Home run progression

There's a good chance that someone new will become the all-time leader in home runs by a native Delawarean this year. John Mabry is only a handful away and if Kevin Mench becomes the power hitter he appears to be developing into, he'll likely pass Mabry and everyone else. I thought it would be interesting to see who has been the all-time career leader over the years:

July 27, 1888 Bert Cunningham 1
July 13, 1890 Sadie McMahon 2
September 1, 1896 Bert Cunningham 4
April 24, 1910 Hans Lobert 10
June 11, 1972 Dave May 33
July 24, 1992 Randy Bush 96

I'm not sure which I find more interesting/entertaining; That a pitcher was the leading home run hitter from Delaware through 1910 or that the speedy Hans Lobert was the leader for over 62 years.

That got me thinking about the single season mark for Delawareans. Babe Ruth's 60 home runs held up for 44 years until Roger Maris broke it and then Maris' record was about that long, too. For Delawareans:

1888 Bert Cunningham 1
1890 Sadie McMahon 2
1899 Pete Cassidy 3
1908 Hans Lobert 4
1911 Hans Lobert 11
1971 Dave May 16
1973 Dave May 25
2004 Kevin Mench 26

Lobert's 1911 season held up for sixty years. Times have changed, though. Mench has hit a dozen or more three times in his first four seasons.