Wade Boggs 1987 (home runs)

[Seattle1]

Why/how did Wade Boggs hit 24 home runs in 1987 when he never even hit half as many in any other season of his career?

:confused:

[Calif_Eagle]

Wasn't 1987 a season that featured *very many* career highs; & atypically high home run totals for many other players? I seem to recall that as having been the case for that season. I'm sure the specific knowledge about the 1987 and the Home Run is out there among the Fever community in abundance. Memory is suggesting the ball was blamed by some, with changes in the manufacturing process between the 86 and 87 seasons being cited.

[Seattle1]

Wasn't 1987 a season that featured *very many* career highs; & atypically high home run totals for many other players? I seem to recall that as having been the case for that season.

I'm not sure, that's a good question.

[brett]

It was generally accepted that there was an extra tightly wound batch of ball throughout the majors that was used up about 2/3 of the way through the year. They probably were within specifications, but at the upper limit of how tightly they were wound. Affense was historic, especially in the first half. 15 of Boggs home runs came by the break, and he was hitting about .384.

Keep in mind that Boggs could hit home runs in batting practice all day long-it just wasn't his style. I think that his usual 5-8 home runs were actually anomalously low and he could have hit 12-15 regularly. In other words, Boggs had the ability, but only for a brief stretch in '87 did he really take advantage of it.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Wasn't 1987 a season that featured *very many* career highs; & atypically high home run totals for many other players? I seem to recall that as having been the case for that season. I'm sure the specific knowledge about the 1987 and the Home Run is out there among the Fever community in abundance. Memory is suggesting the ball was blamed by some, with changes in the manufacturing process between the 86 and 87 seasons being cited.

It is true that a lot of guys hit career highs for HRs in 1987. Boggs was in his prime, age 29, and it was also a year that Boggs actively tried to hit more HRs. Many were surprised when Boggs didn't attempt to keep it up.

[futurehalloffamer]

1987 NL HR leaders:

Dawson-CHC 49
Bell-TOR 47
Evans-DET 34
Evans-BOS 34
Hrbek-MIN 34
Joyner-CAL 34
Tartabull-KCR 34

1987 AL HR leaders:

McGwire-OAK 49
Murphy-ATL 44
Strawberry-NYM 39
Davis-CIN 37
Johnson-NYM 36
Clark-STL 35
Clark-SFG 35
Schmidt-PHI 35
McReynolds-NYM 29
Samuel-PHI 28

[Calif_Eagle]

On the NL side in 1987: For Dawson (49) a career high by 17 HR, For Murphy (44) a career high by 7, For the Straw, a new career high of 39, would tie this CH in 1988 with 39 again. For Eric Davis (37) a career high by 3. For HoJo (36) 2 off his career high of 38 in 1991 which would lead the league. Jack Clark (35) career high by 7. Will Clark (35) career high by 6. Mike Schmidt (35) below his career high by 13, but this was his final season over 30, or even over 20; HR ever. Schmidt would hit only 18 more over the next 2 seasons before hanging them up for the last time. McReynolds (29) career high by 2. Samuel (28), career high by 9. Of the 10 leading 1987 NL HR hitters, 7 career highs and 1 career high tie. Only Mike Schmidt, (at the end of the trail) and Howard Johnson missed career highs. Only HoJo had a career high year yet to come in the future, although the Straw did match his career high again in 1988.

[Calif_Eagle]

McGwire (49) An all-time Rookie Record & a then career high that McGwire wouldnt surpass for 9 seasons (probably when the Andro days had begun.) Bell (47) a career high by 16! Darrell Evans (34) 7 under his career high. His last 30+ season. He would hit 22, then 11 then retire. Dwight Evans (34) a career high by 2. Hrbek (34) a career high by 5. Joyner (34) a career high over his previous rookie season of 22 by 12. He would play 14 more seasons but would never hit more than 21 in his best year thereafter. Tartabull-(34) a career high by 3, in the future he would hit 31 twice in 1991 and 1993. Cory Snyder (33) career high by 7. 6 players would tie for ninth position (32) Brunansky, Carter, Jacoby, Nokes, Pagliarulo and Parrish. Brunansky tied his 1984 career high. Joe Carter's 32 was a career high then but he would surpass it 4 times in the years ahead. Jacoby a career high by a whopping 15 HR. Nokes a career high by 8. Pagliarulo a CH by 4. Larry Parrish a career high by 2, in his 14th year of a 15 year career. he would hit 14 in 1988 then retire. So to sum up 10 career highs and 1 tie for a career high out of 14 AL HR leaders. McGwires season could be regarded as an 11th CH, counting the clean years only. (you could argue it anyway.)