Bob Horner led the league for the second consecutive season with 48 home runs, dominating the league and hitting 15 more than the next highest hitter.
Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies hit the 300th home run of his career. With Ron Santo and Dave Duncan retiring, there is currently only active player among the career leaderboards.
Ron Santo retired as the all-time home run king with 624 career home runs. Santo played his first 19 1/2 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, hitting 20 or more seasons for 18 consecutive years. His best season came in 1970 when Santo hit 50 home runs. Three other seasons Santo hit 40 or more home runs. Santo was inducted into the Hall of Fame upon retiring. In real life Santo hit 342 career home runs during a 15 season career with the Cubs. Santo never hit more than 33 home runs in a season. Despite coming close, Santo has never been elected to the Hall of Fame. One interesting item that I never knew was Santo played his career with diabetes.
Dave Duncan retired with 461 career home runs in 10th place on the all-time home run list. Duncan's best season came in 1977 when he hit 48 home runs for the Oakland Athletics. In real life Duncan hit 109 career home runs. Duncan's two sons, Chris and Shelley will get a chance to take the feel in the future.
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Milestone Watch:
None
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The 400 Club:
Players who reached the 400 club in OOTP and in real life(8):
Babe Ruth - 500 (715), Lou Gehrig - 482 (493), Jimmy Foxx - 537 (534), Ted Williams - 618 (521), Duke Snider - 400 (407), Frank Robinson - 543 (586),
Willie McCovey - 572 (521), Willie Stargell - 429 (475)
Players who reached the 400 club in real life, but not OOTP(10):
Mel Ott - 150 (511), Stan Musial - 73 (475), Willie Mays - 150 (660),
Mickey Mantle - 340 (536), Eddie Matthews - 190 (512),
Harmon Killebrew - 253 (573), Ernie Banks - 378 (512), Hank Aaron - 266 (755), Billy Williams - 252 (426), Carl Yastrzemski - 137 (452)
Active players of the 400 club and where they stand:
Mike Schmidt - 315 (548)
Reggie Jackson - 290 (563)
Dave Kingman - 193 (442)
Eddie Murray - 182 (504)
Dave Winfield - 131 (465)
Andre Dawson - 53 (438)
Darrell Evans - 52 (414)
Cal Ripken, Jr. - 18 (431)
Players who have not debuted yet:
18
Members of my 400 club who didn't hit 400 in real life (11):
Chuck Klein - 438 (300), Bill Dickey - 432 (202), Johnny Mize - 410 (359), Hal Trotsky - 432 (228), Ted Kluszewski - 514 (279), Roy Campanella - 438 (242), Bob Allison - 498 (256), Ron Santo - 624 (342), Don Mincher - 433 (200), Dick Allen - 439 (351), Dave Duncan - 461 (109)
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1981 Home Run Leaders
1) Bob Horner - ATL - 48
2) Rusty Torres - NYY - 33
3) Eddie Murray - BAL - 32
4) Joe Charboneau - MON - 18
5) Steve Kemp - DET - 31
6) Mike Schmidt - PHI - 30
7) Willie Aikens - CAL - 29
8) Gary Carter - LAD - 29
9) Dale Murphy - ATL - 29
10) Chris Chambliss - OAK - 28
1981 Rookie Home Run Leader:
Gary Gaetti - MIN - 24
1981 Team Home Run Leader:
Detroit Tigers - 145
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Single Season Home Run Leaders
1) Babe Ruth - NYY - 82 (1921)
2) Jim Gentile - LAD - 65 (1961)
3) Bill Nicholson - PHA - 62 (1940)
4) Chuck Klein - PHI - 56 (1929)
5) Babe Ruth - NYY - 55 (1922)
6) Gail Harris - SF - 55 (1957)
7) Roy Campanella - BRO - 55 (1950)
8) Duke Snider - BRO - 54 (1951)
9) Jim Gentile - LAD - 54 (1960)
10) Babe Ruth - NYY - 53 (1925)
11) Lou Gehrig - NYY - 53 (1930)
12) Ted Williams - BOS - 53 (1941)
13) Frank Robinson - CIN - 53 (1957)
14) Willie McCovey - SF - 53 (1964)
Rookie Home Run Record - Single Season
1) Chuck Klein - PHI - 47 (1928)
2) Dale Long - PIT - 43 (1952)
3) Dan Graham - MIN - 42 (1979)
4) Frank Robinson - CIN - 41 (1956)
5) Moose Skowron - NYY - 39 (1954)
6) Ted Williams - BOS - 38 (1939)
7) Daryl Spencer - NYG - 38 (1952)
8) Bob Allison - WAS - 36 (1958)
9) Gail Harris - NYG - 35 (1955)
10) Joe Hauser - PHA - 34 (1922)
11) Willie Kirkland - SF - 34 (1958)
12) Leon Wagner - SF - 34 (1958)
13) Joe Lefebvre - NYY - 34 (1980)
Single Season Team Home Run Leaders
1) Los Angeles Dodgers - 237 (1961)
2) Minnesota Twins - 237 (1962)
3) San Francisco Giants - 233 (1958)
4) Cleveland Indians - 233 (1962)
5) Minnesota Twins - 232 (1963)
6) Los Angeles Dodgers - 225 (1960)
7) Philadelphia Phillies - 219 (1973)
8) Chicago Cubs - 216 (1962)
9) Oakland Athletics - 214 (1977)
10) Los Angeles Dodgers - 211 (1957)
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Career Home Run Leaders
1) Ron Santo - 624 (1960-1981)
2) Ted Williams - 618 (1939-1961)
3) Willie McCovey - 572 (1959-1976)
4) Frank Robinson - 543 (1956-1974)
5) Jimmy Foxx - 537 (1926-1948)
6) Ted Kluszewski - 514 (1947-1960)
7) Babe Ruth - 500 (1914-1931)
8) Bob Allison - 498 (1958-1976)
9) Lou Gehrig - 482 (1924-1942)
10) Dave Duncan - 461 (1966-1980)
11) Dick Allen - 439 (1963-1981)
12) Chuck Klein - 438 (1928-1944)
13) Roy Campanella - 438 (1948-1961)
14) Don Mincher - 433 (1960-1978)
15) Bill Dickey - 432 (1928-1948)
16) Hal Trosky - 432 (1933-1953)
17) Willie Stargell - 429 (1962-1978)
18) Duke Snider - 411 (1947-1963)
19) Johnny Mize - 410 (1936-1953)
20) Bill Nicholson - 394 (1936-1952)