Top 25 Earned Run Average in 1961 in the National League

Earned Run Average : 1961 National 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:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)

1961 Earned Run Average Leaders
Top 25 in the National League

Name Earned Run Average Team Rank

Warren Spahn 3.02 (3.0152) Milwaukee Braves 1

Jim O'Toole 3.10 (3.0989) Cincinnati Reds 2

Curt Simmons 3.13 (3.1278) St. Louis Cardinals 3

Mike McCormick 3.20 (3.2040) San Francisco Giants 4

Bob Gibson 3.24 (3.2366) St. Louis Cardinals 5

Joe Gibbon 3.32 (3.3174) Pittsburgh Pirates 6

Sandy Koufax 3.52 (3.5202) Los Angeles Dodgers 7

Joey Jay 3.53 (3.5297) Cincinnati Reds 8

Don Drysdale 3.69 (3.6885) Los Angeles Dodgers 9

Ray Sadecki 3.72 (3.7186) St. Louis Cardinals 10

Bob Purkey 3.73 (3.7267) Cincinnati Reds 11

Johnny Podres 3.74 (3.7445) Los Angeles Dodgers 12

Larry Jackson 3.75 (3.7536) St. Louis Cardinals 13

Don Cardwell 3.82 (3.8175) Chicago Cubs 14

Bob Friend 3.85 (3.8517) Pittsburgh Pirates 15

Dick Ellsworth 3.86 (3.8571) Chicago Cubs 16

Juan Marichal 3.89 (3.8919) San Francisco Giants 17

Stan Williams 3.90 (3.9009) Los Angeles Dodgers 18

Lew Burdette 4.00 (3.9988) Milwaukee Braves 19

Art Mahaffey 4.10 (4.1033) Philadelphia Phillies 20

Bob Buhl 4.11 (4.1097) Milwaukee Braves 21

Ernie Broglio 4.12 (4.1221) St. Louis Cardinals 22

Jack Sanford 4.22 (4.2239) San Francisco Giants 23

Glen Hobbie 4.26 (4.2584) Chicago Cubs 24

John Buzhardt 4.49 (4.4926) Philadelphia Phillies 25

Name Earned Run Average Team Rank

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.

Did you know that more than forty players have worn the number twenty-five for the Boston Red Sox � including Jack Clark, Denny Galehouse, Dizzy Trout and Tony Conigliaro.

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?

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