Bryce Still Climbing the Charts in April '21: 271, 269, now tied at 266 all time in homers

    I do not pay as close attention throughout the days; I took a weekend trip to Indiana and missed a few games, a couple home runs added by the former Nat great. Meanwhile Juan Soto is out for a spell and not progressing towards the top 1,000 as I had hoped. So we follow Mr. Harper. I may keep it up till he ends, who knows? Even as a Phillie...

    So, last week Bryce was tied with Gabby Hartnett, a 20 year player and Hall of Famer who played from 1922 to 1941, most of the years in between the world wars, which overlaps a great deal with the era of Babe Ruth. Hartnett played for the Chicago Cubs for all those years, and then at age 40, his last season, played 64 games for the New York Giants, clouting all of 5 long ones, hitting just 1 in 37 games in 1939 with the Cubbies, I imagine at Wrigley Field, which is still around; his hay day being a 37 homer year at Gabby's peak in 1930. The first year of the Great Depression was his best.

 

Tied at 269 are Gus Zernial, who played 11 years from 1949 to 1959, and Doug DeCinces, who played for 15 years from 1973 to 1987. DeCinces topped out with 30 home runs in 1982 with the California Angels. Zernial hit 43 in 1953, his career best year, but lead the league in 1951 with 33. Zernial went from the White Sox to the Athletics of Philly, then moved with them to Kansas City before hitting 12 more homers his last two seasons with the Detroit Tigers.

Here is the current list of the three men tied at 266 all time, at 238 home runs:

Averill made the Hall of Fame, playing from 1929 to 1941, retiring at age 31, after 13 years.

Lankford went from 1990 to 2004, done at age 37, after 14 seasons played.

Harper is in his 10th season, still age 28.

266.	Earl Averill+  (13)	238	L	HR Log
	Bryce Harper (10, 28)	238	L	HR Log
	Ray Lankford (14)	238