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Offensive

© Harold Friend

You can never be too young, you can never be too thin, you can never be too rich, and you can never have too much pitching. The 1921 Detroit Tigers, the team that set and still holds the American League record for the highest team batting in a single season, is an example that supports the contention that hitting alone rarely wins anything, while pitching and defense often leads to championships.

The 1921 Tigers batted .316 and led the league with a .382 on base average. They scored 883 runs for an average of 5.73 runs a game and they averaged more than eleven hits a game. The 1921 Detroit Tigers were one of baseball's greatest offensive powerhouses, yet they finished in sixth place, 27 games behind the Yankees.

The lineup was a pitcher's nightmare. The outfield consisted of Ty Cobb (.389, 12 Hrs, 101 RBIs), Harry Heilmann (.394, 19 Hrs, 139 RBIs), and Bobby Veach (.338, 16 Hrs, 128 RBIs). Among the regulars, only second baseman Ralph Young and shortstop Donie Bush, who went to the Washington Nationals in August, failed to hit at least .300. Bush's replacement, Ira Flagstead, batted .305.

Contrast that with the 1969 New York Mets, a team that batted .242 and completely dominated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. The only Mets regular who batted over .300 was Cleon Jones, who hit .340. Tommy Agee led the team with 26 home runs and platoon player Art Shamsky was second with 14. The Mets scored 3.90 runs a game yet won the National League Eastern Division title by 8 games over the Cubs.

The 1921 Tigers had a 5.53 team ERA. The 1969 Mets had a 2.99 team ERA. The 1921 Tigers starters were Dutch Leonard (11-13), Hooks Dauss (10-15), Red Oldham (11-14), and Howard Ehmke (13-14). The team that had the highest batting average in American League history didn't have a starter above .500.

The 1969 Mets starters were Tom Seaver (25-7), Jerry Koosman (17-9), Gary Gentry (13-12) and Don Cardwell (8-10). The Mets didn't score many runs but neither did the opposition. The 1969 Mets' philosophy was that if the other team didn't score, the Mets couldn't lose. They could tie, but they couldn't lose.

The old joke is that good pitching will stop good hitting and vice-versa, but reality is that good pitching will stop good hitting more often than vice-versa. The 1921 Tigers were involved in high scoring games but with their pitching staff, no lead was safe. A one run Mets' lead in 1969 was almost insurmountable.

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