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magritte · 12-09-2015, 01:20 AM

1940-1959: War and Integration

Notable Teams:

While America watched the events in Europe and the Far East with growing worry, the St. Louis Fish won three straight national league titles from 1939 to 1941, winning the World Series in 1941 after coming up short twice. Perhaps their strongest everyday player was Hall-of-Fame-bound Arky Vaughan who had emerged as the dominant shortstop in the league after winning the rookie of the year in 1932. He won two great gloves for his fielding, hit .308 during their championship years and led the league with 111 runs scored in 1940. Also outstanding were Tommy Henrich and Mel Ott in the outfield, who averaged 23 homers and 95 RBI's apiece from 1939 to 1941. An outstanding fielder, Henrich won two Great Gloves in left field and three in right, and acquired the nickname "the Clutch" for his performance in the 1941 World Series. The veteran Ott had also won three great gloves in right field earlier in his career, and remained a potent bat in the lineup though his best year had come in 1929, when he was selected as the most valuable player in the NL after driving in a 147 runs. As a veteran he had an outstanding batting eye, leading the league in walks four times. The Fish had depth as well as stars, with players like Babe Phelps at catcher, Red Rolfe at third base, and Joe Kuhel at first base. The last was acquired from the Detroit Crabs as the final piece in a championship team in 1939 in return for Eddie Joost, Hal Wagner, Preacher Roe and Don Lang. The Fish had depth in their rotation as well, with Mort Cooper (39-26, 3.32), Vern Olsen (36-14, 2.93), Eddie Smith (42-20, 3.10) and Lefty Grove (38-27, 3.54). Grove was finishing up a Hall-of-Fame career during which he won an astounding six NL Pitcher of the Year awards, the last in 1939 when he went 22-9 with a 2.67 ERA. He won 266 games during his career, all of them for the Fish. Vern Olsen was the 1940 Rookie of the year, going 18-5 with a 2.93 ERA. Eddie Smith led the league in ERA with 2.62, and won a league-leading 20 games the following year, while Cooper was a workhorse who averaged over 200 innings per year.

After disastrously trading away Babe Ruth to the Philadelphia Goats for Al Wingo and Alex Metzler, the Pittsburgh Waterbearers went into a long tailspin, with only one winning season between 1925 and 1941. But the war years saw a revival of their fortunes, as they won the national league five times between 1942 and 1947, and pick up their second World Series win in franchise history. Some of their key performers were Wally Judnich, Joe Gordon, Ken Keltner, and Willard Marshall. Centerfielder Judnich followed up his batting title in 1941 by leading the team to the first of its NL titles in his MVP season of 1942, hitting .303 with 22 home runs. Second basemen Joe Gordon contributed with both glove and bat, winning eight great glove awards, leading the league in RBI's twice and runs scored once. They had another excellent fielder in Keltner at third, who won nine great glove awards, and was productive at the plate for his position as well. They also had the veteran Hank Greenberg, who was on his way to the hall of fame and led the league in home runs five times, including three in a row from 1945 to 1947, though he missed most of the previous three seasons. Greenberg had been claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Goats in 1939. The Waterbearers also had a strong rotation anchored by Tex Hughson (111-61, 3.12), backed up by Joe Dobson (69-52) and Virgil Trucks (56-37, 2.98). Hughson was Pitcher of the Year in 1943 and 1944, and led the league in wins and complete games three times.

In the years immediately following World War II, the Washington Virgins won three American League titles and two world series in four years. Built around two outstanding outfielders--Ted Williams and Joe Dimaggio--the team invited comparison to the New York Archers of the early twenties. The Splendid Splinter was unquestionably the dominant player of the forties, winning an astounding eleven AL MVP awards between 1939 and 1950, missing out only in 1943 when he finished second. He won seven batting titles, led the league in home runs six times, in runs scored seven times, in RBI's twice, and in slugging percentage thirteen times. He terrified enemy pitchers so much they feared to throw strikes, causing him to lead the league in walks twelve times and in on-base percentage an amazing sixteen times. When he retired in 1962, he had racked up the carerr record in on-base percentage (.461), in total bases (5316), and walks (2105), and fell just three short of Babe Ruth's home run record with 538. Joe DiMaggio was overshadowed by the epic feats of Williams, to whom he finished second in the MVP voting three times. But Joltin' Joe was a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in his own right, who had won three MVP trophies with the New York Archers before being traded to the Virgins for Andy Seminick and Dixie Howell in 1943. DiMaggio won three batting titles, led the league in hits four times, in total bases three times, in RBI's three times. Though his best years were with the Archers, he still hit .303 with 90 home runs between 1946 and 1949, and led the league in homers in '49 with 27. Though Williams and DiMaggio hogged the headlines, there were other fine players on the team. George Kell won three great gloves at third base and two batting titles, hitting .339 in 1949. Luke Appling won three great gloves at shortstop and was generally regarded as the best hitting shortstop in the league, hitting .308 in the Virgins' glory years. Some credited the deal that brought Appling from the Philadelphia Lions for Frank McCormick and Clyde Volmer in 1946 as the catalyst that pushed the Virgins over the top. The following year, they acquired the veteran first baseman Johnny Mize in return for Bill Chamberlain and Duke Snider. Though the two-time MVP and Hall of Famer was past his best by then, he was still a .300 hitter who pounded twenty home runs a year. With such a powerful lineup, the Virgins averaged well over five runs per game. Their pitchers got less press than the hitting line-up, but Johnny Sain (74-39, 3.77), Steve Gromek (38-25, 3.64) and Van Mungo (35-30, 3.74) did their part to keep the team in contention. Sain won a league-leading 24 games in 1948. Though Mungo's Hall of Fame credentials were largely based on his work earlier in his career with the Detroit Crabs, his veteran presence on the mound was an asset after he was added to the team in 1945.

The great Cincinatti Scorpions teams that won six NL pennants and two world series between 1948 and 1954 are chiefly remembered for their role in breaking the color barrier. It is often forgotten that it was actually the Pittsburgh Waterbearers that signed Jackie Robinson in 1947, but he was inexplicably traded to the Scorpions for the veteran outfielder Charlie Keller after winning the batting title in his rookie season with a .328 average. Robinson went on to be a star for the Scorpions, winning an MVP award in 1951, three great gloves at second base, and leading the league in runs scored four times. Impressed by the performance of Robinson, the Scorpions continued to scout the Negro Leagues for talent, signing Roy Campanella in 1948. Campy proved to be the best catcher in the league, winning six great gloves and hitting .292 with 25 home runs per season from 1948 to 1954. In 1949, he won the MVP award, hitting .319 with 28 home runs, astonishing productivity from a catcher. But while Campanella and Robinson gave the Scorpions the national prominence, the most beloved player on the team was probably the veteran outfielder Stan Musial. Stan the Man had won the NL MVP award three consecutive times from 1943 to 1945. While most of his best years came before their championship seasons, he was still a tremendous player, winning his fifth batting title in 1950, and hitting .294 with 20 home runs per season overall. But despite all these stars, some thought the best player on the team was 1946 rookie of the year Ralph Kiner, who was the NL MVP in 1948, when he hit .323, with 27 home runs, drove in a league-leading 126 runs and led the league with a .414 on-base percentage. The powerful left fielder led the league in home runs five times, including four years in a row from 1949 to 1952, and led in RBI's four times. As if those four players weren't enough to terrify enemy teams, they also had Bobby Thompson who performed well for them in both center field and third base, and Vern Stephens at shortstop who was the best hitter in the league at his position with unusual pop for a shortstop. Though overshadowed by the lineup, Their ace was Mike Garcia, who led the league with a 2.50 ERA in 1949, and went 110-59 with a 3.08 ERA during their championship years. He was ably backed up by young Bob Rush (44-35, 3.29) who led the league in ERA in 1951, and Russ Meyer (80-48, 3.65). The Scorpions organization was an innovative one, not only in their hiring of non-white players, but also in their use of quality pitchers in the bullpen. Lefty West (18-8, 25 saves, 2.59 ERA) and Joe Gonzales (30-23, 60 saves, 2.55 ERA) relieved much of the pressure on the starters to complete games.

After being comparatively weak in the thirties and forties, the Chicago teams returned to prominence with a vengeance in the fifties. Between 1951 and 1961, the Chicago Bulls won an astonishing eight AL pennants and five world series. No name is as closely associated with the great Bulls teams of the fifties as that of Willie Mays. The six-time AL MVP excelled in all aspects of the game. He won ten great glove awards in center field, and led in almost every offensive category in some years. Four times he swiped the most bases, six times he led in home runs, four times in runs scored, four times in runs batted in, and six times in slugging percentage. Between 1951 and 1961, Mays hit .312, crushed 317 home runs, stole 232 bases, scored 963 runs and drove in 999. Perhaps no player in history had excelled in every aspect of the game so impressively. But the Bulls' talent did not end with Willie Mays. They also had the great Yogi Berra at catcher. Hitting .287 with 20 HR's per year, he rivaled the productivity of the Scorpions' Campanella. Ken Boyer was the best third baseman in the league both offensively and defensively, winning four great gloves, hitting .310 and averaging 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases per year. He won a batting title hitting .341 in 1955, and four years later captured an MVP award, hitting .323 with 35 HR's and scored a league leading 114 runs. Bill McDougald was widely viewed as the best second baseman in the league, winning four great gloves and hitting .275 with good power for a middle infielder. The Bulls' unquestioned ace starter was the great Curt Simmons (195-77, 2.60) who won five pitcher of the year awards and was selected as MVP in 1951 and 1953. He led the league in wins four times and in ERA six times. His excellence overshadowed his capable compatriots in the rotation, Mickey McDermott (70-51, 3.56), Billy Hoeft (66-34, 3.00) and some of the last great years of the veteran Warren Spahn (76-45, 2.82). Spahn was acquired from the Pittsburgh Waterbearers for four prospects and responded by capturing the NL pitcher of the year award in 1954. Later on Milt Pappas emerged (66-37, 2.76), winning the NL pitcher of the year award in 1960 when he went 18-7 with a 2.33 ERA. With such a potent team, it's no wonder the Bulls went 971-569.

Unwilling to yield the limelight to their cross-town rivals, the Chicago Balance reminded everybody that they had won more world series than any other team. They began another dominant run in 1953, winning eight of the next nine NL titles and five more world series to bring their haul to 17 world championships, nearly a third of all those that had been played. They countered the Bulls brilliant center fielder Mays with a star centerfielder of their own: Mickey Mantle. Mantle won four MVP awards, led the league with 44 home runs in 1956, in walks and on-base percentage five time s and slugging percentage three times, and even once led in stolen bases. During the Balance's nine year run, Mantle hit 257 home runs, had an on-base percentage of .414 and slugging percentage of .537. Nearly as important to the team--and hitting even more home runs (284) in their championship years, was third baseman and 1952 rookie of the year Eddie Mathews. He was voted NL MVP three times. A fine fielder, he won three great gloves, but it was the bat that led the league in RBI's four times, including a career high of 144 in 1953, for which he most famous. Other than Mantle and Mathews, the lineup changed quite a bit from year to year, but slick-fielding Jim Gilliam at 2nd base and speedy Minnie Minoso in left field were important contributors to the team. Gilliam won three great gloves, while Minoso led the league in stolen bases and runs scored twice each. The balance also had a formidable 1-2-3 punch in the starting rotation with Whitey Ford (155-76, 3.11), Johnny Podres (121-68, 3.29), and Robin Roberts (94-54, 3.33). Robin Roberts was the first of them to win the NL Pitcher of the Year Award in 1953, when he went 19-11 with a 2.52 ERA, and led the league in wins four times, but was traded to St. Louis for Roy Siever after a poor season in 1958. Despite Roberts' success, most view Whitey Ford as the staff ace. Hewas the NL pitcher of the year in 1958, when he went 19-6 with a 3.07 ERA. He led the league in wins four consecutive times between 1958 and 1961. Johnny Podres won pitcher of the year twice, in 1956 and 1960, leading the league in ERA both years with 2.77 and 2.76, but was less consistent from year-to year than Ford. The dominance of the Chicago teams--there were five L-train series in six years between 1956 and 1961--began to wear on the rest of the league. Many teams were struggling to make a profit, particularly in the American league.

Teams Ranked by Aggregate Won-Loss Record, 1940-1959
Chicago Bulls AL 1536-1264 (.549) 7 pennants, 5 world series
Pittsburgh Waterbearers NL 1512-1289 (.540) 5 pennants, 1 world series
Philadelphia Lions AL 1490-1311 (.532) 4 pennants, 2 world series
Boston Rams AL 1486-1316 (.530) 4 pennants, 3 world series
Chicago Scales NL 1481-1320 (.529) 6 pennants, 4 world series
Cincinatti Scorpions NL 1478-1322 (.528) 7 pennants, 2 world series
Washington Virgins NL 1434-1367 (.512) 5 pennants, 2 world series
St. Louis Fish NL 1413-1385 (.505) 2 pennants, 1 world series
New York Archers NL 1334-1466 (.476)
Detroit Crabs AL 1312-1488 (.469)
Philadelphia Goats NL 1183-1617 (.423)
Brooklyn-Los Angeles Twins AL 1144-1656 (.409)

American League Winners
1940 Boston Rams* 81-59, RF: 677 RA: 613
1941 Washington Virgins 75-66, RF: 695 RA: 659
1942 Washington Virgins 83-57, RF: 694 RA: 587
1943 Boston Rams* 87-53 RF: 601 RA:506
1944 Philadelphia Lions* 81-59, RF: 656 RA: 562
1945 Boston Rams* 80-60 RF: 629 RA: 503
1946 WashingtonVirgins* 84-56, RF:698 RA:554
1947 Chicago Bulls* 87-53, RF: 695 RA: 553
1948 Washington Virgins 90-50, RF: 788, RA: 613
1949 Washington Virgins* 79-61, RF: 748, RA: 682
1950 Boston Rams 81-59, RF: 724 RA: 651
1951 Chicago Bulls* 94-46, RF: 678 RA: 521
1952 Philadelphia Lions* 82-58, RF: 636 RA: 564
1953 Chicago Bulls* 99-41, RF: 747 RA: 444
1954 Chicago Bulls* 86-54, RF: 673, RA: 519
1955 Philadelphia Lions 85-55, RF: 686 RA: 605
1956 Chicago Bulls 86-54, RF: 767 RA: 555
1957 Chicago Bulls 87-53, RF: 706 RA: 519
1958 Philadelphia Lions 81-59, RF: 660 RA: 596
1959 Chicago Bulls* 98-42, RF: 724 RA: 498

National League Winners
1940 St. Louis Fish 87-53, RF:779 RA: 585
1941 St. Louis Fish* 90-50, RF: 633 RA: 494
1942 Pittsburgh Waterbearers* 87-53, RF: 560 RA: 453
1943 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 93-47, RF: 600 RA: 451
1944 Cincinatti Scorpions 86-54, RF: 685 RA: 523
1945 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 79-61, RF: 614 RA: 534
1946 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 85-56, RF: 609 RA: 492
1947 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 82-58, RF: 683 RA: 586
1948 Cincinatti Scorpions* 88-52, RF: 780 RA: 598
1949 Cincinatti Scorpions 92-48, RF: 731 RA: 546
1950 Cincinatti Scorpions* 78-62, RF: 732 RA: 617
1951 Cincinatti Scorpions 86-54, RF: 685 RA: 522
1952 Cincinatti Scorpions 77-63, RF: 584 RA: 537
1953 Chicago Balance 85-55, RF: 733 RA: 542
1954 Cincinatti Scorpions 82-58, RF: 592 RA: 540
1955 Chicago Balance* 82-58, RF: 694 RA: 540
1956 Chicago Balance* 97-43, RF: 870 RA: 592
1957 Chicago Balance* 85-55, RF: 681 RA: 557
1958 Chicago Balance* 83-57, RF: 681 RA: 553
1959 Chicago Balance 84-56, RF: 721 RA: 578

American League MVP's
1940 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.349, 26 HR, 65 RBI)
1941 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.362, 29 HR, 102 RBI)
1942 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.349, 29 HR, 100 RBI)
1943 Charlie Keller, Washington Virgins (.311, 27HR, 89 RBI)
1944 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.340, 19 HR, 65 RBI)
1945 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.361, 24 HR, 95 RBI)
1946 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.323, 35 HR, 101 RBI)
1947 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.349, 28 HR, 94 RBI)
1948 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.345, 30 HR, 98 RBI)
1949 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.339, 27 HR, 130 RBI)
1950 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.333, 35 HR, 99 RBI)
1951 Curt Simmons, Chicago Bulls (25-3, 1.47 ERA, 185 K's)
1952 Al Rosen, Philadelphia Lions (.305, 20 HRs, 86 RBI)
1953 Curt Simmons, Chicago Bulls (27-3, 1.69 ERA, 161 K's)
1954 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.308, 42 HR, 118 RBI)
1955 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.320, 35 HR, 119 RBI)
1956 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.337, 23 HR, 81 RBI)
1957 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.302, 36 HR, 110 RBI)
1958 Frank Robinson, Washington Virgins (.315, 34 HR, 104 RBI)
1959 Ken Boyer, Chicago Bulls (.323, 35 HR, 115 RBI)

National League MVP's
1940 Johnny Mize, Philadelphia Goats (.321, 30 HR, 107 RBI)
1941 Joe Dimaggio, New York Archers (.306, 19 HR, 71 RBI)
1942 Wally Judnich, Pittsburgh Waterbearers (.303, 22 HR, 86 RBI)
1943 Stan Musial, Cincinatti Scorpions (.304, 9 HR, 85 RBI)
1944 Stan Musial, Cincinatti Scorpions (.362, 11 HR, 81 RBI)
1945 Roy Cullenbine, Cincinatti Scorpions (.310, 13 HR, 84 RBI)
1946 Stan Musial, Cincinatti Scorpions (.310, 21 HR, 93 RBI)
1947 Ewell Blackwell, Philadelphia Goats (22-8, 2.19 ERA, 165 K's)
1948 Ralph Kiner, Cincinatti Scorpions (.323, 27 HR, 126 RBI)
1949 Roy Campanella, Cincinatti Scorpions (.319, 28 HR, 90 RBI)
1950 Warren Spahn, Pittsburgh Waterbearers (22-8, 2.35 ERA, 140 K's)
1951 Jackie Robinson, Cincinatti Scorpions (.295, 22 HR, 68 RBI)
1952 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.299, 25 HR, 104 RBI)
1953 Eddie Mathews, Chicago Balance (.333, 37 HR, 144 RBI)
1954 Eddie Mathews, Chicago Balance (.292, 26 HR, 78 RBI)
1955 Eddie Mathews, Chicago Balance (.277, 37 HR, 105 RBI)
1956 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.318, 44 HR, 130 RBI)
1957 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.289, 31 HR, 83 RBI)
1958 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.313, 36 HR, 96 RBI)
1959 Hank Aaron, Pittsburgh Waterbearers (.354, 35 HR, 111 RBI)

12-09-2015, 01:20 AM	#5
magritte Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 49	1940-1959: War and Integration Notable Teams: While America watched the events in Europe and the Far East with growing worry, the St. Louis Fish won three straight national league titles from 1939 to 1941, winning the World Series in 1941 after coming up short twice. Perhaps their strongest everyday player was Hall-of-Fame-bound Arky Vaughan who had emerged as the dominant shortstop in the league after winning the rookie of the year in 1932. He won two great gloves for his fielding, hit .308 during their championship years and led the league with 111 runs scored in 1940. Also outstanding were Tommy Henrich and Mel Ott in the outfield, who averaged 23 homers and 95 RBI's apiece from 1939 to 1941. An outstanding fielder, Henrich won two Great Gloves in left field and three in right, and acquired the nickname "the Clutch" for his performance in the 1941 World Series. The veteran Ott had also won three great gloves in right field earlier in his career, and remained a potent bat in the lineup though his best year had come in 1929, when he was selected as the most valuable player in the NL after driving in a 147 runs. As a veteran he had an outstanding batting eye, leading the league in walks four times. The Fish had depth as well as stars, with players like Babe Phelps at catcher, Red Rolfe at third base, and Joe Kuhel at first base. The last was acquired from the Detroit Crabs as the final piece in a championship team in 1939 in return for Eddie Joost, Hal Wagner, Preacher Roe and Don Lang. The Fish had depth in their rotation as well, with Mort Cooper (39-26, 3.32), Vern Olsen (36-14, 2.93), Eddie Smith (42-20, 3.10) and Lefty Grove (38-27, 3.54). Grove was finishing up a Hall-of-Fame career during which he won an astounding six NL Pitcher of the Year awards, the last in 1939 when he went 22-9 with a 2.67 ERA. He won 266 games during his career, all of them for the Fish. Vern Olsen was the 1940 Rookie of the year, going 18-5 with a 2.93 ERA. Eddie Smith led the league in ERA with 2.62, and won a league-leading 20 games the following year, while Cooper was a workhorse who averaged over 200 innings per year. After disastrously trading away Babe Ruth to the Philadelphia Goats for Al Wingo and Alex Metzler, the Pittsburgh Waterbearers went into a long tailspin, with only one winning season between 1925 and 1941. But the war years saw a revival of their fortunes, as they won the national league five times between 1942 and 1947, and pick up their second World Series win in franchise history. Some of their key performers were Wally Judnich, Joe Gordon, Ken Keltner, and Willard Marshall. Centerfielder Judnich followed up his batting title in 1941 by leading the team to the first of its NL titles in his MVP season of 1942, hitting .303 with 22 home runs. Second basemen Joe Gordon contributed with both glove and bat, winning eight great glove awards, leading the league in RBI's twice and runs scored once. They had another excellent fielder in Keltner at third, who won nine great glove awards, and was productive at the plate for his position as well. They also had the veteran Hank Greenberg, who was on his way to the hall of fame and led the league in home runs five times, including three in a row from 1945 to 1947, though he missed most of the previous three seasons. Greenberg had been claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Goats in 1939. The Waterbearers also had a strong rotation anchored by Tex Hughson (111-61, 3.12), backed up by Joe Dobson (69-52) and Virgil Trucks (56-37, 2.98). Hughson was Pitcher of the Year in 1943 and 1944, and led the league in wins and complete games three times. In the years immediately following World War II, the Washington Virgins won three American League titles and two world series in four years. Built around two outstanding outfielders--Ted Williams and Joe Dimaggio--the team invited comparison to the New York Archers of the early twenties. The Splendid Splinter was unquestionably the dominant player of the forties, winning an astounding eleven AL MVP awards between 1939 and 1950, missing out only in 1943 when he finished second. He won seven batting titles, led the league in home runs six times, in runs scored seven times, in RBI's twice, and in slugging percentage thirteen times. He terrified enemy pitchers so much they feared to throw strikes, causing him to lead the league in walks twelve times and in on-base percentage an amazing sixteen times. When he retired in 1962, he had racked up the carerr record in on-base percentage (.461), in total bases (5316), and walks (2105), and fell just three short of Babe Ruth's home run record with 538. Joe DiMaggio was overshadowed by the epic feats of Williams, to whom he finished second in the MVP voting three times. But Joltin' Joe was a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in his own right, who had won three MVP trophies with the New York Archers before being traded to the Virgins for Andy Seminick and Dixie Howell in 1943. DiMaggio won three batting titles, led the league in hits four times, in total bases three times, in RBI's three times. Though his best years were with the Archers, he still hit .303 with 90 home runs between 1946 and 1949, and led the league in homers in '49 with 27. Though Williams and DiMaggio hogged the headlines, there were other fine players on the team. George Kell won three great gloves at third base and two batting titles, hitting .339 in 1949. Luke Appling won three great gloves at shortstop and was generally regarded as the best hitting shortstop in the league, hitting .308 in the Virgins' glory years. Some credited the deal that brought Appling from the Philadelphia Lions for Frank McCormick and Clyde Volmer in 1946 as the catalyst that pushed the Virgins over the top. The following year, they acquired the veteran first baseman Johnny Mize in return for Bill Chamberlain and Duke Snider. Though the two-time MVP and Hall of Famer was past his best by then, he was still a .300 hitter who pounded twenty home runs a year. With such a powerful lineup, the Virgins averaged well over five runs per game. Their pitchers got less press than the hitting line-up, but Johnny Sain (74-39, 3.77), Steve Gromek (38-25, 3.64) and Van Mungo (35-30, 3.74) did their part to keep the team in contention. Sain won a league-leading 24 games in 1948. Though Mungo's Hall of Fame credentials were largely based on his work earlier in his career with the Detroit Crabs, his veteran presence on the mound was an asset after he was added to the team in 1945. The great Cincinatti Scorpions teams that won six NL pennants and two world series between 1948 and 1954 are chiefly remembered for their role in breaking the color barrier. It is often forgotten that it was actually the Pittsburgh Waterbearers that signed Jackie Robinson in 1947, but he was inexplicably traded to the Scorpions for the veteran outfielder Charlie Keller after winning the batting title in his rookie season with a .328 average. Robinson went on to be a star for the Scorpions, winning an MVP award in 1951, three great gloves at second base, and leading the league in runs scored four times. Impressed by the performance of Robinson, the Scorpions continued to scout the Negro Leagues for talent, signing Roy Campanella in 1948. Campy proved to be the best catcher in the league, winning six great gloves and hitting .292 with 25 home runs per season from 1948 to 1954. In 1949, he won the MVP award, hitting .319 with 28 home runs, astonishing productivity from a catcher. But while Campanella and Robinson gave the Scorpions the national prominence, the most beloved player on the team was probably the veteran outfielder Stan Musial. Stan the Man had won the NL MVP award three consecutive times from 1943 to 1945. While most of his best years came before their championship seasons, he was still a tremendous player, winning his fifth batting title in 1950, and hitting .294 with 20 home runs per season overall. But despite all these stars, some thought the best player on the team was 1946 rookie of the year Ralph Kiner, who was the NL MVP in 1948, when he hit .323, with 27 home runs, drove in a league-leading 126 runs and led the league with a .414 on-base percentage. The powerful left fielder led the league in home runs five times, including four years in a row from 1949 to 1952, and led in RBI's four times. As if those four players weren't enough to terrify enemy teams, they also had Bobby Thompson who performed well for them in both center field and third base, and Vern Stephens at shortstop who was the best hitter in the league at his position with unusual pop for a shortstop. Though overshadowed by the lineup, Their ace was Mike Garcia, who led the league with a 2.50 ERA in 1949, and went 110-59 with a 3.08 ERA during their championship years. He was ably backed up by young Bob Rush (44-35, 3.29) who led the league in ERA in 1951, and Russ Meyer (80-48, 3.65). The Scorpions organization was an innovative one, not only in their hiring of non-white players, but also in their use of quality pitchers in the bullpen. Lefty West (18-8, 25 saves, 2.59 ERA) and Joe Gonzales (30-23, 60 saves, 2.55 ERA) relieved much of the pressure on the starters to complete games. After being comparatively weak in the thirties and forties, the Chicago teams returned to prominence with a vengeance in the fifties. Between 1951 and 1961, the Chicago Bulls won an astonishing eight AL pennants and five world series. No name is as closely associated with the great Bulls teams of the fifties as that of Willie Mays. The six-time AL MVP excelled in all aspects of the game. He won ten great glove awards in center field, and led in almost every offensive category in some years. Four times he swiped the most bases, six times he led in home runs, four times in runs scored, four times in runs batted in, and six times in slugging percentage. Between 1951 and 1961, Mays hit .312, crushed 317 home runs, stole 232 bases, scored 963 runs and drove in 999. Perhaps no player in history had excelled in every aspect of the game so impressively. But the Bulls' talent did not end with Willie Mays. They also had the great Yogi Berra at catcher. Hitting .287 with 20 HR's per year, he rivaled the productivity of the Scorpions' Campanella. Ken Boyer was the best third baseman in the league both offensively and defensively, winning four great gloves, hitting .310 and averaging 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases per year. He won a batting title hitting .341 in 1955, and four years later captured an MVP award, hitting .323 with 35 HR's and scored a league leading 114 runs. Bill McDougald was widely viewed as the best second baseman in the league, winning four great gloves and hitting .275 with good power for a middle infielder. The Bulls' unquestioned ace starter was the great Curt Simmons (195-77, 2.60) who won five pitcher of the year awards and was selected as MVP in 1951 and 1953. He led the league in wins four times and in ERA six times. His excellence overshadowed his capable compatriots in the rotation, Mickey McDermott (70-51, 3.56), Billy Hoeft (66-34, 3.00) and some of the last great years of the veteran Warren Spahn (76-45, 2.82). Spahn was acquired from the Pittsburgh Waterbearers for four prospects and responded by capturing the NL pitcher of the year award in 1954. Later on Milt Pappas emerged (66-37, 2.76), winning the NL pitcher of the year award in 1960 when he went 18-7 with a 2.33 ERA. With such a potent team, it's no wonder the Bulls went 971-569. Unwilling to yield the limelight to their cross-town rivals, the Chicago Balance reminded everybody that they had won more world series than any other team. They began another dominant run in 1953, winning eight of the next nine NL titles and five more world series to bring their haul to 17 world championships, nearly a third of all those that had been played. They countered the Bulls brilliant center fielder Mays with a star centerfielder of their own: Mickey Mantle. Mantle won four MVP awards, led the league with 44 home runs in 1956, in walks and on-base percentage five time s and slugging percentage three times, and even once led in stolen bases. During the Balance's nine year run, Mantle hit 257 home runs, had an on-base percentage of .414 and slugging percentage of .537. Nearly as important to the team--and hitting even more home runs (284) in their championship years, was third baseman and 1952 rookie of the year Eddie Mathews. He was voted NL MVP three times. A fine fielder, he won three great gloves, but it was the bat that led the league in RBI's four times, including a career high of 144 in 1953, for which he most famous. Other than Mantle and Mathews, the lineup changed quite a bit from year to year, but slick-fielding Jim Gilliam at 2nd base and speedy Minnie Minoso in left field were important contributors to the team. Gilliam won three great gloves, while Minoso led the league in stolen bases and runs scored twice each. The balance also had a formidable 1-2-3 punch in the starting rotation with Whitey Ford (155-76, 3.11), Johnny Podres (121-68, 3.29), and Robin Roberts (94-54, 3.33). Robin Roberts was the first of them to win the NL Pitcher of the Year Award in 1953, when he went 19-11 with a 2.52 ERA, and led the league in wins four times, but was traded to St. Louis for Roy Siever after a poor season in 1958. Despite Roberts' success, most view Whitey Ford as the staff ace. Hewas the NL pitcher of the year in 1958, when he went 19-6 with a 3.07 ERA. He led the league in wins four consecutive times between 1958 and 1961. Johnny Podres won pitcher of the year twice, in 1956 and 1960, leading the league in ERA both years with 2.77 and 2.76, but was less consistent from year-to year than Ford. The dominance of the Chicago teams--there were five L-train series in six years between 1956 and 1961--began to wear on the rest of the league. Many teams were struggling to make a profit, particularly in the American league. Teams Ranked by Aggregate Won-Loss Record, 1940-1959 Chicago Bulls AL 1536-1264 (.549) 7 pennants, 5 world series Pittsburgh Waterbearers NL 1512-1289 (.540) 5 pennants, 1 world series Philadelphia Lions AL 1490-1311 (.532) 4 pennants, 2 world series Boston Rams AL 1486-1316 (.530) 4 pennants, 3 world series Chicago Scales NL 1481-1320 (.529) 6 pennants, 4 world series Cincinatti Scorpions NL 1478-1322 (.528) 7 pennants, 2 world series Washington Virgins NL 1434-1367 (.512) 5 pennants, 2 world series St. Louis Fish NL 1413-1385 (.505) 2 pennants, 1 world series New York Archers NL 1334-1466 (.476) Detroit Crabs AL 1312-1488 (.469) Philadelphia Goats NL 1183-1617 (.423) Brooklyn-Los Angeles Twins AL 1144-1656 (.409) American League Winners 1940 Boston Rams* 81-59, RF: 677 RA: 613 1941 Washington Virgins 75-66, RF: 695 RA: 659 1942 Washington Virgins 83-57, RF: 694 RA: 587 1943 Boston Rams* 87-53 RF: 601 RA:506 1944 Philadelphia Lions* 81-59, RF: 656 RA: 562 1945 Boston Rams* 80-60 RF: 629 RA: 503 1946 WashingtonVirgins* 84-56, RF:698 RA:554 1947 Chicago Bulls* 87-53, RF: 695 RA: 553 1948 Washington Virgins 90-50, RF: 788, RA: 613 1949 Washington Virgins* 79-61, RF: 748, RA: 682 1950 Boston Rams 81-59, RF: 724 RA: 651 1951 Chicago Bulls* 94-46, RF: 678 RA: 521 1952 Philadelphia Lions* 82-58, RF: 636 RA: 564 1953 Chicago Bulls* 99-41, RF: 747 RA: 444 1954 Chicago Bulls* 86-54, RF: 673, RA: 519 1955 Philadelphia Lions 85-55, RF: 686 RA: 605 1956 Chicago Bulls 86-54, RF: 767 RA: 555 1957 Chicago Bulls 87-53, RF: 706 RA: 519 1958 Philadelphia Lions 81-59, RF: 660 RA: 596 1959 Chicago Bulls* 98-42, RF: 724 RA: 498 National League Winners 1940 St. Louis Fish 87-53, RF:779 RA: 585 1941 St. Louis Fish* 90-50, RF: 633 RA: 494 1942 Pittsburgh Waterbearers* 87-53, RF: 560 RA: 453 1943 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 93-47, RF: 600 RA: 451 1944 Cincinatti Scorpions 86-54, RF: 685 RA: 523 1945 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 79-61, RF: 614 RA: 534 1946 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 85-56, RF: 609 RA: 492 1947 Pittsburgh Waterbearers 82-58, RF: 683 RA: 586 1948 Cincinatti Scorpions* 88-52, RF: 780 RA: 598 1949 Cincinatti Scorpions 92-48, RF: 731 RA: 546 1950 Cincinatti Scorpions* 78-62, RF: 732 RA: 617 1951 Cincinatti Scorpions 86-54, RF: 685 RA: 522 1952 Cincinatti Scorpions 77-63, RF: 584 RA: 537 1953 Chicago Balance 85-55, RF: 733 RA: 542 1954 Cincinatti Scorpions 82-58, RF: 592 RA: 540 1955 Chicago Balance* 82-58, RF: 694 RA: 540 1956 Chicago Balance* 97-43, RF: 870 RA: 592 1957 Chicago Balance* 85-55, RF: 681 RA: 557 1958 Chicago Balance* 83-57, RF: 681 RA: 553 1959 Chicago Balance 84-56, RF: 721 RA: 578 American League MVP's 1940 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.349, 26 HR, 65 RBI) 1941 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.362, 29 HR, 102 RBI) 1942 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.349, 29 HR, 100 RBI) 1943 Charlie Keller, Washington Virgins (.311, 27HR, 89 RBI) 1944 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.340, 19 HR, 65 RBI) 1945 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.361, 24 HR, 95 RBI) 1946 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.323, 35 HR, 101 RBI) 1947 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.349, 28 HR, 94 RBI) 1948 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.345, 30 HR, 98 RBI) 1949 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.339, 27 HR, 130 RBI) 1950 Ted Williams, Washington Virgins (.333, 35 HR, 99 RBI) 1951 Curt Simmons, Chicago Bulls (25-3, 1.47 ERA, 185 K's) 1952 Al Rosen, Philadelphia Lions (.305, 20 HRs, 86 RBI) 1953 Curt Simmons, Chicago Bulls (27-3, 1.69 ERA, 161 K's) 1954 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.308, 42 HR, 118 RBI) 1955 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.320, 35 HR, 119 RBI) 1956 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.337, 23 HR, 81 RBI) 1957 Willie Mays, Chicago Bulls (.302, 36 HR, 110 RBI) 1958 Frank Robinson, Washington Virgins (.315, 34 HR, 104 RBI) 1959 Ken Boyer, Chicago Bulls (.323, 35 HR, 115 RBI) National League MVP's 1940 Johnny Mize, Philadelphia Goats (.321, 30 HR, 107 RBI) 1941 Joe Dimaggio, New York Archers (.306, 19 HR, 71 RBI) 1942 Wally Judnich, Pittsburgh Waterbearers (.303, 22 HR, 86 RBI) 1943 Stan Musial, Cincinatti Scorpions (.304, 9 HR, 85 RBI) 1944 Stan Musial, Cincinatti Scorpions (.362, 11 HR, 81 RBI) 1945 Roy Cullenbine, Cincinatti Scorpions (.310, 13 HR, 84 RBI) 1946 Stan Musial, Cincinatti Scorpions (.310, 21 HR, 93 RBI) 1947 Ewell Blackwell, Philadelphia Goats (22-8, 2.19 ERA, 165 K's) 1948 Ralph Kiner, Cincinatti Scorpions (.323, 27 HR, 126 RBI) 1949 Roy Campanella, Cincinatti Scorpions (.319, 28 HR, 90 RBI) 1950 Warren Spahn, Pittsburgh Waterbearers (22-8, 2.35 ERA, 140 K's) 1951 Jackie Robinson, Cincinatti Scorpions (.295, 22 HR, 68 RBI) 1952 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.299, 25 HR, 104 RBI) 1953 Eddie Mathews, Chicago Balance (.333, 37 HR, 144 RBI) 1954 Eddie Mathews, Chicago Balance (.292, 26 HR, 78 RBI) 1955 Eddie Mathews, Chicago Balance (.277, 37 HR, 105 RBI) 1956 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.318, 44 HR, 130 RBI) 1957 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.289, 31 HR, 83 RBI) 1958 Mickey Mantle, Chicago Balance (.313, 36 HR, 96 RBI) 1959 Hank Aaron, Pittsburgh Waterbearers (.354, 35 HR, 111 RBI)