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This week we are going to take a lighthearted look at some of the most memorable seasons in baseball history and how they rank on the FPS meter. Make sure your flux capacitor is fluxing because we're taking the DeLorean for a ride to dig up some stats from the players of yesteryear.
How valuable would DiMaggio be to your fantasy team this year if you could take his stats from 1941, the year he hit in 56 straight games? How about Hack Wilson's 191 RBI total in 1930 or the year the Splendid Splinter socked his way to a .406 average? Would a season of Ruthian proportions be enough to top Big Mac's year of 70 home runs in the world of fantasy baseball? Perhaps Sammy Sosa wants everyone to remember the real MVP in '98, and don't forget about Roger Maris and the magical season of 1961.
We will run the FPS test on all of their classic seasons to see which one would have made the best fantasy player. Keep in mind, these are raw stats compared across several generations. If fantasy baseball existed throughout all of the 20th century, there is no doubt that just about any of Babe Ruth's seasons would be the most valuable to a fantasy owner because of the dominance he had over the other players. In 1927, Ruth hit 60 home runs. The third best HR total in the major leagues that year was 30 and the sixth best total was only 20! Obviously, Ruth would have been the most valuable because if you don't have Ruth, then you don't have power.
This is an exercise in fun, however, so we are interested in just the numbers. Who has the best FPS and would be the best player to put on your team today? Well, let's take a look. The results are a bit surprising.
Apparently the baseball writers knew what they were talking about when they voted Slammin' Sammy the MVP in 1998. He really did it all that year. The 18 stolen bases puts him over the top in this battle of immense talents. You will be hard pressed to find a better yearly FPS than the 1055 that Sosa posted. Power, average, and speed - Sosa did all three with huge success in '98, making many fantasy owners a few dollars richer.
Babe Ruth takes second fiddle to Sosa with a 976 FPS. That's truly an amazing feat in a day when baseballs weren't flying out of stadiums like Titleists. And who knew the Babe stole 7 bases in '27?! Hack Wilson's numbers certainly rival Ruth's, but the Sultan of Swat has just enough of an edge in all categories except RBIs to beat out Hack. McGwire's batting average of "only" .299 is the major reason he is not ahead of the old timers.
Besides the record number of home runs and a ton of RBIs, Roger Maris didn't do much else in 1961. His average was just that - average - and with a guy named Mickey Mantle batting behind him, Maris had no reason to ever swipe a base. You would think hitting over .400 would mean something, but in fantasy baseball, making up an extra 20+ home runs on your competitors is not an easy task. This lack of power puts Teddy Baseball behind the big boppers, leaving Joltin' Joe last in the battle of famous seasons. A hit a day is special, but it doesn't mean much to fantasy owners.
Hope you enjoyed this week's look at seasons past. If you have any other seasons you'd like me to run FPS totals for, let me know. Until then, may all your bunts die just inside the chalk line.
- The Commish
