Forty Is The New Thirty: 2009 Update

Last year's update was posted on August 20. For this year, I thought the All-Star Break would provide a natural stoppage for us to take a look at the six teams that have gone the longest without a forty homerun hitter.

Minnesota Twins

Last player to hit 40: Harmon Killebrew, 1970 (41)
Current leaders: Justin Morneau (21)

In 2006, Morneau had 23 homeruns at the break; he hit eleven in the second half to finish with 34. In 2007, he had 24 at the break; he hit seven in the second half to finish with 31. (He had a good year overall last year, but slumped to 23 homeruns.) This is the third time in four years that he has gone into the break with 20+ homeruns, and he always seems to slow down in the second half. His decision to skip the Homerun Derby in 2009 is probably a wise one.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Last player to hit 40: Willie Stargell, 1973 (44)
Current leader: Adam LaRoche (12)

The Pirates are bad at many things, but they are very good at avoiding forty-homerun hitters. Jason Bay was leading the team with 22 homeruns and had a good shot at forty before he was traded; Nate McLouth got off to a hot start, ended up with 26, and was traded this season, just in case. The only bona fide homerun threat in the lineup is LaRoche, who has never hit more than 19 homeruns in the second half (2006) or seven in a month (four times).

Detroit Tigers

Last player to hit 40: Cecil Fielder, 1991 (44)
Current leaders: Brandon Inge (21), Curtis Granderson (18), Miguel Cabrera (17)

Inge's career-high in homeruns is 27 in 2006. He had 17 roundtrippers at the All-Star Break that year but only ten in the second half. Granderson is hitting more homeruns, but fewer doubles and triples. And Cabrera hit 16 in the first half last year before stroking 21 in the second to lead the league at 37. He's probably got the best chance of anyone currently on the team to break forty.

Kansas City Royals

Last player to hit 40: None
Current leader: Miguel Olivo (13)

Miguel Olivo's career homerun high is 16. If he hits 27 homeruns in the second half, I will turn this into a blog that reports only on events that pertain to Miguel Olivo.

Florida Marlins

Last player to hit 40: Gary Sheffield, 1996 (42)
Current leader: Dan Uggla (16)

Uggla looked good at the halfway point last year, with 23, but only hit nine more the rest of the way to finish with 32. He hit fourteen in the second half of the previous two years.

Baltimore Orioles

Last player to hit 40: Rafael Palmeiro, 1998 (43)
Current leader: Luke Scott (17)

A forty-homerun hitter is unlikely this season, but with Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters in the lineup, it may not be long before Baltimore gets off this list.