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The Sultans of Swing
The greatest hitter of all time may be the most debated topic in American sports. But which slugger takes the prize? We run the numbers to find out.
Kenneth Shouler
From the Print Edition:
Cuban Models, May/June 03
(continued from page 6)
10.(tie) Mark McGwire OPS+163
Mark McGwire's inclusion on the all-time best OPS+ list was helped considerably by his career slugging percentage. At .588, McGwire broke Rogers Hornsby's long-standing National League record of .577 when he retired in 2001, a mark later surpassed by Barry Bonds, who began 2003 at .595.
In McGwire's 16-year big-league career, he led the league in slugging four times and in OPS+ four times, but he will forever be associated with the long-balling era of the 1990s. McGwire not only shattered Roger Maris's 37-year record when he hit 70 homers in 1998, but the chain of bashing he set off rendered Maris's total a kind of museum piece. That same year Sammy Sosa smacked 66 home runs; in 1999, 63; and in 2001, 64. McGwire followed up his own potency with 65 homers in 1999; then, only two years later, Bonds clubbed 73. In sum, the first 90 years of professional baseball saw two men reach the forbiddingly difficult total of 60 homers. Now 60 was mocked six times in four years.
McGwire not only retired as the career National League slugging leader, but with another record that probably will stand for a long time in both leagues. From 1986 to 2001, McGwire belted 583 home runs in 6,187 at bats. That's one home run in every 10.61 at bats, breaking Ruth's record of one every 11.76 at bats.
Kenneth Shouler, of Harrison, New York, is a regular contributor to Cigar Aficionado. Steven Shouler helped analyze the data for this story.
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