Bases on Balls : 1939 American League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"What people don't understand is, one day off for Cal Ripken would not recharge his batteries. One day would not do it. He's not playing 2,130 games in a row. Cal is ONLY playing 162 games a year." - Frank Robinson in The Sporting News (September 11, 1995)
 

1939 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Harlond Clift 111 St. Louis Browns 1
Ted Williams 107 Boston Red Sox 2
Luke Appling 105 Chicago White Sox 3
George Selkirk 103 New York Yankees 4
Bob Johnson 99 Philadelphia Athletics 5
Hank Greenberg 91 Detroit Tigers 6
Jimmie Foxx 89 Boston Red Sox 7
Ben Chapman 87 Cleveland Indians 8
Joe Cronin 87 Boston Red Sox  
Charlie Keller 81 New York Yankees 10
Red Rolfe 81 New York Yankees  
Bill Dickey 77 New York Yankees 12
Joe Gordon 75 New York Yankees 13
Buddy Lewis 72 Washington Senators 14
Barney McCosky 70 Detroit Tigers 15
Charlie Gehringer 68 Detroit Tigers 16
Bruce Campbell 67 Cleveland Indians 17
Sam West 67 Washington Senators  
Joe Vosmik 66 Boston Red Sox 19
Frankie Crosetti 65 New York Yankees 20
George McQuinn 65 St. Louis Browns  
Joe Kuhel 64 Chicago White Sox 22
Mike Tresh 64 Chicago White Sox  
Mike Kreevich 59 Chicago White Sox 24
Babe Dahlgren 57 New York Yankees 25



The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).

Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.