"After Babe Ruth hit an amazing 60 home runs in 1927, the record stood for 34 years before Roger Maris bettered it, defying an incredulous sporting public. Fans' anger had barely faded by 1998 when along came Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, two goliaths who proved fans wrong again. Yet only three years after McGwire seemed to put the record beyond reach, Barry Bonds topped him by three. This time fans were staunch in their disbelief, and while many celebrated Bonds' achievement, others questioned its significance." "This revised and thoroughly updated edition of Ruth, Maris, McGwire and Sosa (1999) reviews the careers of each home run titan, with special attention to the record-breaking seasons. The author considers the cultural and social changes that may have affected both the players' season totals and fan reception."--BOOK JACKET.