Everything Everywhere Daily – “Home Runs” (February 16, 2026)

Host: Gary Arndt

Episode Overview

In this episode, Gary Arndt explores the rich and evolving history of the home run in baseball, from its obscure beginnings in the 19th century to its modern-day status as the sport's most electrifying and strategic play. Gary delves into changes in rules, stadiums, equipment, and strategy, highlights legendary sluggers like Babe Ruth, and examines how statistics and technology have transformed the game’s approach to power hitting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origin and Early Rules of the Home Run (05:40 - 08:30)

• Early baseball rules did not guarantee a run for a ball hit over the fence; spectators might return the ball, and play continued.
• Fields were irregular, outfields vast, and balls soft and variable—making home runs rare and less strategic.
• For much of the 19th century: “In the very early days, a batter was out if the ball was caught after one bounce, so hitting long fly balls was often discouraged.” (07:05)

2. The Dead Ball Era and the First Home Run Records (09:00 - 12:10)

• The “dead ball era” (pre-1920s): balls were scuffed, stained, and sometimes misshapen, making them hard to hit far.
• Strategies focused on bunting, singles, stolen bases.
• “League leaders often finished seasons with fewer than 10 home runs.” (10:30)
• Ed Williamson set the single season record with 27 home runs in 1884—a record that stood for 35 years.

3. Babe Ruth and the Home Run Revolution (13:00 - 18:20)

• Babe Ruth shattered previous records: 29 home runs in 1919, 54 in 1920, 59 in 1921—turning the game on its head.
• “Ruth hit more home runs than every other team in the major leagues, save for the Philadelphia Phillies… in 1921.” (15:11)
• Outfield dimensions were enormous in some parks (e.g., 483ft to center at the Polo Grounds), while others had oddly close corners due to city layouts.

4. Changing Home Run Rules and Ballpark Quirks (18:20 - 21:50)

• 1921 rules: a fair ball over the wall that curved foul was called a foul; walk-off home runs might be scored as singles or doubles for only the winning run.
• Ground-rule home runs: originally, a bounce over the wall was a home run—now a double.
• Ballpark asymmetry was driven by fitting stadiums into city blocks—standardization came much later.

5. The Longest Home Runs Ever Hit (22:00 - 26:30)

• Modern Statcast uses radar to measure home run distances more accurately, debunking urban legends of 600+ft blasts.
• Longest reliably measured home run: Joey Meyer (582ft, 1987, Denver’s Mile High Stadium).
• Host on physical limits: “A hitter swinging at the extreme upper limit of human capability can produce a bat speed around 80-85 mph, yielding a maximum exit velocity...of near 120-125 mph.” (25:12)
• Home run distances over ~600ft are physically nearly impossible, even with optimal conditions.

6. The Analytics Era and Home Run Strategy (28:00 - 31:50)

• Advanced analytics show home runs and walks (“three true outcomes”—strikeout, walk, home run) drive more runs than singles and steals.
• “A walk plus a home run produces two runs without putting the ball in play, eliminating any defensive variance.” (29:44)
• Home runs per game have increased from 0.1 in 1920 to 1.2+ in recent years—a 12-fold increase.

7. All-Time Home Run Records and Legends (32:00 - 35:10)

• Barry Bonds: MLB career record (762 HR).
• Sadaharu Oh: world record (868 HR, Japan’s NPB); universally recognized and fully documented.
• Josh Gibson: Negro Leagues legend, with 800+ reputed home runs, but numbers are unverified.

8. Babe Ruth’s Hypothetical Totals and the Limits of the Home Run Era (35:20 - 37:30)

• If Babe Ruth played today with modern rules and stadiums, Bill Jenkinson estimates over 1,000 career home runs.
• “What began as an accident of ballpark geometry is now a deliberately engineered outcome shaped by decades of rulemaking and the adaptation of advanced statistics.” (36:50)
• As offense evolves, so too do pitching and defense, maintaining balance in the sport.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On changing home run value:
  “A solo home run is far more valuable than a sequence of singles that requires multiple successful events and risks ending the inning early.” (29:10, Gary)

• On park design:
  “The dimensions in early ballparks weren’t gimmicks. Early ballparks were literally squeezed into city blocks, rail yards, and odd parcels of land.” (17:40, Gary)

• On the future of home runs:
  “Will we see even more home runs in the future? Maybe, but probably not, and if so, not a significant amount. As with every revolution in warfare, advances in offense lead to advances in defense.” (36:30, Gary)

• On the effect of analytics:
  “As teams modeled thousands of innings, it became clear that power-heavy lineups create more runs over a season, even if they strike out more often.” (30:22, Gary)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 05:40 – Home runs in early baseball and quirky initial rules
• 09:00 – Dead ball era & early home run records
• 13:00 – Babe Ruth’s arrival and the offensive revolution
• 18:20 – Evolution of home run rules and ballpark sizes
• 22:00 – Quest for the longest home run and modern measurements
• 28:00 – Analytics change the home run strategy
• 32:00 – Review of home run leaders throughout history
• 35:20 – Hypotheticals: Ruth’s home run totals in modern era
• 36:50 – The ongoing push and pull between offense and defense in baseball

Tone and Style

Gary’s tone throughout the episode is curious, engaging, and masterfully informative, balancing historical storytelling with modern analysis, all in clear, concise language.

This summary captures all the key elements and highlights needed to understand the history, evolution, and impact of home runs in baseball—both on the field and in the world of statistics and strategy.