Post by Sha-Le Unique on Jul 15, 2014 20:30:44 GMT -5
I should've done this earlier, but didn't have as much time as usual while in Minnesota for 11 days. Anyway, it's about time this happened and this will only reflect 1953-1957.
To make this interesting and a little more creative in an effort to make this look completely legit and feature no opinionated bias speculation, I decided to do a points system for this, as follows:
- Overall 5-year win-loss records will be ranked on a 2-32 point scale, which includes:
1st in Wins - 32 points
2nd in Wins - 30 points
3rd in Wins - 28 points
4th in Wins - 26 points
5th in Wins - 24 points
6th in Wins - 22 points
7th in Wins - 20 points
8th in Wins - 18 points
9th in Wins - 16 points
10th in Wins - 14 points
11th in Wins - 12 points
12th in Wins - 10 points
13th in Wins - 8 points
14th in Wins - 6 points
15th in Wins - 4 points
16th in Wins - 2 points
Some teams may have also had that one great season and did not reach similar success in other seasons. As a result, top win season ranks (in other words, ranking the # of wins in each team's best seasons) will be done on a 1-16 point season, to reflect that overall 5-year records are worth more, which makes sense.
Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 16 points
2nd Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 15 points
3rd Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 14 points
4th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 13 points
5th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 12 points
6th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 11 points
7th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 10 points
8th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 9 points
9th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 8 points
10th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 7 points
11th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 6 points
12th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 5 points
13th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 4 points
14th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 3 points
15th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 2 points
16th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 1 point
In addition, if a team has won its league's respective pennant, they will get 5 points per pennant won. As for World Series championships, each team will get 10 points per championship won.
Let's get this started!
16. Pittsburgh Pirates
Through the good and bad seasons the Pirates have had, first baseman Harry Agganis has been a consistent force for the team and should continue to do so in the future.
Overall Record: 234-536 (16/16) - 2 points
Best Season: 65-89 in 1957 (15/16) - 2 points
Total: 4 points
The Pirates started out with a lot of major league holes, but a good farm system for the future. As a result, I did a full rebuild for the first 3 seasons and while I did want to lose as much as possible then for #1 draft picks (Drysdale, Bob Allison and Mike Cuellar all say hello), I've put together a very young and very talented team for the future that is loaded with depth. But unfortunately, the Pirates have clearly been the worst team in the first 5 seasons, but the future is looking very bright, and right now, that's all that matters.
15. Chicago Cubs
Ernie Banks has been the heart and soul of the Cubs for years, but will need more support in order for the Cubs to improve.
Overall Record: 270-500 (15/16) - 4 points
Best Season: 57-97 in 1954, 1956 and 1957 (16/16) - 1 point
Total: 5 points
Like the Pirates, the Cubs started with very little major talent aside from stud shortstop Ernie Banks. Even though Matt tried to deny it in the past, the Cubs have been rebuilding since the beginning and may need another season or 2 before everyone on the North Side is good to go. Matt of course was never as aggressive with tanking as I was from 1953-1955, but besides Banks' great numbers, there hasn't been much at all to celebrate for the Cubs for a long time. The 60s though look bright for the Cubs, who should end up forming a new rivalry with the Pirates by then.
14. Baltimore Orioles
Prior to being traded to the rival Red Sox, Don Larsen was probably the biggest bright spot on a bunch of bad Orioles teams.
Overall Record: 278-492 (14/16) - 6 points
Best Season: 69-85 in 1955 (14/16) - 3 points
Total: 9 points
Is DRowe still even around? I wish I knew the answer myself.
The Orioles have been by far one of the worst AL teams since the very beginning. Pete didn't do much in his 3 seasons here, but DRowe has put together a good rebuild that now includes Juan Marichal, Gary Peters and Frank Howard, among others in his farm system. The Orioles needed a major rebuild from the beginning, and we're finally starting to see some progress from it. As stated already, the Orioles have had some bad teams and have produced very little offensively overall. The pitching has been decent, with Don Larsen and Bob Turley putting together some solid seasons before they got traded away. But now, the O's can rely on their youth to make progress and develop more. Their rebuild is far from over and they will probably need a few more seasons at least before really competing. Hopefully, DRowe will be patient enough to stick around here and wait for the future.
13. Cincinnati Reds
Led by All-Star Frank Robinson, the Reds have had one of the league's better offenses for years. Now they just need the pitching to catch up.
Overall Record: 334-436 (13/16) - 8 points
Best Season: 72-82 in 1957 (13/16) - 4 points
The Reds at times have seemed to have decent first halves of seasons, but only to fall apart after the All-Star break. When looking at the Reds historically, they've had great lineups despite the lack of team wins. The pitching there has been okay, but could certainly use upgrades in the rotation. This is a classic case of a team not reaching its full potential in part because the GM hasn't always been active. As we know, Jeff is a busy guy and works a ton to put food on the table for his family and you can't knock him for that. But if he just used his points a bit more and made a few more moves to improve his team, the Reds could certainly have what it takes to contend. The NL competition has been very good historically, but there is no reason why the Reds shouldn't have been up there with that lineup. Hopefully, Jeff will figure out a long-term plan and stick to it.
11. Kansas City Athletics
Despite playing with some bad A's teams, Gus Zernial was able to win the 1955 AL MVP.
Overall Record: 348-422 (12/16) - 10 points
Best Season: 81-73 in 1953 (10/16) - 7 points
Total: 17 points
The A's are already on their 3rd GM. The first one, Mike Fusco left because he didn't like reward camps and the second, Steve1213 never was particularly interested in that team from the beginning. Current GM Noah is currently in his 2nd season at the helm and has a lot of work to do for the future. The A's have a long rebuild ahead of them and while Noah has tried to move his best veterans, he has failed to generate interest in them. Historically thus far, the A's have been one of the worst AL teams, despite having a few very good players such as slugger Gus Zernial, who has been one of the league's most prominent power hitters for years. They had a winning record in the first season, but have struggled since. Hopefully, Noah will find a way to make the A's good again before the eventual relocation to Oakland.
11. Boston Red Sox
First baseman Dick Gernert has been one of the few consistent offensive presences in the Red Sox' lineup since the beginning.
Overall Record: 369-401 (11/16) - 12 points
Best Season: 77-77 in 1954 (12/16) - 5 points
Total: 17 points
Despite all the efforts Break has made to get the Red Sox to compete with the Yankees over the years, he has failed to put together a winning team in any season thus far. He got to .500 once but that's the best that he has done. The Red Sox though have had some good players, but for some reason, they just haven't produced well enough for him. Break though feels very confident that his young pitching, led by Don Rowe will help the Sox become more successful in the future.
9. Washington Senators
Chuck Stobbs has been one of the main forces for the Senators over time.
Overall Record: 375-395 (9/16) - 16 points
Best Season: 81-73 in 1953 (10/16) - 7 points
Total: 23 points
The Senators have pretty much been a .500 team for the most part. They had a couple really good starts and a winning season in 1953, but haven't done much else beyond that. They've had some good players over the years, but also some other overpaid players that haven't lived up to expectations. Adam also was on the losing end of a few notable trades. And then there is Harmon Killebrew, who did not look particularly impressive in his rookie season in 1957. The Senators will need him to be the team's next leader. The Senators should be retooling for the future now, but do have a few nice prospects to look forward to. It's gonna be tough for them to compete with the Yankees for the next few seasons until they relocate to Minnesota and the AL West, but at least the Red Sox and Orioles will be able to keep them company in the AL East.
9. Detroit Tigers
Al Kaline has been the heart and soul of the Tigers since his rookie season in 1953.
Overall Record: 372-398 (10/16) - 14 points
Best Season: 91-63 in 1956 (8/16) - 9 points
Total: 23 points
The Tigers started off with a few nice pieces, but a lot more holes in the major leagues. As a result, K did a rebuild in the first two seasons he was here for, and Trevor did one more rebuild season in 1955 as well. A few great trades later, the Tigers became one of the top AL teams in 1956 and have had winning seasons in the past two years, which will soon became three years in the current 1958 season. The Tigers are now loaded with talent and should stay as one of the top AL West teams for a while.
7. New York/San Francisco Giants
Center fielder Willie Mays has been one of the best hitters in league history thus far.
Overall Record: 409-361 (7/16) - 20 points
Best Season: 90-64 in 1954 (9/16) - 8 points
Total: 28 points
Aside from one losing season in 1956, the Giants have consistently been in the postseason hunt since the start of the league. And keep in mind the fact that at times, Spencer has not put in his very best effort to succeed here. I think if he put the same amount of effort here as he does in BBSBL, the Giants could have a lot more success, but even despite that, the Giants have been good overall. Willie Mays has been an exceptional star to build around and young first baseman Willie McCovey is already starting to put up big numbers. The Giants had some good pitching as well, but now in a full effort to build a new stadium in San Francisco, Spencer has been selling off many of his good pieces for in-game cash. Good luck with AT&T Park! The Giants should become one of the better teams in the NL West within 2-3 seasons at most.
7. Chicago White Sox
Billy Pierce has been a great ace for the White Sox for years. He and Mike Fornieles are currently one of the better 1-2 starting rotation duos around.
Overall Record: 408-362 (8/16) - 18 points
Best Season: 92-62 in 1956 (7/16) - 10 points
Total: 28 points
The White Sox started off as a mediocre team, but Mark made a few trades and benefited from a couple really nice PD increases as well to put together one of the better AL teams right now. The White Sox have been led by their pitching and particularly Billy Pierce and Mike Fornieles. Their lineup hasn't been as good, but Minnie Minoso has been a bright spot. The White Sox have the pitching to compete in the AL, but could use a few bats as well for the future.
6. Cleveland Indians
Third baseman and two-time AL MVP Al Rosen has been one of the best AL hitters around for years.
Overall Record: 419-351 (6/16) - 22 points
Best Season: 97-57 in 1953 (5/16) - 12 points
Total: 34 points
In the first 2 seasons in league history, the Indians had one of the best teams in all of HOFFBL. Unfortunately, they were a second fiddle to the dominant Yankees, but did finish within 7 games of the Yankees in both seasons. The Indians then struggled for the next two seasons before having a winning season in 1957. The Indians' lineup has been led by Al Rosen, who has won a pair of AL MVP Awards. And the presences of young outfielders Rocky Colavito and Roger Maris give the Indians a lot of hope for the future, despite now being in a competitive AL West division with the Tigers and White Sox. On the pitching end, Bob Feller, Mike Garcia and Don Mossi have been the Indians' best pitchers over the years. With Rosen not getting any younger, the Indians will need to do everything they can to get him at least one ring before he retires.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
Richie Ashburn has been among the most elite base stealers in league history.
Overall Record: 440-330 (5/16) - 24 points
Best Season: 93-61 in 1953 (6/16) - 11 points
Total: 35 points
The Phillies have been a top 5 team here, yet until the current 1958 season, they've had absolutely nothing to show for it. In typical Gur style, Oren and Alon (when he has actually helped out) have relied on pitchers that give up very few home runs and walks, and small-ball lineups that rely more on walks and steals than home runs. But they have found ways to have winning records in every season. Ned Garver and Curt Simmons have anchored the pitching staff for years, while speedster Richie Ashburn, catcher Smokey Burgess and the now-retired Ted Williams led the offense. The Phillies' current window of success is limited in comparison to the competition, but they will try to make the most of the current season and the next 1-2 seasons after that before a likely rebuild begins.
4. Milwaukee Braves
Third baseman Eddie Mathews and center fielder Hank Aaron have been among the most elite hitters in league history.
Overall Record: 464-306 (3/16) - 28 points
Best Season: 101-53 in 1953 (3/16) - 14 points
NL Pennants Won: 1 (1953) - 5 points
Total: 47 points
Poor Steve. Aside from becoming the first NL GM to take his team to the World Series in 1953 (where the Braves would lose to the Yankees in five games), his Braves have played second or third fiddle to one of the Dodgers or Cardinals ever since. And it's not like the Braves have lacked significant talent either. Their lineup includes two of the best hitters we've seen here in 1956 NL MVP Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron, plus underrated first baseman Joe Adcock, who has put up big numbers of his own. The Braves' pitching staff includes the best pitcher in HOFFBL history thus far in Warren Spahn, who has won four NL Cy Young Awards already and has yet to miss a beat at the age of 37. Could the Braves use a couple role player upgrades? Possibly, but the Braves also have a few good young players (including second baseman Ed Charles) and some other prospects to look forward to in the future. It's clear that Steve has gotten tired of missing the postseason for a while despite putting together an elite team, so hopefully for his sake, he can catch a break or two in the future so that Spahn does not retire ring-less.
3. Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
Duke Snider has simply been a remarkable player and one of, if not the biggest reason why the Dodgers have been so successful.
Overall Record: 482-289 (2/16) - 30 points
Best Season: 102-52 in 1955 (2/16) - 15 points
NL Pennants Won: 2 (1955 and 1957) - 10 points
Total: 55 points
The Dodgers started off with a great lineup that still includes cornerstones Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Jim Gilliam. Mickey McDermott and Carl Erskine have led what has been a very successful pitching staff. Clem Labine for a while was one of the elite closers as well. Yet despite starting off with probably the best NL team, the Dodgers do not have any championships to show for and just two NL pennants. The Dodgers success though should not end any time soon. Rookie first baseman Jim Gentile has already been called up and top pitching prospect Sandy Koufax will come up next season and become another huge element to the Dodgers' pitching staff. Eventually, the Dodgers will finally a championship. Only time will tell when it happens.
2. St. Louis Cardinals
Stan Musial has been a huge part of two Cardinals championship teams.
Overall Record: 448-323 (4/16) - 26 points
Best Season: 98-54 in 1956 (4/16) - 13 points
NL Pennants Won: 2 (1954 and 1956) - 10 points
World Series Championships Won: 2 (1954 and 1956) - 20 points
Total: 69 points
The Cardinals have won no fewer than 85 games in each of the first 5 seasons. While the number of wins per season hasn't always been as high as that of the Braves and Dodgers, Matt's team has made the most of its two best seasons by winning a pair of World Series championships in 1954 and 1956. Matt has relied on his veteran hitters Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, and Roy Sievers, plus younger third baseman Ken Boyer to carry the Cardinals' offense. Jackie Collum, Harvey Haddix, Vinegar Bend Mizell and Stu Miller have been among the pitchers on the Cardinals' championship teams. The red birds have had a lot of great success already, but with an aging core, it does not look like the Cardinals will be able to keep up the success much longer. Fortunately, for Matt, he now has a few great prospects in Bob Gibson and Lee Thomas, among others to look forward to soon enough. But once Musial's career is up, the Cardinals will have a pair of huge shoes to fill and they won't be easy to fill at all.
1. New York Yankees
Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle are three of the biggest reasons why the Yankees have owned the American League and have won three titles already.
Overall Record: 511-259 (1/16) - 32 points
Best Season: 110-44 in 1956 (1/16) - 16 points
AL Pennants Won: 5 (1953-1957) - 50 points
World Series Championships Won: 3 (1953, 1955 and 1957) - 30 points
Total: 128 points
What a surprise! The team that has won every AL pennant thus far and three championships is number 1. We all saw this coming. Anyway, Chris' Yankees have had so much talent to work with. The offense has been led by young center fielder Mickey Mantle and veteran catcher Yogi Berra, while the pitching staff has included Whitey Ford, Jim McDonald, Vic Raschi, and Eddie Lopat, among others. All those players had very successful seasons as the Yankees seemed to always cruise to having the best AL record each season. And they will now do so again for a sixth consecutive season in 1958. What an empire the Yankees have had!
And it's not likely to end soon either. A few pieces of Chris' core are still young and there are young prospects waiting in the wings as well. Furthermore, the rest of the AL East isn't exactly ready yet to match up with the Yankees, so look for the Bronx Bombers to continue their success into the 1960s. But all for his wonderful efforts for putting together such an awesome and fun league for us all, we should be thanking Chris for everything instead of complaining about the Yankees' success!
I'll probably do this every five seasons going forward and I expect to see at least a few rankings changing significantly by the end of 1962.
Coming in 1959: Draft recaps, 5-year single season rankings and more!
To make this interesting and a little more creative in an effort to make this look completely legit and feature no opinionated bias speculation, I decided to do a points system for this, as follows:
- Overall 5-year win-loss records will be ranked on a 2-32 point scale, which includes:
1st in Wins - 32 points
2nd in Wins - 30 points
3rd in Wins - 28 points
4th in Wins - 26 points
5th in Wins - 24 points
6th in Wins - 22 points
7th in Wins - 20 points
8th in Wins - 18 points
9th in Wins - 16 points
10th in Wins - 14 points
11th in Wins - 12 points
12th in Wins - 10 points
13th in Wins - 8 points
14th in Wins - 6 points
15th in Wins - 4 points
16th in Wins - 2 points
Some teams may have also had that one great season and did not reach similar success in other seasons. As a result, top win season ranks (in other words, ranking the # of wins in each team's best seasons) will be done on a 1-16 point season, to reflect that overall 5-year records are worth more, which makes sense.
Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 16 points
2nd Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 15 points
3rd Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 14 points
4th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 13 points
5th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 12 points
6th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 11 points
7th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 10 points
8th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 9 points
9th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 8 points
10th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 7 points
11th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 6 points
12th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 5 points
13th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 4 points
14th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 3 points
15th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 2 points
16th Most Wins in Team's Best Season - 1 point
In addition, if a team has won its league's respective pennant, they will get 5 points per pennant won. As for World Series championships, each team will get 10 points per championship won.
Let's get this started!
16. Pittsburgh Pirates
Through the good and bad seasons the Pirates have had, first baseman Harry Agganis has been a consistent force for the team and should continue to do so in the future.
Overall Record: 234-536 (16/16) - 2 points
Best Season: 65-89 in 1957 (15/16) - 2 points
Total: 4 points
The Pirates started out with a lot of major league holes, but a good farm system for the future. As a result, I did a full rebuild for the first 3 seasons and while I did want to lose as much as possible then for #1 draft picks (Drysdale, Bob Allison and Mike Cuellar all say hello), I've put together a very young and very talented team for the future that is loaded with depth. But unfortunately, the Pirates have clearly been the worst team in the first 5 seasons, but the future is looking very bright, and right now, that's all that matters.
15. Chicago Cubs
Ernie Banks has been the heart and soul of the Cubs for years, but will need more support in order for the Cubs to improve.
Overall Record: 270-500 (15/16) - 4 points
Best Season: 57-97 in 1954, 1956 and 1957 (16/16) - 1 point
Total: 5 points
Like the Pirates, the Cubs started with very little major talent aside from stud shortstop Ernie Banks. Even though Matt tried to deny it in the past, the Cubs have been rebuilding since the beginning and may need another season or 2 before everyone on the North Side is good to go. Matt of course was never as aggressive with tanking as I was from 1953-1955, but besides Banks' great numbers, there hasn't been much at all to celebrate for the Cubs for a long time. The 60s though look bright for the Cubs, who should end up forming a new rivalry with the Pirates by then.
14. Baltimore Orioles
Prior to being traded to the rival Red Sox, Don Larsen was probably the biggest bright spot on a bunch of bad Orioles teams.
Overall Record: 278-492 (14/16) - 6 points
Best Season: 69-85 in 1955 (14/16) - 3 points
Total: 9 points
Is DRowe still even around? I wish I knew the answer myself.
The Orioles have been by far one of the worst AL teams since the very beginning. Pete didn't do much in his 3 seasons here, but DRowe has put together a good rebuild that now includes Juan Marichal, Gary Peters and Frank Howard, among others in his farm system. The Orioles needed a major rebuild from the beginning, and we're finally starting to see some progress from it. As stated already, the Orioles have had some bad teams and have produced very little offensively overall. The pitching has been decent, with Don Larsen and Bob Turley putting together some solid seasons before they got traded away. But now, the O's can rely on their youth to make progress and develop more. Their rebuild is far from over and they will probably need a few more seasons at least before really competing. Hopefully, DRowe will be patient enough to stick around here and wait for the future.
13. Cincinnati Reds
Led by All-Star Frank Robinson, the Reds have had one of the league's better offenses for years. Now they just need the pitching to catch up.
Overall Record: 334-436 (13/16) - 8 points
Best Season: 72-82 in 1957 (13/16) - 4 points
The Reds at times have seemed to have decent first halves of seasons, but only to fall apart after the All-Star break. When looking at the Reds historically, they've had great lineups despite the lack of team wins. The pitching there has been okay, but could certainly use upgrades in the rotation. This is a classic case of a team not reaching its full potential in part because the GM hasn't always been active. As we know, Jeff is a busy guy and works a ton to put food on the table for his family and you can't knock him for that. But if he just used his points a bit more and made a few more moves to improve his team, the Reds could certainly have what it takes to contend. The NL competition has been very good historically, but there is no reason why the Reds shouldn't have been up there with that lineup. Hopefully, Jeff will figure out a long-term plan and stick to it.
11. Kansas City Athletics
Despite playing with some bad A's teams, Gus Zernial was able to win the 1955 AL MVP.
Overall Record: 348-422 (12/16) - 10 points
Best Season: 81-73 in 1953 (10/16) - 7 points
Total: 17 points
The A's are already on their 3rd GM. The first one, Mike Fusco left because he didn't like reward camps and the second, Steve1213 never was particularly interested in that team from the beginning. Current GM Noah is currently in his 2nd season at the helm and has a lot of work to do for the future. The A's have a long rebuild ahead of them and while Noah has tried to move his best veterans, he has failed to generate interest in them. Historically thus far, the A's have been one of the worst AL teams, despite having a few very good players such as slugger Gus Zernial, who has been one of the league's most prominent power hitters for years. They had a winning record in the first season, but have struggled since. Hopefully, Noah will find a way to make the A's good again before the eventual relocation to Oakland.
11. Boston Red Sox
First baseman Dick Gernert has been one of the few consistent offensive presences in the Red Sox' lineup since the beginning.
Overall Record: 369-401 (11/16) - 12 points
Best Season: 77-77 in 1954 (12/16) - 5 points
Total: 17 points
Despite all the efforts Break has made to get the Red Sox to compete with the Yankees over the years, he has failed to put together a winning team in any season thus far. He got to .500 once but that's the best that he has done. The Red Sox though have had some good players, but for some reason, they just haven't produced well enough for him. Break though feels very confident that his young pitching, led by Don Rowe will help the Sox become more successful in the future.
9. Washington Senators
Chuck Stobbs has been one of the main forces for the Senators over time.
Overall Record: 375-395 (9/16) - 16 points
Best Season: 81-73 in 1953 (10/16) - 7 points
Total: 23 points
The Senators have pretty much been a .500 team for the most part. They had a couple really good starts and a winning season in 1953, but haven't done much else beyond that. They've had some good players over the years, but also some other overpaid players that haven't lived up to expectations. Adam also was on the losing end of a few notable trades. And then there is Harmon Killebrew, who did not look particularly impressive in his rookie season in 1957. The Senators will need him to be the team's next leader. The Senators should be retooling for the future now, but do have a few nice prospects to look forward to. It's gonna be tough for them to compete with the Yankees for the next few seasons until they relocate to Minnesota and the AL West, but at least the Red Sox and Orioles will be able to keep them company in the AL East.
9. Detroit Tigers
Al Kaline has been the heart and soul of the Tigers since his rookie season in 1953.
Overall Record: 372-398 (10/16) - 14 points
Best Season: 91-63 in 1956 (8/16) - 9 points
Total: 23 points
The Tigers started off with a few nice pieces, but a lot more holes in the major leagues. As a result, K did a rebuild in the first two seasons he was here for, and Trevor did one more rebuild season in 1955 as well. A few great trades later, the Tigers became one of the top AL teams in 1956 and have had winning seasons in the past two years, which will soon became three years in the current 1958 season. The Tigers are now loaded with talent and should stay as one of the top AL West teams for a while.
7. New York/San Francisco Giants
Center fielder Willie Mays has been one of the best hitters in league history thus far.
Overall Record: 409-361 (7/16) - 20 points
Best Season: 90-64 in 1954 (9/16) - 8 points
Total: 28 points
Aside from one losing season in 1956, the Giants have consistently been in the postseason hunt since the start of the league. And keep in mind the fact that at times, Spencer has not put in his very best effort to succeed here. I think if he put the same amount of effort here as he does in BBSBL, the Giants could have a lot more success, but even despite that, the Giants have been good overall. Willie Mays has been an exceptional star to build around and young first baseman Willie McCovey is already starting to put up big numbers. The Giants had some good pitching as well, but now in a full effort to build a new stadium in San Francisco, Spencer has been selling off many of his good pieces for in-game cash. Good luck with AT&T Park! The Giants should become one of the better teams in the NL West within 2-3 seasons at most.
7. Chicago White Sox
Billy Pierce has been a great ace for the White Sox for years. He and Mike Fornieles are currently one of the better 1-2 starting rotation duos around.
Overall Record: 408-362 (8/16) - 18 points
Best Season: 92-62 in 1956 (7/16) - 10 points
Total: 28 points
The White Sox started off as a mediocre team, but Mark made a few trades and benefited from a couple really nice PD increases as well to put together one of the better AL teams right now. The White Sox have been led by their pitching and particularly Billy Pierce and Mike Fornieles. Their lineup hasn't been as good, but Minnie Minoso has been a bright spot. The White Sox have the pitching to compete in the AL, but could use a few bats as well for the future.
6. Cleveland Indians
Third baseman and two-time AL MVP Al Rosen has been one of the best AL hitters around for years.
Overall Record: 419-351 (6/16) - 22 points
Best Season: 97-57 in 1953 (5/16) - 12 points
Total: 34 points
In the first 2 seasons in league history, the Indians had one of the best teams in all of HOFFBL. Unfortunately, they were a second fiddle to the dominant Yankees, but did finish within 7 games of the Yankees in both seasons. The Indians then struggled for the next two seasons before having a winning season in 1957. The Indians' lineup has been led by Al Rosen, who has won a pair of AL MVP Awards. And the presences of young outfielders Rocky Colavito and Roger Maris give the Indians a lot of hope for the future, despite now being in a competitive AL West division with the Tigers and White Sox. On the pitching end, Bob Feller, Mike Garcia and Don Mossi have been the Indians' best pitchers over the years. With Rosen not getting any younger, the Indians will need to do everything they can to get him at least one ring before he retires.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
Richie Ashburn has been among the most elite base stealers in league history.
Overall Record: 440-330 (5/16) - 24 points
Best Season: 93-61 in 1953 (6/16) - 11 points
Total: 35 points
The Phillies have been a top 5 team here, yet until the current 1958 season, they've had absolutely nothing to show for it. In typical Gur style, Oren and Alon (when he has actually helped out) have relied on pitchers that give up very few home runs and walks, and small-ball lineups that rely more on walks and steals than home runs. But they have found ways to have winning records in every season. Ned Garver and Curt Simmons have anchored the pitching staff for years, while speedster Richie Ashburn, catcher Smokey Burgess and the now-retired Ted Williams led the offense. The Phillies' current window of success is limited in comparison to the competition, but they will try to make the most of the current season and the next 1-2 seasons after that before a likely rebuild begins.
4. Milwaukee Braves
Third baseman Eddie Mathews and center fielder Hank Aaron have been among the most elite hitters in league history.
Overall Record: 464-306 (3/16) - 28 points
Best Season: 101-53 in 1953 (3/16) - 14 points
NL Pennants Won: 1 (1953) - 5 points
Total: 47 points
Poor Steve. Aside from becoming the first NL GM to take his team to the World Series in 1953 (where the Braves would lose to the Yankees in five games), his Braves have played second or third fiddle to one of the Dodgers or Cardinals ever since. And it's not like the Braves have lacked significant talent either. Their lineup includes two of the best hitters we've seen here in 1956 NL MVP Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron, plus underrated first baseman Joe Adcock, who has put up big numbers of his own. The Braves' pitching staff includes the best pitcher in HOFFBL history thus far in Warren Spahn, who has won four NL Cy Young Awards already and has yet to miss a beat at the age of 37. Could the Braves use a couple role player upgrades? Possibly, but the Braves also have a few good young players (including second baseman Ed Charles) and some other prospects to look forward to in the future. It's clear that Steve has gotten tired of missing the postseason for a while despite putting together an elite team, so hopefully for his sake, he can catch a break or two in the future so that Spahn does not retire ring-less.
3. Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
Duke Snider has simply been a remarkable player and one of, if not the biggest reason why the Dodgers have been so successful.
Overall Record: 482-289 (2/16) - 30 points
Best Season: 102-52 in 1955 (2/16) - 15 points
NL Pennants Won: 2 (1955 and 1957) - 10 points
Total: 55 points
The Dodgers started off with a great lineup that still includes cornerstones Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Jim Gilliam. Mickey McDermott and Carl Erskine have led what has been a very successful pitching staff. Clem Labine for a while was one of the elite closers as well. Yet despite starting off with probably the best NL team, the Dodgers do not have any championships to show for and just two NL pennants. The Dodgers success though should not end any time soon. Rookie first baseman Jim Gentile has already been called up and top pitching prospect Sandy Koufax will come up next season and become another huge element to the Dodgers' pitching staff. Eventually, the Dodgers will finally a championship. Only time will tell when it happens.
2. St. Louis Cardinals
Stan Musial has been a huge part of two Cardinals championship teams.
Overall Record: 448-323 (4/16) - 26 points
Best Season: 98-54 in 1956 (4/16) - 13 points
NL Pennants Won: 2 (1954 and 1956) - 10 points
World Series Championships Won: 2 (1954 and 1956) - 20 points
Total: 69 points
The Cardinals have won no fewer than 85 games in each of the first 5 seasons. While the number of wins per season hasn't always been as high as that of the Braves and Dodgers, Matt's team has made the most of its two best seasons by winning a pair of World Series championships in 1954 and 1956. Matt has relied on his veteran hitters Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, and Roy Sievers, plus younger third baseman Ken Boyer to carry the Cardinals' offense. Jackie Collum, Harvey Haddix, Vinegar Bend Mizell and Stu Miller have been among the pitchers on the Cardinals' championship teams. The red birds have had a lot of great success already, but with an aging core, it does not look like the Cardinals will be able to keep up the success much longer. Fortunately, for Matt, he now has a few great prospects in Bob Gibson and Lee Thomas, among others to look forward to soon enough. But once Musial's career is up, the Cardinals will have a pair of huge shoes to fill and they won't be easy to fill at all.
1. New York Yankees
Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle are three of the biggest reasons why the Yankees have owned the American League and have won three titles already.
Overall Record: 511-259 (1/16) - 32 points
Best Season: 110-44 in 1956 (1/16) - 16 points
AL Pennants Won: 5 (1953-1957) - 50 points
World Series Championships Won: 3 (1953, 1955 and 1957) - 30 points
Total: 128 points
What a surprise! The team that has won every AL pennant thus far and three championships is number 1. We all saw this coming. Anyway, Chris' Yankees have had so much talent to work with. The offense has been led by young center fielder Mickey Mantle and veteran catcher Yogi Berra, while the pitching staff has included Whitey Ford, Jim McDonald, Vic Raschi, and Eddie Lopat, among others. All those players had very successful seasons as the Yankees seemed to always cruise to having the best AL record each season. And they will now do so again for a sixth consecutive season in 1958. What an empire the Yankees have had!
And it's not likely to end soon either. A few pieces of Chris' core are still young and there are young prospects waiting in the wings as well. Furthermore, the rest of the AL East isn't exactly ready yet to match up with the Yankees, so look for the Bronx Bombers to continue their success into the 1960s. But all for his wonderful efforts for putting together such an awesome and fun league for us all, we should be thanking Chris for everything instead of complaining about the Yankees' success!
I'll probably do this every five seasons going forward and I expect to see at least a few rankings changing significantly by the end of 1962.
Coming in 1959: Draft recaps, 5-year single season rankings and more!
