What does HR mean in baseball score sheets? HR is short for home run or homerun. It is perhaps the most acclaimed play in baseball and can add anywhere from one up to four runs in an inning with a single bat.
What is home run in baseball? A home run takes place when a batter hits a ball into fair territory, crosses all bases, and reaches the home plate safely to score a run.
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Why Are Home Runs Always Celebrated in Baseball?
Let us look deeper into the definition and meaning of a home run to know why hitting one always elicits the loudest cheers from the crowd.
In baseball slang, a home run is also known as a dinger, tater, big fly or four-bagger, among others. However, the most popular home run synonym used by sportswriters, commentators, and baseball players themselves is the term, “homer.”
Baseball is a relatively low-scoring sport; making a fairly good hit and reaching 1st base is a daunting task. Defense is always on guard to make sure each batted ball results in an out, so the opposing team does not advance to score a run.
Now think of hitting a ball that allows you to circle all three bases and reach home to score a run without the persistent threat of being put out. In most cases, you can even do this at your own leisure pace since the ball usually lands over the fence. Isn’t that something that deserves a celebration?
Hitting a homerun in baseball is clearly a demonstration of a player’s batting power and accuracy. Imagine how much skill, timing and strength it will take to get the ball flying over the outfield fence, making it close to impossible for any fielder to catch the ball.
What is the Average Home Run Distance?
The average distance of a home run in Major League Baseball varies from season to season.
The most recent figures place it between 365 and 375 feet from 2015 to 2022, with an all-time average of 366 since Statcast started measuring home runs in 2015.
Statcast is a state-of-the-art automated tool that has replaced traditional methods of measuring the speed and accuracy of an athlete’s performance. In baseball, Statcast is used to calculate metrics related to pitching, hitting, base running, and fielding.
What is the Longest Home Run Ever?
If you search the Internet for the longest home run ever recorded in baseball history, you’ll come across conflicting results. That’s because different methods were used to measure the distance of home runs throughout the centuries.
All things considered, the longest home run ever hit in the Statcast era belongs to Nomar Mazara, a Dominican Republic national and right fielder for the San Diego Padres in MLB. In June of 2019, Mazara hit a 505-foot big fly in a game against the Chicago White Sox.
Coming in for a close second is Giancarlo Stanton, a designated hitter, and fielder for the New York Yankees. Stanton hit a 504-foot homer in the 2016 MLB season while he was still playing for the Florida Marlins.
Before the use of the Statcast tool, the longest verified home run in baseball history was made by Joey Meyer, a lesser-known native of Hawaii who played just two seasons of Major League baseball. What’s even more interesting is that this record home run didn’t even take place in the majors.
Meyer was still playing for the Denver Zephyrs in June of 1987 when he hit a 582-foot dinger that landed on the upper level of Denver’s Mile High Stadium. These days, Meyer works in a hospital in Maui and doesn’t talk much about his astonishing feat unless asked.
Do Home Runs Always Go Over the Fence?
With practically all home runs measuring over a hundred yards, it will come as a surprise that a batter may be able to circle all bases without the ball going outside the field of play. Although rare, inside-the-park home runs do happen. However, they comprise less than 1% of all home runs.
What’s even more unthinkable is that the shortest home run ever recorded resulted from a batted ball that didn’t even go over a yard. It measured a mere 24 inches!
It was a rainy day during the 1900 Minor League when Andy Oyler of the Minnesota Millers hit that peculiar homer. Oyler was able to score a run before the defending fielders finally located the ball that got stuck in the mud just two feet off the home plate.
Which Player Holds the Record for the Most Home Runs?
Most people think it’s the legendary Babe Ruth since his name is synonymous with baseball. However, Ruth only comes in third with 714 homers, next to Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron. Besides Ruth, Bonds and Aaron are also among the greatest baseball players in history.
- Bonds played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants for 22 seasons and held the record for 762 career home runs.
- On the other hand, Aaron played 23 seasons with the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers for a total of 755 homers.
- When it comes to the most pitcher home runs, the honor belongs to Wesley Cheek Ferrell. Ferrell played for six different Major League teams in his 14-year professional baseball career and hit 37 home runs as a pitcher.
Are There Specific MLB Home Run Rules That Need to Be Observed?
MLB home run rules are generally basic—a home run is ruled when a batter hits the ball in fair territory, circles all bases safely, and scores a point or a run for the team.
If the ball hits a foul pole, any object within fair territory, or even an outfielder, the play is ruled a home run as long as the ball does not touch the ground before bouncing over the fence.
In instances when the ball is caught, the play is ruled an out if the outfielder has a foot on or over the playing surface, even if they fall over the railing afterward. However, if no part of the body is over the playing surface when making the catch, it is ruled a home run.
Conclusion
A lot of baseball enthusiasts may already know the answer to, “What is home run in baseball?” However, not too many know who made the farthest or the most number of home runs in baseball history. We bet you didn’t even know there was a home run that measured less than a yard!
We hope this article has given you a lot more interesting facts and stories behind home runs. Now that you’ve learned why home runs are pretty much celebrated, do share this article with every baseball fan you know.
A powerful swing and the ball is flying across the field, just one hit, and we might never forget the thrill it brings. I do not know about you, but I never do. Every baseball game is the chance to compete with others and cooperate with your teammate. It is among my biggest passions.
