After three straight pennants, the New York Yankees were dislodged from first place. Surprisingly, the team to beat them was the Washington Senators. The Senators had long been the doormats of the AL, but now won the first of consecutive pennants. They also won their first World Series; the franchise would not win another until the Minnesota Twins won in 1987.

         Walter Johnson had been in decline for four years, and clearly was no longer a great pitcher. He was still a good pitcher, but at age 36, it seemed that the end was near. How ironic, then, that Senators should surround Johnson with a good team, just as they were preparing to send him out to pasture?
         But Johnson fooled them. Perhaps sensing a chance to win a pennant, he had a great year. Not one of his best, but he was still the best pitcher in the league. In his first World Series, Johnson lost his first two starts, pitching well but losing both games by a run. In Game Seven, Johnson pitched four shutout innings in relief, and the Senators won in twelve innings. Johnson was a winner, and added another page to his already formidable legend.
         The Senators actually had a mediocre offense this season; it was outstanding pitching that put them over the top. The staff was led by Johnson, but also included Tom Zachary, who had his best season. Zachary had a long 19-year career, with many ups an downs; in the end he was a pretty decent pitcher, though he lost a few more than he won.
         Because he didn't throw as many innings as the others, I'm ranking Zachary fourth. Herb Pennock of the Yankees had a stellar season, almost as good as Johnson's. This was also probably Howard Ehmke's best season; Ehmke was a workhorse who won and lost exactly 166 games. He is best remembered for beating the Cubs in the World Series five years later, when he wasn't even expected to pitch.