Homers

[Guest AG/DC]

At a 15-year low.

"I think it's the bigger stadiums." --- Miguel Cabrera.

"I thiink it's the smaller Cabreras." --- AG/DC

"Teams are starting to get away from trying to just swing hard and hit it out of the park. They're more about getting guys over." --- Torii Hunter

"Teams are starting to get away from trying to just play dumb. They're more about getting hauled on the carpet by Congress. " --- AG/DC

"I can feel the ball being a little softer. I can feel the seams being a little raised and the leather not being as tight." --- Mark Teixeira

"Do I really look that stupid?" --- AG/DC

[soupcan]

When I was a kid, 30 homeruns was a big deal.

It seems like its back to that again which is a good thing.

Its too bad that the single season record is 73 now though, because it becomes one of those records that will never be touched and yet will always be tainted and a big fat reminder.

61 was always such a hallowed mark. 73 just has a bad smell.

[stevejrogers]

soupcan wrote: 61 was always such a hallowed mark. 73 just has a bad smell.

Yeah but that had a bad smell as well 'cause a Yankee held it! =

Sorry, just had to take a swipe at Val there =

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

So, this means that the undetectable steroids and HGH still being used help the pitchers more than the hitters?

Oh, and Baseball Reference has 4640 HR hit in 1997 and 4876 in 2008 (I don't know if yesterday's games are included). 2008's total is down a bit from the peak that lasted from 1999-2001, but the total is not that far off from 96, 98, 02, 05, and 07, which all had somewhere between 4850-5100 dingers. The decline in home runs has been exaggerated quite a bit- we haven't returned to the eighties, when only 3500 were being hit each year, or the 70's when 2500 was the norm. The decline in home runs is so small it might simply be a statistical fluke, but baseball announcers and pundits keep saying we're in the post-steroids era. I think it's silly to say that, and perhaps a bit self-congratulatory from the same people that were very happy to stick their heads in the sand as steroid use exploded.