The New York Giants won their fourth straight pennant, but lost to the Senators in the World Series. The Giants finished only a game ahead of their cross-town rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers had the top two winning pitchers in the league, including Dazzy Vance, who won the NL's first league MVP Award.

         The league MVP Award in the 1920's was a forerunner to the BBWAA Award that began in 1931. The voters were eight writers, one from each National League city. This award lasted until 1929; Dazzy Vance was the only pitcher to win it. Clarence Arthur Vance is famous as the guy who didn't win his first game in the majors until he was 31, but ended up with 197 wins in his career. This was Dazzy's greatest season, and he won the pitcher's Triple Crown (leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA). Vance spent all of his best seasons with the Dodgers; though he is not well remembered today, he was greater than any Dodger pitcher except Sandy Koufax.
        Vance's teammate, Burleigh Grimes, finished second in the league in wins, with 22. He was a hard worker, but I don't believe that he was one of the very best pitchers in the league. Two Pittsburgh hurlers were clearly better. Wilbur Cooper was 32 years old, Ray Kremer was 31. Cooper had had many outstanding seasons, and notched his 200th win this year. Kremer, on the other hand, was in his rookie season. Cooper faded after this year, but Kremer would continue to pitch well until he was 40. Kremer was the leader of Pirate staffs that won championships in 1925 and 1928; he won 143 games in his career, while losing only 85.
        Carl Mays was also 32, and nearing the end of a great career. He must of had recurring arm problems around this time; Mays won only 5 games for the Yankees in a disastrous 1923 season, and was dealt to the Reds. His first season in the NL was brilliant, but he kept having problems; Mays won only 3 games in 1925, then 19 in 1926, then finally his career came to an end for good.
        The Pirates had two outstanding rookie pitchers this year, Kremer and Emil Yde. Yde was only 24, and had another good season in 1925, as the Pirates won the World Series. After that he had some serious arm problems, and his career ended with a pair of ugly seasons.