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On September 4, 1998, Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, en route to NL MVP honors and his club’s first postseason appearance in nine years, set a new team record for most home runs in a single season, passing Hack Wilson‘s 1930 total of 56 with a titanic clout into the left-field bleachers. It was still summer as far as Sammy and Cubs fans were concerned.
Sosa went on to hammer another nine home runs in September, making his total a tidy 66, which wasn’t enough to lead the league, as Mark McGwire hit 70, but it was enough that his record will probably stand for a while.