Monday, December 3, 2012

Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron: Home Runs.

Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron are one, two in career home runs, yet neither was considered a big time home run hitter during most of his career.  Data from baseball-reference.com

Bonds:
Born: July 24, 1964
Position: Leftfielder
Bats: Left, Throws: Left
Height: 6' 1", Weight: 185 lb.
AB: 9,847
HR: 762

Aaron:
Born: February 5, 1934
Positions: Rightfielder and First Baseman
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 0", Weight: 180 lb.
AB: 12,367
HR: 755

Season high:
Bonds 2001 73, 476 AB; final team game 10/7/2001; age 37.2
Aaron 1971 47, 495 AB; final team game 9/28/1971; age 37.7

Aaron was 160 days older than Bonds.

AB/HR led NL:
Bonds:
1992 13.9
1993: 11.7
1996: 12.3
2000: 9.8
2001: 6.5
2002: 8.8
2003: 8.7
2004: 8.3 age 40.2 at end of season.

Aaron:
1971: 10.5
1972: 13.2
1973: 9.8 age 39.7 at end of season.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Those 1973 Atlanta Braves: was there something in the water?

Aaron's best seasons for home runs:
1971 age 37: 47
1962 age 28: 45
1957 age 23: 44
1963 age 29: 44
1966 age 32: 44
1969 age 35: 44

Aaron's best seasons for AB/HR:
1973 age 39: 9.8
1971 age 37: 10.5
1969 age 35: 12.4
1962 age 28: 13.155
1972 age 38: 13.205
1970 age 36: 13.6

Aaron's best seasons home runs at home:
1971 age 37: 31
1973 age 39: 24
1967 age 33: 23
1970 age 36: 23

Aaron's best seasons for AB/HR at home:
1971 age 37: 7.84
1973 age 39: 8.66
1970 age 36: 10.96
1972 age 38: 11.6

Aaron's best seasons home runs on road:
1962 age 28: 27
1957 age 23: 26
1963 age 29: 25
1966 age 32: 23
1969 age 35: 23

Aaron's best seasons for AB/HR on road:
1962 age 28: 11.33
1973 age 39: 11.5
1957 age 23: 11.96
1969 age 35: 12.2

Aaron's total HR by team:
team HR AB AB/HR
MLN 398 7,080 17.789
ATL 335 4,548 13.576
MIL 22 736 33.454

Aaron's home HR by team:
team HR AB AB/HR
MLN 185 3,390 18.324
ATL 190 2,226 11.716
MIL 10 352 35.2

Aaron's road HR by team:
team HR AB AB/HR
MLN 213 3,690 17.324
ATL 145 2,322 16.014
MIL 12 384 32

Clearly Aaron benefited from playing his home games in Atlanta from 1966 through 1974. In 7 of those 9 seasons his AB/HR was better at home and in the other two seasons the road advantage was very small.

Just as clearly Aaron if not actually improving with age certainly performed very well late in his career.

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