Most Doubles in a Season with Zero Home Runs

Doubles aren't as exciting as triples since they're a lot easier to hit. Even the slowest players in the major leagues get doubles from time to time (case in point: active leader in PA with no triples Johnny Estrada has 129 career two-base hits). If slow guys can hit doubles, surely even guys with no power can hit some, too, even if they're of the bloop hit "hustle double" variety. Here is the list of the most doubles in a season by a player with no home runs; like yesterday it's split into post-1920 and deadball eras.

Most Doubles in a Seasons with Zero Home Runs, 1876-1919

Rank	Name	Season	Doubles
1	Nap Lajoie	1906	48
2	Lave Cross	1902	39
	Curt Welch	1889	39
4	Cap Anson	1883	36
5	Scoops Carey	1902	35
6	Nap Lajoie	1912	34
	Bill Bradley	1905	34
8	Tris Speaker	1918	33
9	Duffy Lewis	1913	31
	Lee Tannehill	1904	31
	Jack McCarthy	1902	31
	Jack Manning	1883	31
13	Bill Rariden	1915	30
14	Mike Mowrey	1911	29
	Jimmy Collins	1907	29
	Lave Cross	1905	29
	Claude Ritchey	1905	29
18	Shano Collins	1916	28
	John Leary	1914	28
	Claude Ritchey	1903	28
	Jim O'Rourke	1892	28
	Jimmy Wolf	1888	28

Most Doubles in a Seasons with Zero Home Runs, 1920-2007

Rank	Name	Season	Doubles
1	Dick Bartell	1931	43
2	Dave Cash	1977	42
	Billy Rogell	1933	42
4	Bill Wambsganss	1924	41
5	Ozzie Smith	1987	40
6	Marty Marion	1942	38
7	Doc Cramer	1938	36
	Sparky Adams	1930	36
	Dave Bancroft	1920	36
10	Roy Hughes	1936	35
	Billy Herman	1933	35
	Willie Kamm	1931	35
	Tom Oliver	1931	35
	Sparky Adams	1926	35
15	Billy Goodman	1951	34
	Bill Knickerbocker	1935	34
	Hal Rhyne	1931	34
	Tom Oliver	1930	34
19	Joe Gedeon	1920	33
20	Rollie Hemsley	1935	32
	Willie Kamm	1927	32

It appears as though the assumption doubles conformed to the same deadball era spike triples did is in error. The second, "liveball era" list is littered with names from the 1920's and 1930's. Perhaps the true spike in doubles either took place or lasted until 1940? A quick look at a chart of doubles per game throughout MLB history confirms that 1920-1939 saw doubles at an only recently matched frequency. What happens to the second list above if the years are changed to 1940-2007? Let's find out:

Most Doubles in a Seasons with Zero Home Runs, 1940-2007

Rank	Name	Season	Doubles
1	Dave Cash	1977	42
2	Ozzie Smith	1987	40
3	Marty Marion	1942	38
4	Billy Goodman	1951	34
5	Frank Taveras	1978	31
	Billy Goodman	1955	31
7	Miguel Dilone	1980	30
8	Jason Kendall	2005	28
	Scott Podsednik	2005	28
	Jim Gantner	1988	28
	Matty Alou	1968	28
	Red Schoendienst	1946	28
13	Alfredo Griffin	1989	27
	Frank Taveras	1980	27
	Johnny Pesky	1947	27
	Luke Appling	1940	27
17	Al Oliver	1984	26
	Don Kessinger	1975	26
	Dick Groat	1965	26
	Richie Ashburn	1957	26
	Skeeter Newsome	1944	26
	Steve Mesner	1943	26
	Doc Cramer	1942	26

This final list looks a lot like the first list which makes sense, I suppose, considering doubles occurred at a similar rate. Even if more players weren't hitting home runs back then, they weren't really any better at hitting doubles than today's players.