60 HOMERS CLUB, 2008 SEASON

AS OF MAY 30, 2008 NO ONE IS ON TRACK TO HIT 55 HOMERS AND ONLY 6 MAY HIT 50 OR MORE.

PHR.........GP..........GL..........HR..........PLAYER

54.3..........53...........91...........20...........MIKE HESSMAN
52.1..........56..........106..........18...........CHASE UTLEY
51.6..........53...........91............19..........BRAD ELDRED
51.0..........48...........96............17.........DALLAS MCPHEARSON
50.7..........54...........90............19........KIT PELLOW
50.5.........46...........109...........15.......DAN UGGLA

PHR STANDINGS AS OF 05/24/2008

R. HOWARD HAS CAUGHT UP TO C. UTTLY WHO HAS BEEN IN A LITTLE SLUMP, THEY ARE TIED AT 14 HOMERS EACH. SIX PLAYERS HAVE HIT 15 OR MORE SO FAR THIS SEASON, WELL BELOW THE PACE SET LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME. THEY ARE:

PHR.....HR......GP......GL.........PLAYER

57.8......19........47.......96.........MIKE HESSMAN

50.7......19........54......90.........KIT PELLOW

51.8......17........47.......96.........BRAD ELDRED

46.1......16........50......94.........LANCE BERKMAN

48.6......15........44......99.........DALLAS MCPHERSON

47.0......15........46......98.........DAN UGGLA

HOME RUNS HAVE DROPPED OF DRASTICALLY THIS YEAR. ONLY M. HESSMAN IS ON TRACK TO HIT 55 HOMERS THIS YEAR, AND NO ONE WILL HIT 60.

2008 PROJECTED HOME RUN LEADERS.

PHR..............PLAYER........................HR
58.6...........MIKE HESSMAN...........18
57.7...........LANCE BERKMAN.........16
56.8............IAN GAC.........................14

AS OF MAY 19, 2008
NO ONE ON TRACK TO HIT 60 AND ONLY 3 ON TRACK TO 55 OR MORE.

2008 PROJECTED HOME RUN LEADERS.

AS OF MAY 15, 2008

Only three players on track to hit 55 or more homers this year.

IAN GAC has a PHR of 58.4. He has played in 34 games and has 14 homers so far this season. He plays in the 144 game season of the Midwest A league.

Lance Berkman has a PHR of 59.0. He has 15 homers in 41 games.

Mike Hessman has a PHR of 62.9 and is the only player on track to hit 60 homers this year. He has 18 homers in 41 games. He plays in the 144 game season International AAA League.

2008 home run leaders as of 05/11/08

THERE ARE 11 PLAYERS WITH 11 OR MORE HOMERS AS OF MAY 11, 2008

16.....Mike Hessman.....AAA
16.....Kit Pellow......AAA
14.....Ian Gac......A
13.....Chase Utley......MLB
12.....Fernando Tatis......AAA
12.....Lance Bekman......MLB
11.....Brad Eldred......AAA
11.....Darrick White......AAA
11.....Nelson Cruz......AAA
11.....Dallas McPherson......AAA
11.....Dan Uggla.......MLB

Brett Carrol has been called up to the Florida Marlins and Brandon Wood has been called up to the LA Angles were he has already hit his first MLB home run. This will almost certainly take them out of the home run race. There are no players with a PHR of 60 or more as of today.
ONLY SIX PLAYERS ON TRACK TO HIT 50 OR MORE HOMERS.

PHR.....GP....GL....HR......PLAYER
59.6......29,,,,115....12.......IAN GAC - Midwest A
58.5......36....126....13.......CHASE UTLEY - National
54.6......29....115....11.......NELSON CRUZ - PCL AAA
52.5......34....128....11......LANCE BERKMAN - NATIONAL
52.4......33....111.....12.....MIKE HESSMAN - INTERNATIONAL AAA
50.6.....32.....130....10....CHRISTOPHER CARTER - CALIFORNIA AA

THE FIRST 60 HOMERS CLUB MEMBER

Babe Ruth, Baseball Player Born: 6 February 1895 Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland Died: 16 August 1948 (cancer) Best Known As: New York Yankee hero and "Sultan of Swat" Name at birth: George Herman Ruth, Jr.Babe Ruth is the most celebrated player in baseball history . A home run king and fan favorite, Ruth was the first in a line of iconic New York Yankees which included Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. Ruth began his career as a pitcher but moved to the outfield, where he gained fame as a slugger. After the Boston Red Sox sold him to the Yankees in 1920, Ruth became the most famous athlete in America. Ruth's larger-than-life personality (including a prodigious fondness for food and drink) was a hit with fans , and Ruth is often credited with making baseball the dominant American sport of its time. Ruth retired in 1935; he held the single-season record for home runs (60) until fellow Yankee Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961, and the career record (714) until Hank Aaron passed him in 1974. In 1948, like Gehrig before him, Ruth had an emotional farewell at Yankee Stadium, with the Yankees retiring his uniform number 3. He died of throat cancer two months later.

2008 PROJECTED HOME RUN LEADERS.

C. UTLEY OF THE PHILLIES IS STARTING TO PULL AWAY FROM THE PACK ON HIS QUEST OF THE LONGBALL TITLE. ONLY FOUR PLAYERS ON TRACK TO HIT 55 OR MORE HOMERS, THREE FROM THE MINORS. B. CARROLL HAS THE HIGHEST PER GAME AVERAGE BUT HAS MISSED 11 GAMES THIS YEAR.

PHR....HR.....GP....GL....PGA....PLAYER

65.8.....13......32.....130...406.....CHASE UTLEY...N.L.

63.5......9.......18......115...500....BRETT CARROLL...P.C.L.

60.1.....11......26.....118....423.....IAN GAC...MIDWEST LG.

58.6.....11......27.....117.....407.....NELSON CRUZ...P.C.L.

PHR STANDINGS AS OF 04/28/2008

Brett Carroll leads all pro players with a PHR of 68.5. He plays for the Albuquerque Isotopes of the AAA Pacific Coast League. Parent team is Florida.

AS OF APRIL 28, 2008 PHR.....HR.....GP......GL.........PLAYER 68.5.......8.......16.......121.......BRETT CARROLL (PCL) 62.4.....10.......26.......136.......CHASE UTLEY (NL) 61.8.......9.......21.......123.......IAN GAC (MIDWEST LEAGUE) 54.1.......8.......21.......121......BRANDON WOOD (PCL) 52.4.......8.......22.......122......LUKE HUGHES (EASTERN LEAGUE) 51.8.......8.......25.......137......H. RAMIREZ (NL) 51.7.......8.......22.......120......FERNANDO TATIS (PCL) ONLY SEVEN PLAYERS ON TRACK TO HIT 50 OR MORE HOMERS AND FIVE OF THEM ARE FROM THE MINORS

2008 PROJECTED HOME RUN LEADERS.

New leader board and again a new leader. We now have 2 players on track to hit 60 homers, one is a AAA player. ONLY SIX PLAYERS ARE ON TRACK TO HIT 50 OR MORE HOMERS. PHR'S ARE ABOUT 20 BELOW THIS TIME LAST YEAR. PHR.....GP.....GL.....HR.....PGA......PLAYER 63.6......22.....140....10......455.......C. UTLEY--PHI 60.2......19......124.....8.......421.......F. TATIS--NOZ (PCL)AAA 59.0......22......140.....8.......364.......P. BURRELL--PHI 54.0......21......140.....7.......333.......H. RAMIREZ--CWC 54.0......21......141.....7.......333.......M. JACOBS--FLA 51.5......22......140.....7.......318.......D. LEE--CHC

PHR STANDINGS

Here we go again, a new leader board and a new leader. No one is on track to hit 60 homers as of today and only six players are on track to hit 50 or more. This season is starting out as one of the most dismal starts for the long-ball title. PHR...HR...GP...GL......PGA...PLAYER/TEAM 59.7....7......17....145....412.....D. LEE/CHC 54.8....6......14....128....428.....B. WOOD/SLC-(PCL)AAA 54.4....6......16....145....375.....M. JACOBS/FLA 51.2....6......17....145....353.....B. HALL/MIL 51.2....6......17....145....353.....C. JONES/ATL 50.8....6......17....144....333.....C. PENA/TB 38.7....6......27....116....333.....K. PELLOW/SLT-(ML)AAA--LEADS ALL MINOR'S IN HRS

AS OF APRIL 15, 2008 C. PENA LEADS WITH 6 HOMERS, 8 PLAYERS TIED WITH 5 AND 11 ARE TIED WITH 4. THIS IS MY 4TH PUBLISHED LEADER BOARD AND WE HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT LEADER EACH TIME. 31 PLAYERS TIED WITH 3 INCLUDING; RYAN HOWARD, ALIX RODRIGUEZ AND A. PUJOLS. SO AFTER 2 WEEKS OF BALL THERE IS NO BREAKOUT HITTING STAR, YET. AAA MINOR LEAGUE LEADERS: ......International League; JASON LANE AND JEFF LARISH--5 EACH ......Mexican League; KIT PELLOW--7 / R. RIVERA, S. GUTIERREZ/ I. FRANCO--6 EACH ......Pacific Coast League; BRANDON WOOD--6

future book standings.

HR. ODDS TO WIN 2008 HOME RUN TITLE-- ODDS TO HIT 60 OR MORE 3 RYAN HOWARD............. 5-1...................... 15-1 2 ALEX RODRIGUEZ .......6-1....................... 18-1 1 DAVID ORTIZ............... 8-1....................... 20-1 3 ALBERT PUJOLS ........12-1........................ 30-1 6 CARLOS PENA............. 15-1..................... 50-1 1 ANY OF THE 5 ABOVE......30-1 .....................150-1 4 RICK ANKIEL.................... 20-1...................... 50-1 2 VLADIMIR GUERRERO..... 20-1...................... 60-1 2 JIM THOME................................. 20-1 ....................70-1 2 ANDRE ETHIER .....................20-1 ..................80-1 2 PEDRO FELIZ.................. 20-1......................... 90-1 SCR SAMMY SOSA ..................35-1....................... 150-1 4 ANY OTHER AL PLAYER..... 6-1..................... 100-1 5 ANY OTHER NL PLAYER...... 8-1 ....................100-1 7 ANY MINOR L PLAYER....... 75-1..................... 250-1

these were pre season odds before first game was played. The most home runs per group are listed.

Home Run Stats as of April 10, 2008

M. Reynolds leads in home runs and PHR in MLB and J. Larish of Tolido (International) leads in the minors.
PHR-----HR-----GP-----GL-----PGA------PLAYER
89.9......5........9........153.........555.....M. REYNOLDS
80.0......4........7........136.........571.....J. LARISH
72.0......4........8........136.........500.....J. LANE
71.9......4........9........153.........444.....B. HALL
71.9......4........9........153.........444.....M. JACOBS
71.9......4........9........153.........444.....C. YOUNG
71.5......4.......10.......152........400.....T. HUNTER
71.5......4.........9.......152........444.....C. PATTERSON

2008 PROJECTED HOME RUN LEADERS.

As of April 5, 2008

Top PHR'S are droping fast. The top PHR'S are coming out of the AAA & AA minor leauges. These leauges play a 144 game season. Jeff Lavish, Fernando Tatis, Luis Jimenez and Adam Witter are all averaging 1 homer per game.

THE TOP PHR HITTERS SOFAR:

Player ***********HR***GP***GL***PGA***PHR
J. LAVISH...........3.......3.......141........1..........144
F. TATIS.............3........3......141.......1...........144
L. JIMENEZ........2.......2.......142.......1.........144
A. WITTER.........2....... 2...... 142....... 1........ 144
C. FLOYD............2.........3.....158........666....107.2
J. UPTON...........3.........5......158.......600.....97.8
C. UTLEY............3.........5......158.......600.....97.8
C. YOUNG...........3.........5......158.......600.....97.8
M. NAPOLI..........2........4......158.......500.....81
C. PATTERSON....2........4......158.......500.....81
C. PENA...............2.........4......158......500......81
A. PIERZYNSKI...2.........4......158.......500.....81

So after only few games only 12 players in Org. Ball are on track to hit 80 or more home runs. It will be a long season but I do not see anyone keeping up the pace to hit even 60.

2008 PROJECTED HOME RUN LEADERS.

Here are the PHR standings. Jim Thome leads and is on pace to hit 324 homers this season. We have a total of 24 players on pace to hit 80 or more home runs.

...player...................team..........gp.....hr.....PHR
Jim..Thome..................CWS............1......2.....324
Eric..Byrnes................ARI............1......1.....162
Miguel..Cabrera.............DET............1......1.....162
Jermaine..Dye...............CWS............1......1.....162
...Kosuke..Fukudome.........CHC............1......1.....162
...Alex..Gordon.............KC.............1......1.....162
...Carlos..Guillen..........DET............1......1.....162
...Franklin..Gutierrez......CLE............1......1.....162
Eric..Hinske................TB.............1......1.....162
Chipper..Jones..............ATL............1......1.....162
Jeff..Kent..................LAD............1......1.....162
Jimmy..Rollins..............PHI............1......1.....162
...Jiff..Salazar............ARI............1......1.....162
...Grady..Sizemore..........CLE............1......1.....162
...Chase..Utley.............PHI............1......1.....162
...Josh..Willingham.........FLA............1......1.....162
Chris..Young................ARI............1......1.....162
Emil..Brown.................OAK............2......1......81
Mark..Ellis.................OAK............2......1......81
Jack..Hannahah..............OAK............2......1......81
...Lastings..Milledge.......WAS............2......1......81
...Brandon..Moss............BOS............2......1......81
...Manny..Ramirez...........BOS............2......1......81
...Ryan..Zimmerman..........WSH............2......1......81

Home Run Stats as March 27, 2008

FIVE TIED FOR FIRST, ALL ON PACE TO HIT 80 HOME RUNS THIS YEAR.

HR GP PHR
. E Brown 1 2 80
OAK OF
1. M Ellis 1 2 80
OAK 2B
1. J Hannahan 1 2 80
OAK 3B
1. B Moss 1 2 80
BOS OF
1. M Ramirez 1 2 80
BOS OF

ODDS TO WIN 2008 HOME RUN TITLE ODDS TO HIT 60 OR MORE

RON HOWARD 5-1 15-1
ALEX RODRIGUEZ 6-1 18-1
DAVID ORTIZ 8-1 20-1
ALBERT PUJOLS 12-1 30-1
CARLOS PENA 15-1 50-1
ANY OF THE 5 ABOVE 30-1 150-1
RICK ANKIEL 20-1 50-1
VLADIMIR GUERRERO 20-1 60-1
JIM THOME 20-1 70-1
ANDRE ETHIER 20-1 80-1
PEDRO FELIZ 20-1 90-1
SAMMY SOSA 35-1 150-1
ANY OTHER AL PLAYER 6-1 100-1
ANY OTHER NL PLAYER 8-1 100-1
ANY MINOR L PLAYER 75-1 250-1

CLUB MEMBERS HR STAT COMPARISON

Joe Bauman would be number one single season home run leader if he played 162 games?

This is a comparison of stats if all 60 Homers Club members had played 162 games.
...............................................ACTUAL... PHR for
year player.............................. HR... GP... 162 games

1954 Joe Willis Bauman........... 72..... 138..... 84.6
1926 John William Clabaugh... 62..... 121..... 82.9

1948 Robert F. Crues............... 69 .....140..... 79.9
2001 Berry Bonds.................... 73..... 153..... 77.3

1998 Mark McGuire................ 70..... 155..... 73.2
1933 Joseph John Hauser........ 69 .....153 .....73.1

1956 Kenneth Adam Guettler... 62 .....140 .....71.8
1999 Mark McGuire............... 65..... 153..... 68.9

1956 Forrest Edward Kennedy. 60..... 144..... 67.6
1998 Sammy Sosa.................. 66..... 159..... 67.2

1954 Robert Albert Lemmon... 64..... 158..... 65.6
1927 George Herman Ruth..... 60..... 151..... 64.8

2001 Sammy Sosa.................. 64..... 160..... 64.8
1999 Sammy Sosa.................. 63..... 162..... 63.0

1961 Roger Eugene Maris........ 61..... 161..... 61.4
1930 Joseph John Hauser........ 63..... 168..... 60.8

If Bonds had played in 162 games in 2001 he would only be fourth on the single season HR list?

Top home run contenders for 2008

These are the top five home run hitters from 2007.

A. Rodriquez...54
P. Fielder...50
R. Howard...47
C. Pena...46
A. Dunn...40

Mike Hessman is in camp on the 40 man roster with the TIGERS. R. Ankiel is fighting for a starting job with St. Lewis. Both Ankiel and Hessman were top Home Run hitters in 2007 in AAA minors.

Other AAA contenders are (2007 HRS.): Donny Leon (31), Julian Yan (30), Valentino Pascocci (34), Craig Brazell (32), Scott Saebol (32) and Scott McClain (31).

Look for Ron Howard and Alex Rodriquez to slug it out for the HR title, but doubt anyone gets to 55 this year.

Look for M. Hessman (unless he gets the call) and Craig Brazell to fight it out for the HR lead in the minors. These guys have a very tough time getting anywhere near 60 homers for two reasons, 1. they have about 20 fewer games are played. 2. If they start to hit the long ball they get the call to the big show.

One last thought, if R. Howard had stayed healthy and not missed so many games, his PHR stat would have been 58, ahead of Rodriquez. Ron Howard is my pick for the HR title.

13 DAYS TO GO

Roger Maris
Babe Ruth
Alex Rodriquez
Dick Stuart

That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball." -- Bill Veeck
"I see great things in baseball. It's our game -- the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism, tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us." -- Walt Whitman

"I believe in the Church of Baseball." -- Annie Savoy

The time has come again to hear the sound of a bat on a ball, to be filled with oxygen, to worship at the Church of Baseball. There is even something better, more poetic about the arrival on Thursday of another poetic rite of February called Spring Training.

This time, the first official workouts fall on Valentine's Day. What could be better? This is about our love affair with a game many of us were born into. Maybe it is the sport your father or mother took you to see at the nearest cathedral many years ago, a tradition you carry on today. Maybe you can't imagine living without it.

SPRING BALL BEGAINS IN 13 DAYS