The Baseball Scholar

1930s All-Decade Team

Dave Franks
3–4 minutes

The 1930s was the last time the world would see Babe Ruth in pinstripes. Baseball said goodbye to sports first superstar. Joe DiMaggio arrived to take the gigantic void left by the Babe’s departure and it didn’t take long for the Yankee faithful to embrace it’s newest superstar. The game also welcomed arguably the greatest hitter who has ever played, Ted Williams, and one of the games greatest shortstops that you’ve never heard of, Arky Vaughan. It was the end of a big chapter but also the start of another.

Baseball’s most exclusive clubs remained extremely exclusive with no player joining the 3,000 hit or 500 home run clubs. Nor did a pitcher join the 300 wins or 3,000 strikeout clubs. However, two other clubs started that to this day remain incredibly exclusive. Babe Ruth created both the 600 and 700 home run clubs.

  • Catcher, Bill Dickey

    • Age: 23 – 32
    • Years: 1930 – 1939
    • Teams: New York Yankees
    • All-Star: 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939


    Bill Dickey Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    42.6 1,213 4,474 722 1,431 247 56 168 937 26 18 485 187 .320 .389 .513 .902

  • First Base, Lou Gehrig

    • Age: 27 – 36
    • Years: 1930 – 1939
    • Teams: New York Yankees
    • MVP: 1936
    • All-Star: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939


    Lou Gehrig Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    73.1 1,397 5,255 1,257 1,802 328 91 347 1,360 72 70 1,028 439 .343 .453 .638 1.091

  • Second Base, Charlie Gehringer

    • Age: 27 – 36
    • Years: 1930 – 1939
    • Teams: Detroit Tigers
    • MVP: 1937
    • All-Star: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938


    Charlie Gehringer Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    61.1 1,434 5,629 1,181 1,865 400 76 146 1,003 101 52 766 209 .331 .414 .507 .921

  • Third Base, Red Rolfe

    • Age: 22 – 30
    • Years: 1931 – 1939
    • Teams: New York Yankees
    • All-Star: 1937, 1938, 1939


    Red Rolfe Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    21.1 831 3,413 692 1,041 201 54 43 377 36 15 396 231 .305 .379 .433 .812

  • Shortstop, Arky Vaughan

    • Age: 20 – 27
    • Years: 1932 – 1939
    • Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates
    • All-Star: 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939


    Arky Vaughan Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    53.2 1,149 4,300 754 1,413 231 94 71 631 66 640 189 .329 .420 .476 .895

  • Outfield, Babe Ruth


    • Babe Ruth Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    40.6 713 2,405 607 797 110 24 198 652 22 24 632 351 .331 .472 .644 1.116

  • Outfield, Joe DiMaggio

    • Age: 21 – 24
    • Years: 1936 – 1939
    • Teams: New York Yankees
    • MVP: 1939
    • All-Star: 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939


    Joe DiMaggio Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    26.3 554 2,319 520 791 143 49 137 558 16 1 99 117 .341 .397 .622 1.019

  • Outfield, Mel Ott

    • Age: 21 – 30
    • Years: 1930 – 1939
    • Teams: New York Giants
    • All-Star: 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939


    Mel Ott Batting Statistics
    WAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
    68.7 1,473 5,341 1,095 1,673 287 54 308 1,135 50 956 474 .313 .420 .560 .980

  • Starting Pitcher, Lefty Grove


    • Lefty Grove Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    78.3 351 268 199 76 2.91 2,399 197 26 31 907 776 639 1,313 4.9 1.243

  • Starting Pitcher, Lefty Gomez

    • Age: 21 – 30
    • Years: 1930 – 1939
    • Teams: New York Yankees
    • All-Star: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939


    Lefty Gomez Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    43.4 322 278 165 89 3.24 2,234.2 163 26 10 949 804 904 1,337 5.4 1.313

  • Starting Pitcher, Carl Hubbell

    • Age: 27 – 36
    • Years: 1930 – 1939
    • Teams: New York Giants
    • MVP: 1933, 1936
    • All-Star: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938


    Carl Hubbell Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    55.5 383 303 188 104 2.71 2,596.2 197 31 30 917 782 467 1,281 4.4 1.118

  • Starting Pitcher, Red Ruffing


    • Red Ruffing Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    38.2 334 298 175 98 3.59 2,439 201 28 9 1,123 972 858 1,260 4.6 1.306

  • Starting Pitcher, Dizzy Dean


    • Dizzy Dean Pitching Statistics
    WAR G GS W L ERA IP CG SHO SV R ER BB SO SO/9 WHIP
    43.0 305 219 147 80 2.96 1,908.1 151 26 31 736 628 432 1,144 5.4 1.193

    Honorable Mention

3 responses to “1930s All-Decade Team”

  1. Garry Harris Avatar
    Garry Harris

    I love these all-time teams. I make a hobby of creating them myself. Just my opinion:

    There’s no obvious choice at 3B so, Red Rolfe or Stan Hack can be arguable. My choice is from the St Lous Browns:
    3B Harlond Clift,

    Babe Ruth played most of his game in the 1920s and Joe DiMaggio in the 1940s.
    LF Joe Medwick
    CF Earl Averill, Wally Berger
    RF Mel Ott, Paul Waner

    The 1930’s is not the best decade for pitching. My list:
    Carl Hubbell
    Lefty Grove
    Lon Warneke
    Larry French
    Red Ruffing

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  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    How can you not have Hank Greenberg ge on that list – in the full decade his stats might be the best

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    Reply
    1. Dave Franks Avatar
      Dave Franks

      Greenberg undoubtedly had a very strong decade but regardless of which statistical camp you’re in, traditional/counting or sabermetrics, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx both had superior ten year stretches.

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