Sept. 1, 2007
Giants’ Prince Fielder poised to obliterate home run record
So long, Ruth. So long, Maris. So long, McGwire. So long, Gonzalez.
There is a new single-season home run champion in Major League Baseball, and he’s only 23-years-old. Meet Prince Fielder, and here on Sept. 1, he’s already stroked 67 home runs for the San Francisco Giants. If he keeps this pace, he’ll finish the season with 80 dingers, absolutely destroying the old record. EIGHTY!
Fielder broke into the league in 2004, hitting 11 home runs. He recorded 45 in 2005 but missed much of 2006 with a back injury. This season, his back is fine and his swing is out of this world. Fielder stroked three homers in his first two games and hasn’t looked back -- once going eight straight games with at least one home run. He knocked three out against Milwaukee in mid-June.
Even with Fielder’s heroic hitting, the Giants are merely 67-68, pretty much out of it in the National League West behind the Dodgers (78-57) and Diamondbacks (78-58). The Giants trail in the wild card standings by 10.5 games. So maybe Fielder will get pitches to hit over the next month, which might not have been the case if San Francisco remained in contention for the post-season. Each homer from here on out is a record.
Aside from Fielder, it’s been a pretty typical home run hitting season. Next on the stat leaders list this season is Boston’s Paul Konerko (42), followed by Houston’s Adam LaRoche (41) and Cincinnati’s Brian McCann (41). No one else has reached 40 yet.
Wow. Just wow.
Here is the single-season home run leaders list in Andrew Zarzour’s world (remember, Barry Bond’s 73 and Mark McGwire’s 70 homers never happened here):
Code:
1 Prince Fielder 67 2007
2 Juan Gonzalez 63 1999
3 Sammy Sosa 62 1999
3 Mark McGwire 62 1998
5 Roger Maris 61 1961
6 Babe Ruth 60 1927
7 Babe Ruth 59 1921
8 Barry Bonds 58 2001
8 Mark McGwire 58 1997
10 Barry Bonds 57 2002
10 Manny Ramirez 57 1998
10 Jose Canseco 57 1998
10 Juan Gonzalez 57 2000
Fielder has 133 career homers, so it will be interesting to see where his career numbers end up.
NOTE: Wow. I couldn't resist posting about this. The game created Fielder as a freakin' superstar. He's making less than 400K at this point because he's so new to the league. Anyone else see someone in their dynasty this far and above everyone else in terms of home runs?
Up next, some great news from Phillies land. They are smokin' pretty good, too right now...