of the catastrophic influenza epidemic, for reasons of public health the spitball was disallowed. As a means of enforcing the new rule, all other forms of doctoring the baseball were now forbidden as well, and a fresh, clean, dry, white baseball would be employed at all times. Coincidentally, in the post-World War I period, improved yarn and modernized baseball manufacturing methods were also available, making for a cork-centered ball that was consistent in quality, tighter-sewn and livelier than ever before.
Whether intended or not, the combined impact of these developments was immense. Following the lead of Babe Ruth, hitters shattered home run records and entered a new Golden Age—though with ever-improving gloves in use, scoring rates didn’t quite match the heights of the 1890s.
National League 1920-1928 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1925 Prates 597 101 183 35 12 9 91 55 40 18 7 .307 .366 .449 .815 1922 Pirates 613 96 189 27 12 6 86 47 36 16 7 .308 .357 .419 .776 1922 Cardinals 603 96 182 31 10 12 87 50 47 8 7 .301 .354 .444 .798 1920-28 Average 591 79 168 26 8 7 ? 47 48 10 ? .284 .336 .392 .728 1924 Braves 587 58 151 22 6 3 51 39 50 8 8 .256 .303 .327 .630 1920 Braves 580 58 151 19 10 3 51 43 54 10 11 .260 .311 .339 .650 1920 Pirates 580 59 149 18 10 2 50 42 45 20 13 .257 .307 .332 .639 American League 1920-1928 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1927 Yankees 594 108 183 32 11 18 101 71 67 10 7 .307 .381 .489 .870 1921 Yankees 583 105 175 32 10 15 96 65 63 10 7 .300 .371 .464 .835 1921 Indians 598 103 184 39 10 5 94 69 42 6 5 .308 .379 .430 .809 1920-28 Average 586 84 168 30 8 6 ? 56 49 10 8 .286 .348 .397 .745 1920 A's 584 62 147 24 5 5 52 39 66 6 7 .252 .299 .338 .637 1926 Red Sox 576 62 147 28 6 4 58 52 50 5 6 .256 .317 .343 .660 1923 Red Sox 576 65 150 28 6 4 58 43 53 9 10 .261 .313 .351 .664
In both leagues, managers quickly adapted to the new conditions by dramatically decreasing stolen base attempts. While power hitting rates were roughly equal in both leagues, we see the American League tendency toward more walks persist and result in slightly higher scoring rates. The difference in walk rate between the leagues would remain and intensify in the decades to follow—an interesting indicator of differing cultures between the leagues, in umpiring as well as pitching and batting approaches.
Era 7, 1929-1930: Ka-Blammo
For reasons that aren’t obvious—it might well have just been randomness—a decade of high scoring spiked upward still in 1929, and then to stunning heights in both leagues in 1930.
National League 1929-1930 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1930 Cardinals 612 112 192 41 10 12 105 53 55 8 ? .314 .369 .471 .840 1930 Cubs 620 111 191 34 8 19 105 65 71 8 ? .309 .374 .481 .855 1929 Cubs 608 109 184 34 5 15 104 65 63 11 ? .303 .370 .452 .822 1929-30 Average 602 95 180 32 8 11 ? 53 51 8 ? .299 .356 .437 .793 1929 Braves 588 73 165 28 9 4 66 45 48 7 ? .280 .331 .375 .706 1930 Reds 583 74 164 29 7 8 69 49 54 5 ? .281 .337 .400 .737 1929 Reds 585 76 164 29 9 4 69 46 39 15 ? .281 .333 .379 .712 American League 1929-1930 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1930 Yankees 605 118 187 33 12 17 110 72 63 10 7 .309 .382 .488 .870 1930 A's 594 106 175 35 8 14 99 67 59 5 4 .294 .365 .452 .817 1929 Tigers 621 103 186 38 11 12 95 58 55 11 8 .299 .359 .453 .812 1929-30 Average 591 89 169 32 9 9 ? 56 53 9 6 .286 .348 .414 .762 1929 Red Sox 573 67 153 32 8 3 62 46 55 9 9 .267 .321 .365 .686 1930 Red Sox 587 68 155 29 8 5 59 40 61 5 4 .264 .310 .365 .675 1929 White Sox 583 70 156 27 8 4 63 47 48 12 7 .268 .323 .363 .686
Few traditionalists had been pleased with the heavy-hitting 1920s, but the barrage of 1930 was the last straw for many. Cries were frequently heard that the jackrabbit ball and the free-swinging style were running roughshod over the subtleties of the sport. Other voices pragmatically replied that, despite the nation’s severe economic distress, major league attendance had set an all-time record in 1930. The baseball world was of two minds regarding the new offensive reality.
Era 8, 1931-1936: Different Paths Forward
Perhaps it wasn’t surprising, then, that the two leagues reacted very differently to the hitting bonanza of 1930. The NL, though it didn’t officially announce it, obviously issued a slightly deadened baseball beginning in 1931. Meanwhile, the AL elected to continue with the same ball specifications as before. The result was a striking divergence in hitting and scoring levels between the leagues, to a degree unique in history (which we examined here and here).
National League 1931-1936 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1935 Cubs 610 94 176 34 7 10 87 52 52 7 ? .288 .344 .414 .758 1932 Phillies 612 94 179 37 7 14 87 50 61 8 ? .292 .345 .442 .787 1935 Cardinals 606 92 172 32 7 10 85 45 58 8 ? .284 .333 .405 .738 1931-36 Average 601 77 166 29 6 8 ? 46 55 6 ? .276 .327 .386 .713 1933 Reds 573 55 141 23 4 4 51 39 39 3 ? .246 .294 .320 .614 1931 Braves 588 59 152 25 7 4 54 41 48 5 ? .258 .306 .341 .647 1933 Braves 583 61 147 24 6 6 57 36 48 3 ? .252 .296 .345 .641 American League 1931-1936 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1931 Yankees 623 119 185 31 9 17 110 83 62 15 8 .297 .380 .457 .837 1936 Yankees 621 118 186 35 9 20 111 78 66 9 4 .300 .378 .483 .861 1932 Yankees 609 111 174 31 9 18 106 85 59 9 7 .286 .373 .454 .827 1931-36 Average 601 89 168 31 7 9 ? 62 56 7 5 .279 .347 .402 .749 1932 Red Sox 588 63 148 28 6 6 59 52 60 5 5 .251 .312 .351 .663 1931 Red Sox 598 69 157 32 4 4 64 45 63 5 5 .262 .314 .349 .663 1931 Tigers 603 72 162 32 8 5 67 53 52 13 8 .268 .328 .371 .699
In addition to the stark differences in power hitting, we also see the dramatic increase in bases on balls occurring in the AL. Interestingly, in both leagues, even the lower-scoring NL, the trend toward fewer stolen bases continued.
The New York Yankees’ offensive dominance in the entire between-the-wars era is staggering: they featured the highest-scoring lineup of the 20th century in 1931, and all three top-scoring spots in the AL in 1931-36, as well as 1937-1941, and two of the top three in 1920-1928.
Era 9, 1937-1941: Different Paths, With a Common Turn
While the leagues remained distinctly different, as the 1930s gave way to the 1940s a similar trend took shape in both: home runs and strikeouts were gradually increasing, and batting averages and scoring were gradually declining.
National League 1937-1941 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1937 Cubs 594 90 171 28 8 11 85 60 55 8 ? .287 .352 .416 .768 1940 Pirates 607 90 168 31 8 8 82 61 55 8 ? .276 .343 .394 .737 1941 Dodgers 609 89 166 32 8 11 83 67 59 4 ? .272 .344 .405 .749 1937-41 Average 592 75 158 27 6 9 ? 53 60 6 ? .267 .327 .376 .703 1940 Phillies 571 55 136 20 4 8 51 48 59 3 ? .238 .298 .331 .629 1941 Phillies 581 56 142 21 4 7 52 50 66 7 ? .244 .304 .331 .635 1938 Phillies 577 61 146 26 3 4 56 47 56 4 ? .254 .310 .333 .643 American League 1937-1941 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1937 Yankees 610 109 173 31 8 19 102 79 67 7 4 .283 .365 .456 .821 1939 Yankees 589 107 169 29 6 18 100 78 60 8 4 .287 .370 .451 .821 1938 Yankees 601 107 164 31 7 19 102 83 68 10 3 .274 .362 .446 .808 1937-41 Average 596 88 164 30 7 11 ? 66 62 7 5 .276 .347 .407 .754 1941 White Sox 600 71 153 27 5 5 63 57 53 10 6 .255 .319 .343 .662 1940 Senators 596 74 161 30 7 6 67 52 56 10 4 .271 .329 .374 .703 1941 Indians 587 75 150 28 9 11 69 57 67 7 5 .256 .321 .393 .714
The first major league night game had been staged in 1935, and in the years immediately following, many teams installed lights. Though night games were still a rarity, they were occurring, and visibility under the lighting systems of the era was poor, which undoubtedly contributed to the rise in strikeouts.
But more broadly, an entire generation of players was now active who had never played competitively under pre-1920 conditions. A batting ethos favoring the home run and exhibiting far less disgust with strikeouts than ever before was increasingly in vogue.
Era 10, 1942-1945: The Balata Ball
Beginning with the 1942 season, everything changed. With the U.S. now embroiled in World War II, raw material shortages imposed an inferior quality baseball on both leagues. Near-deadball conditions resumed (which we explored here), although except for a very few individuals, the stolen base remained a rarely-used option.
National League 1942-1945 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1945 Dodgers 602 88 163 29 8 6 80 70 48 8 ? .271 .347 .376 .723 1944 Cardinals 608 86 167 30 7 11 80 60 53 4 ? .275 .341 .402 .743 1945 Cardinals 610 84 166 28 5 7 78 57 54 6 ? .273 .335 .371 .706 1942-45 Average 590 71 152 25 5 7 ? 56 56 6 ? .258 .323 .354 .677 1942 Phillies 562 44 130 19 4 5 40 44 54 4 ? .232 .287 .306 .593 1943 Braves 577 52 135 22 4 4 48 52 68 6 ? .233 .297 .309 .606 1942 Braves 564 57 135 23 2 8 53 53 56 5 ? .240 .304 .329 .633 American League 1942-1945 Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1942 Yankees 589 89 159 25 6 12 83 66 62 8 4 .269 .343 .394 .737 1942 Red Sox 583 85 161 27 6 11 78 66 56 8 7 .276 .350 .403 .753 1944 Red Sox 600 82 162 31 6 8 77 58 56 7 4 .270 .334 .380 .714 1942-45 Average 585 69 149 24 5 7 ? 58 59 7 5 .255 .323 .349 .672 1945 A's 588 55 144 22 4 4 49 50 51 3 5 .245 .304 .316 .620 1943 A's 583 55 135 19 5 3 51 48 52 6 5 .232 .291 .297 .588 1944 A's 590 58 152 19 5 4 53 47 54 5 4 .257 .311 .327 .638
With a common baseball again in use, and with the dramatic turnover in rosters across both leagues, the distinctly different stylistic flavor between the leagues largely disappeared, though the AL did maintain slightly higher walk rates.
It was a war year and all, but we can’t allow the 1942 Philadelphia Phillies to get by without special mention. That Phillies team displayed far and away the worst offense of any team in the wartime seasons, scoring nearly 20% fewer runs than the next-lowest scoring team of the era. In fact, taking everything into account, it may indeed be the case that they were the very worst hitting team, well, ever.
The 1942 Phillies, all season long, scored 394 runs. The other seven teams in the NL averaged 627 runs apiece, or about 60% more runs scored than the Phillies. Think about that. Or, perhaps better advice, try not to.
1893-1945 At a Glance
In closing for this time, here are the mean averages in Player-Seasonal Notation of the top three highest-scoring teams, the average of all teams, and the top three lowest scoring teams in each league for each era. The trends and fashions in response to changing conditions are most evident when viewed this way.
Three Highest-Scoring Lineups, National League: Period AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1893-1897 547 131 187 29 14 7 111 57 26 31 ? .341 .403 .481 .884 1898-1903 575 102 172 21 10 3 84 53 34 27 ? .298 .358 .382 .740 1904-1910 572 84 153 20 9 4 67 51 ? 28 ? .268 .328 .355 .684 1911-1913 565 87 155 26 10 5 73 61 64 26 ? .274 .346 .385 .731 1914-1919 576 73 149 22 7 4 62 49 60 20 ? .259 .317 .342 .659 1920-1928 604 98 185 31 11 9 88 51 41 14 7 .305 .359 .437 .796 1929-1930 613 111 189 37 8 15 104 61 63 9 ? .308 .371 .468 .839 1931-1936 609 93 175 34 7 11 86 49 57 8 ? .288 .341 .421 .761 1937-1941 604 90 168 30 8 10 83 63 56 7 ? .279 .346 .405 .751 1942-1945 607 86 166 29 6 8 79 63 52 6 ? .273 .341 .383 .724
Three Highest-Scoring Lineups, American League: Period AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1901-1903 532 89 151 24 9 4 74 41 36 24 ? .284 .336 .385 .721 1904-1910 570 76 151 21 9 2 61 44 ? 24 ? .264 .317 .345 .662 1911-1913 576 92 166 27 10 3 74 54 ? 25 ? .288 .349 .389 .738 1914-1919 553 81 152 22 9 3 68 61 52 23 ? .275 .347 .363 .710 1920-1928 592 105 181 34 10 12 97 68 57 8 6 .305 .377 .461 .838 1929-1930 607 109 182 35 10 14 101 65 59 9 6 .301 .369 .464 .833 1931-1936 618 116 182 32 9 18 109 82 62 11 6 .294 .377 .465 .842 1937-1941 600 108 169 31 7 19 102 80 65 8 4 .281 .366 .451 .817 1942-1945 591 85 161 28 6 10 79 63 58 7 5 .272 .342 .392 .734
Average Lineup, National League: Period AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1893-1897 524 95 154 22 10 4 ? 49 32 27 ? .293 .354 .397 .751 1898-1903 551 77 149 19 8 3 ? 42 ? 21 ? .271 .323 .349 .672 1904-1910 561 64 139 18 7 2 ? 47 ? 21 ? .247 .305 .319 .624 1911-1913 572 75 151 23 9 4 ? 54 65 22 ? .265 .328 .360 .688 1914-1919 545 60 137 19 8 3 ? 42 58 17 ? .251 .305 .331 .636 1920-1928 591 79 168 26 8 7 ? 47 48 10 ? .284 .336 .392 .728 1929-1930 602 95 180 32 8 11 ? 53 51 8 ? .299 .356 .437 .793 1931-1936 601 77 166 29 6 8 ? 46 55 6 ? .276 .327 .386 .713 1937-1941 592 75 158 27 6 9 ? 53 60 6 ? .267 .327 .376 .703 1942-1945 590 71 152 25 5 7 ? 56 56 6 ? .258 .323 .354 .677
Average Lineup, American League: Period AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1901-1903 526 73 141 22 9 3 ? 36 45 18 ? .252 .307 .324 .630 1904-1910 565 62 138 19 7 2 ? 40 ? 20 ? .244 .294 .313 .607 1911-1913 565 74 149 22 9 2 ? 51 ? 24 ? .265 .326 .347 .673 1914-1919 540 62 136 20 8 2 ? 52 59 18 ? .252 .318 .329 .647 1920-1928 586 84 168 30 8 6 ? 56 49 10 8 .286 .348 .397 .745 1929-1930 591 89 169 32 9 9 ? 56 53 9 6 .286 .348 .414 .762 1931-1936 601 89 168 31 7 9 ? 62 56 7 5 .279 .347 .402 .749 1937-1941 596 88 164 30 7 11 ? 66 62 7 5 .276 .347 .407 .754 1942-1945 585 69 149 24 5 7 ? 58 59 7 5 .255 .323 .349 .672
Three Lowest-Scoring Lineups, National League: Period AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1893-1897 509 68 135 16 8 4 55 39 39 20 ? .264 .317 .351 .668 1898-1903 536 52 132 15 5 1 44 33 48 16 ? .246 .290 .296 .587 1904-1910 547 43 121 14 6 2 35 36 ? 13 ? .221 .268 .281 .549 1911-1913 563 62 142 18 8 3 52 46 67 20 ? .252 .308 .331 .638 1914-1919 570 53 137 17 8 2 45 41 68 19 ? .241 .291 .310 .602 1920-1928 582 58 150 19 8 2 51 41 50 13 10 .258 .307 .333 .640 1929-1930 585 74 164 29 8 5 68 47 47 9 ? .281 .334 .385 .718 1931-1936 581 59 146 24 6 5 54 39 45 4 ? .252 .299 .336 .634 1937-1941 576 57 141 22 4 7 53 48 60 5 ? .245 .304 .332 .636 1942-1945 568 51 133 21 3 6 47 49 59 5 ? .235 .296 .314 .611
Three Lowest-Scoring Lineups, American League: Period AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS 1901-1903 516 54 124 19 7 2 45 32 57 15 ? .241 .285 .314 .599 1904-1910 559 47 127 16 5 1 37 35 ? 16 ? .227 .272 .281 .553 1911-1913 546 57 129 18 7 2 47 51 72 21 ? .237 .302 .305 .608 1914-1919 547 52 132 19 8 3 43 43 67 16 ? .242 .297 .319 .616 1920-1928 579 63 148 27 6 4 56 45 56 6 8 .256 .310 .344 .653 1929-1930 581 68 155 29 8 4 62 44 55 9 7 .266 .318 .364 .682 1931-1936 596 68 155 31 6 5 63 50 58 8 6 .261 .318 .357 .675 1937-1941 595 73 155 28 7 7 66 55 59 9 5 .260 .323 .370 .693 1942-1945 587 56 144 20 5 4 51 48 53 5 4 .245 .302 .313 .615
The Postwar Era and Beyond
Next time we’ll see what happened as major league baseball regrouped following World War II, and its subtly-brewing trends intensified.
References & Resources
The source for all of this data is the stupendous Baseball Reference.com.
Caught stealing records were only intermittently compiled, particularly in the National League, until the 1950s. That’s particularly frustrating when assessing teams and players of the pre-1920 periods, when base stealing was such an important element of the game. It’s apparent that runners were caught stealing at a much higher rate than in the modern era, but we lack comprehensive data on the question.
I compiled the league average data from baseball-reference.com’s league pages, which don’t list Runs Batted In. Please forgive me for not taking the time to go back team-by-team to compile it!