From Baseball Wiki
In Major League Baseball, the 500 home run club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 500 or more career home runs. In general, the 500th home run is not a surprise, as the player has been approaching the mark for some time. However, teams will often interrupt the game in which the player hits his 500th home run in order to honor him on reaching an historically significant milestone in what has been an excellent baseball career. The 500 home run club was "founded" by Babe Ruth in 1929. At the time, he had more than twice as many home runs as any other player.
Rarely mentioned are the 600 home run club and the 700 home run club, which have 4 and 3 members respectively. The 600 home run club is commonly called Mount Crushmore, after Mount Rushmore.
In 2007 three players join the 500 home run club. The most in any one season.
See also: List of top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters and the official website for the 500 home run club.
[edit] The club
† indicates an active player.
| Player
| Home runs
| Date of 500th
| Teams
| Seasons
|
| Barry Bonds†
| 762
| April 17, 2001
| Pittsburgh, San Francisco
| 1986-2008
|
| Hank Aaron
| 755
| July 14, 1968
| Milwaukee/Atlanta, Milwaukee (AL)
| 1954-1976
|
| Babe Ruth
| 714
| August 11, 1929
| Boston (AL), New York (AL), Boston (NL)
| 1914-1935
|
| Willie Mays
| 660
| September 13, 1965 | New York/San Francisco, New York (NL)
| 1951-1973
|
| Ken Griffey, Jr.†
| 611
| June 20, 2004
| Seattle, Cincinnati, Chicago (AL)
| 1989-
|
| Sammy Sosa
| 609
| April 4, 2003
| Texas, Chicago (AL), Chicago (NL), Baltimore
| 1989-2006
|
| Frank Robinson
| 586
| September 13, 1971
| Cincinnati, Baltimore, Los Angeles, California, Cleveland
| 1956-1976
|
| Mark McGwire
| 583
| August 5, 1999
| Oakland, St. Louis
| 1986-2001
|
| Harmon Killebrew
| 573
| August 10, 1971
| Washington/Minnesota, Kansas City
| 1954-1975
|
| Rafael Palmeiro
| 569 | May 11, 2003
| Chicago (NL), Baltimore, Texas
| 1986-2005
|
| Reggie Jackson
| 563
| September 17, 1984
| Kansas City/Oakland, Baltimore, New York (AL), California
| 1967-1987
|
| Alex Rodriguez†
| 553
| August 4, 2007
| Seattle, Texas, New York (AL)
| 1994-
|
| Mike Schmidt
| 548
| April 18,1987
| Philadelphia (NL)
| 1972-1989
|
| Jim Thome†
| 541
| September 16, 2007
| Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago (AL)
| 1991-
|
| Mickey Mantle
| 536
| May 14, 1967
| New York (AL)
| 1951-1968
|
| Jimmie Foxx
| 534
| September 24, 1940
| Philadelphia (AL), Boston (AL)
| 1925-1942, 1944-1945
|
| Manny Ramirez†
| 527
| May 31, 2008
| Cleveland, Boston, Los Angeles
| 1993-
|
| Frank Thomas†
| 521
| June 6, 2007
| Chicago (AL), Oakland, Blue Jays
| 1990-
|
| Willie McCovey
| 521
| June 30, 1978
| San Francisco, San Diego
| 1959-1980
|
| Ted Williams
| 521
| June 17, 1960
| Boston (AL)
| 1939-1942, 1946-1960
|
| Eddie Mathews
| 512
| July 14, 1967
| Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta, Houston, Detroit
| 1952-1968
|
| Ernie Banks
| 512
| May 12, 1970
| Chicago (NL)
| 1953-1971
|
| Mel Ott
| 511
| August 1, 1945
| New York (NL)
| 1926-1947
|
| Eddie Murray
| 504
| September 6, 1996
| Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York (NL), Cleveland, Anaheim
| 1977-1997
|
[edit] Closest Active Players
Stats accurate as of the end of the 2008 season.
