I gotta agree with Zen's breakdown. Era's matter. Even the recent era is hard to define -- did it begin with the 1998 expansion and subsequent home run chase? Or was it the introduction of smaller parks over the last few years with shorter fences? The game, since the year of the pitcher in 1968, has been more favorable towards hitters (with rule changes and such) than to pitchers...
In the end, it's like Maddux said in that old ESPN commercial, "Chicks dig the long ball" -- but I've lost respect for the home run because of those who have artificially enhanced their performance in order to hit them. It's cast doubt on the sport.
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The more they over think the plumbing, the easier to stop up the drain.
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