Best Single Season Ever (Statistically) for a Player

[JP]

Rhett, good point, back to cards and stats! In 1932, when everyone was trying to hit HRs (not just Ruth) Foxx outhit everyone including Ruth by 17 more HRs or 40% than the next guy, and he had 30 something more RBIs...

[tedzan]

Come on, be serious, Foxx was 25 and Ruth was 37 years old in 1932. You are comparing apples
to oranges......and yet, Ruth led the Yankees to another World Championship that year in 1932.

But, I'll play your ever changing silly game, here is Ruth's stats when he was 25 years old......

AB........458
Hits......172
HR.........54
BA...... .376
SLA..... .847
R..........151
RBI.......137
BB........150


TED Z

[jmk59]

As soon as I saw the title of the thread I thought of two things only:

Gibson 1968 1.12 (I'm surprised only one other person has mentioned him)

Bonds 2004 As I watched that season I knew I'd never forget it. He completely changed every game he was in in the same way that Michael Jordan did - he was simply out of everyone else's league. He'd basically see one decent pitch a game and often hit it - out of the park in many cases. No one gave him anything to hit.

I remember seeing the intentional walk stats after the season and being dumbfounded. I don't remember now exactly what it was, but he had more IW's than anyone else had walks, and more walks than any other team. Something like that - something out of this world.

Gibson and Bonds were the only two I thought of.

J

[ElCabron]

There's really only room for Ruth and Bonds on this list, but in the 1938 Mexican League, Martin Dihigo led the league in pitching AND hitting. He was 18-2 with a 0.92 ERA and won the batting title with a .387 average.

-Ryan

[Peter_Spaeth]

I wonder if Bill James will come out with a new version of his book, last updated in 2003. It will be interesting to see how high Bonds would now rank (I imagine 2nd) and also ARod.

[JP]

Dihigo wins! Case closed. Thread closed. Thanks for playing everyone!!!

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Ruth 1920 & 21, also Foxx in 1932. You have to throw out the 1930 season because of the ball used that year. By 1932 the ball had been tamed down again. Bonds is no longer in any of my record books, Pujols should have a few more MVPs.

Gibson in 1968 is one of my pitching favorites but you have to remember that the mound that year was higher than ever, corrected the next season. The teams kept raising theirs mounds following suit with the Dodgers who tried to help Koufax and Drysdale since they had very little hitting. I don't think any of those three pitchers needed any extra help though!

[barrysloate]

Given how incredibly dominant Gibson was in 1968, how did he lose nine games?