Home run

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Mark McGwire hitting career homer # 564 on July 14, 2001.

In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play. Today, the feat is typically achieved by hitting the ball over the outfield fence between the foul poles (or making contact with either foul pole) without first touching the ground or outfield fence, resulting in an automatic home run.

When a home run is scored, the batter is also credited with a hit and a run scored, and an RBI for each runner that scores, including himself. Likewise, the pitcher is recorded as having given up a hit, a run for each runner that scores including the batter, and an earned run each for the batter and for all baserunners who did not initially reach base on error.

Home runs are among the most popular aspects of baseball and, as a result, prolific home run hitters are usually the most popular among fans and consequently the highest paid by teams, hence the old saying, variously attributed to slugger Ralph Kiner, or to a teammate talking about Kiner, "Home run hitters drive Cadillacs, and singles hitters drive Fords."[1]

[edit] Types of home runs

[edit] Outside the park

The most common type of home run involves hitting the ball over the outfield fence, in flight, in fair territory, i.e., out of the playing field, without it being caught or deflected back by an outfielder into the playing field. This is sometimes called a home run "out of the ballpark", although that term is frequently used to indicate a blow that completely clears any outfield seating.

A batted ball is also considered a home run if the ball touches any of the following while in flight, regardless of whether the ball subsequently rebounds back onto the playing field:

• Foul pole or attached screen
• Glove, hat, or any equipment or apparel deliberately thrown by a fielder in an attempt to stop or deflect a fair ball that, in the umpires' judgment, would have otherwise been a home run ^[1].
• Any fixed object where a particular ballpark's ground rules specifically state that a batted ball striking that object is a home run. This usually applies to objects such as ladders, scoreboard supports, etc. which are beyond the outfield fence in fair territory, but are located such that it is difficult for an umpire to quickly judge their position in relation to the field from several hundred feet away.

A home run accomplished in any of the above manners is an automatic home run. The ball is considered dead, and the batter and any preceding runners cannot be put out at any time while running the bases. However, if one or more runners fail to touch a base or one runner passes another before reaching home plate, that runner or runners can be called out on appeal per MLB Rule 7.10(b)^[2].

[edit] Inside-the-park home run

Main article: Inside-the-park home run

An inside-the-park home run occurs when a batter hits the ball into play and is able to circle the bases before the fielders can put him out. Unlike with an outside-the-park home run, the batter-runner and all preceding runners are liable to be put out by the defensive team at any time while running the bases.

In the early days of baseball, outfields were relatively much more spacious, reducing the likelihood of an over-the-fence home run, while increasing the likelihood of an inside-the-park home run, as a ball getting past an outfielder typically had more distance that it could roll before a fielder could track it down.

With outfields much less spacious and more uniformly designed than in the game's early days, inside-the-park home runs are now a rarity. They are usually the result of a ball being hit by a fast runner, coupled with an outfielder either misjudging the flight of the ball (e.g., diving and missing) or the ball taking an unexpected bounce, either way sending the ball into open space in the outfield and thereby allowing the batter-runner to circle the bases before the defensive team can put him out.

If any defensive play on an inside-the-park home run is labeled an error by the official scorer, a home run is not scored; instead, it is scored as a single, double, etc., and the batter-runner and any applicable preceding runners are said to have taken all additional bases on error. All runs scored on such a play, however, still count.

An example of a diving miss was committed by Torii Hunter of the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the 2006 ALDS vs. the Oakland Athletics at the Metrodome. He came in on a fly ball hit by Mark Kotsay, dove and completely missed the ball. It rolled behind him toward the center field area, with a fence 408 feet from home plate, while Kotsay dashed around the bases.

An example of an unexpected bounce occurred during the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 10, 2007. Ichiro Suzuki of the American League team hit a fly ball off the right-center field wall, which caromed in the opposite direction from where National League right fielder Ken Griffey, Jr. was expecting it to go. By the time the ball was relayed, Ichiro had already crossed the plate standing up. This was the first inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history, and led to Ichiro being named the game's MVP.

The most famous post-season inside the park home run was probably the one hit by Mule Haas of the Philadelphia Athletics in Game 4 of the 1929 World Series at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. In the eighth inning, the Cubs led 8-0 and were six outs away from bringing the Series to a 2-2 tie, until disaster struck. The late afternoon, autumn sun angle at Shibe tended to be almost directly in the eyes of the center fielder. This fact, along with a center field corner that was about 470 feet (143 m) from home plate, caught up to Chicago Cubs center fielder Hack Wilson, who lost Haas' fly ball in the sun. It sailed past Wilson, allowing Haas to round the bases while the short and chunky Wilson futilely chased after it. This punctuated a 10-run inning that effectively doomed the Cubs in that Series.

[edit] Specific situation home runs

These types of home runs are characterized by the specific game situation in which they occur, and can theoretically occur on either an outside-the-park or inside-the-park home run.

[edit] Grand slam

Main article: Grand slam (baseball)

Home runs are often characterized by the number of runners on base at the time, if any. A home run hit with the bases empty is seldom called a "one-run homer", but rather a "solo" homer. With one or two runners on base, the home runs are usually called "two-run homers" or "three-run homers". The term "four-run homer" is seldom used. Instead, it is nearly always called a "grand slam".

A grand slam occurs when the bases are "loaded" (that is, there are base runners standing at first, second, and third base) and the batter hits a home run. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge. An inside-the-park grand slam is a grand slam without the ball leaving the field, and it is very rare.

An ultimate grand slam is a grand slam that is hit by a member of the home team in the bottom of the ninth inning, extra inning, or other scheduled final inning when his team is behind by exactly 3 runs. The four runs scored by hitting the grand slam end the game (see also walk-off home run below).

[edit] Walk-off home run

Main article: Walk-off home run

A walk-off home run is a home run hit by the home team in the bottom of the ninth inning, any extra inning, or other scheduled final inning, which gives the home team the lead and thereby ends the game. The term is attributed to Hall of Fame relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley^[3], so named because after the run is scored, the players can "walk off" the field. The name initially meant that the pitcher walked off the field with his head hung in shame, but changed over time to mean that the batter, by necessity of the home team, would walk off the field to the cheers of the crowd.^{[citation needed]} An ultimate grand slam is a specific type of walk-off home run (see grand slam above). This type of home run is also called "sayonara home run," "sayonara" meaning "good-bye" in Japanese.

Two World Series have ended via the "walk-off" home run. The first was the 1960 World Series when Bill Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a 9th inning solo home run in the 7th game of the series off New York Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry to give the Pirates the World Championship. The second time was the 1993 World Series when Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays hit a 9th inning 3-run home run off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the series.

On July 25, 1956, Roberto Clemente hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam in the ninth inning to defeat the Chicago Cubs, 9-8, at Forbes Field. This is an example of an ultimate grand slam. Forbes had very spacious left and center fields, deep left-center being posted at 457 feet (139 m).

On October 14, 2006, Magglio Ordóñez hit a walk-off home run in the last inning of the American League Championship Series, Game 4, breaking a 3-3 tie against the Oakland Athletics and securing the Detroit Tigers' World Series berth with a 6-3 win.

In addition to the two World Series walk-offs, plus Ordonez's 2006 ALCS walk-off, five other postseason series have ended likewise: 1976 ALCS (Yankee Chris Chambliss beats Royals), 1999 NLDS (Met Todd Pratt beats Diamondbacks), 2003 ALCS (Yankee Aaron Boone beats Red Sox), 2004 ALDS (Red Sox David Ortiz beats Angels), and 2005 NLDS (Astro Chris Burke beats Braves in postseason-record 18 innings). From 1960 to 1999, 4 postseason series ended via the walk-off, whereas a series in each of the last 4 postseasons (through 2006) ended likewise. The only type of postseason series still to never conclude with a home run is the NLCS.

Such a home run can also be called a "sudden death" or "sudden victory" home run. That usage has lessened as "walk-off home run" has gained favor. Along with Mazeroski's 1960 shot, the most famous walk-off or sudden-death homer would probably be the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" hit by Bobby Thomson to win the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants.

[edit] Back-to-back

When two consecutive batters each hit a home run, this is described as back-to-back home runs. It is still considered back-to-back even if both batters hit their home runs off of different pitchers. A third batter hitting a home run is commonly referred to as back-to-back-to-back, although at that point the anatomical analogy no longer works. Four home runs in a row by consecutive batters has only occurred five times in the history of Major League Baseball. Following convention, this is called back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Twice it has happened against one pitcher, most recently by the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees on April 22, 2007 in Fenway Park. Manny Ramírez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek all hit home runs against Chase Wright consecutively.^[4]

Simple back-to-back home runs are a relatively frequent occurrence. If a pitcher gives up a homer, he might have his concentration broken, and might alter his normal approach in an attempt to "make up for it" by striking out the next batter with some fastballs. Sometimes the next batter will be expecting that, and will capitalize on it. A notable back-to-back home run of that type in World Series play involved "Babe Ruth's called shot" in 1932, which was accompanied by various Ruthian theatrics, yet the pitcher, Charlie Root, was allowed to stay in the game. He delivered just one more pitch, which Lou Gehrig drilled out of the park for a back-to-back shot, after which Root was removed from the game.

In Game 3 of the 1976 NLCS, George Foster and Johnny Bench hit back-to-back homers in the last of the ninth off Ron Reed to tie the game. The Series-winning run was scored later in the inning.

Another notable pair of back-to-back home runs occurred on September 14, 1990, when Ken Griffey, Sr. and Ken Griffey, Jr. hit back-to-back home runs, off Kirk McCaskill, the only father-and-son duo to do so in Major League history.

[edit] Home run cycle

Main article: Hitting for the cycle

An offshoot of hitting for the cycle, a "home run cycle" is where a player hits a 1-run, 2-run, 3-run, and grand slam home run all in one game. This is an extremely rare feat, as it requires the batter to not only hit four home runs in a game (which itself has only occurred 15 times in the Major Leagues^[5]), but also to hit those home runs with the specific number of runners already on base. Although it is a rare accomplishment, it is largely dependent on circumstances outside the player's control, such as his preceding teammates' ability to get on base, as well as the order in which he comes to bat in any particular inning.

Though multiple home run cycles have been recorded in collegiate baseball,^[6][7] the only home run cycle in a professional baseball game belongs to Tyrone Horne, who stroked four long balls for the minor league, Double-A Arkansas Travelers in a game against the San Antonio Missions on July 27, 1998.^[8] A major league player has come close to hitting for the home run cycle twice. The first was on April 26, 2005 when Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees hit 3 home runs off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Bartolo Colón.^[9] Rodriguez hit a 3-run home run, 2-run home run, and a grand slam in the first, third, and fourth innings, respectively. He later, in the bottom of the eighth inning, just missed a solo home run, lining out to Jeff DaVanon in deep center field.^[10]. The second was on May 16, 2008 when Jayson Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies hit 3 home runs off Toronto Blue Jays pitchers David Purcey and Jesse Litsch. Werth hit a 3-run home run, a grand slam, and a solo home run in the second, third, and fifth innings, respectively.

[edit] History of the home run

Graph depicting the yearly number of home runs per MLB game (blue line)

In the early days of the game, when the ball was less lively and the ballparks generally had very large outfields, most home runs were of the inside-the-park variety. The first home run ever hit in the National League was by Ross Barnes of the Chicago White Stockings (now known as the Chicago Cubs), in 1876. The home "run" was literally descriptive. Home runs over the fence were rare, and only in ballparks where a fence was fairly close. Hitters were discouraged from trying to hit home runs, with the conventional wisdom being that if they tried to do so they would simply fly out. This was a serious concern in the 19th century, because in baseball's early days a ball caught after one bounce was still an out. The emphasis was on place-hitting and what is now called "manufacturing runs" or "small ball".

The home run's place in baseball changed dramatically when the live-ball era began after World War I. First, the materials and manufacturing processes improved significantly, making the ball somewhat more lively. Batters such as Babe Ruth and Rogers Hornsby took full advantage of rules changes that were instituted during the 1920s, particularly prohibition of the spitball, and the requirement that balls be replaced when worn or dirty. Along with the baseball being easier to see and capable of being hit farther, as the game's popularity boomed more outfield seating was built, shrinking the size of the outfield and increasing the chances of a long fly ball resulting in a home run. The teams with the sluggers, typified by the New York Yankees, became the championship teams, and other teams had to change their focus from the "inside game" to the "power game" in order to keep up.

Prior to 1931, a ball that bounced over an outfield fence during a major league game was considered a home run. The rule was changed to require the ball to clear the fence on the fly, and balls that reached the seats on a bounce became ground rule doubles in most parks. A carryover of the old rule is that if a player deflects a ball over the outfield fence without it touching the ground, it is a home run.

Polo Grounds foul line with guide rope.

Also, until approximately that time, the ball had to not only go over the fence in fair territory, but to land in the bleachers in fair territory or to still be visibly fair when disappearing behind a wall. The rule stipulated "fair when last seen" by the umpires. Photos from that era in ballparks, such as the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium, show ropes strung from the foul poles to the back of the bleachers, or a second "foul pole" at the back of the bleachers, in a straight line with the foul line, as a visual aid for the umpire. Ballparks still use a visual aid much like the ropes; a net or screen attached to the foul poles on the fair side has replaced ropes. As with American football, where a touchdown once required a literal "touch down" of the ball in the end zone but now only requires the "breaking of the [vertical] plane" of the goal line, in baseball the ball need only "break the plane" of the fence in fair territory (unless the balls is caught by a player who is in play, in which case the batter is called out).

Babe Ruth's 60th home run in 1927 was somewhat controversial, because it landed barely in fair territory in the stands down the right field line. Ruth lost a number of home runs in his career due to the when-last-seen rule. Bill Jenkinson, in The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs, estimates that Ruth lost at least 50 and as many as 78 in his career due to this rule.

Further, the rules once stipulated that an over-the-fence home run in a sudden-victory situation would only count for as many bases as was necessary to "force" the winning run home. For example, if a team trailed by two runs with the bases loaded, and the batter hit a fair ball over the fence, it only counted as a triple, because the runner immediately ahead of him had technically already scored the game-winning run. That rule was changed in the 1920s as home runs became increasingly frequent and popular. Babe Ruth's career total of 714 would have been one higher had that rule not been in effect in the early part of his career.

The all-time, verified professional baseball record for home runs is held by Sadaharu Oh, a former player and manager of the Yomiuri Giants and current manager of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan's league which is called Nippon Professional Baseball. Oh holds the all-time home run world record, having hit 868 home runs in his career.

In Major League Baseball, the record is 762, held by Barry Bonds, who broke Hank Aaron's record on August 7, 2007, when he hit his 756th home run at AT&T Park. Only five other major league players have hit as many as 600: Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660), Sammy Sosa (609), and Ken Griffey, Jr. (600 and counting). The single season record is 73, set by Barry Bonds in 2001.

Negro League slugger Josh Gibson's Baseball Hall of Fame plaque says he hit "almost 800" home runs in his career. The Guinness Book of World Records lists Gibson's lifetime home run total at 800. Gibson's true total is not known, in part due to inconsistent record keeping in the Negro Leagues. The 1993 edition of the MacMillan Baseball Encyclopedia attempted to compile a set of Negro League records, and subsequent work has expanded on that effort. Those records demonstrate that Gibson and Ruth were of comparable power. The 1993 book had Gibson hitting 146 home runs in the 501 "official" Negro League games they were able to account for in his 17-year career, about 1 homer every 3.4 games. Babe Ruth, in 22 seasons (several of them in the dead-ball era), hit 714 in 2503 games, or 1 homer every 3.5 games. The large gap in the numbers for Gibson reflect the fact that Negro League clubs played relatively far fewer league games and many more "barnstorming" or exhibition games during the course of a season, than did the major league clubs of that era.

Other legendary home run hitters include Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle (who on September 10, 1960, mythically hit "the longest home run ever" at an estimated distance of 643 feet (196 m), although this was measured after the ball stopped rolling [2]), Reggie Jackson, Harmon Killebrew, Ernie Banks, Mike Schmidt, Dave Kingman, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Eddie Mathews. The longest verifiable home run distance is about 575 feet (175 m), by Babe Ruth, to straightaway center field at Tiger Stadium (then called Navin Field and prior to the double-deck), which landed nearly across the intersection of Trumbull and Cherry.

The location of where Hank Aaron's record 755th home run landed has been monumented in Milwaukee. [3] The hallowed spot sits outside Miller Park, where the Milwaukee Brewers currently play. Similarly, the point where Aaron's 715th homer landed, upon breaking Ruth's career record in 1974, is marked in the Turner Field parking lot.

Frame-by-frame of "Babe Ruth's called shot" homer. The archetypal "uppercut" swing, and using body weight stepping into the pitch to optimize momentum.

[edit] Home run slang

This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Slang terms for home runs include: big fly, blast, bomb, circuit clout, dinger, ding-dong, dong, four-bagger, four-base knock, goner, gopher ball, homer, jack, long ball, moonshot, quadruple, round-tripper, shot, slam, swat, tape-measure shot, tater, and wallop. The act of hitting a home run can be called going deep or going yard or going home; additionally, with men on base, it can be called clearing the table. A comparatively long home run can be described as Ruthian, named after Babe Ruth's legendary drives. The act of attempting to hit a home run, whether successful or not, can also be termed swinging for the fences. A game with many home runs in it can be referred to as a slugfest or home run derby. A player who hits a home run is said to have "dialed 8", from the practice of having to dial 8 from a hotel room telephone to dial long distance. A grand slam is often referred to as a grand salami or simply, a salami.

Player nicknames that describe home run-hitting prowess include:

• The Sultan of Swat, the Colossus of Clout, the Wali of Wallop (Babe Ruth)
• The Crown Prince of Swat (Lou Gehrig, a play on Ruth's nickname)
• The Rajah of Swat (Rogers Hornsby, a play on Ruth's nickname, as well as his own name)
• Hammerin' Hank Greenberg
• Hammerin' Hank, The Hammer, The New Sultan of Swat (Hank Aaron)
• Hammerin' Hank, Homerin' Hank, and The Hammer (Hank Blalock)
• Mr. Home Run (Ralph Kiner)
• Downtown (Ollie Brown)
• Kong (Dave Kingman)
• Frank "Home Run" Baker
• The Bash Brothers (Mark McGwire and José Canseco)
• Slammin' Sammy (Sammy Sosa), a play on golfer "Slammin' Sammy" Snead, also known for long drives
• The Killer (Harmon Killebrew)
• Bye-Bye (Steve Balboni)
• Juan Gone (Juan Gonzalez), as in "long gone"
• Murderers' Row (the 1927 New York Yankees lineup)
• The Blake Street Bombers (Colorado Rockies hitters of the 90s)
• Bill "Swish" Nicholson, imitative of his home run swing
• Vlad the Impaler (Vladimir Guerrero)
• The Big Hurt (Frank Thomas)

[edit] Progression of the Major League Baseball single-season home run record

Four baseball bats that were used in setting single-season home run records. From left to right: bat used by Babe Ruth to hit his 60th home run during the 1927 season, bat used by Roger Maris to hit his 61st home run during the 1961 season, bat used by Mark McGwire to hit his 70th home run during the 1998 season, and the bat used by Sammy Sosa for his 66th home run during the same season.

5, by George Hall, Philadelphia Athletics (NL), 1876 (70 game schedule)

9, by Charley Jones, Boston Red Stockings (NL), 1879 (84 game schedule)

14, by Harry Stovey, Philadelphia Athletics (AA), 1883 (98 game schedule)

27, by Ned Williamson, Chicago White Stockings (NL), 1884 (112 game schedule)

Williamson benefited from a very short outfield fence in his home ballpark, Lakeshore Park. During the park's previous years, balls hit over the fence in that park were ground-rule doubles, but in 1884 (its final year) they were credited as home runs. Williamson led the pace, but several of his Chicago teammates also topped the 20 HR mark that season. Of Williamson's total, 25 were hit at home, and only 2 on the road. Noticing the fluke involved, fans of the early 20th century were more impressed with Buck Freeman's total of 25 home runs in 1899 or Gavvy Cravath's 1915 total of 24.

29, by Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox (AL), 1919 (140 game schedule)

Even with that relatively small quantity, and still pitching part-time, Ruth alone hit more home runs than did 10 of the 15 other major league clubs. The second-highest individual total was 12, by Gavvy Cravath of the Philadelphia Phillies. Ruth homered in every park in the league, the first time anyone had achieved that distinction. Ruth was a pitcher by trade, and the ultimate exception to the axiom that pitchers can't hit. Ruth had led the league with 11 in 1918, despite playing only 95 games, and still in the "dead-ball" era. By 1919, after the War, the materials for baseballs began to improve and became naturally "livelier".

54, Babe Ruth, New York Yankees (AL), 1920 (154 game schedule)

Ruth hit just a few more home runs on the road (26) than he had the previous year (20), but he hit far more (29) in the Polo Grounds in New York (where the Yankees played at the time) than he had in Fenway Park (9) in Boston the year before, as he took full advantage of the nearby right field wall, although he also hit many long drives at the Polo Grounds. Of the other 15 major league clubs, only the Philadelphia Phillies exceeded Ruth's single-handed total, hitting 64 in their bandbox ballpark Baker Bowl. The second-highest individual total was the St. Louis Browns' George Sisler's 19. Ruth's major-league record slugging percentage (total bases / at bats) of .847 stood for the next 80 years.

59, by Ruth, New York (AL), 1921 (154 game schedule)

Ruth's slugging percentage was just .001 less than his record-setting average the previous year.

60, by Ruth, New York (AL), 1927 (154 game schedule)

Ruth hit more home runs in 1927 than any of the other seven American League teams. His closest rival was his teammate Lou Gehrig, who hit 47 homers that year.

61, by Roger Maris, New York (AL), 1961 (162 game schedule)

Pushing Maris that year was teammate Mickey Mantle; slowed by an injury late in the season, Mantle finished with 54. With the season being 8 games longer than in previous years -- leading to the suggestion that that official record keepers place an "asterisk" next to the record, many observers derided this situation as a major public relations gaffe by major league baseball.

70, by Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals (NL), 1998 (162 game schedule)

After an epic battle between McGwire and Ken Griffey, Jr., who both got into the 50s in 1997, many expected the two to take on Maris in 1998. However, the player that competed for the record with McGwire in 1998 was Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs, who propelled himself into the race with a record-setting 20 home runs that June. He would finish with 66 that season and actually led McGwire for approximately 45 minutes after hitting his 66th, until McGwire hit his own 66th, and four more in his final three games of the season. McGwire broke the old records in 144 games - fewer than even the old 154 game season. That removed season-length as a source of "asterisk" controversy, but McGwire's connection to the steroid scandal introduced a new call for asterisks on this and other records set in this era.^[11]

73, by Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants (NL), 2001 (162 game schedule)

In part due to 9/11 terrorist attacks, the then-recently set record of only three years by McGwire, and Bonds' poor relationship with the media and some fans, Bonds' record setting was not as publicized as the previous chases. Bonds was initially chased closely by Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs and Luis Gonzalez of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Gonzalez faded late and finished with 57, while Sosa finished closer with 64 to become the first player to exceed 60 home runs in three separate seasons. McGwire was not a factor, in his final major season, with the injuries that had plagued him for much of his career finally taking their toll, although he still hit at a pace that would have put him near 50 if he had played a full season. Bonds' slugging percentage of .863 broke the major league record set by Ruth in 1920. As happened with McGwire's record, Bonds' connection to the steroid scandal resulted in further calls for asterisks on this and other records set in this era.^[11]

Past single-season home run record holders by average home runs per game:
Number of home runs in the season divided by number of games in schedule (not games played)

0.45 Barry Bonds

0.43 Mark McGwire

0.39 Babe Ruth (1)

0.383 Babe Ruth (2)

0.377 Roger Maris

0.35 Babe Ruth (3)

0.24 Ned Williamson

0.20 Babe Ruth (4)

0.14 Harry Stovey

0.10 Charley Jones

0.07 George Hall

Selected list of pitchers giving up record-breaking home runs:

• 1883 - Jack Neagle, Allegheny Club of Pittsburg^[sic] - Harry Stovey's 10th of the season
• 1919 - Waite Hoyt, New York Yankees - Babe Ruth's 28th of the season
• 1920 - Dickie Kerr, Chicago White Sox - Babe Ruth's 30th of the season
• 1921 - Bill Bayne, St. Louis Browns - Babe Ruth's 55th of the season
• 1927 - Tom Zachary, Washington Nats/Senators - Babe Ruth's 60th of the season
• 1961 - Tracy Stallard, Boston Red Sox - Roger Maris' 61st of the season
• 1974 - Al Downing, Los Angeles Dodgers - Hank Aaron's 715th of his career
• 1998 - Steve Trachsel, Chicago Cubs - Mark McGwire's 62nd of the season
• 2001 - Chan Ho Park, Los Angeles Dodgers - Barry Bonds' 71st of the season
• 2007 - Mike Bacsik, Washington Nationals - Barry Bonds' 756 Career

This includes only the home runs that broke a record set in a previous year, not home runs that extended a record within the same year.

[edit] Instant replay

In November 2007, the general managers of Major League Baseball voted in favor of implementing instant replay reviews on boundary home run calls^[12]. The proposal limited the use of instant replay to determining whether a boundary home run call is:

• A fair (home run) or foul ball
• A live ball (ball hit fence and rebounded onto the field), ground rule double (ball hit fence before leaving the field), or home run (ball hit some object beyond the fence while in flight)
• Spectator interference or home run (spectator touched ball after it broke the plane of the fence).

Though the proposal had been mulled for some time, the vote came on the heels of two boundary calls in key games during the 2007 season:

• In the National League Wild Card tiebreaker game on October 1, Garrett Atkins of the Colorado Rockies hit a long fly ball that appeared to bounce off the top of the left field fence at Coors Field and rebounded back onto the field. The umpires ruled a live ball, and Atkins was credited with a double. When the play concluded, Atkins and Colorado manager Clint Hurdle argued the ball rebounded off a spectator area beyond the outfield fence and was therefore a home run. After a conference among the umpires, the ruling on the field was upheld.
• A similar play occurred on October 18 during Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, when Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox hit a fly ball that appeared to bounce off the top of the center field fence at Jacobs Field and rebounded back onto the field. As with the Atkins play, the umpires ruled a live ball, but Ramirez, not running at full speed because he thought the ball was a home run, was only credited with a single. Ramirez argued his case, but the ruling on the field was upheld.

In both cases, television replays were inconclusive, and there would have been no guarantee that the calls would have been overturned with instant replay review. Ultimately, the arguments in both cases became irrelevant, as Colorado and Boston went on to win their respective games; however, they did serve to re-ignite the debate over whether to introduce instant replay review in baseball.

Despite the general managers' vote, and despite some boundary calls in the 2008 season where television replays showed the umpires' ruling was incorrect (including two at Yankee Stadium less than a week apart), the proposal so far remains merely a proposal. It would require the approval of the MLB Players Association, World Umpires Association, the Commissioner of Baseball, and possibly the team owners, before such a measure could be implemented.

Such a move could also require extra cameras, especially for ballparks (such as Wrigley Field) which lack structures behind the foul poles that can aid in judging high flies that approach the foul poles.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• 61*, a 2001 made-for-TV baseball movie chronicling Maris' 1961 season
• List of home run calls in baseball
• Home Run Derby

[edit] External links

• MLB's Home Run Leaders - batting statistics for over 16,000 players

[edit] Career achievement list

• List of lifetime home run leaders through history
• Major League Baseball home run milestones
• 500 home run club
• List of top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters
• All-Time leaders in home runs for a pitcher
• Home run in first major league at bat
• Home run in final at-bat
• List of top home run hitters by birthplace

[edit] Single game or season achievements

Batters hitting two home runs in one inning: Accomplished close to 50 times in the course of major league history. Special mention for Nomar Garciaparra, who hit two in the third inning and one in the fourth inning, in the first game on July 23, 2002 -- the only player (through 2007) to hit three homers over two consecutive innings. Also notable was Fernando Tatis, who hit two grand slams off of Chan Ho Park in a single inning

Most home runs in a doubleheader: Stan Musial hit 5 on May 2, 1954. Nate Colbert equalled the feat on August 1, 1972.

• MLB hitters with four home runs in one game
• MLB hitters with three home runs in one game
• Batters with two grand slams in the same baseball game
• Players who have hit 30 or more home runs before the All-Star break