The Value Production Standings: 1966-1970
In our preceding chapters, we’ve explored the production of every team’s farm system, for 1946-1950, 1951-1955, 1956-1960, and 1961-1965. This time we’ll look at the late 1960s.
For a review of our methodology, please see the References and Resources section below.
Here’s the key to the figures we’re examining:
WSP = Win Shares Produced: the total of major league Win Shares produced that season by all players credited to the organization
Lg. WSP = League Win Shares Produced: the percentage of the league total of WSP credited to the organization
MLB WSP = Major League Baseball Win Shares Produced: the percentage of the MLB-wide total of WSP credited to the organization
W = Wins: the actual win total of the team that season
Lg. W = League Wins: the percentage of the league Win total won by the team
W% – WSP% = League Wins minus League Win Shares Produced: a measure of how much better or worse a team actually performed than the league-wide value produced by their organization
The Value Production Standings Summary, 1946-1965
Year NYY DET BOS CLE OAK MIN BAL CHW CAL WAS AL WSP 1946 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 x x 56.5% 1947 1 2 4 3 5 6 8 7 x x 55.3% 1948 1 3 4 2 5 7 6 8 x x 55.6% 1949 1 3T 3T 2 5 7 6 8 x x 51.9% 1950 1 3 4 2 7 6 5 8 x x 50.5% 1951 2 4 3 1 5 6 8 7 x x 49.0% 1952 1 4 3 2 5 6 8 7 x x 47.9% 1953 2 4 3 1 7 6 8 5 x x 46.2% 1954 1T 4 3 1T 7 6 8 5 x x 47.5% 1955 1 4 2 3 5 6 8 7 x x 46.7% 1956 1 4 2 3 7 5 8 6 x x 47.1% 1957 1 4 2 3 6 8 7 5 x x 46.3% 1958 1 4 3 2 8 7 6 5 x x 46.4% 1959 1 4 3 2 8 7 5 6 x x 46.5% 1960 1 5 3 2 8 7 4 6 x x 46.0% 1961 1 4 3 2 8 7 5 6 9 10 48.3% 1962 1 3 4 2 8 6 5 7 10 9 43.1% 1963 1 5 4 2 8 7 3 6 10 9 43.6% 1964 1 3 4 5 8 7 2 6 9 10 45.0% 1965 1 2 7 5 8 6 3 4 9 10 44.5% Year STL LAD CHC CIN PHI PIT ATL SFG HOU NYM NL WSP 1946 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 x x 43.5% 1947 1 2 4 3 7 6 8 5 x x 44.7% 1948 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 5 x x 44.4% 1949 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 6 x x 48.1% 1950 1 2 5 6 4 7 8 3 x x 49.5% 1951 1 2 5 4 6 7 8 3 x x 51.0% 1952 1 2 5 4 6 8 7 3 x x 52.1% 1953 2 1 7 4 5 8 3 6 x x 53.8% 1954 2 1 7 5 6 8 3 4 x x 52.5% 1955 3 1 6 5 7 8 2 4 x x 53.3% 1956 2 1 8 4 6 7 3 5 x x 52.9% 1957 2 1 7 5 4 8 3 6 x x 53.7% 1958 4 1 8 6 7 5 2 3 x x 53.6% 1959 3 1 7 5 8 6 2 4 x x 53.5% 1960 3 1 8 6 7 5 4 2 x x 54.0% 1961 2 1 7 5 8 6 3 4 x x 51.7% 1962 4 1 7 5 8 6 2 3 9 10 56.9% 1963 5 1 7 4 8 6 3 2 9 10 56.4% 1964 6 3 7 4 8 5 2 1 9 10 55.0% 1965 6 2 8 3 7 5 4 1 9 10 55.5%
The 1966 Value Production Standings
AL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Yankees 288 13.5% 6.0% 70 8.7% -4.8% Orioles 286 13.4% 6.0% 97 12.0% -1.4% Tigers 282 13.2% 5.9% 88 10.9% -2.3% White Sox 281 13.2% 5.9% 83 10.3% -2.9% Indians 272 12.8% 5.7% 81 10.1% -2.7% Red Sox 226 10.6% 4.7% 72 8.9% -1.7% Athletics 205 9.6% 4.3% 74 9.2% -0.4% Twins 196 9.2% 4.1% 89 11.1% 1.8% Angels 59 2.8% 1.2% 80 9.9% 7.2% Senators 34 1.6% 0.7% 71 8.8% 7.2% AL Total 2129 100.0% 44.4% 805 100.0% 0.0% NL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Giants 522 19.6% 10.9% 93 11.5% -8.1% Reds 363 13.6% 7.6% 76 9.4% -4.2% Braves 352 13.2% 7.3% 85 10.5% -2.7% Dodgers 346 13.0% 7.2% 95 11.8% -1.2% Pirates 291 10.9% 6.1% 92 11.4% 0.5% Cardinals 262 9.8% 5.5% 83 10.3% 0.4% Cubs 170 6.4% 3.5% 59 7.3% 0.9% Phillies 166 6.2% 3.5% 87 10.8% 4.5% Astros 138 5.2% 2.9% 72 8.9% 3.7% Mets 53 2.0% 1.1% 66 8.2% 6.2% NL Total 2663 100.0% 55.6% 808 100.0% 0.0% MLB Total 4792 n/a 100.0% 1613 n/a n/a
The Giants in 1966 not only led the major leagues in WSP for the third straight year, they did it by producing a total of 522 Win Shares (the all-time record) and by producing 159 more Win Shares than their closest competitor (also the all-time record). The system created by owner Horace Stoneham and farm director Carl Hubbell had stocked nearly the entire Giants’ roster with home-grown talent, featuring stars in center fielder Willie Mays, first baseman Willie McCovey, aces Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry, third baseman Jim Ray Hart, and catcher Tom Haller, along with solid performers in pitchers Bob Bolin and Frank Linzy and infielders Tito Fuentes and Jim Davenport. Yet for all their talent capital, the Giants still had several big holes they were somehow unable to fill, and they finished a close second to the Dodgers for the second year in a row.
This was a highly frustrating circumstance, given that one could nearly comprise an All-Star team in 1966 from the list of Giants’ farm products they’d coughed up over the years: outfielders Felipe Alou (Braves), Matty Alou and Manny Mota (Pirates), Jose Cardenal (Angels), and Leon Wagner (Indians), first basemen Bill White (Phillies) and Orlando Cepeda (Cardinals), infielders Eddie Bressoud (Mets), Tony Taylor (Phillies), and Jose Pagan (Pirates), catcher Randy Hundley (Cubs), and pitchers Mike McCormick (Senators), Hoyt Wilhelm (White Sox), Eddie Fisher (White Sox-Orioles), Al Worthington (Twins), Hal Woodeshick (Cardinals), Minnie Rojas (Angels), and Bill Hands (Cubs).
The Dodgers ball club that once again nipped the Giants was just fourth in the league in WSP, but they did have a strong core of organization-bred talent: Cy Young Award winner Sandy Koufax, as well as pitchers Don Drysdale and Don Sutton, infielders Jim Lefebvre and Maury Wills, catcher John Roseboro, outfielders Willie Davis, Ron Fairly, and Tommy Davis, and first baseman Wes Parker. Strong contributions from imports put them over the top: pitchers Claude Osteen, Phil Regan, Ron Perranoski, and Bob Miller, and outfielder Lou Johnson.
The 1966 Yankees shocked the baseball world by dropping to last place in the American League. They performed the unlikely feat of finishing last while leading the league in WSP (for the 13th consecutive year); granted, they finished tenth despite being just 11.5 games out of fourth, and they were first in WSP despite having just 16 more than the fifth-most, but still, last is last and first is first. No Yankees-produced talent performing elsewhere in 1966 was producing at a star level, but the list of solid contributors was long, including outfielders Curt Blefary and Russ Snyder (Orioles), Don Lock (Senators), Deron Johnson (Reds), and Roger Repoz (Athletics), first baseman Norm Siebern (Angels), and pitcher Pete Mikkelsen (Pirates).
None of the four 1960s expansion franchises had yet produced a lot of home-grown talent, but the Houston Astros were making the most progress. Paul Richards, who’d set up the operation, had been fired by owner Roy Hofheinz in December of 1965, but the Wizard of Waxahachie’s legacy of young talent continued to develop. Joining second baseman Joe Morgan, right fielder Rusty Staub, center fielder Jim Wynn, and pitchers Larry Dierker and Dave Giusti as standouts were shortstop Sonny Jackson and catcher John Bateman. Though still just in eighth place in the NL, the Astros looked to be a team on the rise.
The 1967 Value Production Standings
AL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Red Sox 300 13.8% 6.3% 92 11.4% -2.4% Orioles 287 13.2% 6.0% 76 9.4% -3.8% Twins 286 13.1% 6.0% 91 11.3% -1.9% Tigers 283 13.0% 5.9% 91 11.3% -1.7% White Sox 248 11.4% 5.2% 89 11.0% -0.4% Indians 233 10.7% 4.9% 75 9.3% -1.4% Yankees 230 10.6% 4.8% 72 8.9% -1.6% Athletics 217 10.0% 4.5% 62 7.7% -2.3% Angels 61 2.8% 1.3% 84 10.4% 7.6% Senators 35 1.6% 0.7% 76 9.4% 7.8% AL Total 2180 100.0% 45.5% 808 100.0% 0.0% NL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Giants 459 17.6% 9.6% 91 11.2% -6.3% Reds 388 14.8% 8.1% 87 10.8% -4.1% Dodgers 337 12.9% 7.0% 73 9.0% -3.9% Braves 292 11.2% 6.1% 77 9.5% -1.7% Cardinals 253 9.7% 5.3% 101 12.5% 2.8% Cubs 229 8.8% 4.8% 87 10.8% 2.0% Phillies 210 8.0% 4.4% 82 10.1% 2.1% Pirates 207 7.9% 4.3% 81 10.0% 2.1% Astros 138 5.3% 2.9% 69 8.5% 3.2% Mets 100 3.8% 2.1% 61 7.5% 3.7% NL Total 2613 100.0% 54.5% 809 100.0% 0.0% MLB Total 4793 n/a 100.0% 1617 n/a n/a
The story of the year was unquestionably the Red Sox, winning their “Impossible Dream” pennant in an impossibly close-fought race after having finished ninth in 1966. The ’67 Red Sox also led the American League in WSP (breaking the Yankees’ stranglehold) for the first time in their history, after having been just sixth-best in ’66. Boston’s championship squad featured a remarkable core of suddenly-blossoming home-grown young talent: MVP left fielder Carl Yastrzemski, first baseman George Scott, shortstop Rico Petrocelli, right fielder Tony Conigliaro, center fielder Reggie Smith, second baseman Mike Andrews, third baseman Joe Foy, and pitchers Jim Lonborg (the AL Cy Young Award Winner) and Sparky Lyle.
But the Red Sox were vanquished in a seven-game World Series by the Cardinals, a quite differently-constructed ball club. Some of their major cogs were internal products: pitchers Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, Nelson Briles, and Dick Hughes, catcher Tim McCarver, and infielders Dal Maxvill and Mike Shannon. But the Cards’ victory was attained through a series of exceptional trades (which we explored here) that had landed MVP first baseman Orlando Cepeda, outfielders Lou Brock, Curt Flood, and Roger Maris, and second baseman Julian Javier.
For the first time since 1946, the Cubs finished in the first division. Several of their key contributors were home-grown, including the infield of Ron Santo, Don Kessinger, Glenn Beckert, and Ernie Banks, as well as left fielder Billy Williams and pitchers Ken Holtzman, Rich Nye, Joe Niekro, and Chuck Hartenstein. But it was the cleverly-acquired quartet of pitchers Ferguson Jenkins and Bill Hands, catcher Randy Hundley, and center fielder Adolfo Phillips, landed in two remarkable deals five months apart in 1965-66 (which we discussed here), that rounded out the roster and allowed the Cubs to turn the corner.
The 1968 Value Production Standings
AL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Tigers 298 13.5% 6.2% 103 12.7% -0.8% Athletics 290 13.1% 6.0% 82 10.1% -3.0% Orioles 286 12.9% 5.9% 91 11.2% -1.7% Red Sox 247 11.2% 5.1% 86 10.6% -0.5% Indians 245 11.1% 5.1% 86 10.6% -0.5% White Sox 236 10.7% 4.9% 67 8.3% -2.4% Yankees 230 10.4% 4.8% 83 10.3% -0.1% Twins 222 10.0% 4.6% 79 9.8% -0.3% Angels 109 4.9% 2.3% 67 8.3% 3.3% Senators 47 2.1% 1.0% 65 8.0% 5.9% AL Total 2210 100.0% 45.8% 809 100.0% 0.0% NL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Giants 453 17.3% 9.4% 88 10.9% -6.5% Reds 351 13.4% 7.3% 83 10.2% -3.2% Braves 311 11.9% 6.4% 81 10.0% -1.9% Dodgers 298 11.4% 6.2% 76 9.4% -2.0% Cardinals 244 9.3% 5.1% 97 12.0% 2.6% Cubs 238 9.1% 4.9% 84 10.4% 1.3% Pirates 222 8.5% 4.6% 80 9.9% 1.4% Phillies 210 8.0% 4.4% 76 9.4% 1.4% Astros 149 5.7% 3.1% 72 8.9% 3.2% Mets 140 5.4% 2.9% 73 9.0% 3.7% NL Total 2616 100.0% 54.2% 810 100.0% 0.0% MLB Total 4826 n/a 100.0% 1619 n/a n/a
The Tigers hadn’t won a pennant since 1945, nor had they ever been first in the league in value production. But in 1968 they achieved both, and won the World Series to boot in dramatic come-from-behind fashion. Detroit’s championship roster was replete with first-rate organizational products: MVP and Cy Young-winning ace Denny McLain (whom they’d plucked at the age of 19 from the White Sox system in a minor league waivers process unique to the early 1960s), catcher Bill Freehan, second baseman Dick McAuliffe, outfielders Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Jim Northrup, and Mickey Stanley, and pitchers Mickey Lolich, John Hiller, and Pat Dobson.
The Athletics were on the rise. Continuing the steady improvement in WSP that had taken place every single year since Charlie Finley bought the team in 1960, the A’s were a close second to the Tigers in value production. Their won-lost performance had lagged, but in their first season in Oakland the A’s posted the franchise’s first winning record since 1952. With Finley now giving up any pretense of employing a general manager and just openly handling the role himself, and with a roster that featured such impressive young talents as outfielders Reggie Jackson and Rick Monday, shortstop Campy Campaneris, third baseman Sal Bando, and pitchers Blue Moon Odom, Jim Nash, Catfish Hunter, and Chuck Dobson, a breakthrough appeared close at hand.
A couple of years earlier, the Astros had seemed to be on the verge of stepping forward as a successful young team, but their value production had stalled, and in 1968 they sank to last place in the National League. New general manager Spec Richardson would demonstrate no patience with the building-from-within approach (as we discussed here), and in January of 1969 he rashly traded Rusty Staub, signaling the beginning of a “win now” mode for the franchise that would ultimately yield little more than frustration.
The 1969 Value Production Standings
AL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Orioles 322 12.4% 5.6% 109 11.2% -1.1% Tigers 314 12.1% 5.5% 90 9.3% -2.8% Red Sox 312 12.0% 5.4% 87 9.0% -3.0% Yankees 265 10.2% 4.6% 80 8.2% -1.9% Indians 234 9.0% 4.1% 62 6.4% -2.6% Senators 108 4.1% 1.9% 86 8.9% 4.7% East Division 1555 59.7% 27.1% 514 52.9% -6.8% Athletics 326 12.5% 5.7% 88 9.1% -3.5% Twins 282 10.8% 4.9% 97 10.0% -0.8% White Sox 275 10.6% 4.8% 68 7.0% -3.6% Angels 165 6.3% 2.9% 71 7.3% 1.0% Royals 0 0.0% 0.0% 69 7.1% 7.1% Pilots 0 0.0% 0.0% 64 6.6% 6.6% West Division 1048 40.3% 18.2% 457 47.1% 6.8% AL Total 2603 100.0% 45.3% 971 100.0% 0.0% NL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Pirates 316 10.1% 5.5% 88 9.1% -1.0% Cardinals 264 8.4% 4.6% 87 9.0% 0.5% Cubs 263 8.4% 4.6% 92 9.5% 1.1% Mets 243 7.7% 4.2% 100 10.3% 2.6% Phillies 222 7.1% 3.9% 63 6.5% -0.6% Expos 0 0.0% 0.0% 52 5.3% 5.3% East Division 1308 41.6% 22.8% 482 49.6% 8.0% Giants 475 15.1% 8.3% 90 9.3% -5.9% Reds 427 13.6% 7.4% 89 9.2% -4.4% Braves 376 12.0% 6.5% 93 9.6% -2.4% Dodgers 347 11.0% 6.0% 85 8.7% -2.3% Astros 209 6.7% 3.6% 81 8.3% 1.7% Padres 0 0.0% 0.0% 52 5.3% 5.3% West Division 1834 58.4% 31.9% 490 50.4% -8.0% NL Total 3142 100.0% 54.7% 972 100.0% 0.0% MLB Total 5745 n/a 100.0% 1943 n/a n/a
The Orioles had already enjoyed a fine decade, generally strongly contending, and winning a pennant (and World Series) in 1966. In 1969 they really put it all together, presenting a spectacular club that blew the American League away with 109 regular season wins and a 3-game sweep of the ALCS. Harry Dalton had succeeded Lee MacPhail as general manager in November of 1965, and in ’69 his organization led the AL East in value production, and finished a close second to the A’s for the overall AL WSP lead. Much of that great Baltimore roster was home-grown, including the infield of Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger, Dave Johnson, and Boog Powell, center fielder Paul Blair, and pitchers Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Tom Phoebus, and Eddie Watt. But it was the artful blend of imports, including outfielders Frank Robinson and Don Buford and pitchers Mike Cuellar (the co-AL Cy Young winner), Pete Richert, and Dick Hall that tied a ribbon on the package.
The upstart Mets gleefully ruined the party. Their stunning championship was achieved primarily through the sudden arrival and development of an outstanding core of organizational talent, as the Mets vaulted past Houston as the most productive of the early 1960s expansion franchises with 243 WSP. National League Cy Young Award winner Tom Seaver, as well as pitchers Jerry Koosman, Gary Gentry, Tug McGraw, and Nolan Ryan, left fielder Cleon Jones, shortstop Bud Harrelson, and second baseman Ken Boswell were all farm products.
The 1970 Value Production Standings
AL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Red Sox 317 12.3% 5.5% 87 9.0% -3.4% Orioles 308 12.0% 5.3% 108 11.1% -0.9% Yankees 293 11.4% 5.1% 93 9.6% -1.8% Tigers 285 11.1% 4.9% 79 8.1% -2.9% Indians 277 10.8% 4.8% 76 7.8% -2.9% Senators 80 3.1% 1.4% 70 7.2% 4.1% East Division 1560 60.6% 27.1% 513 52.8% -7.8% Athletics 303 11.8% 5.3% 89 9.2% -2.6% Twins 265 10.3% 4.6% 98 10.1% -0.2% White Sox 241 9.4% 4.2% 56 5.8% -3.6% Angels 204 7.9% 3.5% 86 8.8% 0.9% Royals 1 0.0% 0.0% 65 6.7% 6.6% Brewers 0 0.0% 0.0% 65 6.7% 6.7% West Division 1014 39.4% 17.6% 459 47.2% 7.8% AL Total 2574 100.0% 44.7% 972 100.0% 0.0% NL Organization WSP Lg. WSP MLB WSP W Lg. W W% - WSP% Pirates 360 11.3% 6.2% 89 9.2% -2.1% Cardinals 255 8.0% 4.4% 76 7.8% -0.2% Phillies 246 7.7% 4.3% 73 7.5% -0.2% Cubs 234 7.3% 4.1% 84 8.7% 1.3% Mets 229 7.2% 4.0% 83 8.5% 1.4% Expos 0 0.0% 0.0% 73 7.5% 7.5% East Division 1324 41.5% 23.0% 478 49.2% 7.7% Giants 465 14.6% 8.1% 86 8.9% -5.7% Reds 438 13.7% 7.6% 102 10.5% -3.2% Braves 357 11.2% 6.2% 76 7.8% -3.4% Dodgers 352 11.0% 6.1% 87 9.0% -2.1% Astros 251 7.9% 4.4% 79 8.1% 0.3% Padres 0 0.0% 0.0% 63 6.5% 6.5% West Division 1863 58.5% 32.3% 493 50.8% -7.7% NL Total 3187 100.0% 55.3% 971 100.0% 0.0% MLB Total 5761 n/a 100.0% 1943 n/a n/a
The phenomenally strong Giants system led the majors in WSP for the seventh straight year (though they still had zero flags for their trouble). But in 1970 the Reds were close on their WSP heels, and Cincinnati had retained enough of its talent core to generate a runaway-champ 102-game winner that early that season was dubbed “The Big Red Machine”: MVP catcher Johnny Bench, third baseman Tony Perez, outfielders Pete Rose and Bernie Carbo, first baseman Lee May, and pitchers Gary Nolan, Wayne Simpson, and Don Gullett were internally-developed standouts. Thus the Reds were able to prevail despite having let get away quite a number of exceptional talents, including outfielders Frank Robinson (Orioles), Tommy Harper (Brewers), Cesar Tovar (Twins), and Vada Pinson (Indians), shortstop Leo Cardenas (Twins), and pitchers Mike Cuellar (Orioles) and Claude Osteen (Dodgers).
The NL East champ Pirates produced a franchise-record 360 WSP. The Pirate roster was primarily farm-bred, including catcher Manny Sanguillen, first basemen Bob Robertson and Al Oliver, third baseman Richie Hebner, left fielder Willie Stargell, and pitchers Dock Ellis, Luke Walker, Steve Blass, Bob Moose, and Bob Veale. Veteran star right fielder Roberto Clemente, center fielder Matty Alou, and ace reliever Dave Giusti were the only key acquired talents.
For the second season in a row, the Twins won the AL West despite meaningfully trailing the Athletics in WSP. It was the continuation of a longtime pattern for the Twins, who’d won the 1965 pennant and generally been a strong contender without especially robust value production. The 1970 ball club was representative of the formula they’d deployed to great effect: to their familiar outstanding home-grown core of third baseman Harmon Killebrew, right fielder Tony Oliva, and pitcher Jim Kaat, they added some excellent young organizationally-developed talents in second baseman Rod Carew and pitchers Bert Blyleven and Tom Hall as well as key acquisitions Tovar and Cardenas, Cy Young Award winner Jim Perry, and relievers Ron Perranoski and Stan Williams. Most importantly, they’d given up few of their best products in trades; Graig Nettles (Indians) was the only one they’d significantly regret having shipped away.
The 1970 season made it a nice round twenty consecutive years that the National League had outpaced the American in overall value production, and the dynamic showed no signs of abating. As had been the case for many years, it was entirely a function of the enormous difference between the leagues in the production of players of color: NL organizations in 1970 had 1,240 WSP from non-white players (38.9% of the league total), compared with 487 for the AL (18.9% of the league total); this margin of 753 Win Shares was considerably greater than the total difference of 613 between the leagues.
The distinction between the leagues in this regard was as huge as it had ever been. In our next installment, we’ll find out if it had yet peaked.
The Value Production Standings Summary, 1946-1970
Year NYY DET BOS CLE OAK MIN BAL CHW CAL WAS AL WSP 1946 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 x x 56.5% 1947 1 2 4 3 5 6 8 7 x x 55.3% 1948 1 3 4 2 5 7 6 8 x x 55.6% 1949 1 3T 3T 2 5 7 6 8 x x 51.9% 1950 1 3 4 2 7 6 5 8 x x 50.5% 1951 2 4 3 1 5 6 8 7 x x 49.0% 1952 1 4 3 2 5 6 8 7 x x 47.9% 1953 2 4 3 1 7 6 8 5 x x 46.2% 1954 1T 4 3 1T 7 6 8 5 x x 47.5% 1955 1 4 2 3 5 6 8 7 x x 46.7% 1956 1 4 2 3 7 5 8 6 x x 47.1% 1957 1 4 2 3 6 8 7 5 x x 46.3% 1958 1 4 3 2 8 7 6 5 x x 46.4% 1959 1 4 3 2 8 7 5 6 x x 46.5% 1960 1 5 3 2 8 7 4 6 x x 46.0% 1961 1 4 3 2 8 7 5 6 9 10 48.3% 1962 1 3 4 2 8 6 5 7 10 9 43.1% 1963 1 5 4 2 8 7 3 6 10 9 43.6% 1964 1 3 4 5 8 7 2 6 9 10 45.0% 1965 1 2 7 4 8 6 3 5 9 10 44.5% 1966 1 3 6 5 7 8 2 4 9 10 44.4% 1967 7 4 1 6 8 3 2 5 9 10 45.5% 1968 7 1 4 5 2 8 3 6 9 10 45.8% Year BAL DET BOS NYY CLE WAS ALE WSP AL WSP 1969 1 2 3 4 5 6 27.1% 45.3% 1970 2 4 1 3 5 6 27.1% 44.7% Year OAK MIN CHW CAL KCR MIL ALW WSP AL WSP 1969 1 2 3 4 5T 5T 18.2% 45.3% 1970 1 2 3 4 5 6 17.6% 44.7% Year STL LAD CHC CIN PHI PIT ATL SFG HOU NYM NL WSP 1946 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 x x 43.5% 1947 1 2 4 3 7 6 8 5 x x 44.7% 1948 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 5 x x 44.4% 1949 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 6 x x 48.1% 1950 1 2 5 6 4 7 8 3 x x 49.5% 1951 1 2 5 4 6 7 8 3 x x 51.0% 1952 1 2 5 4 6 8 7 3 x x 52.1% 1953 2 1 7 4 5 8 3 6 x x 53.8% 1954 2 1 7 5 6 8 3 4 x x 52.5% 1955 3 1 6 5 7 8 2 4 x x 53.3% 1956 2 1 8 4 6 7 3 5 x x 52.9% 1957 2 1 7 5 4 8 3 6 x x 53.7% 1958 4 1 8 6 7 5 2 3 x x 53.6% 1959 3 1 7 5 8 6 2 4 x x 53.5% 1960 3 1 8 6 7 5 4 2 x x 54.0% 1961 2 1 7 5 8 6 3 4 x x 51.7% 1962 4 1 7 5 8 6 2 3 9 10 56.9% 1963 5 1 7 4 8 6 3 2 9 10 56.4% 1964 6 3 7 4 8 5 2 1 9 10 55.0% 1965 6 2 8 3 7 5 4 1 9 10 55.5% 1966 6 4 7 2 8 5 3 1 9 10 55.6% 1967 5 3 6 2 7 8 4 1 9 10 54.5% 1968 5 4 6 2 8 7 3 1 9 10 54.2% Year PIT STL CHC NYM PHI MON NLE WSP NL WSP 1969 1 2 3 4 5 6 22.8% 54.7% 1970 1 2 4 5 3 6 23.0% 55.3% Year SFG CIN ATL LAD HOU SDP NLW WSP NL WSP 1969 1 2 3 4 5 6 31.9% 54.7% 1970 1 2 3 4 5 6 32.3% 55.3%
References & Resources
Methodology
First, we identify every player in the major leagues each season with a total of at least five career Win Shares. Then we identify which major league organization was responsible for originally signing and developing that player (or perhaps not originally signing him, but clearly being the organization most responsible for developing him), and then we credit every season’s production of major league Win Shares by that player to that organization, regardless of whether he actually played that season for that organization.
Sometimes it’s impossible to clearly assign a player to one organization: there are lots of players who were signed by one team, but then acquired by another organization while still a young minor leaguer. For such players, we assign half-credit to each of the two organizations (and in a few cases, we assign one-third-credit to each of three organizations).
By the late 1960s there were only a handful of players who weren’t the products of any major league team’s farm system. The Win Shares of such players aren’t counted in this analysis.