Billy Rogell and Billy Werber were a pair of steady infielders who had
their best years. Rogell was a poor hitter but a fine defensive
shortstop. The fact that he was able to produce more than 200 runs this year
should give you an idea of how inflated scoring was this season. Werber was
a stolen base fiend who never hit .300 again; he bounced around from team
to team, and had a couple of good years with the Reds, helping them win
the World Series in 1940.
The MVP vote this year was a bit of an oddity. Gehrig, as expected, was chosen MVP by The Sporting News. But the BBWAA, in their second year of voting, chose Cochrane, while dropping Gehrig down to 5th. Before the season, Athletics' owner Connie Mack sold his superstar catcher to Detroit, where he was appointed the manager, and guided the Tigers to the pennant. Cochrane
also played well in the field, but I can't support his MVP
election; it wasn't one of his best seasons, and he certainly wasn't
close to being better than Gehrig. And I don't think that managerial skill should
be a factor in MVP voting.
But Charlie Gehringer, that's another matter. Gehringer also
played for the Tigers, and had an awesome season. He didn't hit
anywhere near as well as Gehrig, but Gehringer was a terrific
defensive player, and he hit well enough to lead the league in runs
produced. Gehringer was the best player on the best team in the league; his bat and glove were a formidable combination. In many other seasons, I would probably choose him as MVP — but the Triple Crown is a rarity. Lou Gehrig's season was so outstanding that it demands MVP honours.
This was Babe Ruth's last season with the Yankees. He played
28 games with the Braves next year, then called it a career. And
what a career. He hit 714 homers, and led the league 12 times. His
career batting average was .342; his on-base percentage was .474. He had 2213 RBI, and scored
2174 runs. He also won 94 games as a pitcher, won an ERA title, and
threw 17 shutouts. There will never be anything like him again.
