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| Decade: The Great Depression (1930-1939) |
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1920's Decade Page |
1940's Decade Page |
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| Team Decade Pages (Average Win Shares /
Points per year in decade): |
Top Team Builders In Decade: |
| AMERICAN LEAGUE: |
NATIONAL LEAGUE: |
1 - Ed Barrow (GM), Joe McCarthy (Manager) - Yankees |
| New York Yankees - 127 |
Chicago Cubs - 116 |
2 - Bill Veeck Sr (GM),
Charlie Grimm (Manager) - Cubs |
| Cleveland Indians - 107 |
New York Giants - 114 |
3 - Branch Rickey (GM),
Frankie Frisch (Manager) - Cards |
| Detroit Tigers - 107 |
St. Louis Cardinals - 113 |
4 - John McGraw (Manager),
Bill Terry (Manager) |
| Washington Senators - 105 |
Pittsburgh Pirates - 106 |
5 - Powel Crosley (Owner), Larry MacPhail (GM), Bill
McKechnie (Manager) - Reds |
| Philadelphia A's - 95 |
Brooklyn Dodgers - 96 |
6 - Frank Navin (Owner) -
Detroit |
| Boston Red Sox - 93 |
Boston Braves - 91 |
7 - Walter Johnson (Manager), Clark Griffith (Owner)
- Washington |
| Chicago White Sox - 89 |
Cincinnati Reds - 87 |
8 - Connie Mack (Manager, Owner) - A's |
| St. Louis Browns - 76 |
Philadelphia Phillies - 76 |
9 - Alva Bradley (Owner), Billy Evans (GM) -
Cleveland |
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10 - Fred Clarke (VP), Barney Dreyfuss (Owner) -
Pirates |
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| Decade Highlights |
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| □ The backdrop for baseball the entire
decade was the Great Depression. It severely impacted how a number of teams
were able to function in the Thirties. The Browns, The Senators and the |
| A's in the American
League and The Phillies, The Braves and The Dodgers in the National all were
operating on a shoestring. |
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| □ Baseball,
like the movies, proved to be a nice diversion from the Depression. It's
stars achieved larger than life status. |
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| □ The Thirties
were the most prolific scoring decade in major league history. The Live Ball
Era was really alive. All sorts of hitting records were broken that are still
standing today. |
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| □ The first
major league All Star game in 1933. Despite all of the fabled hitters
appearing in the game, ironically it was the pitchers who were the stars. |
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| □ In the
National League, the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants
took turns winning pennants during the decade. The Reds emerged in 1939. |
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| □ In the
American League, it was the A's, followed by the Tigers, followed by the
Yankees that did the damage. Washington snuck in there in 1933. |
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| □ Two teams, the Pirates and the Indians,
were good throughout the decade, but could never quite seem to get over the
hump. Pittsburgh had a galaxy of top hitters, but not the pitching. |
| Cleveland always
seemed like one big star, maybe two, away from winning it, but owner Alva
Bradley never seemed to make the big push. This was especially puzzling
because owners like |
| Connie Mack of the
A's and Clark Griffith of Washington were openly dangling their players for a
price. |
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| □ Radio
broadcasts were becoming the norm. Lights were being added to stadiums to
allow working folks to come out and watch games during the week. Cars were
becoming more prevalent. |
| There were newsreels
at the movies displaying clips of games. |
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| Top Players In Decade Pages (Win Shares /
Points and WAR (in parentheses) for Decade ): |
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| All Positions - Top 50 |
Top Starting Pitchers |
Top Catchers |
Top Outfielders |
| 1 - Carl Hubbell Giants (56.47) - 147 |
1 - Carl Hubbell Giants (56.47) - 147 |
6 - Bill Dickey Yankees (42.55) - 123 |
5 - Earl Averill Cleveland (44.51) - 126 |
| 2 - Jimmy Foxx A's (72.75) - 144 |
3 - Lefty Grove Boston (80.69) - 134 |
22 - Gabby Hartnett Cubs (35.69) - 100 |
7 - Mel Ott Giants (68.67) - 123 |
| 3 - Lefty Grove Boston (80.69) - 134 |
12 - Paul Derringer Reds (28.38) - 115 |
28 - Mickey Cochrane A's (34.19) - 85 |
9 - Ben Chapman Yankees (38.59) - 118 |
| 4 - Joe Cronin Boston (50.4) - 128 |
13 - Wes Ferrell Cleveland (43.1) - 113 |
31 - Ernie Lombardi Reds (26.77) - 83 |
16 - Wally Berger Braves (41.91) - 109 |
| 5 - Earl Averill Cleveland (44.51) - 126 |
14 - Larry French Cubs (35.48) - 113 |
40 - Rick Ferrell Washington (22.59) -75 |
17 - Al Simmons A's (38.14) - 108 |
| 6 - Bill Dickey Yankees (42.55) - 123 |
15 - Red Ruffing Yankees (38.01) - 111 |
48 - Spud Davis Phillies (21.44) - 70 |
18 - Sam West Browns (27.4) - 108 |
| 7 - Mel Ott Giants (68.67) - 123 |
19 - Lefty Gomez Yankees (43.45) - 107 |
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24 - Paul Waner Pittsburgh (44.07) - 97 |
| 8 - Lou Gehrig Yankees (73.08) - 120 |
20 - Lon Warneke Cards (31.78) - 104 |
Top First Basemen |
29 - Gee Walker Detroit (14.51) - 84 |
| 9 - Ben Chapman Yankees (38.59) - 118 |
21 - Dizzy Dean Cards (43.78) - 100 |
2 - Jimmy Foxx A's (72.75) - 144 |
30 - Chuck Klein Phillies (37.62) - 83 |
| 10 - Arky Vaughan Pittsburgh (53.18) - 116 |
23 - Mel Harder Cleveland (45.52) - 97 |
8 - Lou Gehrig Yankees (73.08) - 120 |
38 - Indian Bob Johnson A's (33.04) - 77 |
| 11 - Charlie Gehringer Detroit - 115 |
25 - Tommy Bridges Detroit (35.71) - 88 |
37 - Hank Greenberg
Detroit (37.21) - 77 |
43 - Joe Vosmik Cleveland (21.5) - 73 |
| 12 - Paul Derringer Reds (28.38) - 115 |
32 - Freddie FitzSimmons
Giants (17.25) - 82 |
Bill Terry Giants (36.32) - 68 |
44 - Goose Goslin Browns (26.36) - 72 |
| 13 - Wes Ferrell Cleveland (43.1) - 113 |
33 - Ed Brandt Braves (27.16) - 81 |
Zeke Bonura Chicago (22.32) - 67 |
50 - John Stone Washington (24.34)- 69 |
| 14 - Larry French Cubs (35.48) - 113 |
34 - Hal Schumacher Giants (16.43) - 81 |
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Joe Medwick Cards (38.73) - 67 |
| 15 - Red Ruffing Yankees (38.01) - 111 |
35 - Bill Lee Cubs (27.33) - 80 |
Top Second Basemen |
Joe DiMaggio Yankees (26.32) - 66 |
| 16 - Wally Berger Braves (41.91) - 109 |
36 - Ted Lyons Chicago (32.17) - 80 |
11 - Charlie Gehringer
Detroit - 115 |
Kiki Cuyler Cubs (21.28)
- 65 |
| 17 - Al Simmons A's (38.14) - 108 |
39 - Earl Whitehill Detroit (21) - 76 |
Frankie Frisch Cards (16.05) - 63 |
Babe Ruth Yankees (40.52) - 64 |
| 18 - Sam West Browns (27.4) - 108 |
42 - Guy Bush Cubs (11.01) - 73 |
Billy Herman Cubs (36.59) - 63 |
Babe Herman Brooklyn (27.4) - 57 |
| 19 - Lefty Gomez Yankees (43.45) - 107 |
46 - Danny MacFayden Braves (20.21) - 71 |
Tony Lazzeri Yankees (28.7) - 59 |
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| 20 - Lon Warneke Cards (31.78) - 104 |
47 - Van Lingle Mungo
Brooklyn (26.55) - 71 |
Buddy Myer Washington (35.07) - 55 |
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| 21 - Dizzy Dean Cards (43.78) - 100 |
49 - Charlie Root Cubs (24.28) - 69 |
Tony Cuccinello Braves (32.06) - 39 |
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| 22 - Gabby Hartnett Cubs (35.69) - 100 |
Bump Hadley Yankees (29.02) - 66 |
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| 23 - Mel Harder Cleveland (45.52) - 97 |
Johnny Allen Yankees (25.57) - 62 |
Top Shortstops |
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| 24 - Paul Waner Pittsburgh (44.07) - 97 |
Bill Swift Pirates (19.2) - 62 |
4 - Joe Cronin Boston (50.4) - 128 |
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| 25 - Tommy Bridges Detroit (35.71) - 88 |
Curt Davis Cards (24.87) - 60 |
10 - Arky Vaughan Pittsburgh (53.18) - 116 |
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| 26 - Luke Appling Chicago (33.64) - 87 |
Bobo Newsom Washington (27.87) - 58 |
26 - Luke Appling Chicago (33.64) - 87 |
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| 27 - Dick Bartell Giants (31.32) - 87 |
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27 - Dick Bartell Giants (31.32) - 87 |
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| 28 - Mickey Cochrane A's (34.19) - 85 |
Top Relief Pitchers |
41 - Lynford Lary Yankees (18.07) - 75 |
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| 29 - Gee Walker Detroit (14.51) - 84 |
Syl Johnson Phillies (20.61) - 33 |
45 - Billy Rogell Detroit (24.85) - 71 |
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| 30 - Chuck Klein Phillies (37.62) - 83 |
Johnny Murphy Yankeess (9.62) - 24 |
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| 31 - Ernie Lombardi Reds (26.77) - 83 |
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Top Third Basemen |
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| 32 - Freddie FitzSimmons Giants (17.25) - 82 |
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50 - Bill Werber Boston (18.38) - 69 |
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| 33 - Ed Brandt Braves (27.16) - 81 |
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Pepper Martin Cards (16.19) - 68 |
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| 34 - Hal Schumacher Giants (16.43) - 81 |
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Harlond Clift Browns (25.6) - 59 |
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| 35 - Bill Lee Cubs (27.33) - 80 |
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| 36 - Ted Lyons Chicago (32.17) - 80 |
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| 37 - Hank Greenberg Detroit (37.21) - 77 |
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| 38 - Indian Bob Johnson A's (33.04) - 77 |
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| 39 - Earl Whitehill Detroit (21) - 76 |
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| 40 - Rick Ferrell Washington (22.59) -75 |
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| 41 - Lynford Lary Yankees (18.07) - 75 |
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| 42 - Guy Bush Cubs (11.01) - 73 |
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| 43 - Joe Vosmik Cleveland (21.5) - 73 |
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| 44 - Goose Goslin Browns (26.36) - 72 |
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| 45 - Billy Rogell Detroit (24.85) - 71 |
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| 46 - Danny MacFayden Braves (20.21) - 71 |
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| 47 - Van Lingle Mungo Brooklyn (26.55) - 71 |
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| 48 - Spud Davis Phillies (21.44) - 70 |
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| 49 - Charlie Root Cubs (24.28) - 69 |
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| 50 - Bill Werber Boston (18.38) - 69 |
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| 50 - John Stone Washington (24.34)- 69 |
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