 Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in a
season has stood for the last 37 Years. It fell at 8:19 pm on September 8th, 1998, in the
city of St. Louis on the first pitch to Mark McGwire in the fourth inning after Steve
Trachsel offered up a fastball. A mere six days later Sammy Sosa also ties the old record
and matches the new record with two homeruns in one game at home in Chicago. So what are
we in for this year? 
Two
months off, I'm back. We've got a race going on. Feels kinda like last year.
The two big dogs going head to head. Its a shame about Canseco, it would have
been nice to see the former bash brother make his run.
| 1999 Season stats |
| Player |
Team |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
AB/HR |
| Sammy Sosa |
CHC |
102 |
404 |
80 |
122 |
40 |
93 |
41 |
104 |
.302 |
10.1 |
| Mark McGwire |
StL |
100 |
343 |
73 |
93 |
40 |
94 |
89 |
87 |
.271 |
8.6 |
| Jeff Bagwell |
HOU |
106 |
374 |
98 |
118 |
35 |
95 |
94 |
86 |
.316 |
10.7 |
| Ken Griffey |
SEA |
102 |
394 |
81 |
121 |
34 |
93 |
56 |
68 |
.307 |
11.6 |
ST. LOUIS (AP)
-- Mark McGwire moved within three of 500 career home runs Sunday. He just isn't ready to
talk about that milestone yet.
McGwire hit his 40th homer to tie Sammy Sosa for the major league lead in the St. Louis
Cardinals' 5-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
McGwire, who hit a three-run homer and an RBI double, took no satisfaction in closing
in on 500 since the team did not win.
"You guys always ask me about numbers and I keep saying winning is what I care
about," he said.
With the Cardinals trailing 5-1 in the fifth, McGwire homered with two men on to cut
the lead to 5-4. McGwire is 8-for-13 with five homers off Brian Bohanon (10-8) and has 13
homers in his last 17 games.
"All I can do is keep coming at him, that's the way I pitch," Bohanon said.
McGwire has 13 home runs in his last 17 games but didn't want to discuss any technical
aspects of his hot streak.
"I'm not going to tell you guys, I keep some things to myself," he said.
Dante Bichette and Vinny Castilla each had two hits and two RBIs for the Rockies.
The Rockies scored three runs in the third with the help of a balk and a wild pitch by
Cardinals starter Jose Jiminez (5-11).
Jiminez has not won since he pitched a two-hit shutout against the Arizona Diamondbacks
on July 5.
Todd Helton singled and moved to second on a balk. Larry Walker singled and both scored
on Bichette's double. Castilla followed with an RBI single.
The Rockies added two more in the fifth on an RBI single by Castilla and a sacrifice
fly by Terry Shumpert.
Rockies manager Jim Leyland praised his bullpen for holding the Cardinals scoreless for
the last four innings.
The Cardinals had runners on first and third in the seventh, when Jerry Dipoto got
McGwire to hit into a double play to end the inning.
|
| Power Trip |
| Fewest ABs to 40
HRs |
| Year |
Player |
At-Bats |
1998
1996
1928
1920
1969
1999
|
Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
Reggie Jackson
Mark McGwire
|
281
294
316
325*
340
342
|
(* exact at-bat
unavailable)
|
|
|
"The pitch that Dipoto made McGwire hit into a double play on was perfect,"
Leyland said. "There was nothing he could do with it."
Bohanon, who won for the first time since June 20, allowed four runs and seven hits in
five innings. Dave Veres pitched the ninth for his 21st save in 26 chances.
The Cardinals scored in the first on a single by J.D. Drew and a run-scoring double by
McGwire.
Jiminez gave up five runs and 10 hits in four innings.
Notes: McGwire set a NL record for home runs in July with 16, breaking the old mark
of 15 set by Joe Adcock in 1956. ... Eli Marerro is hitting .191 (13-for-68) with runners
in scoring position. ... The Cardinals called up INF Placido Polanco from Class AAA
Memphis to fill the spot caused by the trade of Shawon Dunston to the Mets. ... Shumpert
has a 10-game hitting streak (.444 16-for-36). ... The attendance of 45,906 was the third
straight sellout for the Cardinals.
1998 Regular
Season Stats:
| Player |
Team |
G |
AB |
R |
H |
DO |
TR |
HR |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
AVG |
| Mark McGwire |
STL |
155 |
509 |
130 |
152 |
21 |
0 |
70 |
147 |
162 |
155 |
.299 |
| Sammy Sosa |
CHN |
158 |
639 |
132 |
196 |
20 |
0 |
66 |
158 |
73 |
170 |
.307 |
Contact:
|
