The next league leaders we tackle in my new "expanded league leader" card series is National League home run leaders for 1972:
We
begin with the great Johnny Bench, who took home his second home run
title in three years with his 40 jacks, leading to his second N.L. MVP
Award.
He also drove in a league-leading 125 runs while
helping the Cincinnati reds make their second trip to the World Series
in three years. Not too shabby!
Coming in second place in the
home run race was San Diego Padres slugger Nate Colbert, who hit 38
taters for the young Padre franchise, while also driving home 111 runs,
getting him some MVP attention to the tune of an eighth place finish by
season's end.
In third place, in what was easily an MVP year
any other year a guy named Johnny Bench didn't win the award, was
Chicago Cubs great Billy Williams, who hit 37 homers while leading the
league in hitting at a .333 clip.
Once again the man took a
second place finish in the league MVP race, as he did in 1970, to Johnny
Bench, and I'm sure it was enough to make anyone crazy!
Nevertheless,
Williams got the ultimate reward years later when he joined Bench in
the Hall of Fame, so it all works out to a point!
There you have it, the top three home run hitters of 1972 on an expanded 1973 league leader card!
Next up, the American League's top-3 homer guys...
