On Base Percentage : 1961 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)
 

1961 On Base Percentage Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Wally Moon .434 (.43447) Los Angeles Dodgers 1
Frank Robinson .404 (.40409) Cincinnati Reds 2
Eddie Mathews .402 (.40238) Milwaukee Braves 3
Ken Boyer .397 (.39668) St. Louis Cardinals 4
Willie Mays .393 (.39302) San Francisco Giants 5
Roberto Clemente .390 (.38989) Pittsburgh Pirates 6
Don Hoak .388 (.38765) Pittsburgh Pirates 7
Hank Aaron .381 (.38060) Milwaukee Braves 8
Vada Pinson .379 (.37863) Cincinnati Reds 9
Johnny Callison .363 (.36278) Philadelphia Phillies 10
Ron Santo .362 (.36239) Chicago Cubs 11
Orlando Cepeda .362 (.36164) San Francisco Giants 12
Jim Gilliam .358 (.35838) Los Angeles Dodgers 13
Bill White .354 (.35401) St. Louis Cardinals 14
Joe Adcock .354 (.35360) Milwaukee Braves 15
George Altman .353 (.35325) Chicago Cubs 16
Maury Wills .346 (.34570) Los Angeles Dodgers 17
Ernie Banks .346 (.34555) Chicago Cubs 18
Dick Stuart .344 (.34435) Pittsburgh Pirates 19
Jim Davenport .342 (.34216) San Francisco Giants 20
Gordy Coleman .341 (.34146) Cincinnati Reds 21
Billy Williams .338 (.33791) Chicago Cubs 22
Frank Thomas .331 (.33074) Chicago Cubs 23
Milwaukee Braves  
Harvey Kuenn .329 (.32890) San Francisco Giants 24
Frank Bolling .329 (.32870) Milwaukee Braves 25



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

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.