Bases on Balls : 1989 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:

"I don't think I stayed for a complete game that first year (in Arizona). But something happened. During the second year, I started watching more intently, listening to the broadcasters talk about strategy. I started getting it. Suddenly, a 162-game season didn't seem ridiculously long anymore." - Richard Ruelas in The Arizona Republic (11-07-2001)
 

1989 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Rickey Henderson 126 New York Yankees 1
Oakland Athletics  
Fred McGriff 119 Toronto Blue Jays 2
Wade Boggs 107 Boston Red Sox 3
Kevin Seitzer 102 Kansas City Royals 4
Alvin Davis 101 Seattle Mariners 5
Dwight Evans 99 Boston Red Sox 6
Lou Whitaker 89 Detroit Tigers 7
Jesse Barfield 87 Toronto Blue Jays 8
New York Yankees  
Gary Pettis 84 Detroit Tigers 9
Mark McGwire 83 Oakland Athletics 10
Pete O'Brien 83 Cleveland Indians  
Randy Milligan 74 Baltimore Orioles 12
Harold Baines 73 Chicago White Sox 13
Texas Rangers  
Jody Reed 73 Boston Red Sox  
Mickey Tettleton 73 Baltimore Orioles  
Phil Bradley 70 Baltimore Orioles 16
Danny Tartabull 69 Kansas City Royals 17
Jerry Browne 68 Cleveland Indians 18
Nick Esasky 66 Boston Red Sox 19
Julio Franco 66 Texas Rangers  
Scott Fletcher 64 Texas Rangers 21
Chicago White Sox  
Paul Molitor 64 Milwaukee Brewers  
Rafael Palmeiro 63 Texas Rangers 23
Robin Yount 63 Milwaukee Brewers  
Brook Jacoby 62 Cleveland Indians 25



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.

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.

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.