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2019 Postseason Teams database is now available!
The 2019 Postseason Teams database includes all of the rosters, stats, ratings, manager profiles, park factors and other details that you need to play along with the 2019 MLB Playoffs. This database is provided free of charge for customers that previously bought the 2019 Projection Season database.
For this release, all players have been updated with their actual regular season stats (as of the end of play on Friday, September 27, 2019) and the player ratings have been carried over from the 2019 projections database. In most cases, the 25-man rosters are our best guess since most teams had not announced their playoff rosters at the time of release.
This database includes the 10 teams that qualified for the 2019 MLB postseason: Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals. Here's your chance to manage all these teams in postseason play to determine the 2019 World Series Champion!
If you have already purchased the 2019 ZiPS Projection Season, you should be receiving an email notifying you that an update is available that includes the link to download the postseason teams file. Remember to check your spam/junk folder, but if you do not receive the update email, contact us at dmb_info@imaginesports.com to request your copy.
The 2019 Postseason Teams set can also be purchased separately for $9.95.
Note: This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
1921 Classic Past Season with transaction and lineups available now!
1921: What a Babe!
by Steve Ehresman
The Yanks had gone “over there” and come home victorious. Warren G. Harding was sworn in as the 29th President of the United States. Former President William Howard Taft became Chief Justice of the United States. Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio while on vacation. In football’s “upset of the century,” Centre College defeated Harvard University 6-0, snapping the Crimson’s five-year winning streak. Popular literature included Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan the Terrible and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s collection of short stories Flappers and Philosophers. A White Castle hamburger restaurant opened in Wichita, Kansas, forming the nation’s first fast-food chain. Charlie Chaplin wrote, produced, and directed the full-length silent comedy-drama film The Kid, featuring his Little Tramp character. The first radio baseball game was broadcast with Harold Arlin calling the Phillies-Pirates game from Forbes Field.
As Prohibition dried-out America, Al Capone grew his criminal empire in Chicago, and the Twenties began to roar, Babe Ruth enjoyed a season for the ages, leading the Pinstripes to their first American League pennant. Only the St. Louis Browns and the Washington Senators had never hoisted a championship flag. The Babe slammed 59 home runs to break his own year-old record of 54 long balls. In addition, Ruth scored 177 runs, collected 171 RBI, and produced 457 total bases—all of which were new MLB records. Along the way, Ruth swatted his 137th career home run (eclipsing Roger Connor’s record mark of 136), legged out 16 triples, walked 144 times, stole 17 bases, batted .378, and slugged .846. Despite the fact that the 1920s are considered a Golden Age in American sports, no one measured up to The Colossus of Clout, known to his teammates simply as “Jedge.”
Ruth’s other-worldly numbers overshadowed superb contributions by his teammate Bob Meusel, who was tied for runner-up in home runs with 24 and third in RBI with 135. Further, Meusel smashed 40 doubles and--like Ruth--recorded 16 triples and 17 stolen bases. First-sacker Wally Pipp was a superb hitter in the clutch, driving in 97 runs and swiping 17 bases, while hitting .296. Amid this explosion of offense, the unheralded Yankee pitching staff performed remarkably. Leading the way were Carl Mays (49 G, 38 GS, 30 CG, 337 IP, 27-9, 3.04), along with newly-acquired stars Waite Hoyt (44 G, 32 GS, 21 CG, 282 IP, 19-13, 3.10), and Bob Shawkey (38 G, 31 GS, 21 CG, 245 IP, 18-12, 4.08).
Despite their prowess, the Yankees had difficulty shaking the defending World Champion Cleveland Indians, who finally ran out of gas in September, succumbing by only 4.5 games. Tris Speaker (52 2B, 14 3B, .362), Larry Gardner (115 RBI, .319), and Stan Coveleski (43 G, 40 GS, 29 CG, 316 IP, 23-13, 3.36) kept Cleveland competitive in their season-long duel with New York.
Although St. Louis finished a distant 3rd, the Browns were putting together a team that was primed to make noise in the near future. Leading the way at the plate were George Sisler (38 2B, 16 3B, 104 RBI, 35 SB, .371), William “Baby Doll” Jacobson (34 2B, 14 3B, .352), Ken Williams (31 2B, 24 HR, 117 RBI, 20 SB, .347) and Jack Tobin (31 2B, 18 3B, .352). Sisler (216), Jacobson (211), and Tobin (236) all collected more than 200 hits. Urban Shocker starred on the mound (47 G, 39 GS, 31 CG, 327 IP, 27-12, 3.55).
Buried deep in the standings was the stellar outfield of the Detroit Tigers, featuring batting champion Harry Heilmann (43 2B, 14 3B, 19 HR, 139 RBI, .394), Bobby Veach (43 2B, 13 3B, 16 HR, 128 RBI, 14 SB, .338), and “The Georgia Peach” Ty Cobb (37 2B, 16 3B, 101 RBI, 22 SB, .389). As a team, the Tigers batted .316. Relegated to second-tier teams, Walter “Big Train” Johnson of the Washington Senators (35 G, 32 GS, 25 CG, 264 IP, 143 K, 17-14, 3.51), “Sad Sam” Jones of the Boston Red Sox (40 G, 38 GS, 25 CG, 299 IP, 23-16, 3.22) and earned run leader Urban “Red” Faber of the Chicago White Sox (43 G, 39 GS, 32 CG, 331 IP, 25-15, 2.48) supplied pitching heroics.
As a whole, the American League batted .292 with Red Faber’s 2.48 the only earned run average below 3.00 and Walter Johnson’s 143 K leading all of Major League Baseball. Whereas the livelier ball was a boon to hitters in the Junior Circuit, pitchers sang a different song. Perhaps their own version of the blues. It should be noted, however, that both Urban Shocker and Red Faber were among the 17 legal spit-ball pitchers that Major League Ball allowed to practice their craft in 1921. Perhaps most amazing of all, All Sothoron (29 G, 22 GS, 11 CG, 178.1 IP, 13-8, 3.89), pitching for the St. Louis Browns and the Boston Red Sox, did not yield a home run for the entire season.
Over in the National League, the New York Giants topped the Senior Circuit for the 7th time in John McGraw’s 19-year tenure at the helm. Whereas the Yankees captured the American League pennant by smashing 134 home runs, the Giants stole the National League pennant by swiping 137 bases.
Pre-eminent among the thieves, Frankie “The Fordham Flash” Frisch stole 49 bases to lead both Major Leagues. In addition, Frisch socked 31 doubles, 17 triples, and collected 100 RBI, en route to a .341 batting average. George “High Pockets” Kelly (42 2B, 23 HR, 123 RBI, .308) and Ross Youngs (24 2B, 16 3B, 102 RBI, 21 SB, .327) supplied additional firepower for the Giants. Art Nehf (41 G, 34 GS, 18 CG, 261 IP, 20-10, 3.62) led the pitching staff.
Just as the Yankees had difficulty shaking the Indians in the American League, the Giants dueled the dogged Pittsburgh Pirates, overtaking the slumping Steel City crew in September to claim the National League crown by 4 games. Relying on extra-base power, the Pirates legged-out 104 triples, with Charlie “Jolly Cholly” Grimm (21 2B, 17 3B) and Carson Bigbee (23 2B, 17 3B, 21 SB, .323) leading the way. In addition, the Pirates, true to their name, stole 134 bases, second only to the 137 recorded by the Giants. Perennial stolen base threat Max Carey (34 2B, 37 SB, .309) and Walter “Rabbit” Maranville (25 2B, 12 3B, 25 SB, .294) were the ring-leaders for Pittsburgh. On the mound, Wilbur Cooper (38 G, 38 GS, 29 CG, 327 IP, 22-14, 3.25) gave the Pirates a reliable ace.
The big story for the St. Louis Cardinals was Rogers Hornsby, making an emphatic case that he was baseball’s best right-handed hitter. Playing primarily second base, Hornsby hit 22 doubles, 18 triples, and 21 home runs, while driving in 126 runs, stealing 13 bases, and batting .397. Further, “The Rajah” led the National League in runs (131), hits (235), total bases (378), OBP (.458), and slugging (.639). Despite this excellence, Hornsby was not a one-man wrecking crew, as Jack Fournier (27 2B, 16 HR, >20 SB, .343) and Austin McHenry (37 2B, 17 HR, 102 RBI, .350) also inflicted damage on pitching staffs. One of the legal spit-ballers in 1921, “Spittin’ Bill” Doak (32 G, 29 GS, 13 CG, 209 IP, 18-12, 2.58) won the National League ERA title for the Cardinals, while issuing only 37 bases on balls.
Around the National League, another of legal spit-ballers, Burleigh Grimes of the Brooklyn Dodgers (37 G, 35 GS, 30 CG, 302 IP, 2.84), tied Pittsburgh’s Wilbur Cooper for wins at 22-13 and struck out a league-leading 136 batters. Joe Oeschger enjoyed a championship season for the mediocre Boston Braves (46 G, 36 GS, 19 CG, 299 IP, 20-14, 3.52), and Eppa Rixey of the Cincinnati Reds (40 G, 36 GS, 21 CG, 301 IP, 19-18, 2.78) yielded only one home, while the Red’s staff registered a record-low 308 strikeouts.
The 1921 season witnessed a best of nine World Series between Miller Higgins’ New York Yankees and John McGraw’s New York Giants. The “Subway Series” began with back-to-back shutouts by Carl Mays and Waite Hoyt, giving the Yankees a 2-0 advantage. Nevertheless, the Yanks dropped two of the next three games, Ruth went to the bench with an injury, and McGraw’s boys won the next three contests to capture the World Series. Although Ruth managed only one home run for the Series, he was the only Yankee to hit .300. In contrast, five Giants reached that mark.
In 1921, Major League Baseball overcame any lingering effects from the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, as Babe Ruth became the biggest drawing card in sports history. Meanwhile, the White Sox sank to seventh place in the American League with a dismal 62-92 record. Years before the ivy and left field bleachers, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley bought the Chicago Cubs. Our National Pastime was moving beyond its origins and entering an era of long balls, celebrities, and change. Ball players could even wear glasses, as evidence by rookie infielder George “Specs” Torporcer’s taking the field for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Diamond Mind Baseball recreates this memorable season in our nation’s sports annals. Dead ball stars like Ty Cobb were still schooling opponents on our nation’s diamonds; however, lively ball stars like Babe Ruth were pushing their way to the head of the class. Fans flocked to sporting contests as never before, and the brand of baseball they witnessed helped to set the stage for our modern game.
We are still living in The House That Ruth Built.
The 1921 Classic Past Season database contains everything you need to play games using teams and players from the 1921 season -- a full set of ratings and statistics for every player who appeared in the big leagues that year, plus team rosters, manager profiles, ballpark ratings and league schedules. Statistics include official batting, pitching and fielding totals for all batters and pitchers.
Also included is a complete set of real-life player transactions -- trades, disabled list moves, promotions, demotions, suspensions, and more -- plus the actual starting lineups for every regular season game played.
View the full list of recent new and upgraded DMB seasons
Note: This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
- Tags: Classic Past Season cps1921
1922 Classic Past Season with transaction and lineups available now!
1922: The Browns Fall Short and the Giants Rampage
by Steve Ehresman
In 1922, the St. Louis Browns featured the American League stolen base leader and batting champion George Sisler (134 R, 246 H, 42 2B, 18 3B, 105 RBI, 51 SB, .420) and the American League home run and RBI leader Ken Williams (128 R, 194 H, 34 2B, 39 HR 155 RBI, 37 SB, .332). In addition to superstars Sisler and Williams, St. Louis fielded two more 100-RBI men: Marty McManus (189 H, 34 2B, 109 RBI, .312) and Baby Doll Jacobson (22 2B, 16 3B, 102 RBI, .317).
With this ferocious lineup, the Browns ran away from Ty Cobb (99 R, 211 H, 42 2B, 16 3B, 99 RBI, .401) and the Detroit Tigers, as well as Tris Speaker (48 2B, .378) and the Cleveland Indians. On their way to a 93-61 (.604) record, the Browns paced the American League in triples (94), stolen bases (135), and batting average (.313). Featuring a superb pitching staff, anchored by the American League strikeout king Urban Shocker (48 G, 38 GS, 29 CG, 348 IP, 24-17, 149 K, 2.97) and steady Elam Vangilder (43 G, 30 GS, 19 CG, 245 IP, 19-13, 3.42), St. Louis, not coincidentally, led the Junior Circuit in strikeouts (534 K) and earned run average (3.38).
In short, the Browns did everything. Everything except win the pennant.
While their palatial stadium was being built--- set to open in 1923 with John Philip Sousa conducting “The Star-Spangled Banner” and New York Governor Al Smith throwing out the first pitch--- the defending American League Champion New York Yankees duked it out all summer with the Browns. Because Bob Meusel (16 HR, 84 RBI, 13 SB, .319) and Babe Ruth (35 HR, 99 RBI, .315) were suspended by Commissioner Landis until May 20, the Yankees did not wrest first place from the Browns until mid-August. Once in control, New York never relinquished their lead and edged the best team in the history of the St. Louis American League franchise by a single game: 94-60 (.610) to 93-61 (.604).
Like the Browns, the Yankees relied on good pitching. With Bullet Joe Bush (39 G, 30 GS, 20 CG, 255 IP, 26-7, 3.32), Bob Shawkey (39 G, 33 GS, 19 CG, 300 IP, 20-12, 2.91), and Waite Hoyt (37 G, 31 GS, 17 CG, 265 IP, 19-12, .343) steadying the staff, New York led the American League in complete games (98) and finished second in earned run average (3.39), providing just enough mound presence to push their team over the top for another pennant.
In the National League, the New York Giants, the Yankees’ inhospitable landlord at the Polo Grounds, cruised to victory over the Cincinnati Reds by a 7-game margin. The defending World Series champions featured a formidable offense, led by George Kelly (96 R, 194 H, 33 2B, 17 HR, 107 RBI, .328), Frankie Frisch (101 R, 13 3B, 31 SB, .327), Ross Youngs (105 R, 185 H, 34 2B, 86 RBI, 17 SB, .331), and Irish Meusel (100 R, 204 H, 28 2B, 17 3B, 16 HR, 132 RBI, 12 SB, .331). Oh yeah . . . a mid-season replacement in centerfield, Casey Stengel (250 AB, 10 3B, 48 RBI, .366), also made an impact on the Giants’ pennant run.
Beyond the Giants’ stellar performances, offensive in the National League was dominated by one man, Rogers Hornsby. Although his St. Louis Cardinals finished the season tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8 games behind the Giants, Hornsby topped all Senior Circuit hitters in batting average (.401), home runs (42), and RBI (152) to win the National League’s first Triple Crown. Further, the Texas native led the league in runs (141), hits (250), doubles (46,) and triples (14). Hornby’s 1922 season is one of the greatest offensive performances of all-time.
The 1922 season featured not only great hitting, but also great pitching. Bucking the trend toward more explosive offenses, Eddie Rommel enjoyed a season for the ages (51 G, 33 GS, 22 CG, 294 IP, 27-13, 3.28), all for a Philadelphia Athletics team that won only 65 games. In the Queen City, Eppa Rixey (40 G, 38 GS, 26 CG, 313 IP, 25-13, 3.54), Pete Donohue (33 G, 30 GS, 18 CG, 242 IP, 18-9, 3.12), and Johnny Couch (43 G, 33 GS, 18 CG, 264 IP, 16-9. 3.89) did their best to keep the Reds in the National League pennant race. American League earned run average leader Red Faber of the Chicago White Sox (43 G, 38 GS, 31 CG, 353 IP, 21-17, 2.80) and National League earned run average leader Phil Douglas of the New York Giants (2.62) were star performers, although Douglas’s season was limited to 24 games, 21 starts, and 9 complete games in 156 innings because of a mid-season letter in which he suggested that he would gladly accept bribes to throw games.
Wilbur Cooper (41 G, 36 GS, 27 CG, 295 IP, 23-14, 3.18) of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Dutch Ruether (35 G, 35 GS, 26 CG, 267 IP, 21-12, 3.54) of the Brooklyn Dodgers; Herman Pillette of the Detroit Tigers (40 G, 37 GS, 18 CG, 275 IP, 2.84); and George Uhle (50 G, 40 GS, 23 CG, 287 IP, 22-16, 4.08)) and Stan Coveleski (35 G, 33 GS, 21 CG, 277 IP, 17-14, 3.31) of the Cleveland Indians also enjoyed good seasons on the mound.
After the Phil Douglas debacle, Art Nehf (37 G, 35 GS, 20 CG, 268 IP, 19-13, 3.29), Rosey Ryan (46 G, 22 GS, 12 CG, 192 IP, 17-12, 3.00), and Jesse Barnes (37 G, 29 CG, 14 CG, 213 IP, 13-8, 3.51) assumed leadership of the New York Giants pitching staff, carried their teammates to the pennant, and won the earned run average crown in the National League with a 3.45 mark.
American Leaguers who put up outstanding numbers in 1922 were Wally Pipp (96 R, 190 H, 32 2B, 90 RBI, .329) and Wally Schang (12 SB, .319) of the New York Yankees; Jack Tobin (122 R, 207 H, 34 2B, .331) and Harry Severeid (32 2B, .321) of the St. Louis Browns; Lu Blue (131 R, .300), Harry Heilmann (21 HR, 92 RBI, .356) and Bobby Veach (96 R, 202 H, 34 2B, 13 3B, 126 RBI, .327) of the Detroit Tigers; Bill Wambsganss (89 R, 17 SB) and Charlie Jamieson (183 H, 15 SB, .323) of the Cleveland Indians; Eddie Collins (92 R, 194 H, 20 SB, .324) and Harry Hooper (111 R, 183 H, 35 2B, 80 RBI, 16 SB, .304) of the Chicago White Sox; Joe Judge (32 2B, 15 3B, .294) and Sam Rice (37 2B, 13 3B, 20 SB, .295) of the Washington Senators; Bing Miller (21 HR, 90 RBI, .336) and Tilly Walker (111 R, 31 2B, 37 HR, 99 RBI) of the Philadelphia Athletics; and Tioga George Burns (32 2B, .306), Del Pratt (183 H, 44 2B, .301), and Joe Harris (30 2B, .316) of the Bambino-cursed Boston Red Sox.
National Leaguers who made important contributions to their teams in 1922 were Dave Bancroft (117 R, 209 H, 16 SB, .321) and Frank Snyder (.343) of the New York Giants; Jake Daubert (114 R, 205 H, 22 3B, .338), George Harper (.340), George Burns (104 R, 180 H, 30 SB, .285), and Pat Duncan (94 R, 199 H, 44 2B, 94 RBI, .328) of the Cincinnati Reds; Cotton Tierney (14 3B, 86 RBI, .345), Rabbit Maranville (115 R, 198 H, 15 3B, 24 SB), Max Carey (140 R, 207 H, 28 2B, 12 3B, 70 RBI, 51 SB, .329), and Carson Bigbee (113 R, 215 H, 29 2B, 15 3B, 99 RBI, 24 SB, .350) of the Pittsburgh Pirates; Jack Smith (117 R, 12 3B, 18 SB, .318) and Milt Stock (33 2B, .305) of the St. Louis Cardinals; Ray Grimes (99 R, 180 H, 45 2B, 12 3B, 99 RBI, .354), Charlie Hollocher (90 R, 201 H, 37 2B, 19 SB, .340) and Hack Miller (.352) of the Chicago Cubs; Jimmy Johnston (110 R, 181 H, 18 SB, .319), Hy Myers (196 H, 89 RBI, .317), and Zack Wheat (92 R, 201 H, 29 2B, 12 3B, 16 HR, 112 RBI, .335) of the Brooklyn Dodgers; Curt Walker (102 R, 196 H, 36 2B, 89 RBI, .337), Cy Williams ( 98 R, 180 H, 30 2B, 26 HR, 92 RBI, .308) and Cliff Lee (29 2B, 27 HR, .322) of the Philadelphia Phillies; and Tony Boeckel (14 SB, .289,) and Ray Powell (82 R, .296) of the woebegone Boston Braves.
In the World Series, the New York Giants trounced the New York Yankees to capture their second consecutive championship. Babe Ruth hit like an apple-knocker (.118). while Heine Groh (.474) and Frankie Frisch (.471) ab-so-lute-ly slashed Yankee pitching en route to a 4-0 Giant triumph, as baseball returned to its traditional best-of-seven format in the Fall Classic.
In 1922, James Joyce’s modernist novel Ulysses was published in Paris; Sinclair Lewis’s satirical novel Babbit was a best seller in America; Albert Einstein explained The Meaning of Relativity to the world; the vampire Nosferatu haunted movie audiences; Rudolph Valentino captured the hearts of female fans in The Young Rajah; Warren G. Harding became the first president to have his voice transmitted by radio; and the Roaring Twenties hit full stride. Having emerged from the Great War as a superpower, America enjoyed a prosperous, even extravagant, life-style without an inkling of what lay ahead. The time was right for listening to jazz, dancing with flappers, visiting a speak easy, and cheering mammoth home runs.
For the moment, these pleasures were enough. For the moment, they were the cat’s meow.
In ball parks across America, baseball fans witnessed 1.055 baseballs sail over the outfield walls, primarily because the lively ball had been introduced and the spitball had been banned. The fame and fortune to be won by hitting home runs influenced more hitters to aim for the fences, as baseball evolved from Cobb’s game of hustle to Ruth’s game of raw power. In that spirit, Diamond Mind Baseball presents the 1922 Major League Baseball season, a year of robust performances by star players whose names are writ large in the annals of their sport and in the history of a rollicking decade.
The 1922 Classic Past Season database contains everything you need to play games using teams and players from the 1922 season -- a full set of ratings and statistics for every player who appeared in the big leagues that year, plus team rosters, manager profiles, ballpark ratings and league schedules. Statistics include official batting, pitching and fielding totals for all batters and pitchers.
Also included is a complete set of real-life player transactions -- trades, disabled list moves, promotions, demotions, suspensions, and more -- plus the actual starting lineups for every regular season game played.
View the full list of recent new and upgraded DMB seasons
Note: This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
- Tags: Classic Past Season cps1922
1961 Deluxe Past Season with transaction and lineups available now!
1961: Baseball and the New Frontier
by Steve Ehresman
In 1961, America shook off the 1950s and embraced the future with great vigor. On January 20, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was inaugurated as President of the United States. In the freezing cold, Kennedy, hatless and youthful, addressed the nation and the world, proclaiming that “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” In the coming months, Kennedy steered our nation into the future, promising to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. In May 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space-- NASA’s baby steps that would ultimately lead to Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” on July 20, 1969.
Even in the traditional world of Major League Baseball, change was in the air. In 1961, the American League expanded from eight to ten teams, adding a franchise in California and creating a new team in Washington, D. C., while relocating the original Senators to Minnesota. As a result, the Junior Circuit adopted a 162-game schedule, replacing the traditional 154-game schedule.
As fans know, no sport is more connected to its history than Major League Baseball. Each generation of players is measured against its predecessors, some of whom had become legends, whose records were regarded as inviolate.
No legend was bigger than Babe Ruth.
No record was more sacrosanct than the Babe’s 60 homers in 1927.
Until 1961 . . .
Not only was the Babe’s record challenged, but it was challenged in the Babe’s own house, Yankee Stadium, by two New York Yankee sluggers. Mickey Mantle (54 HR, 128 RBI, 126 BB, .317) and MVP Roger Maris (61 HR, 142 RBI) not only tore the cover off the ball, they tore the cover off history, chasing the Babe all summer, until Maris caught him on the final day of the regular season, sending a Tracy Stallard fastball over the right field wall of Yankee Stadium and putting home run 61 into the record books. Despite Ford Frick’s protestations that Maris needed to break the Babe’s record in 154 games, rather than in 162 games, 61 home runs remains in the books as an example of athletic grace under pressure.
Through the summer, Mantle and Maris’s home run duel established the 1961 Yankees as one of the greatest teams of all-time. Led not only by the M&M Boys, but also by hard-hitting catcher Elston Howard (21 HR, .348), slugging first sacker Moose Skowron (28 HRI), and left fielder Yogi Berra (22 HR), the Pinstripes compiled an impressive 109-53 record, while scoring 827 runs and slamming 240 homers. Oh yeah . . . the Yanks also featured the Cy Young Award winner, Whitey Ford (39 GS, 11 CG, 283 IP, 25-4, 209 K, 3.21). Supporting Ford were Ralph Terry (31 G, 27 GS, 9 CG, 188 IP, 16-3, 3.16) and closer Luis Arroyo (65 G, 119 IP, 15-5, 29 SV, 2.19).
Amid all the hubbub in Gotham, did anyone notice that the second-place Detroit Tigers were really good? Although they fell short to the juggernaut Yanks, the Bengals finished with a 101-61 record and clobbered 180 home runs. Any other year, those numbers might have been overwhelming. With sluggers Rocky Colavito (45 HR, 140 RBI, 113 BB), Norm Cash (41 HR, 132 RBI, 124 BB, .361), and Al Kaline (19, 82 RBI, .324) leading the attack, the Tigers plated 841 runs, outscoring the indomitable Bronx Bombers. On the mound, Frank Lary (36 GS, 22 CG, 275.1 IP, 23-9, 3.24) was a good match for the Yankees’ Whitey Ford. Jim Bunning (38 G, 37 GS, 12 CG, 268 IP, 17-11, 3.19) and Don Mossi (35 G, 34 GS, 12 CG, 240 IP, 15-7, 2.96) rounded out an excellent pitching staff. Without a doubt, the 1961 Detroit Tigers were one of the greatest second-place teams in baseball history.
The entire American League bristled with impressive offensive performances, as Jim Gentile of Baltimore (46 HR, 141 RBI, .302), Harmon Killebrew (46 HR, 122 RBI) and Bob Allison (29 HR, 105 RBI) of Minnesota, Al Smith (28 HRI) and Roy Sievers (27 HRI) of Chicago, Leon Wagner (28 HR) and Ken Hunt (25 HR) of Los Angeles, and Willie Kirkland (27 HRI) and Woodie Held (23 HR) of Cleveland were among the heavy hitters who supplied enough fire-power for the American League launch 1,534 balls into outer space in the summer of 1961.
On the mound, Dick Donovan of the expansion Washington Senators led the American League in earned run average (2.40), and Camilo Pascual of the Minnesota Twins, once the original Washington Senators, paced the Junior Circuit in strikeouts (221 K).
The National League, despite playing a 154-game schedule, posted numbers as impressive as any in the Junior Circuit. The pennant-winning Cincinnati Reds, years before the Big Red Machine, featured the hitting prowess of MVP Frank Robinson (37 HR, 124 RBI ,.323), Vada Pinson (16 HR, 87 RBI, .343), and Gordy Coleman (26 HR, 87 RBI) and the strong pitching of Joey Jay (34 GS, 14 CG, 247.1 IP, 21-10, 3.53), Jim O’Toole (39 G, 35 GS, 11 CG, 252.2, 21-10), and Bob Purkey (36 G, 34 GS, 13 CG, 246 IP, 18-12, 3.73) to compile a 93-61 record.
The Los Angeles Dodgers relied on a superb four-man rotation to claim second place. Sandy Koufax, emerging as a bona fide star, paced the Dodgers staff (42 G, 35 GS, 15 CG, 255.2 IP, 18-13, 269 K, 3.52). He was ably supported by Don Drysdale (40 G, 37 GS, 10 CG, 244 IP, 13-10, 3.69), Johnny Podres (32 G, 29 GS, 6 CG, 182.2 IP, 18-5, 3.74), and Stan Williams (41 G, 35 GS, 6 CG, 235.1 IP, 15-12, 3.90). A star from the 1959 World Champions, Wally Moon led the Bums’ offense with 17 homers, 89 RBI, and a .328 batting average.
Roberto Clemente of the defending World Series Champion Pittsburg Pirates batted .351, while socking 23 homers and driving in 89 runs. He was ably supported by slugging first baseman Dick “Doctor Strangeglove” Stuart (35 HR, 117 RBI, .301). Perennial stars Orlando Cepeda (46 HR, 142 RBI, .311) and Willie Mays (40 HR, 123 RBI, .308) of the San Francisco Giants, and Hank Aaron (34 HR, 120 RBI, .327), Eddie Mathews (32 HR, 91 RBI, .306) and Joe Adcock (35 HR, 108 RBI) of the Milwaukee Braves did their part to help the Senior Circuit crush 1196 home runs.
Few pitchers in the Senior circuit rivaled the excellence of earned run average leader Warren Spahn in 1961 (38 G, 34 GS, 21 CG, 262.2 IP, 21-13, 3.01), as he celebrated his fortieth birthday on April 23 of the 1961 season.
Establishing their bona fides in the major leagues, two fly-chasers, Carl Yastrzemski (31 2B, 11 HR, 80 RBI) of the Boston Red Sox and National League Rookie of the Year Billy Williams (25 HR, 86 RBI) of the Chicago Cubs held out the promise of future greatness for their fans.
The 1961 season launched the beginning of a decade many consider a Golden Age. Although tradition was respected, even celebrated, innovation was embraced. The National League would catch up to the American League, expanding in 1962 to add the New York Metropolitans and the Houston Colt 45’s. Before the end of the decade, both franchises would make history—one with a World Series championship, the other with the opening of a multi-purpose domed stadium. In the final season of the 1960s, baseball would expand again, adding four new teams and instituting divisional play. The 1961 season marked the beginning of a decade in which baseball reached for the moon, enduring through turbulence and tragedy and creating the game we know today.
As the years pass and the summer of 1961 recedes into memory and—finally-- into the pages of history, take a moment to celebrate those long-ago heroes and to remember an America that looked toward a New Frontier with youthful confidence and innocence that was all too quickly lost.
The 1961 Deluxe Past Season database contains everything you need to play games using teams and players from the 1961 season -- a full set of ratings and statistics for every player who appeared in the big leagues that year, plus team rosters, manager profiles, ballpark ratings and league schedules. Statistics include official batting, pitching and fielding totals with left/right splits for all batters and pitchers.
Also included is a complete set of real-life player transactions -- trades, disabled list moves, promotions, demotions, suspensions, and more -- plus the actual starting lineups for every regular season game played.
If you are a registered owner of the 1961 Classic Past Season, you are eligible for upgrade pricing for this item. Send an email to dmb_info@imaginesports.com to request your discount promotion code.
Note: This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
2019 Projection Season - ZiPS Available Now!
The 2019 Projection Season database includes opening day team rosters, the 2019 schedule, projected statistics and ratings for over 2500 players generated using Dan Szymborski's ZiPS projection system (including hundreds of top minor-league prospects), and manager profiles set up with rotations, lineups, and depth charts representing our assessment of how the players were projected to be used in the coming season.
If you purchase the 2019 Projection Season database, you will also receive Diamond Mind's Postseason Teams database free of charge in early October 2019.
The 2019 Projection Season database is available for order from the Diamond Mind online store now. The price is $24.95 for the Opening Day release available in April and will include the Postseason Teams database when it becomes available in early October.
Note: This season database is a companion product for the Diamond Mind Baseball version 11 game. To use this database, you must also have Diamond Mind Baseball version 11. The game software provides you with all of the tools you need to play simulated games, make roster moves, produce dozens of statistical reports, generate league schedules, and more.
