Ted Lost More Than a Batting Title
In 1949, Williams Almost Won the Triple Crown for the Third Time
If Ted had one more hit or one less at bat, he would have become the first player to win the Triple Crown three times. Since 1901, only he and Hornsby have won it twice.
It was one of the most dominant offensive seasons in baseball history, yet it has been virtually forgotten, primarily for two reasons. The first is that the Yankees won the 1949 American League pennant on the final day of the season by beating the Red Sox, and the second is that Ted Williams lost the batting title by 0.0002 to George Kell. Williams hit .3427 to Kell’s 3429.
Williams Almost Won Three Triple Crowns
If Williams had one more hit or one less at bat, he would have become the first player to win the Triple Crown three times. Since 1901, only Rogers Hornsby and Williams have won two Triple Crowns, and there have been only thirteen Triple Crown winners, which make it more rare than a perfect game. No player has won the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski accomplished the feat in 1967.
Kell Won Despite Injuries
Williams led the league in batting most of the season, but Kell was closing fast despite having suffered two major injuries. He broke a bone in his right foot, which was followed later in the year by a broken left thumb. In his last game, Kell faced Indians’ starter Bob Lemon, who was removed after five innings in favor of Bob Feller. Kell had 2 hits in 3 at bats. At Yankee Stadium, Williams was hitless in two official at bats against Vic Raschi, which gave Kell the batting title.
A Dominant 1949 Season
In 1949, Ted Williams led the American League with 43 home runs, tied for the lead in RBIs with 159, led with a .490 on base average, a .650 slugging average, 730 plate appearances, 150 runs scored, 368 total bases, 39 doubles, 162 walks. He was voted the American League’s Most Valuable Player.
A Dominant 1921 Season For Ruth
Babe Ruth’s best season was probably 1921, although it is recognized that he had other seasons that were comparable. In 1921, Ruth hit .378 to finish third, behind Harry Heilmann’s .394 and Ty Cobb’s .389. Ruth led with 59 home runs, 171 RBIs, an incredible .846 slugging average, a .512 on base average, 177 runs scored, 457 total bases, and 145 walks. He also finished tied for fourth in triples with 16.
Only a Few Outstanding Sluggers
When Ted Williams led the league with 43 home runs in 1949, the only other player to hit as many as 30 was Vern Stephens, who hit 39. Four players tied for third place with 24 each. When Ruth led the league with 59 home runs, Bob Meusel and Ken Williams tied for runner up with 24 each. The point is that for decades, each league had a few outstanding sluggers. That has not been true for the last fifteen or twenty years for reasons some believe are obvious.
Winning the Triple Crown Is Difficult
The fact that Babe Ruth didn’t win the Triple Crown in 1921 merely points out how difficult it is to win. One reason is that few players hit for both a high batting average and a high home run total and are on a team that provides them with the opportunity to drive in a lot of runs. Not winning the batting title cost Williams the Triple Crown, with the result that it few individuals realize what a great season he had in 1949. He might have been as great as those who saw him hit claimed.
References:
"Kell Batting Victor; Indians Get Third Place. New York Times. 3 October 1949, p. 22.
"Batting Title Goes to Kell of Tigers; He Tops American League on .3429 Average to .3427 by Williams of Red Sox." New York Times. 23 December 1949, p. 25.
