Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Can 2014 Yankee outfielders beat Maris: 61?

In 1961 Roger Maris hit 61 home runs.  He broke the season record of 60 set by Babe Ruth in 1927.  Can the 2014 Yankee outfielders hit at least as many homers as Maris hit by himself in 1961?  81 games would be half a season.

Maris made out in his only pinch hitting plate appearance in 1961.  He hit 56 homers playing right and 5 playing center.


Roger Maris and President John F. Kennedy
by Mglovesfun from Wikimedia Commons
Those six players have 19 homers after 86 Yankee games.  Ellsbury hit one in game 87 that is not included below.  But they have not played in the outfield exclusively.  Here are their numbers for the outfield.


HRAB
Beltran391
Gardner8107
Soriano3117
Ellsbury4313
Almonte114
Suzuki0163
Total19805

That's one homer every 42 at bats.  I may be missing some AB for others but I don't think it would change this much.  It's pretty sad, especially for the Yankees.

In Yankee game 86 on July 15, 1961 the Yankees won 9-8 in ten innings in Chicago.  Maris hit a double, triple and homer (number 35).

Maris had 590 AB for the entire season.  How the mighty have fallen.

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