Tuesday, September 13, 2022

8 more games for Ruth, Ruth, Wilson, Foxx, Greenberg? At least 56 Home Runs before 1961.

I've been writing about Roger Maris getting 8 more games than Babe Ruth to break Ruth's season Home Run (HR) record by one. Actually, Maris got 9 more games: 

Roger Maris hit #61 in team game 163, not 162. Only 60 in first 162 games. Wednesday, September 7, 2022

In 1961 not only did Roger Maris not reach 60 Home Runs (HR) in his team's first 154 games, Maris did not reach 61 HR in his team's first 162 games. Maris hit 60 HR in his team's first 162 games.

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Teams tended to play tie games way back and even in 1961. Had Ruth and three others had a 162 game schedule like Maris did, they might have hit more than 61 HR. Then Maris would not have broken their records. And all this without dealing with Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED), including steroids.

Below is a table with seasons of four players who hit at least 56 HR in the 154 game schedule before the American League expanded from 8 to 10 teams in 1961, introducing the 162 game schedule, which is 5.2% more games.

5.2% of 60 HR = 3 HR

RkPlayerSeasonAgeHRABAB/HRTeamLgTGGdifRPAH1B2B3BRBISBCSBBSOBAOBPSLGOPSOPS+TBLastSeason
1Babe Ruth192732605409.00NYYAL1551514158691192952981657613789.356.486.7721.258225417Ruth1927
2Babe Ruth192126595409.15NYYAL1531521177693204854416168171314581.378.512.8461.359239457Ruth1921
3Jimmie Foxx1932245858510.09PHAAL15415401517022131133391693711696.364.469.7491.218207438Roxx1932
3Hank Greenberg193827585569.59DETAL1551550143681175902341477511992.315.438.6831.122169380Greenberg1938
5Hack Wilson1930305658510.45CHCNL15615511467092081113561913310584.356.454.7231.177177423Wilson1930

TG: team games

G: player games

Hack Wilson played 155 of his Cubs 156 games in 1930. With 8 more games, including two ties, the Cubs would have played 164 games. Wilson probably would not have reached 60 but you never know.

Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg each hit 58 HR. With 8 more games, they might have hit the two they needed to tie Babe Ruth at 60.

Finally, Babe Ruth had two of the five seasons above, the two top seasons in HR. Foxx and Greenberg might well have been chasing a number higher than 60.

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