Baseball Guru
06-24-2001, 04:53 PM
In 1998 Mark McGwire smashed almost every single-season home run record. He shattered the Cardinals' mark of 43 set by Johnny
Mize in 1940, Hack Wilson's NL record of 56 in 1930 and Roger Maris' major league mark of 61 in 1960.
However, there was one record McGwire fell short of -- Joe Bauman's 72.
In 1954 at Class C Roswell of the Longhorn League, Bauman hit 72 home runs -- a record for the major or minor leagues -- and he
did it in just 138 games. Bauman, who homered once every 6.9 at-bats that season, led the league with a .400 average, 224 RBIs,
456 total bases, 150 walks and 99 strikeouts. His .916 slugging percentage was 69 points higher than Babe Ruth's best -- .847 in
1920.
Bauman never played higher than Class A ball. He grew up in Oklahoma City and signed his first professional contract with Little
Rock in 1941. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-45 before playing three more seasons of professional ball. He quit after the
1948 season and spent the next three years running a Texaco gas station in Elk City, Oklahoma.
In an article in the Albuquerque Journal on April 1, 1979, Bauman explains what happened next:
"Boston had called me in the winter of '52 and wanted me to go play for the Atlanta Crackers in Double-A. But this doctor, I can't
recall his name now, he wanted me to play for Artesia in the Longhorn League.
"Hell, I didn't even know they had baseball out there. Anyhow, this doctor wanted to buy my contract from Boston, and he did. I
don't know what he got, maybe a dollar bill or a jockstrap."
Bauman played two seasons for Artesia. In 1952, he hit .375 with 50 home runs and 157 RBIs. The following season, he hit .371 with
141 RBIs and a league-record 53 homers.
However, after the 1953 season, Bauman bought his own release and moved to Roswell, where he bought a gas station and
renamed it Joe Bauman's Texaco Service. He signed a contract to play with the Roswell Rockets for $1,000 per month.
Roswell played its home games at Park Field, and that certainly aided Bauman's cause. The fence was just 330 feet down the
right-field line, 340 to left and 385 to center field. While Bauman's record-breaking season was accomplished in a hitter's park and
league, consider that no other player in the Longhorn League hit 50 homers that season. For Roswell, Stubby Greer finished second
in home runs to Bauman with 12.
Prior to Bauman's '54 season, the single-season record for home runs in Organized Baseball (majors and minors) was 69, set by Joe
Hauser of Minneapolis in 1938 and tied by Bob Crues of Amarillo in 1948.
In 1954, Bauman began getting attention from baseball fans everywhere as he moved closer to the record of 69. Going into a home
game against Sweetwater on August 31, Bauman had 64 home runs with seven games remaining. He clubbed four home runs and a
double that night in a 15-9 win to bring his total to 68. Bauman didn't homer the next the night.
Like McGwire last season, Bauman began feeling the pressure of the media although it was on a much smaller scale. Bauman said,
"There were four or five photographers shooting every time I went to the plate. There were guys from Life and Sports Illustrated???,
plus the local boys. They'd be snapping while I was hitting. It's bound to affect you, and it did to me."
September 3 was Bauman's last chance to tie or break the record in front of the home fans because Roswell's last four games were
on the road. Bauman didn't disappoint the home crowd. In the eighth inning, he hit a three-run homer off lefthander Ralph Atkinson
to right field to tie the record and give Roswell a 7-4 win over Midland.
Bauman went homerless the next two road games and still needed one home run to break the record. The final day of the season
featured a doubleheader at Artesia. In the first game, Bauman hit his 70th home run off Jose Gallardo to set the record. In the
second game, Bauman homered twice and extended the record to 72 as Roswell won 17-0. He hit No. 71 off John Goodell and No. 72
off Frank Gallardo, uncle of Jose Gallardo.
The following day in the Roswell Daily Record, Bauman said, "No. 70 was getting the piano stool off my back. No. 69 was the piano."
So what did Bauman receive for his record-breaking feat? Not much. In fact, Bauman didn't even receive a pay raise for the next
season. He hit .336 in 1955 and "slumped" to 46 homers and 132 RBIs. In 1956, he played in only 56 games for Roswell before
retiring when a X-ray revealed a chipped bone in his left ankle.
Bauman gave the bat he used to hit his 70th homer to Louisville Slugger and in return received a black bat with gold engraving.
After retiring from baseball, Bauman stayed in Roswell, running his gas station and working for a beer distributorship. He retired in
1984 but still calls Roswell home.
Bauman still receives visits and phone calls from baseball fans who remember his 1954 season.
"I'm proud of it, even it's just minor league trivia," he said.
Buaman's record has little chance of being broken at any level. Since Maris hit 61, only McGwire and Sosa (66 in 1998) have hit 60
or more homers. In 1956, three minor leaguers broke the 60 home run mark and none have since.
Bauman batted .337 and collected 337 home runs and 1057 RBI in 1019 games.
Between 1952 and 1955 and never playing more than 139 games per season, Bauman , a lefthanded hitter, AVERAGED 55.3 HR's,
164.5 RBI's and had a .371 batting average..
------------------
"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
LETS GO METS!!!
HELP BE AN ADDICT AND CLICK ON AN AD!!
Mize in 1940, Hack Wilson's NL record of 56 in 1930 and Roger Maris' major league mark of 61 in 1960.
However, there was one record McGwire fell short of -- Joe Bauman's 72.
In 1954 at Class C Roswell of the Longhorn League, Bauman hit 72 home runs -- a record for the major or minor leagues -- and he
did it in just 138 games. Bauman, who homered once every 6.9 at-bats that season, led the league with a .400 average, 224 RBIs,
456 total bases, 150 walks and 99 strikeouts. His .916 slugging percentage was 69 points higher than Babe Ruth's best -- .847 in
1920.
Bauman never played higher than Class A ball. He grew up in Oklahoma City and signed his first professional contract with Little
Rock in 1941. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942-45 before playing three more seasons of professional ball. He quit after the
1948 season and spent the next three years running a Texaco gas station in Elk City, Oklahoma.
In an article in the Albuquerque Journal on April 1, 1979, Bauman explains what happened next:
"Boston had called me in the winter of '52 and wanted me to go play for the Atlanta Crackers in Double-A. But this doctor, I can't
recall his name now, he wanted me to play for Artesia in the Longhorn League.
"Hell, I didn't even know they had baseball out there. Anyhow, this doctor wanted to buy my contract from Boston, and he did. I
don't know what he got, maybe a dollar bill or a jockstrap."
Bauman played two seasons for Artesia. In 1952, he hit .375 with 50 home runs and 157 RBIs. The following season, he hit .371 with
141 RBIs and a league-record 53 homers.
However, after the 1953 season, Bauman bought his own release and moved to Roswell, where he bought a gas station and
renamed it Joe Bauman's Texaco Service. He signed a contract to play with the Roswell Rockets for $1,000 per month.
Roswell played its home games at Park Field, and that certainly aided Bauman's cause. The fence was just 330 feet down the
right-field line, 340 to left and 385 to center field. While Bauman's record-breaking season was accomplished in a hitter's park and
league, consider that no other player in the Longhorn League hit 50 homers that season. For Roswell, Stubby Greer finished second
in home runs to Bauman with 12.
Prior to Bauman's '54 season, the single-season record for home runs in Organized Baseball (majors and minors) was 69, set by Joe
Hauser of Minneapolis in 1938 and tied by Bob Crues of Amarillo in 1948.
In 1954, Bauman began getting attention from baseball fans everywhere as he moved closer to the record of 69. Going into a home
game against Sweetwater on August 31, Bauman had 64 home runs with seven games remaining. He clubbed four home runs and a
double that night in a 15-9 win to bring his total to 68. Bauman didn't homer the next the night.
Like McGwire last season, Bauman began feeling the pressure of the media although it was on a much smaller scale. Bauman said,
"There were four or five photographers shooting every time I went to the plate. There were guys from Life and Sports Illustrated???,
plus the local boys. They'd be snapping while I was hitting. It's bound to affect you, and it did to me."
September 3 was Bauman's last chance to tie or break the record in front of the home fans because Roswell's last four games were
on the road. Bauman didn't disappoint the home crowd. In the eighth inning, he hit a three-run homer off lefthander Ralph Atkinson
to right field to tie the record and give Roswell a 7-4 win over Midland.
Bauman went homerless the next two road games and still needed one home run to break the record. The final day of the season
featured a doubleheader at Artesia. In the first game, Bauman hit his 70th home run off Jose Gallardo to set the record. In the
second game, Bauman homered twice and extended the record to 72 as Roswell won 17-0. He hit No. 71 off John Goodell and No. 72
off Frank Gallardo, uncle of Jose Gallardo.
The following day in the Roswell Daily Record, Bauman said, "No. 70 was getting the piano stool off my back. No. 69 was the piano."
So what did Bauman receive for his record-breaking feat? Not much. In fact, Bauman didn't even receive a pay raise for the next
season. He hit .336 in 1955 and "slumped" to 46 homers and 132 RBIs. In 1956, he played in only 56 games for Roswell before
retiring when a X-ray revealed a chipped bone in his left ankle.
Bauman gave the bat he used to hit his 70th homer to Louisville Slugger and in return received a black bat with gold engraving.
After retiring from baseball, Bauman stayed in Roswell, running his gas station and working for a beer distributorship. He retired in
1984 but still calls Roswell home.
Bauman still receives visits and phone calls from baseball fans who remember his 1954 season.
"I'm proud of it, even it's just minor league trivia," he said.
Buaman's record has little chance of being broken at any level. Since Maris hit 61, only McGwire and Sosa (66 in 1998) have hit 60
or more homers. In 1956, three minor leaguers broke the 60 home run mark and none have since.
Bauman batted .337 and collected 337 home runs and 1057 RBI in 1019 games.
Between 1952 and 1955 and never playing more than 139 games per season, Bauman , a lefthanded hitter, AVERAGED 55.3 HR's,
164.5 RBI's and had a .371 batting average..
------------------
"Man may penetrate the outer reaches of the universe, he may solve the very secret of eternity itself, but for me, the ultimate human experience is to witness the flawless execution of a hit-and-run."
LETS GO METS!!!
HELP BE AN ADDICT AND CLICK ON AN AD!!