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ironhorse
A-Rod
November 09, 2005 at 11:35PM View BBCode
A-Rod has 429 home-runs entering 06. I know it's football season, but just hear me out. He's only 29, won't turn 30 until July, and just completed his ninth full season, and already is closing in on 500 quick. In comparison to the other members of the 500 club, he is off to the fastest pace. We all joke about someone reaching 800, only Oh did that with 868, but seriously, is it entirely out of the question that A-Rod can be next? With the increase in offense and dilluted pitching, does he have a shot?
yankeekid
November 09, 2005 at 11:42PM View BBCode
At 800? I doubt it but it's possible I suppose. He's gonna slow down a lot once he hits 35 unless he's taking steroids. Lets say he gets 150 from 35 on. He's at 429 now so to reach 650 by the time he hits 35 he will need to have 50+ homers every year. I don't think that's going to happen but you never know and he could get more than 150 past 35 if he's lucky. The chances are slim but it is possible.
Smocko
November 09, 2005 at 11:43PM View BBCode
He actually turned 30 on this past July, but yes he does have a shot at the home run record.
yankeekid
November 09, 2005 at 11:54PM View BBCode
That narrows his chances but it is still possible. if it does happen I will be extremely happy. :)
Guvner
November 09, 2005 at 11:59PM View BBCode
If he plays until he is 40, he needs to average 36 per year. Definitely do-able, especially if he hits 40+ over the next few years. Keeping healthy will be the major challenge.
yankeekid
November 10, 2005 at 12:04AM View BBCode
I wouldn't say keeping healthy is such a huge challenge for A-rod. He has never been injury prone before and I doubt he'll get and big time injury. When's the last time he's been injured?
FuriousGiorge
Yeah, that Hank Aaron was roided up.
November 10, 2005 at 01:03AM View BBCode
Originally posted by yankeekid
He's gonna slow down a lot once he hits 35 unless he's taking steroids.
Yeah, that Hank Aaron was roided up.
yankeekid
November 10, 2005 at 01:06AM View BBCode
Sure was, he had it easy since they didn't test back then.
barterer2002
Sadaharu Oh: Regardless of whether his 868 career home runs are a "world" record, Sadaharu Oh is the greatest baseball player Japan has ever produced. In addition to being home run king, in his 22-year career the left-handed batter also hold the Japanese record for career RBIs (2,170), total bases (5,862), walks (2,504). Well-known for his unusual flamingo batting stance, Oh also holds the record for most home runs in a season (55).
A reserved person who experienced discrimination because his father was Chinese, Oh remains one of the most interesting Japanese baseball personalities. An incredible hitter with only marginal success as a manager, the slugger with a Taiwanese passport once said that he's probably more popular abroad than he is in Japan. Oh has been known to sign autographs for hours, often mailing his signature to fans living abroad.
Probably the only stain on his otherwise exemplary character is an incident which happened over a decade ago. Allowing his pitchers to walk Randy Bass on the last game of the 1985 season, the Giants manager made sure that the American slugger would not break his single season home run record. Writing in his autobiography several years before, Oh confessed that he loved his records and hoped they would never be broken. At least for now, none have been.
(http://www.baywell.ne.jp/users/drlatham/baseball/yakyu/hasbeen/giants.htm)
November 10, 2005 at 01:08AM View BBCode
Originally posted by jetpac
who's Oh?
Sadaharu Oh: Regardless of whether his 868 career home runs are a "world" record, Sadaharu Oh is the greatest baseball player Japan has ever produced. In addition to being home run king, in his 22-year career the left-handed batter also hold the Japanese record for career RBIs (2,170), total bases (5,862), walks (2,504). Well-known for his unusual flamingo batting stance, Oh also holds the record for most home runs in a season (55).
A reserved person who experienced discrimination because his father was Chinese, Oh remains one of the most interesting Japanese baseball personalities. An incredible hitter with only marginal success as a manager, the slugger with a Taiwanese passport once said that he's probably more popular abroad than he is in Japan. Oh has been known to sign autographs for hours, often mailing his signature to fans living abroad.
Probably the only stain on his otherwise exemplary character is an incident which happened over a decade ago. Allowing his pitchers to walk Randy Bass on the last game of the 1985 season, the Giants manager made sure that the American slugger would not break his single season home run record. Writing in his autobiography several years before, Oh confessed that he loved his records and hoped they would never be broken. At least for now, none have been.
(http://www.baywell.ne.jp/users/drlatham/baseball/yakyu/hasbeen/giants.htm)
jetpac
November 10, 2005 at 01:16AM View BBCode
Ah. How many did Frank Gibson hit in the Negro Leagues?
yankeekid
November 10, 2005 at 01:21AM View BBCode
Josh Gibson genius. But now that you mention that he did rack up 962 home runs in only a 17 year career.
barterer2002
JOSH GIBSON
Born: Dec. 21, 1911
Died: January 20, 1947
Position: Catcher.
Teams: Pittsburgh Crawfords 1927-29, 1932-36;
Homestead Grays 1930-31, 1937-46.
Elected to Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Among the biggest draws in the Negro Leagues, popular Josh Gibson is generally considered one of the most prodigious power hitters in the history of professional baseball. Josh led the Negro National League in home runs for 10 consecutive years; credited with 75 home runs in 1931.
Belting home runs of more than 500 feet was not unusual for Gibson. One homer in Monessen, Pa., reportedly was measured at 575 feet. The Sporting News of June 3, 1967 credits Gibson with a home run in a Negro League game at Yankee Stadium that struck two feet from the top of the wall circling the center field bleachers, about 580 feet from home plate.
Although it has never been conclusively proven, Chicago American Giants infielder Jack Marshall said Gibson slugged one over the third deck next to the left field bullpen in 1934 for the only fair ball hit out of the House That Ruth Built.
Even his death has been clouded with myth. Gibson, it was said, believed he was going to die and gathered his family around his bedside. He even sent his brother out to gather up his trophies. While talking and laughing he supposedly raised his head, spoke incoherently, then laid down and died. The true story was not as sentimental or dramatic. Gibson suffered a stroke in a movie theater and was taken unconscious to his mother's house where he died a few hours later.
Teammate and friend Jimmie Crutchfield often said that Gibson died of a broken heart at not having made the white major leagues. Gibson himself might have disagreed, though at times his depressed mental state threw him into fits of rage and rambling outbursts.
Like most of his teammates, Gibson generally accepted his fate and did not speak out about the injustice of baseball's color bar. That Jackie Robinson broke into the major leagues only a few months after Gibson's death.
(http://www.nlbpa.com/gibson__josh.html)
In truth records in the Negro leagues are sketchy at best. There are some who say that Josh hit as many as 900 home runs, others contend that his clubs rarely played more than a hundred games a year and thus, his grand total would be closer to 400. In some ways the answer depends upon how you count. Does it count when he hit one in a barnstorming game or did it have to be a regular Negro League game? Does it count when he hit one in winter ball? If you're just counting Negro League games he's well short of Oh, if its everything he ever did then he's probably got more but then again, so would Babe Ruth who often went on barnstorming tours after the Yankees season was over.
November 10, 2005 at 01:23AM View BBCode
Its actually Josh GibsonJOSH GIBSON
Born: Dec. 21, 1911
Died: January 20, 1947
Position: Catcher.
Teams: Pittsburgh Crawfords 1927-29, 1932-36;
Homestead Grays 1930-31, 1937-46.
Elected to Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Among the biggest draws in the Negro Leagues, popular Josh Gibson is generally considered one of the most prodigious power hitters in the history of professional baseball. Josh led the Negro National League in home runs for 10 consecutive years; credited with 75 home runs in 1931.
Belting home runs of more than 500 feet was not unusual for Gibson. One homer in Monessen, Pa., reportedly was measured at 575 feet. The Sporting News of June 3, 1967 credits Gibson with a home run in a Negro League game at Yankee Stadium that struck two feet from the top of the wall circling the center field bleachers, about 580 feet from home plate.
Although it has never been conclusively proven, Chicago American Giants infielder Jack Marshall said Gibson slugged one over the third deck next to the left field bullpen in 1934 for the only fair ball hit out of the House That Ruth Built.
Even his death has been clouded with myth. Gibson, it was said, believed he was going to die and gathered his family around his bedside. He even sent his brother out to gather up his trophies. While talking and laughing he supposedly raised his head, spoke incoherently, then laid down and died. The true story was not as sentimental or dramatic. Gibson suffered a stroke in a movie theater and was taken unconscious to his mother's house where he died a few hours later.
Teammate and friend Jimmie Crutchfield often said that Gibson died of a broken heart at not having made the white major leagues. Gibson himself might have disagreed, though at times his depressed mental state threw him into fits of rage and rambling outbursts.
Like most of his teammates, Gibson generally accepted his fate and did not speak out about the injustice of baseball's color bar. That Jackie Robinson broke into the major leagues only a few months after Gibson's death.
(http://www.nlbpa.com/gibson__josh.html)
In truth records in the Negro leagues are sketchy at best. There are some who say that Josh hit as many as 900 home runs, others contend that his clubs rarely played more than a hundred games a year and thus, his grand total would be closer to 400. In some ways the answer depends upon how you count. Does it count when he hit one in a barnstorming game or did it have to be a regular Negro League game? Does it count when he hit one in winter ball? If you're just counting Negro League games he's well short of Oh, if its everything he ever did then he's probably got more but then again, so would Babe Ruth who often went on barnstorming tours after the Yankees season was over.
yankeekid
November 10, 2005 at 01:28AM View BBCode
I forget where I pulled that stat of 962, I'm doing a report on blacks in baseball so it's in my bibliography somewhere....
ShaggySanchez
Ken Griffey Jr. didn't seem to be injury prone early in his career either and then he hit his 30's and it all went down hill. Who would have thought from the one major injury Griffey had (broken wrist) that he would end up with a broken knee cap, seperated shoulder, torn tendens in ankle, hamstring torn off the bone.
November 10, 2005 at 01:52AM View BBCode
Originally posted by yankeekid
I wouldn't say keeping healthy is such a huge challenge for A-rod. He has never been injury prone before and I doubt he'll get and big time injury. When's the last time he's been injured?
Ken Griffey Jr. didn't seem to be injury prone early in his career either and then he hit his 30's and it all went down hill. Who would have thought from the one major injury Griffey had (broken wrist) that he would end up with a broken knee cap, seperated shoulder, torn tendens in ankle, hamstring torn off the bone.
yankeekid
November 10, 2005 at 01:57AM View BBCode
Yes that did happen to Griffey but to say that health will be his most difficult challenge to reaching 800 home runs is not right. Griffey is a rare case and that won't happen to every guy.
youngallstar
November 10, 2005 at 01:58AM View BBCode
Players tend to get injured more and more as they get older. Id say staying healthy will be Arods biggest challenge in breaking the home run record and beyond
yankeekid
November 10, 2005 at 02:02AM View BBCode
For injuries to be his most difficult challenge he would need to have at least one year ending injury. He has never had any injury problems in the past and the occasional 15 day injury is not gonna ruin his shot at this as much as just not living up to an average of 36 homers per game. He's gonna have to do above 40 now because he won't be hitting 36 homeruns when he's a 40 year old man.
FuriousGiorge
November 10, 2005 at 03:04AM View BBCode
That's not how it works, Jeter. YAZ is a wise and benevolent man and you should listen to him. I would say that the majority of players' careers end because their bodies break down, not because they simply fall into mediocrity. The mediocrity comes because they start suffering more and more nagging injuries, and those keep them off the field for longer periods of time.
barterer2002
November 10, 2005 at 03:16AM View BBCode
To expand a little upon FG's point here, injuries do not necessarily require a stint on the DL. Many players play through injuries with a much lower effectiveness. Compare a healthy Jim Thome in 2003 with the Jim Thome of 2004 who played through a thumb injury all season, or look at the effect that a hamstring strain had on Rafael Furcal in 2004 when he tried to play through it. In truth nobody can say what the future holds for A-Rods health. He could continue to play significant time for the next decade. Or he could start to break down after five more years. That will have a the most significant affect on his chances to break the all time home run record.
Guvner
I think playing 3B wil help him out too - not as much real estate to cover. In the AL he can also jump over to DH if he tweaks anything.
November 10, 2005 at 03:19AM View BBCode
He had that knee tear back with Seattle that really slowed his running game. But, his defense didn't really suffer. He was still able to cover a lot of range. That's the only major injury I recall him having. He'll get nagging injuries like the rest of them, but if he stays away from a season ending injury he should be okay.I think playing 3B wil help him out too - not as much real estate to cover. In the AL he can also jump over to DH if he tweaks anything.
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