Hits : 1981 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:

"The baseball season - six months & 2,106 games - is flat out long, and it's a rare one of those games that doesn't ramble or sputter or digress or somehow violate the rules of dramatic narrative. Baseball takes its own sweet time reaching its conclusions." - Dwight Allen in Reds, Yanks and O's (1989)
 

1981 Hits Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Rickey Henderson 135 Oakland Athletics 1
Carney Lansford 134 Boston Red Sox 2
Cecil Cooper 133 Milwaukee Brewers 3
Willie Wilson 133 Kansas City Royals  
Tom Paciorek 132 Seattle Mariners 5
Al Oliver 130 Texas Rangers 6
Jim Rice 128 Boston Red Sox 7
Rick Burleson 126 California Angels 8
Dwight Evans 122 Boston Red Sox 9
Tony Armas 115 Oakland Athletics 10
Mickey Rivers 114 Texas Rangers 11
Dave Winfield 114 New York Yankees  
Rod Carew 111 California Angels 13
Eddie Murray 111 Baltimore Orioles  
Richie Zisk 111 Seattle Mariners  
Jerry Remy 110 Boston Red Sox 16
George Brett 109 Kansas City Royals 17
Al Bumbry 107 Baltimore Orioles 18
Bobby Grich 107 California Angels  
Buddy Bell 106 Texas Rangers 20
Tony Bernazard 106 Chicago White Sox  
Hal McRae 106 Kansas City Royals  
Bill Almon 105 Chicago White Sox 23
Toby Harrah 105 Cleveland Indians  
Dan Ford 104 California Angels 25



Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.

The first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.

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.