Bases on Balls : 1972 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:

"When you're playing 162 baseball games, you're playing almost every day, it's nice to have a guy (Jose Lima) like that around to lighten things up and have fun. It's a huge plus for us." - Detroit Tigers Pitcher Matt Anderson
 

1972 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Dick Allen 99 Chicago White Sox 1
Roy White 99 New York Yankees  
Harmon Killebrew 94 Minnesota Twins 3
Carlos May 79 Chicago White Sox 4
Sal Bando 78 Oakland Athletics 5
John Mayberry 78 Kansas City Royals  
Rico Petrocelli 78 Boston Red Sox  
Mike Andrews 70 Chicago White Sox 8
Don Buford 69 Baltimore Orioles 9
Mike Epstein 68 Oakland Athletics 10
Reggie Smith 68 Boston Red Sox  
Ron Theobald 68 Milwaukee Brewers  
Tommy Harper 67 Boston Red Sox 13
Dave Nelson 67 Texas Rangers  
Carl Yastrzemski 67 Boston Red Sox  
Boog Powell 65 Baltimore Orioles 16
Bobby Murcer 63 New York Yankees 17
Paul Schaal 61 Kansas City Royals 18
Reggie Jackson 59 Oakland Athletics 19
Dick McAuliffe 59 Detroit Tigers  
Richie Scheinblum 58 Kansas City Royals 21
Graig Nettles 57 Cleveland Indians 22
Horace Clarke 56 New York Yankees 23
Don Mincher 56 Texas Rangers  
Oakland Athletics  
Pat Kelly 55 Chicago White Sox 25



The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

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).

Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.