When I started this topic I was asked why this mattered. Why do or should we care if someone's fifty home run season seems impressive or not? The answer is twofold. First, as someone who cares about baseball history, understanding why some players are remembered as great or just "pretty good" is of interest. Being able to put things in context and understand why someone won an award or was elected to the Hall of Fame based on reputation is interesting. Why was Jim Rice "one of the most feared hitters in baseball" as I've often seen and heard him described even though he never hit more than fifty home runs while no one ever said that about many of the players whose fifty home run seasons made out first list.
Picking up where we left off:
31. Ryan Howard, 2006, 58 Phillies (-23)
It's a pretty big jump in impressiveness points from A-Rod at number 32 to Howard here. 2006 was Howard's best year and he probably did deserve the MVP that year. It was also the last serious run at sixty home runs. My best guess is that Howard will hang around long enough to make the Hall of Fame assuming he keeps his weight and strikeouts under control.
30. Alex Rodriguez, 2002, 57 , Rangers (-22.5)
Another A-Rod season. It was his second consecutive fifty home run season and the season before he won his first MVP. If nothing else his home runs brought in enough fans to almost pay for the salary that Texas had given him. He led the major leagues in home runs, but loses some points to the era and being post McGwire's record breaking season.
28T. Brady Anderson, 1996, 50, Orioles (-22) Sammy Sosa, 2001, 64, Cubs (-22)
What?!?!? How can these two seasons be equally impressive. Anderson's is on of the greatest fluke seasons of all time and only four times has anyone hit more than Sosa's total. Once again, the context is important. Anderson did his just before fifty home run seasons became common and when the record was still only sixty-one. He didn't lead the league but people were impressed. By the time Sosa hit his sixty-four the record had reached seventy-three and it wasn't even Sosa's best home run year.
27. Sosa, 1999, 63 Cubs (-14)
Another big increase in impressiveness scores. Sosa followed up his (undeserved) MVP winning season with another sixty plus homer campaign. This was still the beginning of the big home run era when we were still somewhat awed by the totals being produced. It falls a little short since once again Sosa lost out to McGwire for the second straight year.
26. Mark McGwire, 1996, 52, Athletics (-13.5)
The first of four consecutive fifty home run seasons and one of five times McGwire led the league, this was a preview of what would happen the next few seasons. McGwire's fifty-two homers were only three more than his previous best and were indicative of what Big Mac could o when he managed somehow (wink wink) to stay healthy.
25. Mickey Mantle, 1961, 54, Yankees (-13)
Mantle was supposed to be the one to break Ruth's single season record, but because he got hurt and his teammate Roger Maris did break the record the Mic comes in here on the list. Mantle actually had a much better overall season than Maris did and Mantle probably deserved the MVP for 1961. This isn't about how great the seasons were and to break one of the unbreakable records was far more impressive than Mantles mere fifty four homers.
23T. Ralph Kiner, 1947, 51, Pirates (-12.5) Johnny Mize, 1947, 51, Giants (-12.5)
This is one of the seasons that I know the least about on the list. Two National League sluggers became the first players since 1938 to break the fifty home run barrier. They finished third (Mize) and sixth (Kiner) in MVP voting so I guess I could have used that to break the record. Both were more deserving than Kiner's teammate Bob Elliot who won the award. This season marks the beginning of the second era when fifty home runs started to become more common again.
22. Ken Griffey, Jr. 1997, 56, Mariners (-10)
This was the Kid's monster MVP winning season that was part of the prelude to 1998's historic home run race.
21. Sosa, 1998, 66 Cubs (-9.5)
Much like Mantle's 1961 season #25 above, Sosa's season was impressive and probably deserves bonus points for being so memorable because it was part of a great race to break the single season home run record. Like Mantle, Sosa lost the race but was the press favorite. Unlike Mantle, Sosa won the MVP over a more deserving record breaker. Sosa's season also takes a hit in impressiveness points for being one of the record four players to hit fifty that season.
20. Jimmy Foxx, 1938, 50, Red Sox, (-8.5)
In 1938 the big home run controversy was whether teams and players would let Hank Greenberg break Ruth's single season record or whether rampant antisemitism would sabotage he chase. Meanwhile Double X was putting together one of the greatest seasons of his career and winning the MVP award. Despite trailing Greenberg by eight home runs for the league lead Foxx had a higher slugging percentage and more total bases. None of that matters for this list though and because he finish those eight dinngers short Foxx's fifty home run feat falls short.
Next time 19-10 where we finally make it to positive numbers.
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