Mark McGwire broke the Cardinals’ single-season home run record that had been held by Johnny Mize for 58 years.
On July 26, 1998, in the Cardinals’ 104th game of the season, McGwire hit his 44th home run, topping the franchise record of 43 established by Mize in 1940.
Fueled by performance-enhancing drugs, McGwire would reach 70 home runs in 1998. He followed that with 65 home runs in 1999. Since then, one other Cardinals player, Albert Pujols, surpassed the standard established by Mize. Pujols hit 49 home runs for St. Louis in 2006, 47 in 2009 and 46 in 2004.
Mize still holds the Cardinals franchise record for most home runs in a season by a left-handed batter. Jim Edmonds twice fell short by one home run of tying Mize’s mark for left-handed batters. Edmonds hit 42 for St. Louis in 2000 and reached 42 again in 2004. The greatest Cardinal, left-handed batter Stan Musial, hit a single-season high of 39 home runs in 1948.
Mize dominated NL
A 6-foot-2, 215-pound first baseman, Mize broke the Cardinals’ single-season home run mark of 42 established by Rogers Hornsby in 1922.
Mize tied Hornsby’s record on Sept. 25, 1940, with a solo home run off Reds starter Bucky Walters at St. Louis. Boxscore
The record-setting 43rd homer was hit with none on off Cubs starter Ken Raffensberger on Sept. 27 at St. Louis. Boxscore
“You’re in the game to win, not for the records,” a humble Mize told reporters.
In 1940, Mize was one of only two big-league players to hit 40 home runs. The Tigers’ Hank Greenberg, who led the American League with 41, was the other. Mize had 18 more home runs than the runner-up among National League leaders, Bill “Swish” Nicholson of the Cubs, with 25.
Mize hit 25 of his 43 home runs at St. Louis in 1940. That was the Cardinals’ record for most homers hit at home in a season until McGwire shattered it with 38 homers hit at St. Louis in 1998.
History lessons for McGwire
McGwire, in his first full year with the Cardinals, told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he hadn’t been aware of the club single-season record for home runs until broadcaster Mike Shannon informed him of it in July 1998.
“I’m just learning the history of the Cardinals,” McGwire said to the Associated Press. “I was stuck on the West Coast for 11 years and didn’t really know much about the history of the Cardinals, but now I do and I’m happy to be part of it.”
McGwire was in an 0-for-16 drought when he faced Rockies starter John Thomsen in the fourth inning on Sunday afternoon, July 26, 1998, at Coors Field in Denver. Thomsen had retired the first 11 batters. He threw McGwire a slider. McGwire hit it 452 feet onto the left-field concourse for home run No. 44. Boxscore
The fan who caught the ball wouldn’t part with it. According to Hummel, McGwire autographed the ball when he and the fan met afterward.
“He said he had a dream two nights ago that he was going to catch one of my home run balls. That was good enough for me,” McGwire said. “I’m into that stuff. He had the dream. He caught it. I hope he has more dreams.”
Previously: Baseball and romance: Cardinals’ Cuban adventures
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