Bases on Balls : 1961 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:

"Maybe I missed my routine and my game so much that I was trying to rationalize reasons for getting it back. I wanted those 162 games. I wanted all the suspense of the playoff and home run races. And I honestly didn't believe baseball would bend far enough to allow the possibility of games in November. I was wrong. And baseball was right." - Paul White in USA Today Baseball Weekly (September 14, 2001)
 

1961 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Mickey Mantle 126 New York Yankees 1
Norm Cash 124 Detroit Tigers 2
Rocky Colavito 113 Detroit Tigers 3
Harmon Killebrew 107 Minnesota Twins 4
Bob Allison 103 Minnesota Twins 5
Jim Gentile 96 Baltimore Orioles 6
Albie Pearson 96 Los Angeles Angels  
Roger Maris 94 New York Yankees 8
Dick Howser 92 Kansas City Athletics 9
Gary Geiger 87 Boston Red Sox 10
Norm Siebern 82 Kansas City Athletics 11
Lenny Green 81 Minnesota Twins 12
Chuck Schilling 78 Boston Red Sox 13
Danny O'Connell 77 Washington Senators 14
Don Buddin 72 Boston Red Sox 15
Woodie Held 69 Cleveland Indians 16
Steve Boros 68 Detroit Tigers 17
Minnie Minoso 67 Chicago White Sox 18
Ron Hansen 66 Baltimore Orioles 19
Jackie Jensen 66 Boston Red Sox  
Al Kaline 66 Detroit Tigers  
Jim Landis 65 Chicago White Sox 22
Clete Boyer 63 New York Yankees 23
Earl Averill 62 Los Angeles Angels 24
Jackie Brandt 62 Baltimore Orioles  



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.

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

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).