Trivia: Final original franchise to have a player hit 30 HRs in a season

[cgjackson222]

Babe Ruth was the first person to hit 30 HRs in a season when he dismantled all previous records by belting 54 HRs in 1920 for the Yankees.

Other Franchises soon followed--in 1922, Rogers Hornsby belted 42 HRs for the Cardinals, Ken Williams hit 39 HRs for the Browns, and Tilly Walker hit 37 for the Athletics.

Of the original 16 franchises that existed at the AL/NL merger, which took the longest to have a player hit 30 HRs in a single seasons, what year did it happen, and who was the player?

[packs]

I'm going to guess the Browns but only based on my knowledge that Ruth outhit their entire roster several years in a row.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by packs

I'm going to guess the Browns but only based on my knowledge that Ruth outhit their entire roster several years in a row.

well since he named the Browns in his post as 1922 I'm going to bet against you lol.

I'd guess the White Sox. Can't think of any major power hitters until well into the 2nd half of the 20th century. Probably missing some one-off season though.

[packs]

Whoops, didn't see Ken Williams up there.

I'll change my guess to the Tigers. I know Greenberg and York belted more than 30 homers but not till the mid-30s. Could also see it being the Reds, which would be ironic and maybe the clue.

[cgjackson222]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

well since he named the Browns in his post as 1922 I'm going to bet against you lol.

I'd guess the White Sox. Can't think of any major power hitters until well into the 2nd half of the 20th century. Probably missing some one-off season though.

You are correct about the White Sox!

Can you take a stab at what year/who finally hit 30 HRs for them?

[rats60]

Originally Posted by cgjackson222

You are correct about the White Sox!

Can you take a stab at what year/who finally hit 30 HRs for them?

I believe it was Bill Melton.

[cgjackson222]

Originally Posted by rats60

I believe it was Bill Melton.

Correct! Beltin' Bill Melton clubbed 33 HRs in 1970, becoming the first White Sox player to hit 30 HRs in a single season, 69 years after the White Sox became a franchise.

Melton hit 33 HRs in 1971 as well. But his production declined the following year, and he missed much of the season after suffering two herniated discs resulting from trying to break his son's fall from their garage roof.


The order goes:
1) Yankees: 1920 (Babe Ruth)
2) Browns: 1922 August 7 (Ken Williams)
3) Athletics: 1922 August 23 (Tilly Walker)
4) Cardinals: 1922 August 25 (Rogers Horsnby)
5) Phillies: 1923 (Cy Williams)
6) Cubs: 1928 (Hack Wilson)
7) Giants: 1929 (Mel Ott)
8) Braves: 1930 (Wally Berger)
9) Indians: 1931 (Earl Averill)
10) Tigers: 1935 (Hank Greenberg)
11) Red Sox: 1936 (Jimmie Foxx)
12) Reds: 1938 (Ival Goodman)
13) Dodgers: 1941 (Dolph Camilli)
14) Pirates: 1947 (Ralph Kiner)
15) Senators: 1957 (Roy Sievers)
16) White Sox 1970 (Bill Melton)