Letters to the Editor
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Appropos of Nothing
Okay, you can tell it's kind of a slow day at work when I start looking up stuff like this on the web.
The all-time HR leader before Babe Ruth was a guy by the name of Roger Connor, who played for an assortment of teams from 1880-1897, including the NY Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and the St. Louis Browns. Connor's mark of 138 career dingers stood until 1921, when he was surpassed by The Babe. Prior to Connor, the HR king was a guy named Harry Stovey, who spent most of his playing career (1880-1893) with the Philadelphia Athletics. Connor surpassed Stovey's mark in 1895.
The single-season HR leader before The Babe was Ned Williamson. Williamson cracked 27 homers in 1884, as a member of the Chicago White Stockings. That mark was eclipsed by Babe Ruth in 1919, who hit 29 dingers while playing as a pitcher/outfielder for the Red Sox. He blew away that mark by hitting 54 HR the very next season, 1920, his first with the Yankees. The Babe beat his own single-season HR mark with 59 HR's in 1921, and then again in 1927, with 60 HR.
All of these stats are courtesy of baseball-reference.com.