THE HOME RUN AVERAGE

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