There is much debate currently about the National League MVP race and there will certainly be even more as the season winds down. Some have pointed out that Barry Bonds' sparkling personality might prevent him from winning his record fourth MVP award.
That would be wrong and unfair, but there is ample precedent for voters to stiff those players that don't interview well. It happened to Albert Belle as recently as 1995. The most famous case, of course, is Ted Williams, who won a pair of Triple Crowns and didn't win the MVP either year. Sad but true.
Still, in all of baseball history, no man was trampled more by MVP voters than the greatest player ever, Babe Ruth.
MVP voting, in its current form, has only been around since 1931. There were MVP awards given in several years prior to that one, though they were decided by different means. From 1922 though 1929, MVP awards were given, though only in the American League in 1922 and 1923, and only in the National League in 1929. Before 1922, the only years when a post-season MVP award was given were 1911 through 1914, with one awarded in each league.
Overall, during the length of his career, Babe Ruth played in 13 seasons in which an MVP was announced. One of those, 1914, really doesn't count since he only played in five total games, four as a pitcher. We should also discount 1935, his final season, since he appeared in just 28 games. That leaves 11 full seasons in which Ruth could have received an MVP award, including the vast majority of his prime years as a hitter. (Since Ruth's years as a pitcher coincide with the period when the award wasn't given, his hurling talents are a moot point here.)
In those eleven years, Ruth won the award exactly once, in 1923. It would have been extremely difficult to find anyone else to give it to that year. Ruth led the league by wide margins in homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs, walks and total bases, took the RBI crown by one, and finished second in batting average (.393), third in doubles (45) and tied for fifth in triples (13). His OPS of 1.309 is the highest single-season mark ever during the MVP era and his 170 bases on balls are the highest mark of all time. For good measure, the Yankees won the World Series.
In his remaining ten seasons of MVP eligibility, Ruth had the following averages:
PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB BA OBP SLG OPS
593 120 25 5 41 123 118 .337 .472 .675 1.147
These averages includes Ruth's dismal 1925 season, in which he played just 98 games, and his final full season of 1934, when he was clearly past his prime. If we exclude them, his averages would be as follows:
PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB BA OBP SLG OPS
629 133 27 6 45 134 127 .346 .482 .700 1.182
Now let's look at the same averages for those men who actually won the American League MVP award in those eight seasons. In two cases, 1924 and 1931, a pitcher won the award, so I substituted the second-place finisher.
PA R 2B 3B HR RBI BB BA OBP SLG OPS
673 127 39 11 28 132 85 .358 .444 .615 1.059
Obviously, the averages can be a bit deceiving when we're talking about a year-to-year award. For instance, Jimmie Foxx's 1932 and 1933 campaigns were remarkable, and he clearly bettered Ruth in all major categories of consideration. At the same time, Ruth posted significantly better numbers than the eventual winners (or 2nd place finishers) in 1924 (Eddie Collins), 1926 (George Burns), and 1928 (Mickey Cochrane). In the other years in question, 1922, 1927 and 1931, there was no significant difference between Ruth's numbers and those of the winners.
Quite clearly, a convincing argument can be made that Babe Ruth was worthy of at least 4 MVP awards – which would steal Barry's thunder – and possibly three others. (Again, we're ignoring the years when no award was given. If the award had been around from 1918 through 1921, Ruth would have been the front-runner at least two and probably three of those years.)
So, how close did Ruth come to winning in any of those other years? You'd assume that he garnered multiple second or third place finishes. You'd guess that he was in the top-ten in the voting seven or eight times. You'd be wrong on both counts.
Babe Ruth finished 5th in the MVP voting of 1931 and 6th the next season. Other than those years and his 1923 win, Babe Ruth never finished in the top ten.
Not only that, but with the exception of those three seasons, Babe Ruth never received a single MVP vote. Not even a measly tenth-place vote. Not in 1927 when he became the first man to hit 60 home runs. Not in 1924 when he came within eight RBI of a Triple Crown, nor 1926 when he came with six batting average points of another one. Not one vote. None. Zero.
Yes, he was a buffoon and a clown and an overall social degenerate, and perhaps to some those are ample reasons to give the award to someone else. But we're talking about several years when everyone decided he wasn't worthy.
No matter where Mr. Bonds finishes this season, I'm certain he will receive a great deal of support. It's inconceivable that he would finish out of the top three. Yet that's exactly what happened to baseball's first icon every year of his career but one.
If Bonds wins, somehow I get the feeling that he will be among the first to tell you that his four awards are a record.
At that point, I hope someone tells him about the Babe.
» The word "Frazee" is still a curse in Paul White's house. You can read more of Paul's work at www.lostinleftfield.com
Also by Paul White
» The Schalk-Schang Redemption: Two Men Who Prove That The Hall of Fame Veterans Committee Was a Sham
» Being Tony Muser
» More submissions
Copyright © 2001 by Paul White. Posted September 20, 2001.
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