Coco Crisp Waited a Long Time to Hit 20 Homers

In the third inning of today's A's/Angels game, Coco Crisp hit this two-run homer off Jason Vargas for his 20th dinger of the season.

I was quite surprised to see a guy who averaged eight homers over his first 11 seasons jump up to 20 in his 12th. So I dug up the following list of veterans that had their first 20-homer campaign in their 12th season or later. Turns out it isn't as rare as I thought, but Coco is the 23rd player to do it and he joins this interesting group:

Player	1st 20 HR	HR	Year	Prev High
A.J. Pierzynski	15th	27	2012	18
Bengie Molina	12th	20	2009	19
Bob Watson	12th	22	1977	18
Buddy Bell	15th	20	1986	18
Cap Anson	14th	21	1884	2
Charlie Gehringer	15th	20	1938	19
Chris Chambliss	12th	20	1982	18
Clete Boyer	12th	26	1967	18
Coco Crisp	12th	20	2013	16
Darrin Fletcher	12th	20	2000	18
Eddie Yost	15th	21	1959	12
Frank White	13th	22	1985	17
Jay Bell	12th	21	1997	16
Jim Spencer	12th	23	1979	18
Joe Cronin	15th	24	1940	19
John Lowenstein	13th	24	1982	12
Julio Franco	13th	20	1994	15
Ken Griffey	14th	21	1986	13
Lonnie Smith	12th	21	1989	8
Mickey Vernon	14th	20	1954	18
Paul Molitor	16th	22	1993	19
Sherm Lollar	13th	20	1958	16
Tony Phillips	14th	27	1995	19

Here are the same players listed by longest wait for a 20-homer season:

Player	1st 20 HR	HR	Year	Prev High
Paul Molitor	16th	22	1993	19
Charlie Gehringer	15th	20	1938	19
Joe Cronin	15th	24	1940	19
Eddie Yost	15th	21	1959	12
Buddy Bell	15th	20	1986	18
A.J. Pierzynski	15th	27	2012	18
Cap Anson	14th	21	1884	2
Mickey Vernon	14th	20	1954	18
Ken Griffey	14th	21	1986	13
Tony Phillips	14th	27	1995	19
Sherm Lollar	13th	20	1958	16
John Lowenstein	13th	24	1982	12
Frank White	13th	22	1985	17
Julio Franco	13th	20	1994	15
Clete Boyer	12th	26	1967	18
Bob Watson	12th	22	1977	18
Jim Spencer	12th	23	1979	18
Chris Chambliss	12th	20	1982	18
Lonnie Smith	12th	21	1989	8
Jay Bell	12th	21	1997	16
Darrin Fletcher	12th	20	2000	18
Bengie Molina	12th	20	2009	19
Coco Crisp	12th	20	2013	16

Paul Molitor celebrated his first 20-homer season by going 12-for-24 with six extra-base hits and eight RBIs to earn World Series MVP honors in 1993. No one had joined the list since Darrin Fletcher in 2000, but now it's happened in three of the last five years and in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1993-95.

Player	1st 20 HR	HR	Year	Prev High
Coco Crisp	12th	20	2013	16
A.J. Pierzynski	15th	27	2012	18
Bengie Molina	12th	20	2009	19
Darrin Fletcher	12th	20	2000	18
Jay Bell	12th	21	1997	16
Tony Phillips	14th	27	1995	19
Julio Franco	13th	20	1994	15
Paul Molitor	16th	22	1993	19
Lonnie Smith	12th	21	1989	8
Buddy Bell	15th	20	1986	18
Ken Griffey	14th	21	1986	13
Frank White	13th	22	1985	17
Chris Chambliss	12th	20	1982	18
John Lowenstein	13th	24	1982	12
Jim Spencer	12th	23	1979	18
Bob Watson	12th	22	1977	18
Clete Boyer	12th	26	1967	18
Eddie Yost	15th	21	1959	12
Sherm Lollar	13th	20	1958	16
Mickey Vernon	14th	20	1954	18
Joe Cronin	15th	24	1940	19
Charlie Gehringer	15th	20	1938	19
Cap Anson	14th	21	1884	2