Bases on Balls : 1974 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:

"What people don't understand is, one day off for Cal Ripken would not recharge his batteries. One day would not do it. He's not playing 2,130 games in a row. Cal is ONLY playing 162 games a year." - Frank Robinson in The Sporting News (September 11, 1995)
 

1974 Bases on Balls Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Darrell Evans 126 Atlanta Braves 1
Joe Morgan 120 Cincinnati Reds 2
Jimmy Wynn 108 Los Angeles Dodgers 3
Pete Rose 106 Cincinnati Reds 4
Mike Schmidt 106 Philadelphia Phillies  
Bob Bailey 100 Montreal Expos 6
Willie McCovey 96 San Diego Padres 7
Bobby Bonds 95 San Francisco Giants 8
Ken Singleton 93 Montreal Expos 9
Wayne Garrett 89 New York Mets 10
Willie Stargell 87 Pittsburgh Pirates 11
Johnny Bench 80 Cincinnati Reds 12
Rusty Staub 77 New York Mets 13
Ron Cey 76 Los Angeles Dodgers 14
Greg Gross 76 Houston Astros  
Joe Ferguson 75 Los Angeles Dodgers 16
Davey Johnson 75 Atlanta Braves  
Dusty Baker 71 Atlanta Braves 18
Bud Harrelson 71 New York Mets  
Reggie Smith 71 St. Louis Cardinals  
Mike Jorgensen 70 Montreal Expos 21
Gary Matthews 70 San Francisco Giants  
Rick Monday 70 Chicago Cubs  
Ted Sizemore 70 St. Louis Cardinals  
Joe Torre 69 St. Louis Cardinals 25



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.

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?

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.