Brady #1 - Top 20 Greatest Fluke HR Seasons Since 1920 [Archive]

glorydays

03-09-2008, 04:55 PM

Thought I would share this interesting article from Baseball Digest detailing the Top 20 Greatest Fluke HR Seasons since 1920 (http://www.baseballdigestdaily.com/bullpen/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=414&Itemid=39).

Here is what they say about Brady:

1. Brady Anderson, 1996 - While Brady had many seasons of double digit homers, there was nothing before or after even close to the 50 hit knocked out in 1996. Brady therefore tops this list. If you're paying attention, this is the third time 1996 has made the list.

Another Oriole came in on the list, though it was the season he left the team. Davey Johnson's 1973 season with the Braves.

3. Davey Johnson, 1973 - A famous one. Johnson's career high otherwise was 18, but he slugged 43 in 1973 (one of three Braves to hit 40 that year). The park in Atlanta helped, but Johnson did hit 17 on the road that year as well.

Do you agree with Brady at #1? What are other Orioles that had fluke home run seasons over the years?

pappybird

03-09-2008, 06:04 PM

That '96 season was crazy as far as homers.....and I agree with Brady topping that list...

glorydays

03-09-2008, 06:19 PM

In 1985 Floyd Rafford hit 18 homers with the Birds and never had more than 8 in any other season.

Balmer Bomber

03-09-2008, 06:39 PM

I don't see why Maris isn't higher on the list. The difference between his 61 and his 2nd highest total of 39 is 22. The difference for Brady's 50 and his 2nd highest of 24 is 26.

Some other beefs I have with this list:

16. Bobby Bailey-He hit 28 in 1970, but he had a season with 26, and another season with 20. I don't see why he is on this list.

18. Terry Steinbach-In 1996 he hit 35, which is 19 better than his 2nd best season of 16. They might want to bump him up the list over guys like...

14. Jeff Reed-17 homers in 1997, his 2nd best total was 9.

NewMarketSean

03-09-2008, 07:28 PM

Brady definitely deserves to be there. Even big sluggers don't hit 50 and Brady did it, without hitting 30 in any other year.

Moose Milligan

03-09-2008, 07:47 PM

If Brady isn't #1, he's definitely in the top 3.

Balmer Bomber

03-09-2008, 08:13 PM

I'm not saying Brady doesn't belong in the top three, but Maris needs to be moved up to the top 5.

For a guy to set the single season HR, and have that record stand for so long, and not be in the Hall of Fame, that season needs to be considered more than just the 15th flukiest homer season.

RShack

03-09-2008, 09:49 PM

I'm not saying Brady doesn't belong in the top three, but Maris needs to be moved up to the top 5.

For a guy to set the single season HR, and have that record stand for so long, and not be in the Hall of Fame, that season needs to be considered more than just the 15th flukiest homer season.
It wasn't a fluke. That year, he led the league in HR's, Total bases, and RBI. He was 2nd in Runs, 4th in SLG, and 5th in OPS. He was the AL MVP.

The previous year, 1960, he led the league in SLG and RBI, and was 2nd in HR, Total bases, Runs, and OPS. He was the AL MVP then too.

What's the fluke? He had a couple great years, plus a couple good years. He just didn't have enough of them.

NewMarketSean

03-10-2008, 09:28 AM

It wasn't a fluke. That year, he led the league in HR's, Total bases, and RBI. He was 2nd in Runs, 4th in SLG, and 5th in OPS. He was the AL MVP.

The previous year, 1960, he led the league in SLG and RBI, and was 2nd in HR, Total bases, Runs, and OPS. He was the AL MVP then too.

What's the fluke? He had a couple great years, plus a couple good years. He just didn't have enough of them.

Yeah, what he said. Brady never even hit half of the homeruns he hit in '96 throughout the rest of his career. Outside of '96 he hit 21 and 24 and then never got more than 20 in any other season.

He definitely deserves to be #1, IMO.

mefogus

03-10-2008, 10:17 AM

I would seriously consider Larry Sheets' 1987 season for that list as well.
-m

RShack

03-10-2008, 11:13 AM

If Brady isn't #1, he's definitely in the top 3.
Think maybe he was doing a little one-man science project on himself that year?

Boy Howdy

03-10-2008, 01:05 PM

Think maybe he was doing a little one-man science project on himself that year?

I remember when Brady arrived in 1988, the announcers couldn't avoid mentioning his penchant for putting all types of ill-tasting concoctions together in his blender in search of the best health shake.

He was praised for being the type of fitness nut who would go to extraordinary means to gain an edge.

Around 1996, he was openly touting something called Creatine.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/hp/creatine.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine

In fact, a lot of players were hyping the benefits of Creatine at that time.

NJOriolesFan

03-10-2008, 01:23 PM

Think maybe he was doing a little one-man science project on himself that year?

I think it was just creatine that he was using not steroids. But that is just my opinion, I guess.

He's been quoted as saying "If I was doing steroids and it wasn't banned and I had all this success why would I stop doing it and if I didn't stop why didn't I continue to have that success." He admits using Creatine. He said the 50 home run season had a lot more to do with a very hot start and the guys surrounding him in the lineup.

Not necessarily a home run fluke, but Jim Gentile had 141 RBI in 1961. His next highest was 98 in 1960. He had almost ONE-THIRD of his RBI total in 1961 even though his plate appearances were only about 17% of his lifetime total.

Boy Howdy

03-10-2008, 03:41 PM

Brady also tops another writer's 40 most offensive aberrations of the post-strike era

http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/10693527

Mike Bordick's also on there, as is -hide the children- Billy Ripken's older brother Cal:

"...People always say how it's "obvious" that Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds took steroids because they got better as they got older. Well if that's the case, then what about these two Hall of Fame good guys?

Did you know that when Ripken was 39, he set career highs in average (.341), slugging percentage (.584), and smacked 18 homers in just 86 games? For a guy who didn't miss a start for nearly two decades, and hit more than 28 homers just once, that's a bit bizarre, no?..."

Moose Milligan

03-10-2008, 05:14 PM

Brady also tops another writer's 40 most offensive aberrations of the post-strike era

http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/10693527

Mike Bordick's also on there, as is -hide the children- Billy Ripken's older brother Cal:

"...People always say how it's "obvious" that Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds took steroids because they got better as they got older. Well if that's the case, then what about these two Hall of Fame good guys?

Did you know that when Ripken was 39, he set career highs in average (.341), slugging percentage (.584), and smacked 18 homers in just 86 games? For a guy who didn't miss a start for nearly two decades, and hit more than 28 homers just once, that's a bit bizarre, no?..."

Mmmm...Ripken didn't have a sustained level of greatness towards the end of his career like Bonds and Clemens did...

He did torch the ball that summer, though...it was great to see.