"You can look it up...." -Casey Stengel
11 August 1951
Dodgers 70-36
Giants 59-51 13.0 GB
4 October 1951
Giants 98-59 (49-8 .860 since 8/11)
Dodgers 97-60 (27-24 .529 since 8/11)
7 August 2009
Mets 51-58
Nationals 38-72 13.5 GB
Assuming the Mets played .529 to the end, which may be optimistic, we’d have to win 44 to match the ’51 Giants. But if the Mets played only .450 ball....Hmm.
The Giants had far better pitching. Three starters--Sal Maglie, Larry Jansen and Jim Hearn--combined were 63-26 with an ERA around 3.00. Only two regulars--Alvin Dark and Monte Irvin--batted over .300 (Willie Mays was .274) and averaged only five runs per game. Statistically the Giants were a more rounded team, and pitching is 80% of the game. Still.....
Team ERA: Giants 3.48, Nationals 5.06
Team BA: Giants .260, Nationals .267
Runs: Giants 781 (5 per game), Nationals 603 (5.5 per game)
Home Runs: Giants 179 (1.1 per game) , Nationals 106 (.96 per game)
Fielding %: Giants .972, Nationals .976
