Elite home run hitters without HR crowns
Rafael Palmeiro
Okay, it’s snowing out and I will need to run my snow blower in a few hours. How about something to make you think of spring… a baseball stat!
There are 51 players in MLB history who have hit 400 or more home runs in their careers. Of those 51, 16 (31%) never led their league in home runs in a season. Topping the list is Rafael Palmeiro, who hit 569 home runs in his career yet never led the league in HRs in any season.
Two other players with 500-plus career HRs are also on the list: Frank Thomas (521 HRs) and Gary Sheffield (509 HRs).
Here’s the complete list of players with 400 or more career home runs who never led the league in HRs in a season.
Rafael Palmeiro (569), Frank Thomas (521), Gary Sheffield (509).
Stan Musial (475), Carlos Delgado (473), Chipper Jones (468), Dave Winfield (465), Adam Dunn (462), Jeff Bagwell (449), Vladimir Guerrero (449), Jason Giambi (440), Paul Konerko (439), Cal Ripken, Jr. (431), Mike Piazza (427), Billy Williams (426), Alfonso Soriano (412).
Five current players have a legitimate shot at joining the 400-HR Club in 2015: Adrian Beltre (395), Miquel Cabrera (390), Carlos Beltran (373), Aramis Ramirez (369) and Mark Teixeira). Beltre and Cabrera have already won league HR titles in their careers; Beltran, Ramirez and Teixeira have not.
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Jim Thome: 600-HR Club member with only one HR crown
Jim Thome... Image via Wikipedia
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a biweekly blog published every Wednesday and Sunday
Jim Thome became the eighth member of the majors’ 600-HR Club with a pair of homers tonight (August 15). He also becomes the first member of that club who won only one HR crown in his career. Thome led the National League in home runs when he hit 47 for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003. That was the only year he won an HR crown in his career. All other members of the 600-HR Club led their league in HRs in two or more seasons.
In looking at the 25 members of the 500-HR Club, we discover that three players hit 500 or more home runs in their career yet never led the league in home runs. The three: Rafael Palmeiro, Gary Sheffield and Frank Thomas.
Here’s a look at the 25 members of the 500-HR Club and the number of times they led the league in home runs in a season in their career.
League HR crowns, Player (career HRs)
0: Rafael Palmeiro (569), Gary Sheffield (509), Frank Thomas (521)
1: Eddie Murray (504), Manny Ramirez (555), Frank Robinson (586), Jim Thome (600)
2: Ernie Banks (512), Barry Bonds (762), Eddie Mathews (512), Sammy Sosa (609)
3: Willie McCovey (521)
4: Hank Aaron (755), Jimmie Foxx (534), Ken Griffey, Jr. (630), Reggie Jackson (563), Mickey Mantle (536), Willie Mays (660), Mark McGwire (583), Ted Williams (521)
5: Alex Rodriquez (626)
6: Harmon Killebrew (573), Mel Ott (511)
8: Mike Schmidt (548), Babe Ruth (714)
(WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR A TRIVIA QUESTION: Can you name the five members of the 500-HR club who hit all of their home runs with only one team? Answer below.)
Did you know? Hank Aaron wore uniform number 44 and hit 44 home runs in a season four times!
TRIVIA ANSWER: Mel Ott (NY Giants), Ernie Banks (Chicago Cubs), Ted Williams (Boston), Mickey Mantle (NY Yankees) and Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia)
Did you know? Gary Sheffield hit 509 career HRs yet did not hit more than 130 for one team. He hit 129 for the LA Dodgers, most with one team in his career.
Did you know? Alex Rodriquez is the only player to hit 150 or more HRs for three different teams. Rodriquez hit 156 for Texas, 189 for Seattle and has hit 281 for the Yankees.
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