The red-hot Milwaukee Brewers ran their home record to a gaudy 50-16 this afternoon with a 3-2 decision over the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, another of their division opponents, the Houston Astros, managed to secure their 44th total victory on the season with a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Giants.
So, it made we wonder how often the team with the most home wins in a season outdoes the season total of another team. It occurred quite often in the days of the 154-game schedule. From 1904-1961 (58 seasons), there were 48 years in which this occurred. In the 49 seasons since, its only occurred 17 times. Here’s the full list from 1904-2010, with the differences in each season:
| YEAR | BEST TOTAL HOME WINS | WORST TOTAL WINS | DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 56 | 38 | 18 |
| 1905 | 54 | 48 | 6 |
| 1906 | 56 | 49 | 7 |
| 1907 | 54 | 49 | 5 |
| 1908 | 52 | 49 | 3 |
| 1909 | 57 | 42 | 15 |
| 1910 | 58 | 47 | 11 |
| 1911 | 54 | 44 | 10 |
| 1912 | 57 | 50 | 7 |
| 1913 | 54 | 51 | 3 |
| 1914 | 53 | 51 | 2 |
| 1915 | 55 | 43 | 12 |
| 1916 | 50 | 36 | 14 |
| 1917 | 56 | 51 | 5 |
| 1919 | 51 | 36 | 15 |
| 1920 | 52 | 48 | 4 |
| 1921 | 53 | 51 | 2 |
| 1922 | 54 | 53 | 1 |
| 1925 | 53 | 47 | 6 |
| 1926 | 53 | 46 | 7 |
| 1927 | 57 | 51 | 6 |
| 1928 | 52 | 43 | 9 |
| 1929 | 57 | 56 | 1 |
| 1930 | 58 | 52 | 6 |
| 1931 | 60 | 56 | 4 |
| 1932 | 62 | 43 | 19 |
| 1933 | 56 | 55 | 1 |
| 1934 | 54 | 52 | 2 |
| 1935 | 56 | 38 | 18 |
| 1936 | 56 | 53 | 3 |
| 1937 | 57 | 46 | 11 |
| 1938 | 55 | 45 | 10 |
| 1939 | 55 | 43 | 12 |
| 1940 | 55 | 50 | 5 |
| 1941 | 53 | 43 | 10 |
| 1942 | 60 | 42 | 18 |
| 1943 | 58 | 49 | 9 |
| 1945 | 50 | 46 | 4 |
| 1946 | 61 | 49 | 12 |
| 1948 | 55 | 51 | 4 |
| 1949 | 61 | 50 | 11 |
| 1950 | 55 | 52 | 3 |
| 1951 | 56 | 52 | 4 |
| 1952 | 50 | 42 | 8 |
| 1953 | 60 | 50 | 10 |
| 1954 | 59 | 51 | 8 |
| 1955 | 56 | 53 | 3 |
| 1961 | 65 | 47 | 18 |
| 1962 | 61 | 40 | 21 |
| 1963 | 58 | 51 | 7 |
| 1965 | 52 | 50 | 2 |
| 1969 | 60 | 52 | 8 |
| 1970 | 59 | 56 | 3 |
| 1972 | 55 | 54 | 1 |
| 1975 | 64 | 57 | 7 |
| 1977 | 60 | 54 | 6 |
| 1978 | 59 | 56 | 3 |
| 1979 | 56 | 53 | 3 |
| 1981 | 38 | 37 | 1 |
| 1985 | 58 | 57 | 1 |
| 1988 | 56 | 54 | 2 |
| 1996 | 56 | 53 | 3 |
| 1998 | 62 | 54 | 8 |
| 2003 | 57 | 43 | 14 |
| 2004 | 57 | 51 | 6 |
Some notes about the biggest differences:
- 1904: The New York Giants’ 56 home wins helped lead them to an easy NL pennant, while the AL’s last place Washington Senator’s 38 total wins left them 23.5 games behind 7th-place Detroit.
- 1932: Winning an all-time record 80.5% of their home games, the Yankees rode their 62-15 ledger in the Bronx to a 13-game edge for the AL pennant. The Boston Red Sox, with a total 43 wins on the year, finished 64 games behind New York.
- 1961: The Yanks once again exerted their will at home, nabbing a record 65 wins (against 16 losses) in New York to help them win the pennant. Meanwhile, the Phillies struggled to a 47-107 record in the NL, one of the worst all-time seasons in history, until . . .
- 1962: The San Francisco Giants won 61 of their 82 contests at Candlestick Park, and would need every one of them in their dogfight with the Dodgers for the NL pennant. Meanwhile, the expansion Mets infamously went 40-120 in their first year. The 21-game difference between Giants’ home wins and Mets total wins is the highest all-time.
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