Small ball MVPS: 1959 Fox, 1960 Groat, 1962 Wills who was best

[9RoyHobbsRF]

Which of these MVPs had the best year?

1) 1959 Nellie Fox, Chicago White Sox

2) 1960 Dick Groat, Pittsburgh Pirates

3) 1962 Maury Wills, Los Anglese Dodgers

[1905 Giants]

I went with Wills because he did set the record, and wasn't a terrible hitter either.

He was also 2nd in hits, runs scored, and SB%, 3rd in assists, and won a gold glove

[Yankillaz]

They were three weak MVP winners. Fox get's out because his influence was that equal to his partner Luis Aparicio. Groat was not more influential than Maz and Clemente. And Wills didn't have a better season than Tommy Davis, but, he did set a record.

[Herr28]

Just wondering if any of our esteemed historians have an opinion here? I was actually searching for a thread on Bump Wills when I found this.

[baseball junkie]

That Groat MVP has to be one of the worst in history. I guess voters didn't feel like giving Ernie Banks three in a row? Aaron, Mays and F. Robinson all had spectacular seasons also.

Anyway, I went with Wills, 104 SB at age 29! That's certainly impressive. Rickey had his last 100 plus steal season aged 24, during Coleman's last he was 25. Of course Brock swiped 118 at 35 years old, which is simply insane.

[pheasant]

I'll take 1977 Rod Carew over both of these chumps :-)

You beat me to this. Carew crushed his opponents in 1977. His .388 avg was 52 points higher than runner-up Bostock's .336(another Twin; nice). Carew's 9.7 WAR was 2.1 higher than runner-up Brett's 7.6(positional players in AL). He also led the AL in OPS+ despite not drawing many walks. That's quite impressive.

As a matter of fact, Carew's 239 hits is the 2nd most hits ever for a player to win an OPS+title. Cobb managed 248 hits in 1911 when he led the league with a 196 OPS+.

[GiambiJuice]

You beat me to this. Carew crushed his opponents in 1977. His .388 avg was 52 points higher than runner-up Bostock's .336(another Twin; nice). Carew's 9.7 WAR was 2.1 higher than runner-up Brett's 7.6(positional players in AL). He also led the AL in OPS+ despite not drawing many walks. That's quite impressive.

As a matter of fact, Carew's 239 hits is the 2nd most hits ever for a player to win an OPS+title. Cobb managed 248 hits in 1911 when he led the league with a 196 OPS+.

You must be forgetting Rogers Hornsby's 250 hits in 1922.

[pheasant]

Here's what I came up with:

Led league in both OPS+ and hits in NL since 1901:

Player year hits OPS+
Derrek Lee 2005 199 174
Hank Aaron 1959 223 182
Stan Musial 1952 194 167
Stan Musial 1948 230 200
Stan Musial 1946 228 183
Tommy Holmes 1945 224 175
Stan Musial 1944 197 174
Joe Medwick 1937 237 182
Chuck Klein 1933 223 176
Rogers Hornsby 1924 227 222
Rogers Hornsby 1922 250 207
Rogers Hornsby 1921 235 191
Rogers Hornsby 1920 218 185
Hal Chase 1916 184 155
Gavvy Cravath 1913 179 172
Heinie Zimmerman 1912 207 169
Honus Wagner 1908 201 205
Cy Seymour 1905 219 182
Jesse Burkett 1901 226 181

[pheasant]

Work is very slow today.

Here's another list I came up with:

Led league in both OPS+ and hits in AL since 1901:



Player year hits OPS+
Don Mattingly 1986 238 161
Robin Yount 1982 210 166
Jim Rice 1978 213 157
Rod Carew 1977 239 178
Carl Yazstremski 1967 189 193
Snuffy Stirnweiss 1945 195 145
Ty Cobb 1917 225 209
Tris Speaker 1916 211 186
Ty Cobb 1915 208 185
Ty Cobb 1912 226 200
Ty Cobb 1911 248 196
Ty Cobb 1909 216 193
Ty Cobb 1908 188 169
Ty Cobb 1907 212 167
Nap Lajoie 1904 208 203

[JR Hart]

I went with Wills because he did set the record, and wasn't a terrible hitter either.

He was also 2nd in hits, runs scored, and SB%, 3rd in assists, and won a gold glove

Wills is the obvious choice. He had a legit case for the MVP. Just a dynamic player that year

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Wills is the obvious choice. He had a legit case for the MVP. Just a dynamic player that year

Wills was so awesome in '62 that the Giants watered the base paths at Candlestick park and turned it into a swamp!

[pheasant]

I don't see how Fox or Groat have a case over Wills. Wills has the positional advantage over Fox. Granted, Groat hit .325 to Wills' .299. But I'll take Wills 104 SB against only 13 CS. Wills was very disruptive that year. He would have been a blast to watch!

[GiambiJuice]

Wills is the obvious choice. He had a legit case for the MVP. Just a dynamic player that year

Wow coming from a Giants fan, your comment surprised me. I admire your objectivity.

But IMO, Willie Mays was WAAAYYY more valuable than Wills that year. I would have taken Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron over him too.

[JR Hart]

Wow coming from a Giants fan, your comment surprised me. I admire your objectivity.

But IMO, Willie Mays was WAAAYYY more valuable than Wills that year. I would have taken Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron over him too.

Thanks I'm not saying that Wills deserved it hand down. The others have great case. I just don't think that Wills is the bust of a choice that some do.

[1905 Giants]

Thanks I'm not saying that Wills deserved it hand down. The others have great case. I just don't think that Wills is the bust of a choice that some do.

I understand where you're coming from.

That reminds me of the Mays vs. Mantle debate in Allen Barra's "Clearing the Bases". He made the claim that the Dodgers would have won more games with Mays in the outfield and replacing Wills with someone on the bench.