Lou Gehrig led the league with 41 home runs on his way to becoming the second member of the 400 club. Jimmie Foxx was second with 31. Joe DiMaggio led all rookies with 22, and the Yankees led by Gehrig, Bill Dickey, and DiMaggio led all teams with 166.
Joe Hauser retired this year with 330 career home runs, currently in third place. His season high in home runs was 34 during his rookie season, but hit more than 30 home runs 4 times, and more than 20 home runs 9 times during his 15 year career. Hauser was one of the better players in the game, and despite having his career cut short due to injury, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. His real life career was much different, hitting just 80 homers in 6 seasons, with a career high of 27. Despite having a lackluster pro career, Hauser was a minor league star, and was the first player to hit more than 60 home runs in a season twice, 63 in 1930 and 69 in 1933. (I love seeing guys like this, getting a chance in the majors and doing well)
Rogers Hornsby also retired with 305 home runs, in fifth place on the career home run list. After 22 years playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Hornsby was also elected to the Hall of Fame. His season high was 37 home runs in 1922, and hit more than 20 homers in a year seven times. In real life Hornsby was also a Hall of Famer, playing 23 years for 5 teams. He finished with 301 home runs, which is one of the closest between real-life and the game, especially after 20 plus seasons. His season high was 42 in real-life, and had two other years with 39, but after 1931 never hit more than 3 in a season, compared to four seasons with 10 or more in the game.
Harry "Slug" Heilmann retired with 187 home runs, in 16th place on the career list after 22 seasons. His season high was 19 homers in 1929. Another dual Hall of Famer, Heilmann hit 183 homers in real life, off by 4 like Hornsby. His real life high was 21. Despite his Hall of Fame career, Heilmann should drop off the career top 20 shortly.
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Milestone Watch:
Chuck Klein needs 4 home runs to pass 300 for his career.
Jim Bottomley needs 11 home runs to pass 300 for his career.
Al Simmons needs 32 home runs to pass 300 for his career.
Babe Herman needs 49 home runs to pass 300 for his career.
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The 400 Club:
Players who reached the 400 club in OOTP and in real life:
Babe Ruth - 500 (715)
Lou Gehrig - 435 (493)
Active players of the 400 club and where they stand:
Jimmy Foxx - 262 (534)
Mel Ott - 142 (511)
Players who have not debuted yet:
40
Members of my 400 club who didn't hit 400 in real life:
None yet
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1936 Home Run Leaders
1) Lou Gehrig - NYY - 41
2) Jimmy Foxx - PHA - 31
3) Bill Dickey - NYY - 29
4) Babe Phelps - CIN - 28
5) Hal Trosky - CLE - 28
6) Hank Leiber - BRO - 23
7) Harlond Clift - SLA - 22
8) Joe DiMaggio - NYY - 22
9) Joe Bottomley - NYG - 20
10) Ripper Collins - SLN - 18
1936 Rookie Home Run Leader:
Joe DiMaggio - NYY - 22
1936 Team Home Run Leader:
New York Yankees - 166
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Single Season Home Run Leaders
1) Babe Ruth - NYY - 82 (1921)
2) Chuck Klein - PHI - 56 (1929)
3) Babe Ruth - NYY - 55 (1922)
4) Babe Ruth - NYY - 53 (1925)
5) Lou Gehrig - NYY - 53 (1930)
6) Babe Ruth - NYY - 51 (1923)
7) Lou Gehrig - NYY - 51 (1929)
8) Babe Ruth - NYY - 50 (1920)
9) Babe Ruth - NYY - 49 (1924)
10) Chuck Klein - PHI - 47 (1928)
Rookie Home Run Record - Single Season
1) Chuck Klein - PHI - 47 (1928)
2) Joe Hauser - PHA - 34 (1922)
3) Don Hurst - PHI - 32 (1928)
4) Wally Berger - BSN - 27 (1930)
5) Dale Alexander - DET - 25 (1929)
6) Bob Johnson - PHA - 25 (1933)
7) Jim Bottomley - STL - 24 (1922)
8) Mandy Brooks - CHN - 24 (1925)
9) Hal Trosky - CLE - 24 (1933)
10) Ival Goodman - CIN - 22 (1935)
11) Joe DiMaggio - NYY - 22 (1936)
Single Season Team Home Run Leaders
1) New York Yankees - 171 (1930)
2) New York Yankees - 168 (1928)
3) New York Yankees - 166 (1936)
4) New York Yankees - 162 (1929)
5) New York Yankees - 159 (1921)
6) Philadelphia Phillies - 156 (1930)
7) New York Yankees - 153 (1935)
8) Philadelphia Phillies - 152 (1928)
9) New York Yankees - 145 (1925)
10) Chicago White Stockings - 142 (1884)
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Career Home Run Leaders
1) Babe Ruth - 500 (1914-1931)
2) Lou Gehrig - 435 (1924-1936)
3) Joe Hauser - 330 (1922-1936)
4) Jim Bottomley - 309 (1922-1936)
5) Rogers Hornsby - 305 (1915-1936)
6) Chuck Klein - 303 (1928-1936)
7) Al Simmons - 281 (1924-1936)
8) Jimmy Foxx - 262 (1926-1936)
9) Babe Herman - 258 (1926-1936)
10) Gabby Hartnett - 244 (1922-1936)
11) Hack Wilson - 240 (1923-1936)
12) Bob Meusel - 233 (1920-1934)
13) Don Hurst - 224 (1928-1936)
14) Bill Dickey - 220 (1928-1936)
15) Tony Lazzeri - 192 (1926-1936)
16) Harry Heilmann - 187 (1914-1936)
17) Chick Hafey - 177 (1924-1936)
18) Glenn Wright - 174 (1924-1936)
19) Goose Goslin - 172 (1921-1932)
20) Ben Paschal - 167 (1915-1934)