Single Season Home Run Record

In 2001, Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit 73 home runs. It is no secret that Pac Bell was designed with a short fence to right field to intice Bonds to play for the Giants thru his prime.

What would have happened in 2001 if the Giants still played at Candlestick Park? Or, what if Pac Bell was not designed for Bonds, what if the wall in right was deeper?

Pac Bell is only 309 feet to right. Candlestick was 330 feet to right. Bonds had 12 home runs at home that was between 309 and 330 feet. So if the Giants would have continued playing in Candlestick thru 2001, Barry Bonds would have only hit 61, tying the original asterisk home run record by Roger Maris.

If Pac Bell was built deeper to right (like it should have been), Bonds would not be the single season home run record holder. If it was 320 feet, Bonds would have hit 68 home runs, 61 at 330 feet, and 58 at 340 feet.

I don't want to give the single season home run record back to McGwire (for other reasons that will be discussed in a future blog), nor should it go to his Dominican counterpart Sammy Sosa for the same reason. Therefore, the single season home run records goes back to the 1961 season when Roger Maris broke the record by hitting 61. See below for adjusted leaders.

Single Season Home Run Leaders
*Barry Bonds (73 in 2001) - Disqualified
*Mark McGwire (70 in 1998) - Disqualified
*Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998) - Disqualified
*Mark McGwire (65 in 1999) - Disqualified
*Sammy Sosa (64 in 2001) - Disqualified
*Sammy Sosa (63 in 1999) - Disqualified
1. Roger Maris (61 in 1961) - Reinstated as the Home Run record
2. Babe Ruth (60 in 1927)
3. Babe Ruth (59 in 1921)