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Home Runs

Posted on: October 17, 2009 by admin No Comments

The homer. No not Homer Simpson, but the big home run!

Everyone loves to see a home run at a ballpark. Most fans sitting in the outfield would love to catch a game ball hit out of the park by a good player. Lately with the home run records falling like a stack of dominoes, collectors are paying big dollars for these balls.

Home runs in the past were much more rare. It was not until the 1950′s that the average number of home runs per game reached one. But now stats are showing us closing in on the 2.5 HR per game mark. There is a lot more emphasis on players wanting to hit the ball out of the park. Ball players are much stronger than they used to be it seems, well apparently for some un-naturally, but either way the game has seen more and more players looking to swing for the fences. Here is a great graph showing the averages per decade.

For me, I must say I would rather see my favorite team filled with players looking for a hit rather the fences. I have seen at times during the season that sometimes there is not even one player batting 300.

I guess with the numbers rising, home runs just are not as exciting as they used to be for me, they have become common. I get more excited seeing a player get a double. Home runs are a big part of baseball in the US. No matter what, fans certainly still love to see them. Enjoy the 2009 MLB Playoffs!