# MLB leaders-1980

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [September 19, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326 "2010-09-19T22:08:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/1 "2010-09-19T22:08:48Z")

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Who were the top 25 All-Time/10 active leaders in the “big 4” categories?

Big 4  
Strikeouts  
Wins  
Home Runs  
Hits

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/2 "2010-09-20T01:35:25Z")

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> [@etv78](#):
>
> Who were the top 25 All-Time/10 active leaders in the “big 4” categories?
> 
> Big 4  
> Strikeouts  
> Wins  
> Home Runs  
> Hits

This is kind of a broad question and if I’m taking it literally, could not be fully answered without a lot of work. You also don’t make it precisely clear what you want.

If you’re asking for a list of the top 25 leaders in career totals in those categories as of the beginning or end of the 1980 season, frankly, you’ll need to do some database work. It would take a lot of effort. Finding the #1 position is easy - [www.baseballreference.com](http://www.baseballreference.com) has a progressive leader list by year. Top 25 won’t be.

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**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/3 "2010-09-20T01:49:14Z")

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> [@RickJay](#):
>
> > [@etv78](#):
> >
> > Who were the top 25 All-Time/10 active leaders in the “big 4” categories?
> > 
> > Big 4  
> > Strikeouts  
> > Wins  
> > Home Runs  
> > Hits
> 
> This is kind of a broad question and if I’m taking it literally, could not be fully answered without a lot of work. You also don’t make it precisely clear what you want.
> 
> If you’re asking for a list of the top 25 leaders in career totals in those categories as of the beginning or end of the 1980 season, frankly, you’ll need to do some database work. It would take a lot of effort. Finding the #1 position is easy - [www.baseballreference.com](http://www.baseballreference.com) has a progressive leader list by year. Top 25 won’t be.

You don’t even know if strikeouts is a pitchers stat or a hitters stat.

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/4 "2010-09-20T01:51:26Z")

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[QUOTE=You don’t even know if strikeouts is a pitchers stat or a hitters stat.[/QUOTE]

The context makes it clear I’m refering to pitchers.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/5 "2010-09-20T01:58:45Z")

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> [@etv78](#):
>
> The context makes it clear I’m refering to pitchers.

Context? Your context consists of 4 baseball stat categories, 1 of which is specifically a pitcher’s category (Wins), 2 are primarily hitter’s categories (Hits and Home Runs), and one that goes either way. If you’re referring to your “Big 4” comment, I’ve never heard of that term, or seen those 4 categories put together before in my life.

You also give zero indication why you’re curious, or present even the start of a conversation to spur any sort of desire to do a lick of legwork for you.

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/6 "2010-09-20T02:13:59Z")

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OK, valid point! Why I’m curious: these would be in the Baseball section of the ESPN Almanac if they published it after their 1st full year on the air. BTW, TOTALLY menat to add this to OP!

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**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/7 "2010-09-20T17:56:32Z")

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This can be done using the [baseball-reference.com](http://baseball-reference.com) pitcher season finder. Here is a link to top career strikeouts for all seasons from 1901-1980: [http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/psl\_finder.cgi#n1=&as=result\_pitcher&offset=0&sum=1&min\_year\_season=1901&max\_year\_season=1980&min\_season=1&max\_season=-1&min\_age=0&max\_age=99&lg\_ID=lgAny&lgAL\_team=tmAny&lgNL\_team=tmAny&lgFL\_team=tmAny&lgAA\_team=tmAny&lgPL\_team=tmAny&lgUA\_team=tmAny&lgNA\_team=tmAny&isActive=either&isAllstar=either&isHOF=either&throws=any&role=anyrole&games\_started=60&games\_relieved=80&qualifiersSeason=nomin&minIpValS=162&minDecValS=14&mingamesValS=40&qualifiersCareer=nomin&minIpValC=1000&minDecValC=100&mingamesValC=200&orderby=SO&layout=full&c1psl=&c1gtlt=gt&c1val=0&c2psl=&c2gtlt=gt&c2val=0&c3psl=&c3gtlt=gt&c3val=0&c4psl=&c4gtlt=gt&c4val=0&c5psl=&c5gtlt=eq&c5val=1.0&c5psl\_b=&location=pob&locationMatch=is&pob=&pod=&pcanada=&pusa=](http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi#n1=&as=result_pitcher&offset=0&sum=1&min_year_season=1901&max_year_season=1980&min_season=1&max_season=-1&min_age=0&max_age=99&lg_ID=lgAny&lgAL_team=tmAny&lgNL_team=tmAny&lgFL_team=tmAny&lgAA_team=tmAny&lgPL_team=tmAny&lgUA_team=tmAny&lgNA_team=tmAny&isActive=either&isAllstar=either&isHOF=either&throws=any&role=anyrole&games_started=60&games_relieved=80&qualifiersSeason=nomin&minIpValS=162&minDecValS=14&mingamesValS=40&qualifiersCareer=nomin&minIpValC=1000&minDecValC=100&mingamesValC=200&orderby=SO&layout=full&c1psl=&c1gtlt=gt&c1val=0&c2psl=&c2gtlt=gt&c2val=0&c3psl=&c3gtlt=gt&c3val=0&c4psl=&c4gtlt=gt&c4val=0&c5psl=&c5gtlt=eq&c5val=1.0&c5psl_b=&location=pob&locationMatch=is&pob=&pod=&pcanada=&pusa=)

Getting the top-5 requires a subscription to the site. You can sort by other stats as well. Getting the top-10 active would just require looking down the list and eliminating players not active in 1980.

You can sort of get around the top-5 limitation by doing similar searches and then sorting by a different column, and finding players that match the totals from the original search.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-leaders-1980/554326/8 "2010-09-20T18:04:22Z")

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> [@etv78](#):
>
> [QUOTE=You don’t even know if strikeouts is a pitchers stat or a hitters stat.[/QUOTE]
> 
> The context makes it clear I’m refering to pitchers.

It would say home runs allowed .
