1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase

none January 2023 May 2016 Mark McGwire follow-thru Piazza catching-53.jpg Sammy Sosa swinging ball in air-84 (37575490006).jpg vertical Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa During Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season, Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs pursued the league's long-standing and highly coveted single-season home run record (61), set in 1961 by Roger Maris. The season-long chase culminated on September 8, 1998, when McGwire, facing Sosa and the Cubs, hit his 62nd home run of the season to break the record. McGwire finished the season with 70 home runs, while Sosa finished with 66. The 1998 home run record chase, as well the previous year's pursuit of the record, was widely credited by sports analysts with restoring interest in MLB among its fan base following the 1994 strike that resulted in that season prematurely ending and the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. McGwire's record was later broken in 2001 by Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs. Several players had come close to breaking Maris's record in the years before 1998. Before the 1994 season was cut short, Matt Williams of the San Francisco Giants and Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners were both on a pace which threatened Maris's record: they hit 43 and 40 home runs respectively in a season which was shortened by approximately 50 of the scheduled 162 games. In 1995, Albert Belle became the first player since Cecil Fielder in 1990 to hit 50 home runs in a season. Year-by-Year League Leaders & Records for Home Runs https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/HR_leagues.shtml baseball-reference.com August 10, 2007 Belle was only the 4th player in the previous three decades to reach the 50 home run milestone (George Foster hit 52 in 1977, following Willie Mays in 1965). In 1996, Brady Anderson of the Baltimore Orioles hit 50 home runs, twice the number he hit during any other season.Brady Anderson https://www.baseball-reference.com/a/anderbr01.shtml baseball-reference.com August 10, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070818011342/http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/anderbr01.shtml August 18, 2007 live Of more note was McGwire of the Oakland Athletics, who first drew attention by hitting a league-leading 52 home runs that season while only playing in 130 games.Mark McGwire 1996 Batting Gamelogs https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1996&t=b https://archive.today/20130117171437/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1996&t=b dead January 17, 2013 baseball-reference.com August 10, 2007 The 1997 home run chase featured McGwire and Griffey, but neither reached it that year. It was during that season that full-fledged interest over the record kicked in as both players were on record pace well into the summer.Mark McGwire 1997 Batting Gamelogs https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1997&t=b Baseball-reference.com August 10, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20090221003428/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1997&t=b February 21, 2009Ken Griffey 1997 Batting Gamelogs https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=griffke02&year=1997&t=b https://archive.today/20120722132318/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=griffke02&year=1997&t=b dead July 22, 2012 Baseball-Reference.com August 10, 2007 McGwire finished the 1997 season with 58 home runs following his mid-season trade to the Cardinals, besting Griffey's total of 56 that year. Breaking the record thumb|right|McGwire crossing home plate on May 18, 1998, for his 17th home run of the season Speculation on the potential of McGwire or Griffey breaking Roger Maris' home run record was a popular story heading into spring training, and was even promoted by MLB, in an effort to draw fans back to the game who felt disenfranchised by the 1994 strike that prematurely ended the season and led to the cancellation of the World Series. With the spotlight still on Griffey and McGwire (entering his first full season as a Cardinal), the latter opened the 1998 season by hitting home runs in each of his first four games. McGwire would ultimately find himself ahead of record pace for all but two games of the season; his pace hit a low of 58.9 on May 7 following a five-game drought. After hitting 16 home runs in May (only two short of Rudy York's ill-fated record of 18 home runs in August 1937 The Month of Rudy York by Lee Panas http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/the_month_of_rudy_york.shtml August 10, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070827145837/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/articles/the_month_of_rudy_york.shtml August 27, 2007 live), McGwire led the league with 27 home runs, ahead of Griffey's 19 and on pace for more than 80. Mark McGwire 1998 Batting Gamelogs https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1998&t=b https://archive.today/20120719095154/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1998&t=b dead July 19, 2012 August 10, 2007 Ken Griffey 1998 Batting Gamelogs https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=griffke02&year=1998&t=b https://archive.today/20130117231955/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=griffke02&year=1998&t=b dead January 17, 2013 August 10, 2007 June, however, would be Sosa's month to catch up. His 13 home runs entering the month represented less than half of rival McGwire's total. Sosa had his first of four multi-home run games that month on June 1, and went on to break Rudy York's record with 20 home runs in the month of June, Home Run in a Month Records by Baseball Almanac http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_hr3.shtml August 10, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070809194634/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_hr3.shtml August 9, 2007 live a record that still stands. By the end of his historic month, the outfielder's 33 home runs tied him with Griffey and left him only four behind McGwire's 37. Sammy Sosa 1998 Batting Gamelogs https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=sosasa01&t=b&year=1998 https://archive.today/20120721225814/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=sosasa01&t=b&year=1998 dead July 21, 2012 August 10, 2007 thumb|right|McGwire crossing home plate for a home run in a July 1998 game against the Houston Astros. He hit his 38th–40th home runs of the season in that series. The three remained competitive entering August, a period which saw McGwire go on a season-high eight-game home run drought. After hitting a home run on August 8, McGwire's lead had dwindled to two, his 46 home runs just above Sosa's 44 and Griffey's 41. His relative lull in production continued, hitting only three home runs over the next ten days. His pace at the end of August 18, 61.9 would be his lowest for the rest of the season. On August 19, he returned to form, hitting two home runs and beginning the stretch that would see him hit 23 home runs in his final 39 games. Sosa, meanwhile, had followed up his 20 home runs in June with a combined total of only 22 for July and August. At the end of the month, however, the two sluggers were locked at 55 home runs, putting them on pace for about 65 in total and, for the first time in 37 years, leaving the single-season home run record in imminent jeopardy. They were also each one short of Hack Wilson's National League record. By this point, Griffey's total of 47 home runs left him well behind the pace of his two rivals, indicating that even in the event he could pass Maris's total, it would be unlikely that he would also be able to beat McGwire and Sosa. Griffey would finish the season with 56 home runs, matching his total from the previous season but still 5 home runs short of Maris' record. McGwire began September with four home runs in his first two games against the Florida Marlins and took back the lead, 59–56. His September 5 home run set the stage for one of baseball's classic moments, as he sat on 60 home runs entering a two-game set against Sosa's Chicago Cubs. On September 7, McGwire hit a Mike Morgan pitch 430 feet to become the first player since 1961 to hit 61 home runs in a season. The next day, September 8, 1998, in a nationally televised game against Sosa's Cubs and with members of the Maris family in attendance, he hit Steve Trachsel's pitch 341 feet – his shortest home run of the season – just over the left field wall, breaking the record for the most home runs ever hit in a single season. The ball did not even make it to the stands, and was caught by Tim Forneris, who worked as a member of the Busch Stadium grounds crew while attending law school at Saint Louis University. Forneris declined multiple million-dollar offers to sell the ball and instead gave it to McGwire. In what was a show of both admiration as well as respect, Cubs first baseman Mark Grace shared a half-hug high five as McGwire rounded first, and after he touched home, Sosa charged in from right field and engaged McGwire in a celebratory embrace. Afterwards, however, McGwire went six consecutive games without a home run, allowing Sosa to tie him again at 62 after hitting four home runs in three games against the Milwaukee Brewers. The two battled back and forth for the lead, and entering the final series of the season on September 25, were tied at 65 home runs. Sosa hit a 462-foot home run off Houston Astros pitcher José Lima for his 66th home run of the season and briefly claimed the major league record. McGwire, however, would hit five home runs against five different pitchers during a Cardinals homestand against the Montreal Expos, and would set the single-season MLB home run record at 70 with a 370-foot home run off Carl Pavano.Chass Murray Murray Chass 1999-02-23 One Pitch Put Him in the Record Books https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/23/sports/baseball-one-pitch-put-him-in-the-record-books.html 2025-03-28 The New York Times Throughout the season, Sosa gave a "V" sign after every home run, dedicating it to the memory of Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, who died that February.Unlikely Season Of Dreams For Cubs Since Caray died at the start of spring training, Sosa has honored him with a 'V' sign after every home run this season, along with his heart thumps and kisses for the Sosa family. September 29, 1998 Bill Dedman The New York Times D3 Aftermath Mark McGwire 62 on big screen-51 (37365264910).jpg Mark McGwire in Corvette-60.jpg vertical Scenes from the September 8, 1998 game in which McGwire broke Maris's record The Cardinals, despite McGwire's efforts, finished the season 83–79, third place in the Central and behind division rival Chicago who finished 90–73, earning them second in the Central and a wild card berth. In winning the NL MVP award, Sosa finished with a .308 batting average, 66 home runs, and 158 RBI, besting McGwire, who finished with a .299 batting average, 70 home runs, and 147 RBI. The Cubs, however, were swept in the first round of the 1998 playoffs by the Atlanta Braves. In 2001, only three years after McGwire and Sosa finally toppled Maris's record, the mark fell again, this time to San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds. Bonds broke the record on October 5 against Chan Ho Park of the Los Angeles Dodgers and, two days later, hit his 73rd home run of the season off the Dodgers pitcher Dennis Springer. Bonds' record continues to stand today. Barry Bonds 73 Home Run Season & Home Run Logs by Baseball Almanac https://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1997&t=b August 10, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20090221003428/http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=mcgwima01&year=1997&t=b February 21, 2009 The 1997 and 1998 home run record chases are widely credited by sports analysts as having restored interest in MLB among its fan base in the preceding years, as many had lost interest and felt betrayed by the strike in 1994, although others contest this.https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/29/sports/29iht-fans.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print Myth of men who saved baseball March 30, 2005 David Leonhardt David Leonhardt New York Times May 20, 2010 The embrace, along with the constant praising of one another between McGwire and Sosa was spoofed in the fall of 1998 on Saturday Night Live by Will Ferrell (as McGwire) and Tracy Morgan (as Sosa) who try to one-up praising each other endlessly and then begin to slow-dance.http://snl.jt.org/imp.php?i=1611 SNL JT November 20, 2013 September 1, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200901014910/http://snl.jt.org/imp.php?i=1611 Steroid controversy The Sosa-McGwire home run chase occurred during the steroid era. Bonds' record still stands, though the controversy over possible use of performance-enhancing drugs by McGwire and Sosa gained momentum when Bonds hit his 73 home runs despite having never hit as many as 50 in any other season. In the Congressional Hearing on Steroids, McGwire stated that any answer he gave regarding his alleged steroid use would not be believed by the public at-large anyway. Sosa seemed to not understand the questions. Bonds has also been linked to steroids. He admitted to taking them, but he claims that he did not know what he was taking was steroids. Bonds and Sosa have been linked to illegal use of steroids in the Mitchell Report and other sources. McGwire has never been named by any official investigation; however, on January 11, 2010, McGwire admitted to Bob Costas of the MLB Network that he did take steroids throughout his career, including during the 1998 season where he broke the record. Home run log The following table outlines home runs that Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit during 1998 season. Mark McGwire's Seventy Home Run Season by Baseball Almanac http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats1.shtml August 8, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070817130849/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats1.shtml August 17, 2007 live Sammy Sosa's 66 Home Run Season by Baseball Almanac http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats12.shtml August 8, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070809155505/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats12.shtml August 9, 2007 live Mark McGwire 1998 Game by Game Batting Logs http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/hittinglogs.php?p=mcgwima01&y=1998 August 8, 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20070823135955/http://baseball-almanac.com/players/hittinglogs.php?p=mcgwima01&y=1998 August 23, 2007 live DateBatterDistance(ft)Hit Against(Pitcher)Hit Against(Team)McGwireTotalSosaTotalMarch 31McGwire364Ramón Martínez Ramón Martínez (pitcher)Los Angeles Dodgers10April 2368Frank Lankford20April 3364Mark LangstonSan Diego Padres30April 4419Don Wengert40Sosa371Marc ValdesMontreal Expos41April 11350Anthony Telford42April 14McGwire424Jeff SuppanArizona Diamondbacks5234762462Barry Manuel72April 15Sosa430Dennis CookNew York Mets73April 17McGwire419Matt WhitesidePhiladelphia Phillies83April 21437Trey Moore baseballMontreal Expos93April 23Sosa420Dan MiceliSan Diego Padres94April 24430Ismael ValdezLos Angeles Dodgers95April 25McGwire419Jerry SpradlinPhiladelphia Phillies105April 27Sosa434Joey HamiltonSan Diego Padres106April 30McGwire371Marc PisciottaChicago Cubs116May 1362Rod Beck126May 3Sosa370Cliff PolitteSt. Louis Cardinals127May 8McGwire358Rick Reed Rick Reed (pitcher)New York Mets137May 12527Paul WagnerMilwaukee Brewers147May 14381Kevin MillwoodAtlanta Braves157May 16545Liván HernándezFlorida Marlins167Sosa441Scott Sullivan Scott Sullivan (baseball)Cincinnati Reds168May 18McGwire478Jesus Sanchez Jesús Sánchez (pitcher)Florida Marlins178May 19440Tyler Green Tyler Green (baseball)Philadelphia Phillies188471198451Wayne Gomes208May 22425Mark Gardner Mark Gardner (baseball)San Francisco Giants218Sosa440Greg MadduxAtlanta Braves219May 23McGwire366Rich Rodriguez Rich Rodriguez (baseball)San Francisco Giants229477John Johnstone John Johnstone (baseball)239May 24397Robb Nen249May 25433John Thomson John Thomson (baseball)Colorado Rockies259Sosa410Kevin MillwoodAtlanta Braves2510420Mike Cather2511May 27460Darrin WinstonPhiladelphia Phillies2512400Wayne Gomes2513May 29McGwire388Dan MiceliSan Diego Padres2613May 30423Andy Ashby2713June 1Sosa430Ryan DempsterFlorida Marlins2714410Oscar Henriquez Óscar Henríquez2715June 3370Liván Hernández2716June 5McGwire409Orel HershiserSan Francisco Giants2816Sosa370Jim ParqueChicago White Sox2817June 6410Carlos Castillo Carlos Castillo (baseball)2818June 7380James Baldwin James Baldwin (baseball)2819June 8McGwire356Jason Bere2919Sosa340LaTroy HawkinsMinnesota Twins2920June 10McGwire409Jim ParqueChicago White Sox3020June 12438Andy BenesArizona Diamondbacks3120June 13Sosa410Mark PortugalPhiladelphia Phillies3121June 15420Cal EldredMilwaukee Brewers312241031234153124June 17McGwire437José LimaHouston Astros3224Sosa430Bronswell PatrickMilwaukee Brewers3225June 18McGwire449Shane ReynoldsHouston Astros3325June 19Sosa380Carlton LoewerPhiladelphia Phillies3326380Carlton Loewer3327June 20366Matt Beech3328500Toby Borland3329June 21380Tyler Green Tyler Green (baseball)3330June 24McGwire433Jaret WrightCleveland Indians3430Sosa390Seth GreisingerDetroit Tigers3431June 25McGwire461Dave BurbaCleveland Indians3531Sosa400Brian MoehlerDetroit Tigers3532June 27McGwire431Mike TrombleyMinnesota Twins3632June 30472Glendon RuschKansas City Royals3732Sosa364Alan EmbreeArizona Diamondbacks3733July 9432Jeff JudenMilwaukee Brewers3734July 10428Scott Karl3735July 11McGwire485Billy WagnerHouston Astros3835July 12405Sean Bergman3935415Scott Elarton4035July 17511Brian BohanonLos Angeles Dodgers4135425Antonio Osuna4235Sosa440Kirt OjalaFlorida Marlins4236July 20McGwire452Brian BoehringerSan Diego Padres4336July 22Sosa365Miguel BatistaMontreal Expos4337July 26McGwire452John Thomson John Thomson (baseball)Colorado Rockies4437Sosa420Rick Reed Rick Reed (pitcher)New York Mets4438July 27347Willie BlairArizona Diamondbacks4439438Alan Embree4440July 28McGwire408Mike Myers Mike Myers (baseball)Milwaukee Brewers4540Sosa390Bob WolcottArizona Diamondbacks4541July 31375Jamey WrightColorado Rockies4542August 5374Andy BenesArizona Diamondbacks4543August 8McGwire374Mark Clark Mark Clark (baseball)Chicago Cubs4643Sosa400Rich CroushoreSt. Louis Cardinals4644August 10361Russ OrtizSan Francisco Giants4645480Chris Brock4646August 11McGwire464Bobby Jones Bobby Jones (right-handed pitcher)New York Mets4746August 16Sosa360Sean BergmanHouston Astros4747August 19368Kent BottenfieldSt. Louis Cardinals4748McGwire398Matt KarchnerChicago Cubs4848409Terry Mulholland4948August 20369Willie BlairNew York Mets5048393Rick Reed Rick Reed (pitcher)5148August 21Sosa430Orel HershiserSan Francisco Giants5149August 22McGwire477Francisco Córdova Francisco Córdova (baseball)Pittsburgh Pirates5249August 23393Ricardo Rincón5349Sosa440José LimaHouston Astros5350380José Lima5351August 26McGwire509Justin SpeierFlorida Marlins5451Sosa438Brett TomkoCincinnati Reds5452August 28414John Thomson John Thomson (baseball)Colorado Rockies5453August 30McGwire501Dennis MartínezAtlanta Braves5553Sosa482Darryl KileColorado Rockies5554August 31364Brett TomkoCincinnati Reds5555September 1McGwire450Liván HernándezFlorida Marlins5655472Donn Pall5755September 2497Brian Edmondson5855458Rob Stanifer5955Sosa363Jason BereCincinnati Reds5956September 4374Jason SchmidtPittsburgh Pirates5957September 5McGwire381Dennys ReyesCincinnati Reds6057Sosa417Sean LawrencePittsburgh Pirates6058September 7McGwire430Mike Morgan Mike Morgan (baseball)Chicago Cubs61†58September 8341Steve Trachsel6258September 11Sosa464Bill PulsipherMilwaukee Brewers6259September 12430Valerio de los Santos6260September 13480Bronswell Patrick6261480Eric Plunk6262†September 15McGwire385Jason ChristiansenPittsburgh Pirates6362September 16Sosa434Brian BoehringerSan Diego Padres6363†September 18McGwire423Rafael RoqueMilwaukee Brewers6463September 20423Scott Karl6563September 23Sosa344Rafael Roque6564410Rod Henderson6565†September 25462José LimaHouston Astros6566McGwire375Shayne BennettMontreal Expos66†66September 26403Dustin Hermanson6766435Kirk Bullinger6866September 27377Mike Thurman6966370Carl Pavano7066 Major League Baseball single-season home run record indicated in bold. Home runs that tied the existing record indicated by †. References Bibliography Home run!: the year the records fell 1998 Champaign, Illinois Sports Publishing 1-58261-026-6 registration https://archive.org/details/homerunyearrecor0000unse 1990s Baseball Home run record chase Category:History of Major League Baseball Category:Doping in baseball Category:History of the St. Louis Cardinals Category:History of the Chicago Cubs Category:1998 in sports in Missouri Category:1998 in sports in Illinois Category:Major League Baseball controversies