news-record.com

GREENSBORO -- Mike Stanton now stands only one home run short of second place on Greensboro's single-season chart. The 18-year-old Grasshoppers outfielder, who went deep for the 34th time on the season Thursday night, trails Guilford County Hall of Famer Emo Showfety by one entering tonight's home game with Greenville.

 Showfety, an icon of Triad sports who had three huge seasons for the Patriots of the 1940s, hit 35 long balls in 1949. Stanton's total is now third on the Gate City list, but he is not likely to catch Henry Parrish, who hit 45 in 1929. The Hoppers' 140-game season ends Sept. 1.

 Stanton, who doesn't turn 19 until November, is the youngest player in Minor League or Major League Baseball to hit 34 home runs in a season since at least 1962, when Dick Simpson of San Jose delivered 42 homers. Simpson turned 19 on July 28 of that season, and game-by-game records of that era and that level are not available. It's therefore difficult at best to ascertain his home run total before he celebrated his 19th birthday.

Stanton stands fifth on the South Atlantic League's single-season list. Russell Branyan of the 1996 Columbus Red Stixx holds the record with 40.

 Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels@news-record.com