Well, all I know is this...the ball certainly ain't juiced for the rest of the league.
Tom Boswell did an interesting piece. HR/game today are not significantly higher than they were at the time Maris broke Ruth's record. Remember to add an extra 1/9 for the AL temas(the DH). It's just that McGwire, Sosa, and Griffey are pressing the envelope.
The supporting cast is definitely a factor. With all due respects to Jordan, Lankford and Gant, it ain't the same as Mantle, Berra, Skowron, Howard, Boyer and it certainly isn't the same as Gehrig, Lazzeri, Meusel. Hell, can you imagine if McGwire could switch with Griffey and have Rodriguez, Martinez, Buhner and Sora right now.
The key to McGwire doing it this year lies in the bats of Jordan, Lankford, and Gant...especially Lankford. If they stay/get hot, he can do it. Right now, though, fear of failure has pitchers avoiding McGwire to the point of absurdity. Nobody is giving him anything to hit, a chunk of his walks, when analyzed, might as well have been intentional, Coupled with the overall weaker offense of the Cardinals compared to the Mariners(who get a DH) and even the Cubs, it produces this interesting observation. McGwire has nearly 100 fewer AB than Griffey and Sosa.
Proof in the pudding? Forget the 154 vs 162 game issue that some have been talking about.
'27 Ruth 60HR in 540 AB==> 1 every 9.00 AB
'61 Maris 61HR in 590 AB==>1 every 9.67 AB
'98 McGwire 46HR in 360 AB==> 1 every 7.83 AB
And he just passed Ruth on AB/HR for his career.
The last two games say it all: 22 innings, 5 official AB, 6 walks.
TG |
