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Gavy Cravath’s first full big league season came at age 31 in 1912. Once he was in The Show he quickly made up for lost time. From 1912 through 1919, Cravath was simply dominant.

During the 8-year run he led all the majors in home runs and runs batted in. In addition to homers and RBI, Cravath also topped all NL hitters in total bases, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Cravath’s finest season came in 1915. His 24 homers were more than all but three MLB teams. Cravath’s 115 runs batted in were 28 more than any other Senior Circuit player and his .510 slugging percentage was 53 points higher than any other big league hitter. The right fielder led the league in runs, homers, RBI, walks, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and total bases.

Upon retirement as a player, Cravath managed the Salt Lake City Bees of the PCL and scouted for the Minneapolis Millers.

The Deadball Era’s Babe Ruth, Cravath died in 1963 at the age of 82.

Shown here is a letter from Cravath’s final big league season in his role as player/manager of the Phillies. Dated August 9, 1920 it is written to career minor league pitcher Howard “Ty” Crandall.

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When Gavy Cravath slugged 24 home runs in 1915 he established the 20th-century record. The mark was Cravath’s for until Babe Ruth came along. The Bambino’s 25th clout of 1919 came on September 5th, 1919 playing for the Boston Red Sox against the Philadelphia Athletics.

Ruth starred in the 15-7 drubbing of Connie Mack’s squad. He went 5-for-6 with four RBI and three runs scored. Ruth ended the season with an unheard of 29 home runs.

The following season, Ruth went wild, slamming 54 home runs to extend his own single season record. Then in 1921 he hammer 59 homers. That stood as the mark until Babe’s memorable 1927 campaign when he hit 60 home runs.

Shown here is a Ruth’s autograph from the year of his death in 1948.

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Gavy Cravath is a Philadelphia legend. A member of the Phillies Wall of Fame, the slugger was at one time the franchise’s record-holder for homers in a season and a career.

In 1915 Cravath hit 24 home runs to best the club’s single-season mark of 20 set by Hall of Fame right fielder Sam Thompson in 1889.

Thompson hit 95 career home runs in a Phillies uniform before leaving the club in 1898. The total stood as the team’s high point until Cravath made it his own.

Cravath’s record-breaking 96th clout came for the Phillies on August 30, 1917 against the Boston Braves. He extended the mark to 117 before retiring in 1920.

When Cravath left the game, he was the franchise’s career and single-season home run king. Both honors were snatched from him by Cy Williams.

In 1922 Williams slammed 41 homers to obliterate Cravath’s record of 24 in a single campaign. Two years later Williams hit his 118th homer in a Philadelphia uniform.

Shown here is a letter handwritten and signed by Cy Williams in his final big league season of 1930.

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Gavy Cravath was baseball’s most dominant home run hitter before Babe Ruth. From 1913 to 1919 the Philadelphia slugger led the National League in the category six times. Many believe he has a strong case for Cooperstown.

In 1913 Cravath hit .341 to finish as the runner-up in the batting chase. The second-place finish was the only thing standing between Cravath and the Triple Crown. He finished second in MVP voting.

Cravath led the NL in most offensive categories in 1913. In the midst of the Deadball Era, his 179 hits, 128 RBI, .341 average, 298 total bases, were all career highs.

Two years later 1915 his 24 dingers established a 20th-century mark for home runs in a single campaign. That season he also topped the league in RBI, walks, on-base percentage, and slugging. His 7.0 WAR was the most among National League position players.

Cravath’s performance pushed the Phillies to their first pennant in franchise history. In fact it was the team’s only NL flag in a 67-year run from its inception in 1883 to 1950.

The big knock on Cravath is Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl, his home park for 9 of his 11 seasons. That doesn’t diminish Cravath’s accomplishments.

According to Rick Reiff’s piece for SABR, “From 1912 through 1919 he hit a fifth of the Baker Bowl homers with less than a twentieth of the plate appearances. Cravath hit 60% as many homers as all visiting teams put together.”

During Cravath’s career he led NL position players in WAR, on-base percentage, slugging, total bases and RBI twice each. Three times he had the highest OPS+; four times the most extra-base hits. Cravath also had the most hits, runs and walks in the NL one time each.

Defensively he led the league in outfield assists three times.

Cravath’s career 151 OPS+ is among the game’s best. The mark ties him with Honus Wagner. It’s also higher than every first-ballot Hall of Famer except Ted Williams (191), Mickey Mantle (172), Ty Cobb (168), Henry Aaron (155), and Willie Mays (155).

His case for Cooperstown now rests with the Veterans Committee.

Shown here is Cravath’s signature on the back of his business card. The front of the card is seen in the next image.

 

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When Gavy Cravath left the game for good, he returned to Laguna Beach. In 1927 he was elected judge. Though he lacked a law degree, Cravath said he based his legal decisions on the principles of sportsmanship he’d learned during his time in baseball.

The mention of Babe Ruth in his courtroom always drew Cravath’s ire. Gavy’s 20th-century record of 119 career homers was broken by the Bambino who Cravath considered a hotdog.

The Deadball Era’s home run king, Cravath spent 36 years on the court’s bench. According to SABR, the widely respected Judge Cravath was reversed only twice during his 36-year tenure as a jurist.

Shown here is the front of Cravath’s business card as judge.