Bases on Balls : 1897 National 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:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)
 

1897 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Billy Hamilton 105 Boston Beaneaters 1
John McGraw 99 Baltimore Orioles 2
Mike Griffin 81 Brooklyn Bridegrooms 3
Kip Selbach 80 Washington Senators 4
Bill Joyce 78 New York Giants 5
Jesse Burkett 76 Cleveland Spiders 6
Cupid Childs 74 Cleveland Spiders 7
Joe Kelley 70 Baltimore Orioles 8
Elmer Smith 70 Pittsburgh Pirates  
Monte Cross 62 St. Louis Browns 10
Fielder Jones 61 Brooklyn Bridegrooms 11
Mike Tiernan 61 New York Giants  
Cap Anson 60 Chicago Colts 13
Ed Delahanty 60 Philadelphia Phillies  
Tom McCreery 60 Louisville Colonels  
New York Giants  
Billy Nash 60 Philadelphia Phillies  
Phil Geier 56 Philadelphia Phillies 17
Dummy Hoy 54 Cincinnati Reds 18
Tom Brown 52 Washington Senators 19
Klondike Douglass 52 St. Louis Browns  
Hugh Duffy 52 Boston Beaneaters  
Duff Cooley 51 Philadelphia Phillies 22
Heinie Reitz 50 Baltimore Orioles 23
Jimmy Ryan 50 Chicago Colts  
George Shoch 49 Brooklyn Bridegrooms 25



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 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?

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