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THE HOME RUN AVERAGE Print E-mail

By Robert C. McConnell

      As every baseball fan knows, batting averages are used to measure a player's ability to produce base hits.

Yet, when it comes to other offensive, categories, totals are the criteria used to measure a player's performance.

Obviously, averages are the fairer measure of performance.

      With home runs being one of the most popular of the offensive categories, several methods have been devised to compute home run averages.  The Macmillan Encyclopedia uses home runs per one hundred at hats (HR/l00 AB) while some statisticians use at bats per home run (AB/HR).   The problem with these systems is that the averages do not have real meaning to the fan.  When a player hits .250 or .300, this registers with the fan -- it gives him a good idea of what kind of a season the player has had.   The fan has been brought up to think in terms of batting averages.

      This is not the case with home run averages.   7.5 HR/l00 AB or 13.33 AB/HR does not immediately have meaning to the fan.  He must do some mental arithmetic to decide whether or not this is a good performance.

      A meaningful home run average is home runs per 600 at bats (HR/600 AB).  Why 600 at bats?  A player will chalk up about 600 at bats by playing a reasonably full schedule during a season.  Thus, HR/600 AB tells the fan how many home runs the player would have hit if he had played a full season.

      Using this home run average, the 7.5 HR/l00 AB or 13.33 AB/1-IR is converted to 45 HR/600 AB.  This should immediately register with the fan as meaning that the player would have hit 45 HR if he played a reasonably full schedule.

      The following tables illustrate the use of this home run average:

TOP SEASON HOME RUN AVERAGES

Rank

Player and Club

Year

HR

AVE.

1

Babe Ruth, Yankees

1920

54

70.7

2

Babe Ruth, Yankees

1927

60

66.7

3

Babe Ruth, Yankees

1921

59

65.6

4

Mickey Mantle, Yankees

1961

54

63.0

5

Hank Greenberg, Tigers

1938

58

62.6.

6

Roger Mans, Yankees

1961

61

62.0

7

Henry Aaron, Braves

1973

40

61.2

8

Babe Ruth, Yankees

1928

54

60.5

9

Jimmy Foxx, Athletics

1932

58

59.5

10

Ralph Kiner, Pirates

1949

54

59.0

11

Mickey Mantle, Yankees

1956

52

58.5

12

Hack Wilson, Cubs

1930

56

57.4

13

Babe Ruth, Yankees

1926

47

57.0

14

Henry Aaron, Braves

1971

47

57.0

15

Jim Gentile, Orioles

1961

46

56.8

16

Babe Ruth, Yankees

1930

49

56.8

17

Willie Stargell, Pirates

1971

48

56.4

18

Ted Williams, Red Sox

1960

29

56.1

19

Rudy York, Tigers

1937

35

56.0

20

Willie Nays, Giants

1965

52

55.9

21

Babe Ruth, Yankees

1929

46

55.3

22

Boog Powell, Orioles

1964

39

55.2

23

Willie McCovey, Giants

1969

45

55.0

24

Johnny Mize, Yankees

1950

25

54.7

25

Ted Williams, Red Sox

1957

38

54.3

TOP LIFETIME HOME RUN AVERAGES

Player

HR

AVE.

Player

HR

AVE.

Babe Ruth

714

51.0

Willie Mays

660

36.4

Harm Killebrew

546

43.7

Hank Sauer

288

36.0

Ralph Kiner

369

42.5

Eddie Mathews

512

36.0

Willie McCovey

413

41.9

Frank Robinson

552

35.5

Ted Williams

521

40.6

Frank Howard

382

35.3

Mickey Mantle

536

39.7

Reggie Jackson

189

34.9

Jimmy Foxx

534

39.4

Richie Allen

287

34.5

Hank Greenberg

331

38.2

Roy Campanella

242

34.5

Henry Aaron

713

37.9

Rocky Colavito

374

34.5

Willie Stargell

321

37.1

Gus Zernial

237

34.4

Lou Gehrig

493

37.0

Dick Stuart

228

34.2

Jim Gentile

179

36.8

Duke Snider

407

34.1

TOP MINOR LEAGUE SEASON HOME RUN AVERAGES

Year

Player

Team and League

HR

AVE.

1954

Joe Bauman

Roswell, Longhorm

72

86.8

1926

Moose Clabaugh

Tyler, East Texas

62

83.8

1962

Ram. Caballero

Guanajuato, Nex. Cen.

59

83.7

1949

D.C. Miller

Lamesa, West-Tex.-N.M.

52

80.2

1956

Ken Guettler

Shreveport, Texas

62

77.3

1956

Dick Stuart

Lincoln, Western

66

75.7

1948

Robert Crues

Amarillo, W.Tex.-N.M.

69

73.7

1933

Joe Hauser

Minneapolis, Am. Asso.

69

72.6

1953

Joe Bauman

Artesia, Longhorm

53

68.7

1939

Tom Robello

Pocatello, Pioneer

58

68.6

1966

Herib. Vargas

Guanajuato, Mex. Cen.

55

68.6

1947

Bill Serena

Lubbock, W.Tex.-N.M.

57

67.6

1954

Frank Gravino

Fargo-Moor., Northern

56

67.1

1953

Frank Gravino

Fargo-Moor., Northern

52

66.2

1949

Muscle Shoals

Reidsville, Carolina

55

65.9

1956

Forrest Kennedy

Plainview,  Southwest.

60

64.1

1952

Joe Bauman

Artesia, Longhorm

50

64.0

1953

James Matthews

Amarillo, W.Tex.-N.M.

50

63.4

1954

Bob Lennon

Nashville, Southern

64

63.1

1930

Nick Cullop

Minneapolis, Am.Asso.

54

62.9

1932

Buzz Arlett

Baltimore, Internat.

54

62.8

1957

Steve Bilko

Los Angeles, Pacific

56

62.7

1947

D.C. Miller

Wichita Falls, Big.St.

57

61.8

1930

Joe Hauser

Baltimore, Internat.

63

61.3

1947

Howard Moss

Baltimore,  Internat.

53

60.2