Offensive
Now let's get to the guts of the comparison, which looks solid, but which is invalid. In 1921 American League teams batted .292, which is actually a few points lower if the Tigers' .316 isn't included. While the Tigers hit .316, the Indians hit .308, the Browns hit .304, and the Yankees hit .300. The last place Athletics, a team that lost 100 games, had the league's lowest average at .274. The Tigers batted 0.024 points higher than the league.
Taken out of context, the Tigers' .316 average is quite impressive, but when one recognizes that the entire American League had a high batting average, the Tigers' accomplishment didn't provide them with an overwhelming offensive advantage over their rivals. And both the Yankees (948) and Indians (925) scored more runs than the Tigers (883).
The 1969 National League batted .250, which was only 0.008 points higher than the Mets' .242. The Reds and Pirates tied for the batting lead with a .277 average. The Phillies (.241), Astros (.240), Expos (.240), and Padres (.225) each had lower averages than the Mets. Only the Cardinals (595), Expos (582), and Padres 468) scored fewer runs than the Mets (632).
The key is that runs were cheap in the 1921 American League and dear in the 1969 National League. The 1921 American League ERA was 4.28 while the 1969 National League ERA was 3.59. When comparing the 1921 Tigers to the 1969 Mets, the comparison must be normalized for the league in which each team played.
The Tigers .316 batting average in a league that hit .292 is much less impressive than it would be if they batted .316 in a league that batted .250. The 1969 Reds' and 1969 Pirates' .277 is as great, if not a greater accomplishment than the 1921 Tigers' .316.
Back to pitching, to wind this up. The Tigers' team ERA was 4.40 but when unearned runs are taken into account, the Tigers allowed 5.53 runs a game. They scored 5.73 runs a game, for a differential of +0.20. The Mets' team ERA was 2.99 but when unearned runs are taken into account, the Mets allowed 3.34 runs a game. They scored 3.90 runs a game, for a differential of +0.56.
The 1921 Detroit Tigers had a great offense, but that was within the context of a league composed of teams that all had fine offenses. The 1969 Mets had a poor offense within a
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