Bases on Balls : 1983 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:

"The baseball season - six months & 2,106 games - is flat out long, and it's a rare one of those games that doesn't ramble or sputter or digress or somehow violate the rules of dramatic narrative. Baseball takes its own sweet time reaching its conclusions." - Dwight Allen in Reds, Yanks and O's (1989)
 

1983 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Rickey Henderson 103 Oakland Athletics 1
Ken Singleton 99 Baltimore Orioles 2
Wade Boggs 92 Boston Red Sox 3
Andre Thornton 87 Cleveland Indians 4
Eddie Murray 86 Baltimore Orioles 5
Gorman Thomas 80 Milwaukee Brewers 6
Cleveland Indians  
Mike Hargrove 78 Cleveland Indians 7
Bobby Grich 76 California Angels 8
Toby Harrah 75 Cleveland Indians 9
Robin Yount 72 Milwaukee Brewers 10
Dwight Evans 70 Boston Red Sox 11
Greg Luzinski 70 Chicago White Sox  
Cliff Johnson 67 Toronto Blue Jays 13
Lou Whitaker 67 Detroit Tigers  
John Castino 62 Minnesota Twins 15
Brian Downing 62 California Angels  
Dwayne Murphy 62 Oakland Athletics  
Tom Brunansky 61 Minnesota Twins 18
Willie Upshaw 61 Toronto Blue Jays  
Ben Oglivie 60 Milwaukee Brewers 20
Paul Molitor 59 Milwaukee Brewers 21
Pete O'Brien 58 Texas Rangers 22
Cal Ripken, Jr. 58 Baltimore Orioles  
Roy Smalley 58 New York Yankees  
Dave Winfield 58 New York Yankees  



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).

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?

Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.