The Giants won the pennant and the World Series, but it was Rogers Hornsby of the Cardinals who had one of the greatest seasons ever by a hitter.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I sit and stare out the window and wait for spring."

- Rogers Hornsby

       In the history of major league baseball, there is a real shortage of players who have hit .400 with 40 homers in a season. In fact, there's just one: Hornsby. I think it would be difficult to come up with a reason why Hornsby should not be the MVP.
       Rogers Hornsby was one of baseball's greatest enigmas. At first glance, it looks like he should rank among the two or three greatest players ever to play the game. He was a second baseman who won seven batting titles, and three times cracked the .400 mark. He was also a power hitter, smashing 301 homers in his career, in addition to 514 doubles and 169 triples. He led the NL in runs scored five times, in RBI four times, in hits four times, in doubles four times, and led the league in OPS a staggering 11 times. His career batting average was .358, second only to Cobb. He is often regarded as the greatest right-handed hitter ever, and I don't know how I could dispute that.
       Despite this, few people consider Hornsby to rank among the top ten players ever, or even the top twenty. There was something missing. Hornsby won one World Series, with the Cardinals in 1926. He was traded after that season to New York. He was once traded four times in four years; everywhere he went, he was the league's best player, but teams got rid of him anyway because they couldn't stand the guy.
        He had dedication; Hornsby worked very hard on his hitting, and even refused to watch movies to protect his eyesight. However, he didn't work as hard on his defense, which was unfortunate because he played a demanding position. He should probably have moved to the outfield, but didn't; even then, his bat was so phenomenal that you aren't going to worry too much about his glove. I don't know if he could be considered a poor leader; he managed for many years, and player-managed the Cardinals to the championship in 1926. His teams were usually decent, and he won another pennant with the Cubs in 1929.
        I have given him a whole bunch of MVP Awards, so obviously I think he was as great a player as his numbers show. But if he had had that extra something, a little bit more leadership, or maybe just friendliness, he could have been greater than anyone except Ruth. I gather that playing with Hornsby was a little like playing with Dracula, that you're in awe of his talents and you're glad he's on your side, but you really don't want him to stick around for very long.
       After Hornsby, the best infielder was either Charlie Hollocher, Dave Bancroft, or Frankie Frisch. Hollocher had slightly better numbers (and struck out only 5 times!), but Frisch and Bancroft both played for the pennant-winning Giants, and Bancroft was a superior defensive player. I'll take Bancroft.
      Max Carey was baseball's greatest base stealer for the first 60 years of the century, until Maury Wills came along. This was his best year; not only did Carey steal 51 bases, he was caught only twice! Carey was also valuable for his ability to draw a walk and get on base. As well, he was probably the best defensive outfielder in the NL. I think he was the best player of this group this year.
      Ray Grimes didn't reach the majors until his late 20's; this was easily the best year of his career, at age 29. He was out of the league soon after. Still, his numbers are so impressive that I have to rank him just behind Carey.