#90 A.L. Home Run Leaders:

Big change in leaders....Stalwarts Frank Howard and Harmon Killebrew are now also rans....Bill Melton who repeated his total of 1970 which was good for 6th....but in light of a league power outage with his peers surged Melton to an unexpected top spot....back injuries curtailed his playing time in 1972 and his power numbers drained in the rest of his career.....Finding fountain of youth Cash more than doubles his HR total from 1970....no stranger to top 10 finishes, making the mark 9 times...his personal high was 41 in 1961 which in the frenzy of the Maris/Mantle race was only good for 6^th....The future Dean of Home Runs, Reggie Jackson gets the bronze with 31.....Destined to take the AL home run crowns of 1973, 1975, 1980, and 1982....13 times in top 10 home runs....had reached #3 with his personal best total of 47 home runs in 1969.

#91 N.L. E.R.A. Leaders:

Tom Seaver.....Another league leading ERA mark for Tom Terrific....at 1.76 a career best mark....what is exceptional is that he lowered his ERA by over a run per game from his league leading mark in 1970....while Tom did not threepeat in 1972, he reclaims the ERA crown in 1973....finished in top 10 seven more times...tallies 12 top 10 finishes in his career....stellar effort was from Dave Roberts at 2.10 for the upstart Padres...a career mark good for ERA sliver medalist....traded to Astros for the next year only reaches top 10 again in 1973.... Don Wilson also with a career best in 1971 with 2.45.....was able to have the 8^th best NL ERA the following year....while 1973 and 1974 were adequate output in terms ERA: 3.20 and 3.08 respectively, Don would tragically pass away in Jan 1975.

#92 A.L. E.R.A. Leaders:

Vida Blue  New kid on the block, the sensation of the year, registered 1.82 runs per game....only time Blue took ERA top spot....his stingy mark turned out to be a personal best....would be in his respected circuit top 10 ERA five more times....all falling in a seven year period from 1975 to 1981....Wilbur Wood familiar face, long time veteran but with a new role, starter....the 29 year old claimed an ERA of 1.91 over the course of 334 innings.....only time in top 10.....his personal best 1.87 in 1968 was not eligible for ERA title....being a fireman that he logged in 159 innings....Jim Palmer still only 25 had a long future being top of the line hurler.....twice future ERA champ taking place 1973 and 1975....finished 2^nd in his two prior years....four more top 10 finishes ending in 1982.

#93 N.L. Pitching Leaders:

Toping the circuit with 24 victories Jenkins setting his NL personal best ....in 1974 the formidable Canadian changes circuits and puts up his career best 25 wins for the Texas Rangers... after 1971  Fergie captures another 20 wins capping off his 6^th consecutive year....Seaver hits the 20 win mark for the second time in his career, a benchmark he would reach 5 times.....Carlton reaches the 20 mark for the first time....Carlton puts in a career year with 27 wins the following year overwhelmingly taking top honors....despite the fact he was traded to the woeful 1972 Phillies....for team comparison the next best hurler won 7 games....Carlton wins 20 or more four more times, leading in NL wins three times....A major surprise Downing wins 20 for the only time his in career....notably surrenders Hank Aaron’s 713^th home run in early 1974.  

#94 A.L. Pitching Leaders:

Pitching Leaders AKA Top Win Total:   On the front the tip of the iceberg showing just three top winners....More interesting is the rear of the card....an incredible of 10 twenty game winners....Criteria for to be on the front:  22 wins or better....The more significant story were Baltimore 4 20 game winners....making them seemingly invincible in the post season on paper at least.....see cards covering the WS for the rest of the story.....Lolich takes first honors with 25 wins....a career best for the dependable starter....Vida Blue, fresh out of minors places second 24 wins....along with dominating AL media coverage.....Wilbur Wood while an effective knuckleball reliever in the past is pressed into service as a starter....met with great and surprising success starting with 22 wins...the rest of the included the quartet of Orioles McNally, Dobson, Palmer, and Cuellar....upstarts Andy Messersmith (nee Angels), Catfish Hunter (nee A’s) and Joe Coleman (nee Tigers)....all listed except Dobson and McNally would repeat the 20 mark over there career....Pat came oh-so close with 19 wins and suffering six one run losses in 1974.