Sunday, November 20, 2022

EXPANDED LEAGUE LEADERS: 1978 A.L. HOME RUNS

On the blog today, we move on to the American League and their top three home run hitters celebrated on a 1978 “expanded league leader” card, featuring three top-notch batsmen of the era:
 
 
We begin with Boston Red Sox legend Jim Rice, who took home his first home run title that year, pacing the league with 39 homers, which he would follow up the following year with a league-leading 46 on his way to an MVP Award.
Rice would have an insane three-year run between 1977 and 1979, where he would hit 39 or more homers, drive in 100+ RBIs, hit .315 or better, while topping 200 hits each and every year, while also collecting 36 triples while slugging over a combined .600.
The man was a monster at the plate and I was one of many who was happy he finally got his Hall of Fame due when he was elected in 2009.
Tied for second with 37 homers apiece were California Angels Bobby Bonds and New York Yankees Graig Nettles, who were actually just teammates two seasons earlier in 1975.
For Bonds, he fell two homers short of a career-best, which he accomplished while still with the San Francisco Giants in 1973, though he did establish a new career-high with 115 runs batted in while reaching 100+ runs scored for the sixth time.
It was also the fourth of what would be five times he would reach the 30/30 club, as he stole 41 bases to go along with his 37 “jacks”, something he’d do one more time the following season in 1978.
Also in second place with 37 homers, Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles, who established a new career-high after leading the American League with 32 the year before.
For Nettles, he also reached 100+ RBIs for what would be the only time in his long career, with 107, just missing 100 runs scored with 99 for the eventual World Champs, also a career best.
Not a bad threesome slugging their way to the top of the homer chain!

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