9. 1961 Home Run rates: Maris breaks HR record ... in expansion year.

Babe Ruth held the season home run record from 1919 through 1960.

AB: At Bats

HR: Home Runs
MLB: Major League Baseball: both American League and National League
Home Run Rate: AB/HR (lower is better)
N: number of MLB teams that season
Top home run hitters: N hitters with the most HR, plus any ties at the bottom
Home Run Rate MLB: for N hitters: total AB / total HR
Home Run Rate hitters: AB/HR
Dif: Home Run Rate hitter - Home Run Rate MLB
PctDif: Dif/Home Run Rate MLB
HR#: rank among N hitters for HR
PctDif#: rank among N hitters for PctDif

Hitters are ranked by relative position: 1, 2, 3, ... Ties would have the same number and then rank number would resume. For example, if four players are tied at third place: 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 7, 8, ...

In 1961 the American League (AL) expanded from 8 to 10 teams for a total of 18 MLB teams.Yankee teammates Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle had a home run race to break Ruth's record of 60 home runs. Maris won 61 to 54. But Mantle beat Maris in PctDif. Maris had 590 AB, Mantle 514.

qryHomeRunsTopNyearPctDif

yearID	nameFirst	nameLast	PctDif	PctDif#	HR#	HR	AB	P_AB/HR	Group_ AB/HR	Dif	franchID	teamID	lgID
1961	Mickey	Mantle	32.82%	1	2	54	514	9.518518	14.17	4.65	NYY	NYA	AL
1961	Roger	Maris	31.74%	2	1	61	590	9.672132	14.17	4.50	NYY	NYA	AL
1961	Jim	Gentile	25.43%	3	3	46	486	10.56522	14.17	3.60	BAL	BAL	AL
1961	Harmon	Killebrew	16.99%	4	3	46	541	11.76087	14.17	2.41	MIN	MIN	AL
1961	Orlando	Cepeda	10.24%	5	3	46	585	12.71739	14.17	1.45	SFG	SFN	NL
1961	Rocky	Colavito	8.56%	6	6	45	583	12.95556	14.17	1.21	DET	DET	AL
1961	Norm	Cash	7.90%	7	7	41	535	13.04878	14.17	1.12	DET	DET	AL
1961	Willie	Mays	-0.93%	8	8	40	572	14.3	14.17	-0.13	SFG	SFN	NL
1961	Frank	Robinson	-3.96%	9	9	37	545	14.72973	14.17	-0.56	CIN	CIN	NL
1961	Dick	Stuart	-7.28%	10	10	35	532	15.2	14.17	-1.03	PIT	PIT	NL
1961	Joe	Adcock	-13.33%	11	10	35	562	16.05714	14.17	-1.89	ATL	ML1	NL
1961	Leon	Wagner	-14.19%	12	16	28	453	16.17857	14.17	-2.01	ANA	LAA	AL
1961	Ernie	Banks	-24.36%	13	14	29	511	17.62069	14.17	-3.45	CHC	CHN	NL
1961	Hank	Aaron	-25.17%	14	12	34	603	17.73529	14.17	-3.57	ATL	ML1	NL
1961	Eddie	Mathews	-26.16%	15	13	32	572	17.875	14.17	-3.71	ATL	ML1	NL
1961	Al	Smith	-34.10%	16	16	28	532	19	14.17	-4.83	CHW	CHA	AL
1961	Bob	Allison	-35.32%	17	14	29	556	19.17241	14.17	-5.00	MIN	MIN	AL
1961	Bill	Skowron	-41.41%	18	16	28	561	20.03572	14.17	-5.87	NYY	NYA	AL