Ruth-Gehrig. Mantle-Maris. McGwire-Sosa. Nothing lights up the fans like an attack on the home run record. In this presumably "dead-ball era," that's exactly what we have this season.
Bob Tucker and Jin-Chi-Itou, after 83 games, have 38 and 36 homers, respectively. That puts them on pace for 74 and 70, with Sidney Fabregas' 73 standing as the record since Season 2.
To put this in time perspective, teams averaged 4.93 runs per game in Season 2. We're down to 4.67 the last 2 seasons (not down as much as I thought...this may be a young enough world that we didn't get much of the "steroid era"), although up a bit to 4.73 so far this year.
Itou also has a great shot at Fabregas' RBI record of 189, set in Season 8. He has 101 through 83 games - 197 for the season if he can maintain the pace.
Neither Tucker nor Itou has taken a day off yet, so that may factor into the chase as the season wears on. But in a "pitcher's era" it's fun to see this generation's top sluggers reaching the pinnacles of greatness.
Speaking of pitchers, Sam Stock has 21 wins and is on pace for 41. That would shatter the previous wins mark of 34 set by the gold standard of prolific middle relievers, Orlando Fernandez, back in Season 22.
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