A-Rod 2005 vs. Joe D. 1937

With his HR this evening, Alex Rodriguez broke Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees team record for most HRs in a season by a RH batter. DiMaggio’s mark was 46 HRs in 1937. It’s a great feat by A-Rod to pass this mark. However, one thing that should be taken into consideration is Yankee Stadium 1937 versus how it measures today:

It’s pretty safe to say that Joe would have had many more than 46 homers in 1937 if Yankee Stadium (then) was the same size that it is today.

September 28, 2005 | Filed Under Yankees History

Comments

6 Responses to “A-Rod 2005 vs. Joe D. 1937”

Jen on September 28th, 2005 11:48 pm

Is there a way to find out where (and how far) A-Rod hit his homers at the Stadium?

BTW, I was looking on ESPN.com for such a listing and I see that Mo is leading the way in the Cy Young Predictor.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/features/cy
Jen on September 29th, 2005 12:36 am

Nevermind, I found what I was looking for.
http://tinyurl.com/dzar2

Would be nice if they somehow could list the distance of those as well.

Did all ballparks have bigger dimensions in 1937?
Don on September 29th, 2005 1:44 am

Cleveland’s old park was huge, especially when the Indians had no power of their own and they moved the fences back to try and foil the Yankees.

Shibe Park (Philadelphia A’s) had various configurations over the years with a deep CF, 468 feet until 1950.
Raf on September 29th, 2005 9:16 am

It’s pretty safe to say that Joe would have had many more than 46 homers in 1937 if Yankee Stadium (then) was the same size that it is today.
=====================================

Depends… You’d have to look at home/road splits. When Brady Anderson hit 50, he hit more on the road than he did at home.
Jason O. on September 29th, 2005 10:08 am

Raf is exactly right. My father was at Yankee Stadium when Mantle hit the centerfield scoreboard, and swears after witnessing it that it was the longest MLB HR ever.

The longest HR ever was Bo Jackson at Vanderbilt’s field in ‘86, a few years before I went there. He dented a metal utility shed on a three story building across the street from Vandy’s field. Some engineering students measured it, they concluded 615 feet, in the air, +/- 5 feet.
Don on September 29th, 2005 1:45 pm

I don’t buy that 615 feet, even with an aluminum bat.

And college doesn’t count. Nor does barnstorming when Ruth hit many monstrous shots. One which allegedly was 600 feet plus.