500 home run club facts for kids
Imagine hitting a baseball so far that it goes out of the park 500 times! That's what it takes to join the 500 home run club in Major League Baseball (MLB). It's a special group of baseball players who have hit 500 or more home runs during their careers.
The very first player to reach this amazing goal was Babe Ruth on August 11, 1929. He finished his career with 714 home runs. This record stood for a long time, until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974. Aaron hit 755 home runs. Then, in 2007, Barry Bonds set the current record with 762 home runs. The most recent player to join this club is Albert Pujols, who hit his 500th home run on April 22, 2014. In total, 26 players are members of this exclusive club.
Of these 26 players, 14 hit with their right hand, 10 with their left hand, and 2 were switch hitters. This means they could bat from either side of the plate. The San Francisco Giants are the only team to have four players reach 500 home runs while playing for them. These players were Mel Ott, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Barry Bonds. Four members of the 500 home run club—Aaron, Mays, Eddie Murray, and Rafael Palmeiro—also have 3,000 or more hits in their careers. Alex Rodriguez was the youngest player to hit 500 home runs, doing so at 32 years old. Ted Williams was the oldest, reaching the milestone at 41 years old.
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Joining the Baseball Hall of Fame
For a long time, people thought that if a player joined the 500 home run club, they were sure to be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is a special place that honors the best players in baseball history.
However, this idea has changed in recent years. Many new players have joined the club, with 10 players reaching 500 home runs between 1999 and 2009. Some of these players have not been elected to the Hall of Fame, even though they are eligible. To be eligible, a player must have been retired for at least five seasons.
Players like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmeiro have not been voted into the Hall of Fame. This has led some people to believe that the 500 home run milestone is not as special as it once was.
Understanding the Members Table
This table shows all the players who are part of the 500 home run club. It also gives you some important details about their careers.
| Player | This is the name of the baseball player. |
| HR | This shows how many career home runs the player hit. |
| Date | This is the exact date when the player hit their 500th home run. |
| Team | This is the team the player was on when they hit their 500th home run. |
| Seasons | This lists the years the player played in the major leagues. |
| † | This symbol means the player was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. |
| style="background:#cfecec;" | This symbol means the player was still actively playing baseball when this information was last updated. |
Members of the 500 Home Run Club
The statistics below are correct as of June 8, 2014.
| Player | HR | Date | Team | Seasons | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Bonds | 762 | April 17, 2001 | San Francisco Giants | 1986–2007 | |
| Hank Aaron† | 755 | July 14, 1968 | Atlanta Braves | 1954–1976 | |
| Babe Ruth† | 714 | August 11, 1929 | New York Yankees | 1914–1935 | |
| Willie Mays† | 660 | September 13, 1965 | San Francisco Giants | 1951–1973 | |
| Ken Griffey, Jr. | 630 | June 20, 2004 | Cincinnati Reds | 1989–2010 | |
| Alex Rodriguez* | 618 | August 4, 2007 | New York Yankees | 1994– | |
| Jim Thome | 612 | September 16, 2007 | Chicago White Sox | 1991–2012 | |
| Sammy Sosa | 609 | April 4, 2003 | Chicago Cubs | 1989–2005, 2007 | |
| Frank Robinson† | 586 | September 13, 1971 | Baltimore Orioles | 1956–1976 | |
| Mark McGwire | 583 | August 5, 1999 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1986–2001 | |
| Harmon Killebrew† | 573 | August 10, 1971 | Minnesota Twins | 1954–1975 | |
| Rafael Palmeiro | 569 | May 11, 2003 | Texas Rangers | 1986–2005 | |
| Reggie Jackson† | 563 | September 17, 1984 | California Angels | 1967–1987 | |
| Manny Ramirez | 555 | May 31, 2008 | Boston Red Sox | 1993–2011 | |
| Mike Schmidt† | 548 | April 18, 1987 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1972–1989 | |
| Mickey Mantle† | 536 | May 14, 1967 | New York Yankees | 1951–1968 | |
| Jimmie Foxx† | 534 | September 24, 1940 | Boston Red Sox | 1925–1942, 1944–1945 | |
| Ted Williams† | 521 | June 17, 1960 | Boston Red Sox | 1939–1942, 1946–1960 | |
| Willie McCovey† | 521 | June 30, 1978 | San Francisco Giants | 1959–1980 | |
| Frank Thomas† | 521 | June 28, 2007 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1990–2008 | |
| Ernie Banks† | 512 | May 12, 1970 | Chicago Cubs | 1953–1971 | |
| Eddie Mathews† | 512 | July 14, 1967 | Houston Astros | 1952–1968 | |
| Mel Ott† | 511 | August 1, 1945 | New York Giants | 1926–1947 | |
| Gary Sheffield | 509 | April 17, 2009 | New York Mets | 1988–2009 | |
| Albert Pujols* | 507 | April 22, 2014 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 2001– | |
| Eddie Murray† | 504 | September 6, 1996 | Baltimore Orioles | 1977–1997 |
Images for kids
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David Ortiz is one of 12 to reach the milestone from 1999 to 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Club de los 500 jonrones para niños
