Nothing stirs the imagination of baseball fans like a good old home run record.

Almost everybody loves the longball, after all, and any time a home run record comes under fire, the whole diamond world sits up and takes notice … all summer long, or sometimes for several summers in a row.

And, part of the beauty of the home run record is that there isn’t really such a thing as “the” home run record.

Nope … there are career records, single-season records, league records, team records, American records, Japanese records, monthly records, weekly records, and on and on and on.

On this page we’ll be collecting questions — and answers! — about all the different types of home run records, starting with …

Who holds the record for most home runs in a career?

The Major League record for home runs in a career is 762 by Barry Bonds. He set the record on August 7, 2007, the last year of a 22-year career split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants.

Who hit the the most home runs before Barry Bonds?

Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs during his career with the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers from 1954 through 1976.

Whose home run record did Hank Aaron break?

Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s record of 714 career home runs on April 8, 1974.

Who held the home run record before Babe Ruth?

Roger Connor held the record before Ruth came along, smacking 138 long balls during an 18-year career that spanned the late 19th century (1880-1897).

When did Babe Ruth set the career home run record?

Babe hit his 139th home run to pass Connor on July 18, 1921.

Who holds the single-season home run record?

Barry Bonds holds the record with 73 home runs in a season, hit during the 2001 campaign for the San Francisco Giants.

Who held the single-season home run record before Barry Bonds?

Mark McGwire held the record before bonds, with 70 in 1998.

Who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in the 1960s?

Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 1961, surpassing Ruth’s record of 60 on the last day of the season. For much of the ’61 campaign, Maris battled teammate Mickey Mantle for the American League home run lead.

When did Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs?

Ruth hit 60 home runs for the New York Yankees in 1927.

Who held the single-season record for home runs before Babe Ruth?

Before Ruth hit 29 home runs for the Boston Red Sox in 1919, the single-season record was held by Ned Williamson who hit 27 for the Chicago White Stockings in 1884.

Ruth subsequently hit 54 in 1920 and 59 in 1921 before topping out at 60 in 1927.

Who broke Roger Maris’ single-season record?

Mark McGwire broke Maris’ mark of 61 when he hit his 62nd home run of the season for the St. Louis Cardinals on September 8, 1998. McGwire would finish the year with 70 home runs, while Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs also passed Maris, finishing with 66 dingers.

Who hit more home runs than Barry Bonds?

No one in the American major leagues has topped Bonds’ 762 home runs, but Sadaharu Oh hit 868 home runs over 22 season with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Central League from 1959 through 1980.

That number stands as the record for home runs hit in professional baseball.

Who holds the American League record for home runs in a season?

Roger Maris holds the record for most home runs hit in a season by an American League player, slamming 61 dingers for the 1961 New York Yankees.

Who holds the record for most home runs hit during World Series play?

Mickey Mantle hit 18 home runs over the course of 65 games during 12 World Series with the New Yankees from 1951 through 1964.

During that span, the Yanks picked up seven World Series rings while falling short in five other Fall Classics.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics culled from Baseball-Reference.com.