Ruth did it on hot dogs, beer, and ladies of the night.
Maris did it on nerves, threats, and a hostile press.
McGwire et al did it on steroids and ballparks with shorter walls.
As far as I'm concerned, Maris is still the single season record holder. It's a shame he didn't live long enough to see the asterisk removed.

I was sorry to hear about Hank Aaron's passing. He did it on persistence, work ethic, and threats.

Viva Ruth, Maris, and Aaron.

McGwire and Bonds? For me, a disappointment. And initially, I was thrilled by McGwire. Then I found out he was juiced. Phooey.

Tongue-approaching-cheek, I think they've omitted an important metric..... the cumulative distance of their respective homers.   Kinda like the sign on Hwy. #1 east of Regina showing George Reed's total rushing distance.

That said, as you may have noticed , Chuck, I think some things are best left being discussed.... and discussed....and discussed.... and  zzz-zz-zzz ..... and anyway I don't know enuff to sway anybody's opinion.     On the plus side they were both Yankees!!

Owen, you miss one vital point ; Roger Maris is from the Minnesota/ North Dakota area - he played HOCKEY growing up. As MD/DC would say ,”Ya Gotta love’im!”

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

Since we’re reminiscing about home runs on this day what with Hank Aaron’s passing, I thought I’d throw some grist in the old millstone. Very interesting article concerning the home runs-in-a-season record. I knew about the plate appearances issue but there’s more to it than that.
sabr.org/journal/article/maris...ry-issue/

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Chuck .... my uncle's old neighbor pitched a perfect game with Babe Ruth.  I think there have been fewer than a dozen no-hitters in all major league baseball by combined pitchers.  I'll let the Hangouters see if they can find out the guy who combined with Ruth ...... great story!  Another clue ..... the ball park in Winston-Salem North Carolina is named after this gentleman ..... I think!

re ^^^^^ : John’s post: East Bend, NC native Ernie Shore .....
“His most famous game occurred on June 23, 1917, against the Washington Senators in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. George Herman "Babe" Ruth started the game, walking the first batter, Ray Morgan. As newspaper accounts of the time relate, the short-fused Ruth then engaged in a heated argument with apparently equally short-fused home plate umpire Brick Owens. Owens tossed Ruth out of the game, and the even more enraged Ruth then slugged the umpire a glancing blow before being escorted off the field by a policeman; the catcher, Pinch Thomas, was also ejected. Shore was brought in to pitch, coming in with very few warmup pitches. With a new pitcher and catcher, runner Morgan tried to steal and was thrown out, after which Shore then proceeded to retire the remaining 26 Senators without allowing a baserunner, earning a 4–0 Red Sox win. For many years the game was listed in record books as a "perfect game", though now, officially, it is scored as a combined no-hitter. Following the game, Ruth paid a $100 fine, was suspended for ten games, and issued a public apology for his behavior.” - Wikipedia

(p.s.,, the Winston-Salem ballpark was formerly named after Ernie Shore but has since been changed)

Being a Yankee die hard fan a couple are getting over looked. Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle.
I believe the "the Mick" still holds record for longest home run ever hit. it left Washington Senators ball park landed 575 to 600 feet. The Mick made Maris great that one year. They had to face Mantle if they walked Maris. Kind of like pick your poison. Gehrig could do it all ave. rbi, hr and also batted behind Ruth like Mantle did. All the players mentioned above were in a league of their own. Too bad on Hank, had a great life.

espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/269609...e-fits-in

Interesting article.

quote:

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Originally posted by chuckv97

re ^^^^^ : John’s post: East Bend, NC native Ernie Shore .....
“His most famous game occurred on June 23, 1917, against the Washington Senators in the first game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. George Herman "Babe" Ruth started the game, walking the first batter, Ray Morgan. As newspaper accounts of the time relate, the short-fused Ruth then engaged in a heated argument with apparently equally short-fused home plate umpire Brick Owens. Owens tossed Ruth out of the game, and the even more enraged Ruth then slugged the umpire a glancing blow before being escorted off the field by a policeman; the catcher, Pinch Thomas, was also ejected. Shore was brought in to pitch, coming in with very few warmup pitches. With a new pitcher and catcher, runner Morgan tried to steal and was thrown out, after which Shore then proceeded to retire the remaining 26 Senators without allowing a baserunner, earning a 4–0 Red Sox win. For many years the game was listed in record books as a "perfect game", though now, officially, it is scored as a combined no-hitter. Following the game, Ruth paid a $100 fine, was suspended for ten games, and issued a public apology for his behavior.” - Wikipedia

(p.s.,, the Winston-Salem ballpark was formerly named after Ernie Shore but has since been changed)

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Thanks Chuck!  Ernie Shore lived directly across the street from my uncle in Winston-Salem, NC.  At the time I met Mr.Shore he was the sheriff of Forsyth County.  I had a Rawlings Del Crandell catcher's mitt and Mr. Shore signed it for me, but to be honest I didn't really appreciate who he was at the time.  I think my uncle asked him to sign it.  I wish I still had the glove, but it has been long gone and I am sure the signature wore off of it not much longer after he signed it.

Ruth did not play night games.

You guys are banjo players - and you still don't get it?

Ruth played with a pre-war bat.

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

Ruth did not play night games.

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I've been lead to believe that he did............. just not baseball.  

"Babe Ruth" started out as a pitcher with the Red Sox. During World Series, announcers often mention his pitching records. Someone reporter asked "The Babe's" travelling roommate what it was like. The player's reply was "I live with his suitcase - not him".

There have been so many great players. Aside from where they played, they aren't remembered. My father always thought Honus Wagner was the most accomplished baseball player. There are other outstanding baseball players besides pitchers and home run hitters.
When asked who he considered the most valuable baseball player , Casey Stengel's reply was "the player who can continually make the routine plays". I guess performers like this are valued by managers, and the players getting more press recognition are appreciated more by the general public.

The lady who lived next door to me when I was growing up was a fervid Red Sox fan. When cleaning house she was either listening to country music or listening to a Red Sox game. I never heard her say much about Mickey Mantle. But I often heard her yell "That darn darn Gil McDougald". That Yankee 3rd baseman had cost her beloved Red Sox another game.

quote:

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Originally posted by Richard Hauser

"Babe Ruth" started out as a pitcher with the Red Sox. During World Series, announcers often mention his pitching records. Someone reporter asked "The Babe's" travelling roommate what it was like. The player's reply was "I live with his suitcase - not him".

There have been so many great players. Aside from where they played, they aren't remembered. My father always thought Honus Wagner was the most accomplished baseball player. There are other outstanding baseball players besides pitchers and home run hitters.
When asked who he considered the most valuable baseball player , Casey Stengel's reply was "the player who can continually make the routine plays". I guess performers like this are valued by managers, and the players getting more press recognition are appreciated more by the general public.

The lady who lived next door to me when I was growing up was a fervid Red Sox fan. When cleaning house she was either listening to country music or listening to a Red Sox game. I never heard her say much about Mickey Mantle. But I often heard her yell "That darn darn Gil McDougald". That Yankee 3rd baseman had cost her beloved Red Sox another game.

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Dick, I have mentioned this before, but my aunt that lived with us while I was growing up was good friends with Katie Jackson, Shoeless Joe Jackson's wife.  They lived in a mill village in West Greenville in a nicer house, yet very modest.  Joe had owned and run a liquor store in that end of town.  I accompanied her pretty often when she went to visit Katie.  This was just after Joe had died and there was still quite a bit on his playing memorabilia laying around the house, including "Brown Betsy", his favorite bat.

i can't count the number of times i went to ernie shore field to watch ball games. great ball park,,, the new one is very pretty but don't have that mojo the old had. the smell is still in my head and memories abound. the ballpark was still fairly new when i was going there,,it wasn't built until 1955 and opened in 1956 season. ithink i went for the first time in 1962.
for show and tell when i was in the 5th grade i wrote don cardwell and ask if he would come and tell us about being a big league pitcher.... he was from winston salem. and he answered me back and said he would be glad too.. he called the school and set up a date and called me at home and told me he was coming... blow my mind. i was the coolest kid on the block when we walked in and i introduced my show and tell as don cardwell.... he was so cool ...... at the time he had left the pirates and was pitching for the mets,, and won a world series game in 1969. died in paris france in 2008.... but was a hero of my youth.

here is a  grandstand view of the old southside ball park in winston salem nc ,,, it burned down in 1955 and ernie shore who was sheriff at the time got a drive going to build a new park.  and it didn't take long.  ernie shore field opened in 1956.   

  ernie shore field was in operation until 2010 for the minor leagues,,then the new truist field opened and the wake forest baseball team took over the ernie shore park.  but down through the years the winston salem minor league team was affiliated with Yankees, Cardinals, Red Sox, Cubs, Reds and White Sox.

ernie shore field as i remember it

quote:

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Originally posted by 1935tb-11

 

 

here is a  grandstand view of the old southside ball park in winston salem nc ,,, it burned down in 1955 and ernie shore who was sheriff at the time got a drive going to build a new park.  and it didn't take long.  ernie shore field opened in 1956.   

  ernie shore field was in operation until 2010 for the minor leagues,,then the new truist field opened and the wake forest baseball team took over the ernie shore park.  but down through the years the winston salem minor league team was affiliated with Yankees, Cardinals, Red Sox, Cubs, Reds and White Sox.

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That would have been about the time I met Mr. Shore ....... I was playing Little League baseball at the time and would have put me about 10 years old.

quote:

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Originally posted by 1935tb-11

i can't count the number of times i went to ernie shore field to watch ball games. great ball park,,, the new one is very pretty but don't have that mojo the old had. the smell is still in my head and memories abound. the ballpark was still fairly new when i was going there,,it wasn't built until 1955 and opened in 1956 season. ithink i went for the first time in 1962.
for show and tell when i was in the 5th grade i wrote don cardwell and ask if he would come and tell us about being a big league pitcher.... he was from winston salem. and he answered me back and said he would be glad too.. he called the school and set up a date and called me at home and told me he was coming... blow my mind. i was the coolest kid on the block when we walked in and i introduced my show and tell as don cardwell.... he was so cool ...... at the time he had left the pirates and was pitching for the mets,, and won a world series game in 1969. died in paris france in 2008.... but was a hero of my youth.

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Neat story Terry.  One of my good friends father was National League Rookie of the Year in 1957 as he led the NL in strikeouts for the Phillies ..... Jack Sanford.  H elater played for the SF Giants and I knoe pitched several games in one World Series, against the Yankees I think.  His son told me that in one particular game where he lost something like 1-0, that he never forgot about that game and refused to ever talk about it.  He was a real competitor on the mound.