The 1949 Yankees Walked 812 Men
Raschi, Reynolds, and Byrne Each Issued More Than 100 Walks
Sep 26, 2007
The 1949 Yankees won the pennant on the last day of the season and defeated Brooklyn in a five game World Series. The Yankees played .630 baseball, going 97-57 in the 154 game schedule. They had what is considered a fine pitching staff, led by Vic Raschi, Allie Reynolds, Tommy Byrne, and Eddie Lopat. Raschi won 21 games, Reynolds won 17, and Byrne and Lopat won 15 each. Nothing unusual so far, but wait a second. Three of the four starters on the 1949 Yankees’ pitching staff, which finished second in league ERA with 3.69, gave up well over 100 walks.
Good Records Despite Walks
- Vic Raschi started 37 games, winning 21 and losing 10 with a 3.34 ERA. In 274 2/3 innings, Raschi walked 138 and struck out 124. Batters had a .330 on base average.
- Allie Reynolds started 31 games, winning 17 and losing 6 with a 4.00 ERA, which was not considered good in 1949. In 213 2/3 innings, the “Super Chief” walked 123 and struck out 105. Batters had a .349 on base average.
- Tommy Byrne, who threw harder than even Reynolds, started 30 games, winning 15 and losing 7 with a 3.72 ERA. In 196 innings, Byrne walked 179 and struck out 129, which means that he gave up just about one walk per inning. Hitters had a .360 on base average.
The 2007 Yankees' Pitching Staff
Batters had a .346 on base average against the 1949 Yankees’ pitching staff, which yielded a mind-boggling 812 walks. To gain some perspective, opposing batters have a .338 on base average against the 2007 Yankees’ staff, which has allowed 563 walks with a 4.46 ERA, but the most walks any 2007 Yankees’ pitcher has allowed are Andy Pettitte’s 66 in 210 1/3 innings. And the Yankees have certainly had a few pitching problems in 2007.
The LACK of Home Runs
Raschi, Reynolds, and Byrne would not be able to survive in today’s game if they allowed so many walks. Last season, Daniel Cabrera led the league in allowing 104 bases on balls. Carlos Zambrano’s 115 led the National League, which is not even close to Tommy Byrne’s 179. The reason that the 1949 Yankees not only survived but also won the World Series was home runs, or rather the LACK of home runs.
Less Chance of a Three Run Home Run in 1949
In 1949, the Red Sox led the league with 131 home runs and only four of the eight teams hit as many as 100. The 1949 American League hit 769 home runs for an average of 96 home runs per team. In 2007, when the number of home runs has decreased compared to the last few seasons, the Yankees lead the league with 196 home runs and teams have a total of 2179 home runs for an average of 156 per team. When Raschi, Reynolds and Byrne put runners on, there wasn’t as much chance of a two or three run home run as there is today.
"Oh, Those Bases On Balls"
The long ball has made bases on balls even more dangerous than ever. Add the designated hitter and it is even more important to not walk batters. Raschi, Reynolds, and Byrne (well, maybe not Byrne) were excellent pitchers. They would probably have adapted to today’s game, but as Frankie Frisch, the Hall of Fame second baseman for champion Giants and Cardinals teams lamented, “Oh, those bases on balls.” Especially today.
