Earlier this week Alex Rodriguez became the newest member of the 60o homer club. He is the youngest player in MLB history to achieve the feat. For some fascinating details, as well as comparisons with other members of the club, click here.
Today's question: Can you identify the youngest and oldest members to join the 700 homer club? The 600 homer club? The 500 homer club?
Pictured: Mel Ott (card #179 from the 2005 Upper Deck Artifacts set). Ott, a member of the Hall of Fame, holds the record for being the youngest player to hit 100 home runs.
Bonds was the oldest in the 700 club; Ruth the youngest, I think. (Rodriguez was the youngest to hit 500 as well as 600, but if you only count those who never made it to 600, then Jimmy Foxx is the next youngest to hit 500)
700: Ruth the youngest (39/150), then Aaron (39/166), followed by Bonds (40/55)
600: stated that Rodriguez was the youngest
500: Rodriguez also the youngest
Source: http://www.500hrc.com/700-hrc-articles/who-s-next-to-scale-the-700-home-run-mountain.html
See also: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_hr6.shtml (bottom of screen)
Oldest to 500?
Oldest to 600?
The more impressive stat (to me, anyway) is not age, but number of games to reach the milestone. Maybe that's a question for another day.