  |
|
|
|
The Best Hitters of the 1940sIn a Decade Interrupted by War, These Hitters Still Became LegendaryThe 1940s were a tumultuous decade for Major League Baseball. World War II took away the best years of many players' careers, including some of these legendary hitters.
The 1940s were unlike any other decade in the history of professional baseball. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States was drawn into World War II. President Eisenhower called for all able-bodied men to join the Allied Forces who were fighting Hitler in Europe and Japan in the Pacific Theater. Among these able-bodied men were several of the Best Hitters of the 1940s, including Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, and Stan Musial. Despite being pulled from action in the hearts of their careers, these three were still able to become the Best Hitters of the 1940s. Ted Williams Was the Top Hitter of the 1940sWilliams opened the decade in style, hitting .344 with 23 home runs and 113 RBI. The next year, he became the final Major League player to hit .400 when he batted .406. In 1942, the Splendid Splinter took it up a notch, winning the first of his two Triple Crown awards by hitting .356 with 36 home runs and 137 RBI. Then Uncle Sam called and Williams went off to serve as a bomber pilot for the three remaining years of World War II. When he returned from action, Williams quickly proved that he was still at the top of his game. In 1946, he won his first MVP award, and led the Red Sox to their first World Series since 1918. The next year, William won his second Triple Crown award, joining Rogers Hornsby as the only two players to achieve that honor. In addition to winning the Crown, Williams also led the American League in Slugging (.634), On-Base Percentage (.499), Bases on Balls (162), Runs scored (125) and Extra Base Hits (81). Yet he still lost the MVP to Joe DiMaggio in a very controversial vote. All in all, Williams had a magnificient decade, winning two Triple Crowns, two MVPs, four batting titles, four home run crowns and three RBI titles. Add to that his .346 batting avarage and .462 On Base Percentage, and you have the best hitter of the 1940s. Joe DiMaggio, New York YankeesWilliams's chief rival during the decade was Joltin' Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees. Unlike Williams, DiMaggio's career was affected by the years he lost to the war. Before the war, when DiMaggio was still in his formative years as a Major League player, the Clipper's statistics were among the best ever for any player's first seven years: 1936-1942: .340 Batting Average, 32 Home Runs, 133 RBI, and 123 Runs (and one incredible 56 game hitting streak) After the war, Joltin' Joe still played at a Hall of Fame level, but the inactivity and the missed years of his prime greatly hampered DiMaggio's production. 1946-1951: .308 Batting Average, 24 Home Runs, 101 RBI, and 88 Runs Still great, just not the immortal level at which DiMaggio had been playing at for the first half of his career. Nonetheless, Joe's decade was still the second best in the game. During the seven years he played in the 1940s, Joe made seven All Star teams, won two MVP awards, took home three World Series trophies, batted .326, and averaged 26 HR, 114 RBI and 99 Runs. Not too shabby for an aging ballplayer suffering from a whole host of crippling injuries. Stan Musial, St. Louis Cardinals. During the 1940s. Stan Musial was far and away the best player in the National League. He won three MVP awards and also finished runner-up twice. Stan also led the league in batting three times, in hits five times, in Doubles five times, in Triples four times, and in On Base Percentage and Slugging Average four times each. From 1940-49, Musial batted .344, with yearly averages of 202 Hits, 43 Doubles, 15 Triples, 22 Home Runs, and 100 RBI. The scary thing is that Musial may have actually been a better hitter during the 1950s. Johnny Mize, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Giants. The Big Cat, as he was known because of his immense size and strength, had his best ever Major League season in 1940, when he hit .314 with 43 HR and 137 RBI. While the rest of the decade was not as spectacular for Mize, he was good enough to be considered one of the Top Hitters of the 1940s. Mize hit better than .300 in five seasons during the 1940s. He also led the National League in home runs four times (including his 51 dingers in 1947) and in RBI three times during the decade. Although he didn't win a Most Valuable Player Award during the 1940s, he did finish runner-up twice and in the top 5 on five occasions. There it is: your Best Hiiters of the 1940s. ____________________
The copyright of the article The Best Hitters of the 1940s in Baseball is owned by James Lincoln Ray. Permission to republish The Best Hitters of the 1940s in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
