How a desperate baseball league used a home run race to win back its fans

Science · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Following the 1994 strike that canceled the World Series, Major League Baseball faced a crisis of confidence. To lure back disillusioned supporters, the league promoted a high-stakes pursuit of the single-season home run record. The resulting 1998 duel between two sluggers became a cultural phenomenon that redefined the sport's modern era.

By 1998, the single-season record of 61 home runs, established by Roger Maris in 1961, had become a coveted benchmark. While players like Ken Griffey Jr. and Matt Williams had threatened the record in earlier shortened seasons, the 1998 campaign saw Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa engage in a season-long battle. This rivalry was actively encouraged by league officials, who viewed the potential record-breaking performance as a vital tool to restore fan interest after the 1994 labor dispute.

The competition intensified throughout the summer. Sosa set an enduring record with 20 home runs in June, while McGwire maintained a blistering pace, eventually breaking the 61-run barrier on September 7. The following day, he hit his 62nd home run, officially surpassing Maris. The chase concluded with McGwire setting a new record of 70 home runs, while Sosa finished with 66. Their mutual respect, highlighted by a celebratory embrace on the field, became an iconic image of the season, even inspiring television spoofs.

The legacy of this era remains complex. While the 1998 chase is widely credited with revitalizing the sport's popularity, that narrative is contested by some observers. Furthermore, the period is now synonymous with the steroid era. Although McGwire initially avoided official scrutiny, he later admitted in 2010 to using performance-enhancing drugs during his career, including the 1998 season. Sosa and Barry Bonds, who eventually broke the record with 73 home runs in 2001, have also faced allegations of illegal substance use, casting a long shadow over the statistical achievements of that time.

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