The Yankees had one of their greatest teams this year; under new manager Ralph Houk, they won 110 games, then smashed Cincinnati to win the World Series. During the season, Roger Maris hit a record 61 home runs, while Mickey Mantle chipped in with 54.
         But the Yankees had more than just big sluggers; they needed good pitching, too, because the Tigers actually scored more runs during the season! The Yanks' top pitcher was Whitey Ford, who had a remarkable season.

         I'm not sure if this was Whitey Ford's best season. His ERA wasn't one of the five best in the league, and some of his other stats aren't great, either. But you can't ignore that won-loss record! This was Ford's first season with a manager other than Casey Stengel; Casey had always used Whitey conservatively, and rarely allowed him to start more than 30 games in a season. But with a new manager (and new pitching coach Johnny Sain), Ford pitched more often and won more often than ever before.
         Ford's career winning percentage is the highest of the 20th century; he had 236 lifetime wins, only 106 losses. He is one of the few pitchers in history who pitched for a great team, and who still recorded winning percentages better than that of his team. The Yankees of Ford's era had some of the greatest teams ever, yet in most years he won games at a better rate than his team. Sure, he had great support, but he was also a great pitcher, one of the best left-handers ever.
         This was Frank Lary's last good year; he had been a workhorse up till now, but was finished by age 31. He was nicknamed "The Yankee Killer", apparently because he beat the Yankees in some big games. Perhaps he did, but it didn't help; the Tigers didn't win anything while Lary pitched for them.
         The next best pitchers were Jim Bunning, Steve Barber, and Don Mossi. Like Lary, Bunning pitched for Detroit, and was a workhorse. He had many more good seasons ahead of him. This was Barber's sophomore season, at age 22; he was great, throwing 8 shutouts, and would have a couple of more good years before declining.
         Don Mossi was affectionately known as the ugliest player of his era. He was nicknamed "The Sphinx"; does the Sphinx have big ears, crooked teeth, and four chins? Anyways, pitching has nothing to do with good looks, and Mossi was a terrific pitcher, though this year I think Bunning and Barber were a little better.
         Luis Arroyo, a Puerto Rican pitcher who worked in the Yankees' bullpen, also had an epic season. He was lousy the rest of his career; and while I'm impressed with his season, I can't rate him ahead of the top starters.