Baseball Player Won-Loss Records
Home     List of Articles



1965 Season

The 1965 Season as seen through the Prism of Player Won-Lost Records

This article takes a look at the 1965 season as measured by Player won-lost records.

The Best of 1965

I calculate Player won-lost records two ways: pWins, which tie to team wins and eWins, which control for context and the ability of one's teammates. For players with more pWins than eWins, their Player wins contributed to more team wins than one might expect; for players with more eWins than pWins, just the opposite is true: their Player wins translated into fewer team wins than expected. Or more briefly: a player with more pWins than eWins was better in context, a player with more eWins than pWins was worse in context.

The top 10 players in pWins above Positional Average and Replacement Level were as follows.

pWins over Positional Average
Top 10 Players
pWins over Replacement Level
Top 10 Players
Player pWins pLosses pWOPA pWORL Player pWins pLosses pWOPA pWORL
1Sandy Koufax25.014.511.7
14.1
1Sandy Koufax25.014.511.7
14.1
2Juan Marichal22.015.28.0
10.2
2Juan Marichal22.015.28.0
10.2
3Willie Mays26.517.67.9
10.1
3Willie Mays26.517.67.9
10.1
4Don Drysdale23.017.66.7
9.1
4Don Drysdale23.017.66.7
9.1
5Willie McCovey21.213.16.7
8.4
5Tony Oliva22.514.76.5
8.4
6Tony Oliva22.514.76.5
8.4
6Willie McCovey21.213.16.7
8.4
7Zoilo Versalles23.818.46.2
8.3
7Zoilo Versalles23.818.46.2
8.3
8Jim Bunning19.314.26.1
8.2
8Jim Bunning19.314.26.1
8.2
9Jim Maloney17.613.35.6
7.4
9Jim Maloney17.613.35.6
7.4
10Bob Allison20.013.65.5
7.2
10Mel Stottlemyre Sr.18.914.55.3
7.4


The top 10 players in eWins above Positional Average and Replacement Level were as follows.

eWins over Positional Average
Top 10 Players
eWins over Replacement Level
Top 10 Players
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA eWORL Player eWins eLosses eWOPA eWORL
1Sandy Koufax23.016.67.9
10.3
1Sandy Koufax23.016.67.9
10.3
2Juan Marichal21.715.57.7
10.0
2Juan Marichal21.715.57.7
10.0
3Willie Mays26.118.17.0
9.2
3Willie Mays26.118.17.0
9.2
4Ron Santo24.318.35.3
7.4
4Ron Santo24.318.35.3
7.4
5Jimmy Wynn25.819.65.1
7.4
5Jimmy Wynn25.819.65.1
7.4
6Sam McDowell19.315.85.0
7.2
6Sam McDowell19.315.85.0
7.2
7Zoilo Versalles23.019.24.7
6.8
7Zoilo Versalles23.019.24.7
6.8
8Willie McCovey20.214.14.5
6.3
8Jim Bunning18.315.24.3
6.3
9Jim Bunning18.315.24.3
6.3
9Billy Williams24.919.24.1
6.3
10Billy Williams24.919.24.1
6.3
10Willie McCovey20.214.14.5
6.3


I take a look at some of the most interesting players of 1965 at the end of this article.

1965 World Series

The World Series came to Minnesota for the first time ever in 1965 with the Twins losing a 7-game series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The top player performance in the 1965 World Series, as measured by Player won-lost records, should surprise no one who's familiar with the '65 Series. Player won-lost records like two complete-game shutouts in the final three games of the series as much as you would expect them to.

1965 World Series
Player Team pWins pLosses Net Wins
Sandy KoufaxLAN1.60.70.8
Ron FairlyLAN1.10.70.5
Mudcat GrantMIN1.81.30.5
Johnny RoseboroLAN1.10.70.4
Wes ParkerLAN0.80.40.3


Best of 1965 by Factor and Position

Next, let's look at the top players in various aspects of the game.
Best by Factor: Batting, Baserunning, Pitching, Fielding
There are four basic factors for which players earn Player won-lost records: Batting, Baserunning, Pitching, and Fielding. The top players in 1965 in wins over positional average (WOPA) by factor were as follows.

Batting
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLoss eWOPA Player pWins pLoss pWOPA
1Willie Mays18.411.0
6.9
1Willie Mays18.810.57.8
2Willie McCovey16.610.8
5.3
2Willie McCovey17.79.87.5
3Ron Santo17.111.8
4.9
3Harmon Killebrew12.76.85.7
4Billy Williams17.512.3
4.6
4Tony Oliva14.79.25.1
5Frank Robinson16.311.5
4.4
5Billy Williams17.412.44.5
6Jimmy Wynn16.311.4
4.4
6Curt Blefary13.68.94.4
7Hank Aaron14.29.8
4.0
7Johnny Callison16.411.74.2
8Rocky Colavito16.412.3
3.6
8Jim Ray Hart16.411.84.1
9Norm Cash13.59.6
3.5
9Fred Whitfield13.59.04.1
10Willie Horton14.811.0
3.4
10Frank Robinson16.111.74.0
Positional Average excludes pitcher offense
Baserunning
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLoss eWOPA Player pWins pLoss pWOPA
1Tommy Harper2.11.0
1.1
1Zoilo Versalles2.20.91.3
2Vic Davalillo2.31.4
0.9
2Tommy Harper2.20.91.2
3Zoilo Versalles2.01.1
0.8
3Luis Aparicio1.80.90.8
4Jimmy Wynn2.11.3
0.8
4Jimmy Wynn2.11.30.8
5Bob Allison1.50.8
0.7
5Willie Davis1.81.00.7
6Dick Howser1.40.7
0.7
6Tony Oliva1.81.10.7
7Lenny Green1.20.6
0.6
7Bob Allison1.50.80.6
8Tony Oliva1.81.2
0.6
8Dick Howser1.40.70.6
9Willie Mays1.71.2
0.5
9Roberto Clemente1.40.80.6
10Willie Davis1.71.1
0.5
10Wes Parker1.81.20.6
Positional Average excludes pitcher offense
Pitching
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLoss Net eWins Player pWins pLoss Net pWins
1Juan Marichal19.113.7
5.4
1Sandy Koufax22.912.110.7
2Sandy Koufax20.114.9
5.2
2Juan Marichal20.212.67.7
3Sam McDowell17.613.1
4.5
3Jim Bunning17.612.05.6
4Stu Miller8.45.3
3.1
4Stu Miller9.44.25.2
5Jim Bunning16.313.3
3.0
5Jim Maloney15.710.84.9
6George Brunet11.99.1
2.8
6Sam McDowell17.613.24.4
7Chris Short17.114.4
2.7
7Mel Stottlemyre Sr.17.012.64.4
8Bob Shaw13.310.7
2.7
8Don Drysdale18.414.14.3
9Fred Newman14.812.2
2.7
9Mudcat Grant15.911.84.1
10Bob Veale15.813.2
2.5
10Bob Shaw13.810.23.6


Fielding by Position


Fielding, P
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Fred Newman0.80.5
0.3
1Mel Stottlemyre Sr.0.70.40.3
2Larry Jackson0.60.3
0.3
2Frank Linzy0.40.10.3
3Ted Abernathy0.40.1
0.3
3Denny McLain0.30.00.3
4Denny McLain0.30.1
0.2
4Ted Abernathy0.40.10.3
5Stu Miller0.30.1
0.2
5Stu Miller0.30.10.2


Fielding, C
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Chris Cannizzaro1.81.1
0.7
1Chris Cannizzaro1.81.10.7
2Tom Haller1.71.5
0.2
2Johnny Romano1.30.90.4
3Clay Dalrymple1.41.2
0.2
3Elston Howard1.20.90.3
4Jake Gibbs0.30.1
0.2
4Joe Azcue1.20.90.3
5Johnny Edwards1.31.1
0.2
5Tom Haller1.81.50.3


Fielding, 1B
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Wes Parker2.21.7
0.5
1Wes Parker2.31.70.6
2Tommy McCraw0.60.3
0.4
2Tommy McCraw0.70.20.5
3Bill DeKova White2.42.1
0.4
3Dick Nen1.20.70.5
4Ed Kranepool2.52.2
0.3
4Don Mincher1.51.20.4
5Ernie Banks3.22.9
0.3
5Tony Perez1.20.90.4


Fielding, 2B
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Bill Mazeroski5.84.8
1.0
1Bill Mazeroski6.44.22.1
2Dal Maxvill1.51.0
0.5
2Jerry Adair6.75.21.4
3Jerry Adair6.15.7
0.4
3Jim Lefebvre6.55.21.2
4Don Blasingame3.43.0
0.4
4Dal Maxvill1.80.81.0
5Frank Quilici1.51.1
0.3
5Don Blasingame3.52.90.5


Fielding, 3B
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Don Wert4.83.5
1.3
1Don Wert4.93.41.5
2Ron Santo5.95.2
0.8
2Jim Ray Hart4.63.51.1
3Charley Smith4.53.8
0.7
3Brooks Robinson5.14.20.9
4Pete Ward5.14.4
0.7
4Pete Ward5.14.40.7
5Clete Boyer5.04.6
0.4
5Rich Rollins3.22.70.5


Fielding, SS
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Maury Wills7.86.3
1.5
1Maury Wills7.96.21.6
2Ron Hansen7.97.2
0.7
2Zoilo Versalles6.95.51.4
3Zoilo Versalles6.55.8
0.7
3Luis Aparicio6.34.91.4
4Luis Aparicio5.95.3
0.6
4Ron Hansen8.16.91.2
5Dick Schofield Sr.5.65.0
0.5
5Gene Alley5.44.41.0


Fielding, LF
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Lou Brock6.65.4
1.2
1Bob Allison6.84.91.9
2Bob Allison6.25.5
0.8
2Tom Tresh2.81.81.0
3Ron Swoboda3.83.2
0.7
3Alex Johnson2.92.20.7
4Curt Blefary2.92.4
0.5
4Len Gabrielson Jr.2.72.00.7
5Danny Cater4.54.1
0.4
5Lou Brock6.35.60.7


Fielding, CF
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Vic Davalillo5.03.9
1.0
1Vic Davalillo5.03.81.2
2Jimmie Hall5.04.0
1.0
2Jimmie Hall5.14.01.1
3Al Kaline1.91.3
0.6
3Ken Berry5.84.90.9
4Cleon Jones0.90.5
0.4
4Curt Flood6.25.30.9
5Ken Berry5.55.2
0.3
5Jose Cardenal5.85.00.8


Fielding, RF
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses Net eWins Player pWins pLosses Net pWins
1Tony Oliva5.74.4
1.3
1Tony Oliva5.94.21.7
2Roberto Clemente6.56.0
0.5
2Roberto Clemente6.75.71.0
3Sam Bowens1.91.4
0.5
3Rocky Colavito6.55.60.9
4Mike Shannon2.72.3
0.4
4Russ Snyder1.71.00.7
5Johnny Callison7.47.0
0.4
5Sam Bowens2.01.30.6


Best by Position
Next, we look at 1965 Major-League leaders by position. The figures shown here only include Player decisions earned while playing this particular position.

Catcher
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Joe Torre11.48.9
3.0
1Joe Torre12.08.44.0
2Jim Pagliaroni11.410.1
1.9
2Jim Pagliaroni11.99.62.8
3Earl Battey10.99.6
1.9
3Earl Battey11.49.22.7
4Johnny Romano9.38.0
1.7
4Gene Oliver7.45.22.5
5Johnny Edwards9.07.7
1.7
5Don Pavletich5.53.32.3


First Base
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Willie McCovey19.714.0
4.0
1Willie McCovey20.812.96.4
2Norm Cash16.312.3
2.5
2Don Mincher11.67.23.6
3Bill DeKova White16.512.9
2.0
3Harmon Killebrew9.15.82.6
4Harmon Killebrew8.56.4
1.4
4Norm Cash16.212.42.3
5Don Mincher10.58.2
1.3
5Fred Whitfield14.511.12.0


Second Base
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Joe L. Morgan22.019.4
3.2
1Jim Lefebvre20.916.84.7
2Pete Rose Sr.21.019.6
2.1
2Jerry Adair20.518.23.0
3Jim Lefebvre19.618.1
2.1
3Pete Rose Sr.21.419.22.8
4Don Buford17.015.5
2.0
4Bill Mazeroski17.114.82.8
5Bill Mazeroski16.415.5
1.4
5Don Buford17.115.42.3


Third Base
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Ron Santo24.118.5
4.7
1Ron Santo23.619.03.7
2Dick Allen22.018.1
3.0
2Jim Ray Hart19.615.43.4
3Eddie Mathews18.915.7
2.4
3Brooks Robinson20.816.63.3
4Deron Johnson19.616.9
1.8
4Eddie Mathews19.315.43.2
5Jim Ray Hart18.616.4
1.3
5Jim Gilliam10.78.12.3


Shortstop
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Zoilo Versalles22.719.5
4.2
1Zoilo Versalles23.818.46.2
2Jim Fregosi22.620.8
2.7
2Maury Wills23.021.12.9
3Dick McAuliffe13.611.9
2.2
3Luis Aparicio18.216.82.2
4Maury Wills22.421.6
1.9
4Ron Hansen21.019.72.2
5Leo Cardenas18.117.7
1.2
5Gene Alley13.211.62.1


Left Field
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Bob Allison17.914.0
2.8
1Bob Allison19.214.05.5
2Willie Horton17.414.5
1.7
2Willie Horton18.014.52.8
3Carl Yastrzemski17.714.9
1.5
3Lou Johnson16.013.22.6
4Lou Brock21.218.1
1.5
4Curt Blefary9.97.42.2
5Curt Blefary9.57.4
1.4
5Leon Wagner18.815.72.2


Center Field
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Willie Mays24.817.7
6.0
1Willie Mays25.716.88.0
2Jimmy Wynn25.219.8
4.3
2Jimmy Wynn25.019.93.9
3Mack Jones14.811.8
2.2
3Jimmie Hall18.213.93.3
4Vada Pinson22.319.0
2.1
4Mack Jones15.111.62.7
5Al Kaline8.56.1
2.0
5Vada Pinson22.618.72.7


Right Field
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Tony Oliva20.515.3
3.7
1Tony Oliva21.714.16.2
2Hank Aaron22.317.3
3.5
2Billy Williams17.712.63.9
3Billy Williams17.313.0
3.2
3Johnny Callison25.019.63.8
4Frank Robinson22.217.5
3.1
4Rocky Colavito24.018.93.4
5Roberto Clemente22.017.8
2.7
5Frank Robinson22.117.53.0


Starting Pitcher
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Juan Marichal19.413.9
5.6
1Sandy Koufax23.112.410.9
2Sandy Koufax20.415.1
5.4
2Juan Marichal20.512.97.7
3Sam McDowell17.113.5
3.7
3Jim Bunning18.312.55.9
4Fred Newman15.712.7
3.1
4Jim Maloney16.011.05.1
5Jim Bunning16.913.9
3.1
5Mel Stottlemyre Sr.17.712.94.8
6George Brunet11.08.3
2.7
6Mudcat Grant16.311.74.7
7Chris Short17.014.5
2.6
7Don Drysdale19.015.04.1
8Bob Veale16.113.7
2.5
8Bob Shaw13.39.63.7
9Jim Maloney14.712.3
2.5
9Bob Veale16.613.23.5
10Sonny Siebert10.28.0
2.3
10Denny McLain13.09.63.4


Relief Pitcher
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Stu Miller8.75.4
3.2
1Stu Miller9.84.35.3
2Ted Abernathy8.86.9
1.7
2Eddie Fisher10.36.63.6
3Eddie Fisher9.37.5
1.7
3Frank Linzy6.94.02.8
4Frank Linzy6.44.6
1.7
4Bob Lee10.37.72.4
5Hoyt Wilhelm7.45.8
1.6
5Dick Hall6.33.82.4
6Bob Lee9.78.3
1.3
6Ted Abernathy9.06.72.2
7Bobby Bolin4.02.8
1.1
7Hoyt Wilhelm7.65.61.9
8Dick Hall5.74.5
1.1
8Bobby Bolin4.22.51.6
9Billy O'Dell6.85.6
1.1
9Ron Kline7.25.61.6
10Bob Locker3.93.0
0.9
10Al McBean7.25.51.6


Finally, here are the best at three oft-forgotten positions that can nevertheless matter: pitcher offense, pinch hitting, and pinch running.

Pitcher Offense
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Don Drysdale3.32.6
2.0
1Don Drysdale3.72.22.6
2Bob Gibson2.42.4
1.1
2Bob Gibson2.62.11.5
3Earl Wilson1.41.3
0.8
3Vern Law2.01.61.2


Pinch Hitter
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Smoky Burgess3.52.3
1.5
1Joe Gaines1.80.71.2
2Manny Mota1.70.9
0.9
2Smoky Burgess3.32.41.2
3Joe Gaines1.60.9
0.8
3Manny Mota1.80.81.1


Pinch Runner
Context-Neutral Context-Dependent
Player eWins eLosses eWOPA Player pWins pLosses pWOPA
1Al Weis0.40.1
0.3
1Al Weis0.40.10.4
2Tommy McCraw0.30.1
0.2
2Tommy McCraw0.30.00.2
3Dick Howser0.20.0
0.1
3Marty Keough0.20.10.1


Noteworthy Players of 1965

Sandy Koufax vs. Juan Marichal
The 1965 MVP awards went to Willie Mays and Zoilo Versalles, while the Cy Young Award (there was only one across both leagues through 1966) went to Sandy Koufax. Going back to the first four tables of this article, I would have voted for Koufax as NL MVP as well as Cy Young winner, but taking for granted the "pitcher shouldn't win the MVP because he has his own award" school of thought, this is a pretty solid set of choices: Versalles is among the top two American League players on all four of the above tables, Koufax is the top pitcher (and top player, period) on all four tables, and Mays is the top National League non-pitcher on all four tables.

Almost certainly the second-best pitcher in the National League (and major leagues) in 1965 - and arguably the second-best player in the major leagues - was Juan Marichal. From 1963 - 1969, Marichal's rank among National League pitchers in pWORL was as follows: 2nd (behind Koufax), 2nd (behind Larry Jackson), 2nd (in 1965 as seen above), 1st, unranked (he only started 26 games in 1967), 2nd (behind Bob Gibson), and 2nd (behind Tom Seaver).

For all of that - one 1st and five 2nds in seven seasons - Juan Marichal received exactly zero Cy Young votes. Not entirely because he was underrated (although I think he was better than the actual Cy Young winner in 1966), but because Cy Young ballots only listed one pitcher - and through 1966, they only listed one pitcher in both leagues. Sandy Koufax was a unanimous choice for the 1965 Cy Young Award, and looking at the above tables, it's pretty hard to argue with that. But because of the timing of his career, the only Cy Young vote that Juan Marichal ever got was a single third-place vote in 1971 (when I have him 5th in pWORL among National League pitchers).

Sandy Koufax's and Juan Marichal's careers overlapped for seven seasons, from 1960 through 1966. Here's how they compare in pWins for those seasons.

Sandy Koufax Juan Marichal
Season Games pWins pLosses Win Pct. pWOPA pWORL Games pWins pLosses Win Pct. pWOPA pWORL
1960
3710.512.50.457-1.5
-0.1
115.13.40.6012.12.5
1961
4217.415.80.5232.3
4.3
3012.711.70.5191.53.0
1962
2811.89.20.5623.3
4.6
3817.915.40.5373.35.3
1963
4022.513.30.63010.2
12.4
4222.616.00.5857.49.8
1964
2915.711.20.5835.3
7.1
3318.412.80.5896.68.6
1965
4325.014.50.63311.7
14.1
3922.015.20.5918.010.2
1966
4122.816.10.5877.8
10.1
3722.614.30.6139.211.3
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
1960 - 1966260125.892.60.57639.0
52.6
230121.288.90.57738.050.9


This is not to take anything away from Sandy Koufax. His 1965 and 1963 seasons were among the best player-seasons since World War II. But Juan Marichal matched his value over those seven seasons and then went out and followed that up with seven more full seasons, at least three of which were excellent.

Worse in Context: Ron Santo
I calculate Player won-lost records two ways: pWins, which tie to team wins, and eWins, which control for context and the ability of one's teammates. For players with more pWins than eWins, their Player wins contributed to more team wins than one might expect; for players with more eWins than pWins, just the opposite is true: their Player wins translated into fewer team wins than expected. Or more briefly: a player with more pWins than eWins was better in context, a player with more eWins than pWins was worse in context.

One player who shows up in the top 5 in both for eWOPA and eWORL (4th in both) but not among the top 10 in pWOPA and pWORL is Ron Santo. The 1965 season was fairly typical of Ron Santo's career in this regard and helps, I think, to explain part of why he had so much trouble getting elected to the Hall of Fame.

Working through the tables in this article, controlling for context, Ron Santo ranked in the top 3 in the major-leagues in net batting wins in 1965. Defensively, he finished second in net fielding wins at third base. Oh, and if you're wondering if maybe playing time was issue: no, Santo actually played 164 games in 1965. That's obviously a heck of a combination. It is not a big surprise, then, that we see Santo's name among the top 5 players in both eWOPA and eWORL.

So what did all of that translate into in terms of Santo's team, the Chicago Cubs? Not much. The 1965 Cubs finished in 8th place in the 10-team NL, with a final record of 72-90 (and 2 ties - hence, Santo's 164 games played). Obviously, this wasn't Santo's fault. It was the fault of the situation he found himself in. Billy Williams was in his Hall-of-Fame prime, Ernie Banks was past his Hall-of-Fame prime, but was still a pretty good hitter. Moving beyond Hall-of-Famers, Larry Jackson wasn't a bad starting pitcher, although 1964 had been his peak season. And Ted Abernathy was a pretty good relief pitcher. And that was about it.

If you try to tie player performances to team results, inevitably, you end up reducing the value of good players on bad teams, because so much of their good results end up going for naught. The next table shows how Ron Santo's 1965 season looks both ways, in pWins and eWins.

Games pWins pLosses pWin Pct. pWOPA pWORL eWins eLosses eWin Pct. eWOPA eWORL
Ron Santo
164
23.619.00.5543.7
5.8
24.318.30.5715.37.4


For his career, Ron Santo earned 63.0 eWins over replacement level (eWORL) but only 53.3 career pWORL. This is essentially the statistical representation of the argument that was sometimes made against Ron Santo's Hall-of-Fame case: "How great could Santo have been if the Cubs never won anything?" Just to be clear: I don't think this is a fair criticism of Ron Santo, and I would have elected him to the Hall of Fame while he was still alive. I just think Player won-lost records help to clarify the disconnect in Ron Santo's perceived value.

Zoilo Versalles
Zoilo Versalles is sometimes mentioned as one of the worst MVP choices in major-league history. Frequently, I think that the way this is phrased in unfair to Versalles. Zoilo Versalles did not technically lead the American League in either pWins or eWins over either positional average (WOPA) or replacement level (WORL). But he is in the top 10 among major-league players in 1965 in each of the first four tables of this article. And, in fact, there is no American League player who ranks ahead of him in all four tables, so he has a credible case for an MVP.

And his MVP case is quite easy to see. He was the starting shortstop for the team that won the American League pennant and he led the American League in doubles, triples, total bases, and runs scored.

So, it's not fair to say that Versalles did not deserve his MVP award. But what is fair is to point out that Zoilo Versalles might well have had the worst non-MVP portion of his major-league career among any MVP award winner - certainly among those who deserved their award.

Versalles' career record is shown in the next table.

Zoilo Versalles
Basic Player Won-Lost Records
Value Decomposition
Season Team Age Games pWins pLosses pWOPA pWORL eWins eLosses eWOPA eWORL
1959WS119
29
1.72.8-1.1
-0.9
2.02.5-0.5-0.2
1960WS120
15
1.01.6-0.5
-0.4
1.11.5-0.4-0.2
1961MIN21
129
15.418.0-1.8
0.1
16.217.2-0.21.7
1962MIN22
160
20.618.82.5
4.5
19.919.61.03.0
1963MIN23
159
19.619.80.7
2.6
19.719.70.92.8
1964MIN24
160
20.120.10.1
2.1
20.819.41.53.5
1965MIN25
160
23.818.46.2
8.3
23.019.24.76.8
1966MIN26
137
17.318.6-0.4
1.2
17.218.6-0.41.2
1967MIN27
160
17.821.1-1.8
0.1
17.621.4-2.2-0.3
1968LAN28
122
13.415.9-1.3
0.1
13.316.0-1.50.0
1969CLE29
103
7.59.2-1.5
-0.6
8.38.40.10.9
1971ATL31
65
5.15.8-0.5
-0.0
4.96.1-1.1-0.6
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
CAREER (reg. season)
1,399
163.3170.10.6
17.3
163.8169.62.018.6
------ ------ ------ ------ ------
PostSeason (career)
7
1.21.0 0.41.31.0 0.4
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
COMBINED
1,406
164.5171.2
17.6
165.1170.6 19.1


His 1965 season didn't completely come out of nowhere. He became a regular major-league shortstop - and roughly a league-average one - at age 21 in 1961 in the Twins first season in Minnesota. He was above positional average the next three seasons before his huge breakthrough season in 1965 at age 25.

It is the post-1965 portion of his career that seems perplexing to me. It's not unusual for 25-year-old players to have "break-through" seasons that see them rise to a new level of performance. Robin Yount, Barry Larkin, Derek Jeter, and Ozzie Smith are examples of shortstops who took a step up from good to great in their mid-to-late 20s and proceeded to play at that higher level for several years. But not Versalles. Not only did he never come close to matching his 1965 season, he was never even able to match his league-average rookie season again, playing so badly in his age 29 season that he couldn't find a major-league job at age 30, just five years after his MVP season.

According to Versalles' SABR Bio (by Peter C. Bjarkman), his 1966 season was hampered by illness and injury, including a hematoma in his back that affected him through the rest of his career. Unfortunately, Versalles' post-baseball career was a sad and ultimately tragic story. A real shame.

Comings and Goings

Exit: Stage Left
One Hall-of-Famer made his final major-league appearance in 1965: Yogi Berra. The 3-time AL MVP rates as the career leader in pWins over positional average as well as replacement level among players who accumulated at least 50% of their career wins as a catcher.

The top 5 catchers in career pWORL, among players for whom I have calculated Player won-lost records:

Top Players with Majority of Career Wins at Catcher
(ranked by pWORL)
pWins pLosses Win Pct. pWOPA pWORL
Yogi Berra246.3182.50.57465.888.5
Johnny Bench247.2196.80.55751.172.7
Bill Dickey186.6142.20.56850.468.0
Carlton Fisk251.9219.30.53543.165.8
Mickey Cochrane165.7120.50.57950.265.3


And Yogi Berra's full career record.

Yogi Berra
Basic Player Won-Lost Records
Value Decomposition
Season Team Age Games pWins pLosses pWOPA pWORL eWins eLosses eWOPA eWORL
1946NYA21
7
0.80.50.3
0.4
0.70.50.20.3
1947NYA22
83
9.37.32.0
2.8
8.97.81.22.0
1948NYA23
125
14.111.72.4
3.8
13.712.11.52.9
1949NYA24
116
12.28.83.6
4.8
11.39.71.72.9
1950NYA25
151
18.011.86.4
7.9
16.713.13.75.3
1951NYA26
141
16.513.03.7
5.2
16.413.13.65.1
1952NYA27
142
18.111.76.5
8.1
17.212.74.76.3
1953NYA28
137
17.211.46.3
7.9
15.912.73.75.3
1954NYA29
151
19.012.36.8
8.6
18.013.34.86.6
1955NYA30
147
18.212.85.9
7.5
16.314.72.23.8
1956NYA31
140
18.012.25.9
7.5
17.412.94.66.2
1957NYA32
134
15.412.73.1
4.6
14.713.41.73.1
1958NYA33
122
13.311.31.9
3.1
12.911.71.22.4
1959NYA34
131
15.711.94.3
5.6
15.012.72.94.3
1960NYA35
120
11.89.22.6
3.7
11.010.01.02.1
1961NYA36
119
14.611.82.2
3.7
13.912.50.82.3
1962NYA37
85
8.47.40.9
1.8
7.78.1-0.60.2
1963NYA38
64
5.44.31.3
1.8
5.14.60.71.2
1965NYN40
4
0.10.4-0.2
-0.2
0.20.3-0.2-0.1
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
CAREER (reg. season)
2,119
246.3182.565.8
88.5
233.0195.839.362.1
------ ------ ------ ------ ------
PostSeason (career)
75
8.57.3 2.18.47.3 2.0
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
COMBINED
2,194
254.8189.7
90.6
241.4203.1 64.1


Debut: Stage Right
The 1965 season saw the major-league debut of four pitchers each of whom would go on to win 20 or more games at least five times, win at least one Cy Young Award in the 1970s, win at least 220 games in their careers, and end up being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in the 1980s or 1990s.

Here's how their careers compare in Player won-lost records.

Steve Carlton Jim Palmer Fergie Jenkins Catfish Hunter
Season pWins pLoss pWOPA pWORL pWins pLoss pWOPA pWORL pWins pLoss pWOPA pWORL pWins pLoss pWOPA pWORL
1965
0.90.9-0.0
0.1
4.04.6-0.4
0.2
0.70.8-0.1
0.0
7.39.6-1.8-0.7
1966
3.23.20.2
0.6
14.313.61.4
3.0
9.410.2-0.3
1.2
11.413.6-1.50.0
1967
13.011.02.6
4.0
2.53.1-0.4
-0.1
20.217.53.8
6.0
17.216.81.43.4
1968
14.214.10.8
2.3
 
21.017.84.3
6.3
14.314.40.52.0
1969
16.115.11.8
3.7
12.77.75.5
6.7
22.017.45.7
8.0
15.716.6-0.01.9
1970
16.017.8-1.0
0.8
20.515.36.1
8.1
21.616.96.0
8.0
15.915.90.82.5
1971
18.616.13.2
5.2
19.914.46.4
8.3
24.117.47.7
10.0
20.615.56.08.0
1972
25.014.911.0
13.4
18.913.75.9
7.8
18.616.23.3
5.4
19.313.86.38.3
1973
18.521.6-2.0
0.3
17.811.16.7
8.5
15.818.4-1.7
0.2
14.011.92.13.7
1974
18.116.02.9
4.7
9.110.1-0.9
0.2
22.714.48.4
10.6
17.813.24.66.4
1975
16.216.21.0
2.8
20.212.18.2
10.2
16.414.91.6
3.5
19.114.24.97.0
1976
17.012.65.3
6.9
19.213.45.9
7.8
11.111.4-0.2
1.1
15.215.4-0.11.7
1977
20.315.65.7
7.8
18.413.25.3
7.4
10.210.20.1
1.5
7.99.1-1.2-0.0
1978
15.515.40.9
2.6
17.513.34.2
6.0
14.710.34.3
5.9
8.27.11.12.0
1979
16.815.02.9
4.7
8.56.12.4
3.3
14.814.10.7
2.5
4.86.9-2.0-1.3
1980
19.813.27.8
9.6
11.710.90.9
2.3
12.311.80.6
2.0
1981
11.48.33.7
4.9
6.68.0-1.3
-0.3
6.57.1-0.6
0.3
1982
21.515.57.5
9.4
14.99.95.3
6.8
13.914.50.5
2.0
1983
17.516.92.0
3.9
4.14.00.1
0.7
8.911.1-1.5
-0.4
1984
12.911.92.0
3.3
0.71.6-0.9
-0.7
 
1985
4.76.9-1.7
-1.1
 
 
1986
10.313.9-3.1
-1.7
 
 
1987
7.612.3-4.7
-3.4
 
 
1988
0.51.5-1.0
-0.9
 
 
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
CAREER RECORDS
(Regular Season)
335.6305.947.7
83.7
241.5186.160.4
86.2
285.0252.342.7
74.3
208.9194.021.244.8
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Postseason6.86.60.3
0.9
7.85.51.3
1.9
0.00.00.0
0.0
8.07.70.20.9
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
CAREER RECORDS342.3312.448.0
84.6
249.4191.661.8
88.1
285.0252.342.7
74.3
216.8201.721.445.8


In The New Bill James Historical Abstract, James observed that "[a] list of the most innings pitched in a season since 1920 has three types of pitchers: 1. Bob Feller. 2. Robin Roberts. 3. Pitchers from the 1970-1975 era." This is a bit of an oversimplification, but only a bit.

Since 1940, there have been 46 seasons in which a pitcher pitched at least 315 innings. From 1940 - 1962, there were 8 such seasons (all of which actually happened between 1940 and 1954): 3 by Bob Feller, 4 by Robin Roberts, and 1 by Dizzy Trout in 1944.

From 1963 - 1968, there were 7 such seasons, pitched by four pitchers: Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal, and Denny McLain.

From 1969 - 1979, there were 31 seasons in which a pitcher threw 315 innings or more, with 15 different pitchers doing it, including all four of the Hall-of-Fame starters who debuted in 1965. There have been no seasons in which a pitcher threw 315 innings since 1979 (Phil Niekro was the last pitcher to do it in 1978 and 1979; prior to those two years, it was done 29 times from 1969 - 1977 by 15 pitchers, including Niekro).

James argues that "there is surprisingly little evidence that pitching 320 to 350 innings did much to shorten any of these pitchers' careers, except maybe Mickey Lolich." (p. 871, this is in James's discussion of Bert Blyleven, who he rates as the 39th-best pitcher in major-league history as of 2000)

Going back to the pitchers who pitched 315 innings in a season prior to 1969, there actually is pretty strong evidence of shortened careers. Koufax retired at the age of 30 because of arm problems. Drysdale's last season was at age 32, and his last good season was at age 31. McLain's last season was at age 28; his last good season was at age 25. Marichal is the only exception, and even he only pitched regularly until he was 35 (he then pitched 13 more games at ages 36 and 37).

Moving to the 1970s, there are still examples of pitchers who pitched 315 innings in a season and had shortened careers: Bill Singer (last season at 33, last good season at 32, with a couple of poor seasons already in his 20s), Randy Jones (last season at 32, last good season at 29), Andy Messersmith (last season at 33, last good season at 30).

But it is undoubtedly true that several other pitchers pitched massive innings within some seasons and yet had long and productive careers, including three of the four Hall-of-Famers who debuted in 1965 (Catfish Hunter's last season was at age 33, his last good season was at age 30).

My hypothesis as to why so many of these pitchers were able to survive these extraordinary workloads is because the pitchers who were pitching these extraordinary workloads in the 1970s spent their formative years pitching in the mini-deadball era of the 1960s (1963 - 68) which saw historically low offense. The low run-scoring environment in which these pitchers spent their formative years enabled them to avoid putting too much stress on their arms as they were developing. Their arms reached maturity with less stress and less mileage and were thereby better able to handle the insane inning totals of the 1970s even as offensive levels rose somewhat.

In contrast, pitchers who debuted after offensive levels had risen were less able to handle these kinds of workloads. Randy Jones, for example, debuted in 1973. Mark Fidrych was out of baseball by age 25 after pitching 24 complete games at age 21 in 1976 (although "only" 250.1 innings).

The one exception to this is Bert Blyleven, who didn't actually debut until 1970, pitched 325 innings as a 22-year-old in 1973, and was nevertheless able to pitch until he was 41 years old (and pitch very well until he was 38).

Anyway, whatever the reason for their success, that was a heckuva foursome to debut in 1965.

Article last updated: November 12, 2020

Wins over positional average and replacement level are calculated using data only for the 1965 season. Positional averages for starting pitching and relief pitching are calculated using single-year data for all starting pitchers and all relief pitchers.

All articles are written so that they pull data directly from the most recent version of the Player won-lost database. Hence, any numbers cited within these articles should automatically incorporate the most recent update to Player won-lost records. In some cases, however, the accompanying text may have been written based on previous versions of Player won-lost records. I apologize if this results in non-sensical text in any cases.

Home     List of Articles