Baseball's Best Decade (11 page)

The 1947 New York Giants were the first team to hit more than 200 in a season. Johnny Mize led the team with 51 home runs.

1920s –
That the New York Yankees led all major league teams in home runs during the 1920s is not surprising. What is surprising is that the gap between the Yankees and the next team is less than 300 home runs. Essentially, the Yankees’ power was generated by three players: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel, who between them accounted for 63% of the Yankees’ home runs. No other team had such a powerful trio. And, of course, no other team had Ruth, who hit more home runs during the decade than the totals of 6 other teams.

Who almost made the list?
Chicago Cubs at 726, St. Louis Browns at 710, Brooklyn Dodgers at 510.

1930s –
While the “Murderers’ Row” label is attached to the New York Yankees of the 1920s, it seems more fitting for the offensive juggernaut that was the Yankee team of the 1930s. While hitting dominated baseball for most of the decade, the Yankees’ bats were the most dominant of any team, as the Bronx Bombers led the American League in home run production 7 out of the 10 years. (The Philadelphia Athletics, anchored by Jimmie Foxx, led the other 3 years.) The New York Giants were the best in the National League at the power game, leading the league in home runs 7 times.

Who almost made the list?
Cleveland Indians at 888, St. Louis Cardinals at 858, Philadelphia Phillies at 832.

1940s -
As was true for most performance categories, home run totals declined during the 1940s, by 4% compared to the hitting-happy 1930s. The New York Yankees again led all teams, but with only 12 home runs more than the New York Giants. The Yankees as a team led the American League in home runs 8 times during the decade. (The Boston Red Sox led the other 2 seasons.) The New York Giants topped National League teams in home runs 6 different seasons, setting what was then the record with 221 in 1947.

Who almost made the list?
Detroit Tigers at 882, St. Louis Browns at 874, Pittsburgh Pirates at 820.

The Top Tea
m Home Runs for Each Decade (1950s-1970s)

Mickey Mantle h
it 280 home runs during the 1950s.

Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew led the American League in home runs 5 times during the 1960s – 6 times in all during his career. He finished the 1960s with 393 home runs and would have cracked the 400-home run barrier had he not missed more than 100 games due to injuries.

During the 1960s, the Detroit Tigers were the only American League team with 3 players hitting more than 200 home runs during the decade: (left to right) Rocky Colavito (245), Al Kaline (210) and Norm Cash (278).

Willie Mays (left) and Willie McCovey accounted for nearly 40% of the 1,603 home runs hit by the San Francisco Giants during the 1960s. Mays (350) and McCovey (300) were the only teammates to each hit more than 300 home runs during the decade.