In a message of  to James Dunlop (1:3641/1.206), 
you wrote:
 JD> Slugging percentage is, mathematically, bases per at bat.  The
 JD> theoretical maximum for slugging percentage is 4.00, which is a home run
 JD> every at bat.  Realistically, the usual leader in slugging percentage is
 JD> somewhere in the .600s.  Mark McGwire has a chance to be the second
 JD> player (with enough at bats to qualify for the league leaders) to have a
 JD> seasonal slugging percentage over .800.  The other player?  George 
erman
 JD> "Babe" Ruth.
 TM> If I'm not mistaken, Ruth had a S% of 1.000.  Of course, that was
 TM> retroactive, as the formula was designed much later, so that the highest
 TM> percentage ever (held by Ruth) would 1.000.
Nope.  The same formula's been used since it was created.  It is a "real" 
mathematical number, ie, it represents bases (on hits) per at bat.  As a home 
run represents four bases, the theoretical maximum is 4.00.  Nobody's ever 
hit a home run in his only at bat, but Frank Conner, with the 1893 Phillies, 
hit one home run, and one single, in his two major league at bats, for a 
batting average of 1.000, and a slugging percentage of 2.500.  The only 
player to go 3 for 3 in his career is John Paciorek (Tom's brother), from 
what I can tell from my little Franklin Encyclopedia is that there have been 
seven players, including Conner, who went 2 for 2.
Checking the seasonal stats on the Bill James Encyclopedia, I've found two 
players who've hit a home run in their only at bat that season.  Buster Narum 
was a pitcher for Baltimore in 1963, and Bill LeFebvre was a pitcher for the 
Red Sox in 1938.  Further checking finds Chuck Lindstrom, a catcher, of all 
things, for the White Sox in 1958, who hit a triple in his only major league 
at bat.  A batting average of 1.000, and slugging percentage for his career 
of 3.000.  This is the highest ever, though it's only one at bat.
Babe Ruth, in 1920 had a slugging percentage of .847, and in 1921, .846 (talk 
about consistant!)  Those are the only real two seasons above .800.  Ruth 
comes in third at .772 (1927), Gehrig fourth at .765 (ditto), and Ruth 
finishes the top five at .764 in 1923.
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