Home Run Stuff
Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 7:22 am
Harmon Killebrew's passing has left me a little verklempt.
For me, the best way to escape missing an icon from the golden decade is to delve into what he did best. Home runs.
Only 25 players have hit 500 home runs. 18 of those, have no links to steroids.
Five of those 25 players have a name starting with 'M'. In fact, they are five of the 18.
Can you name them?
The answer will be at the bottom of the post.
Two current players have hit 500 home runs. Alex Rodriguez and Jim Thome.
Five current players have over 400 home runs.
Guerrero 440
Ch Jones 440
Giambi 416
Pujols 415
An Jones 409
Pujols should break into the 500 club in 2013. The rest will be lucky to still be playing in 2013.
Let's go a little deeper on the list-
There are only 11 current players with even 300 home runs. Here they are-
Paul Konerko 375
Adam Dunn 358
David Ortiz 356
Todd Helton 339
Lance Berkman 338
Carlos Lee 335
Alfonso Soriano 325
Derrek Lee 316
Ivan Rodriguez 311
Scott Rolen 305
Miguel Tejada 301
Most, are well past their prime. Dunn, at 31 could be the only player in this group to still be considered IN his prime, despite a slow start this season.
The days of the 300 game winner are gone. Specialization and pitch counts have derailed 300 wins for even the most elite of pitchers.
Heck, Roy Halladay, the pitcher that is known for complete games, had only won 169 games coming into this season.
Looking at the home run numbers and how pitchers have taken over since the steroid era, I wonder if the 500 home run club may become as exclusive than before the steroid era.
After Pujols entrance into the club, Dunn is really the only player mentioned with better than a 50-50 chance of also hitting 500. After that, there could be a long wait.
What is different now, than when Mays, Aaron, Killebrew, and Mantle were slugging home runs?
Streamlining of pitching staffs, specialization of pitchers. bigger ball parks, sure, they all contribute.
The modern mindset of more contact may be to blame. Hardly anybody swings from their ass anymore.
.
Whatever the reason, the 500 home run club is going to become almost as exclusive as the 300 win club.
It is not a bad thing. Records change with how the game is being played. We can tell our kids and grandkids that we saw Randy Johnson and Albert Pujols join the 300 win and 500 home run clubs.
To them, those numbers may look like what the DiMaggio 56 game hitting streak looks like to us.
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
The five 'M's in the 5oo home run club?
Mays
McCovey
Mantle
Matthews
Murray
For me, the best way to escape missing an icon from the golden decade is to delve into what he did best. Home runs.
Only 25 players have hit 500 home runs. 18 of those, have no links to steroids.
Five of those 25 players have a name starting with 'M'. In fact, they are five of the 18.
Can you name them?
The answer will be at the bottom of the post.
Two current players have hit 500 home runs. Alex Rodriguez and Jim Thome.
Five current players have over 400 home runs.
Guerrero 440
Ch Jones 440
Giambi 416
Pujols 415
An Jones 409
Pujols should break into the 500 club in 2013. The rest will be lucky to still be playing in 2013.
Let's go a little deeper on the list-
There are only 11 current players with even 300 home runs. Here they are-
Paul Konerko 375
Adam Dunn 358
David Ortiz 356
Todd Helton 339
Lance Berkman 338
Carlos Lee 335
Alfonso Soriano 325
Derrek Lee 316
Ivan Rodriguez 311
Scott Rolen 305
Miguel Tejada 301
Most, are well past their prime. Dunn, at 31 could be the only player in this group to still be considered IN his prime, despite a slow start this season.
The days of the 300 game winner are gone. Specialization and pitch counts have derailed 300 wins for even the most elite of pitchers.
Heck, Roy Halladay, the pitcher that is known for complete games, had only won 169 games coming into this season.
Looking at the home run numbers and how pitchers have taken over since the steroid era, I wonder if the 500 home run club may become as exclusive than before the steroid era.
After Pujols entrance into the club, Dunn is really the only player mentioned with better than a 50-50 chance of also hitting 500. After that, there could be a long wait.
What is different now, than when Mays, Aaron, Killebrew, and Mantle were slugging home runs?
Streamlining of pitching staffs, specialization of pitchers. bigger ball parks, sure, they all contribute.
The modern mindset of more contact may be to blame. Hardly anybody swings from their ass anymore.
.
Whatever the reason, the 500 home run club is going to become almost as exclusive as the 300 win club.
It is not a bad thing. Records change with how the game is being played. We can tell our kids and grandkids that we saw Randy Johnson and Albert Pujols join the 300 win and 500 home run clubs.
To them, those numbers may look like what the DiMaggio 56 game hitting streak looks like to us.
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
The five 'M's in the 5oo home run club?
Mays
McCovey
Mantle
Matthews
Murray