Billy Williams Spot on the All-Time Home Run List

My favorite player when I was ten was Billy Williams of the Cubs.  He finished his career with 426 career homers.  Miguel Cabrera tied him this week for 48th place on the all-time list.  That was quite a surprise to see because I sure thought that Williams was high on the list when he retired.  Time to check on that.

Here is a question that I have yet to check for an answer.  How many guys with 426 (or 400) or more homers have never led the league in homers?  Williams never did.

Stan Musial and Willie Stargell are 30th.  Every player up to #48 passed Williams after he retired including Carl Yastrzemski.  That's 17 guys already.

#19-29 includes five more guys who moved ahead of Williams.

#10-18 includes five more.

#1-9 includes another five.

That's 32 guys, most of them who didn't play until Williams retired in 1976.  He sure looked like a star when he was 17th on the all-time home run list.  #17 now is Mickey Mantle with 536 homers.

I guess I'm old.  That's fitting after yesterday.  I was running a track race and after finishing one of the timers stopped me to ask me my age and he said "we were betting how old your were".  Ouch.  Time to either do a jigsaw puzzle, work on the garden or do another post at 4:00 am.