Arnold: List of home run leaders during each pope’s reign

From Dan Connolly at the Baltimore Sun on March 15, 2013, with mention of SABR member Bill Arnold:

Baltimore is a rather Catholic town; if you ever lived here you know that.

I was born and raised an Irish Catholic in Baltimore; if you frequent this blog you may have known that.

Baseball is the ultimate sport for bizarre connections to history. No sport does random statistics better than baseball.

This morning’s blog merges all of those concepts together rather seamlessly (or clumsily, that’s your call). I must admit its ridiculousness made me laugh and shake my head a little bit.

Baseball historian/statistician Bill Arnold passed this tidbit my way. And I had to share it with you. It combines Catholicism and baseball. And includes Baltimore’s greatest son.

In honor of the Roman Catholic Church naming Francis I its new pope Wednesday, Arnold put together a list of all-time, home-run leaders under each of the 11 popes since Major League Baseball was officially formed.

 

Read the full article here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-popes-and-home-runs-20130314,0,5546512.story



Originally published: March 18, 2013. Last Updated: March 18, 2013.