NEW YORK -- Home runs sailed over fences at a record pace this year, even though Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa didn't set any individual marks.

With only Monday's wild-card playoff between Cincinnati and the New York Mets remaining, there were 5,526 homers in 2,427 games, a record average of 2.28 and up from 2.08 last year. The previous high of 2.19 was set in 1996, when 4,962 homers were hit in 2,267 games.

	Big Mac takes a curtain call after blasting his 65th HR.

McGwire beat Sosa 65-63 in the individual home-run race, the third- and fourth-highest single-season totals behind McGwire's 70 and Sosa's 66 last season.

"I'm pretty proud of myself as far as how I overcame a lot of things and to put up the numbers I put up this year," McGwire said. "It just goes to show you the mind is a lot stronger than people think."

In a head-to-head matchup, each homered on the regular-season's final day.

"I am a happy man, not disappointed," Sosa said. "I had a great year. For me, that's something to be happy about."

Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. won his third straight AL home-run title and fourth overall, beating Rafael Palmeiro of Texas 48-47.

Thirteen players hit 40 or more homers, matching last year's total but still four short of the record set in 1996. A record 45 players hit 30 or more homers, two more than the previous high set three years ago.

The NL batting average rose six points to .268, its highest since 1939, when it was .272. The AL average rose four points to .275 -- two points below its 1996 figure.

Colorado's Larry Walker won his second straight National League batting championship. Walker, who started only 111 games because of injuries, hit .379, the highest NL average for a full season since Arky Vaughan hit .385 for Pittsburgh in 1935. Tony Gwynn hit .394 in the strike-shortened 1994 season.

Walker's 42-point victory over Arizona's Luis Gonzalez was the biggest in the NL since 1948, when Stan Musial hit .376 and finished 43 points ahead of Richie Ashburn.

"It's a good, I guess. In the same breath, it's a bad thing," Walker said. "It's all right to have a batting title, then keep playing. But to win the batting title and go home, it doesn't mean as much."

Boston's Nomar Garciaparra won his first AL batting title, hitting .357 to finish eight points higher than New York's Derek Jeter.

Garciaparra has a sore right wrist and hasn't played since Thursday, but says he'll be ready for Boston's playoffs opener Wednesday.

"It's nice but it hasn't really sunk in yet. I don't think maybe it'll sink in until after everything is all over," Garciaparra said. " Myself and the team are focused on what's to come."

Cleveland's Manny Ramirez had 165 RBI, the highest total in the major leagues since Jimmie Foxx had 175 for Boston in 1938 and matching the 12th-highest total ever.

Fifty-eight players had 100 or more RBI, eight more than the previous record, also set in '96. McGwire led the NL with 147 RBI, matching his 1998 total and became the first player to play a full season and finish with more RBI than hits (145).

Cleveland scored 1,009 runs, the most in the majors since Boston scored 1,027 in 1950.

Houston's Craig Biggio hit its 56th double Sunday, the highest in the majors since Detroit's George Kell had 56 in 1950 and most in the NL since Joe Medwick had 56 for St. Louis in 1937.

Arizona's Randy Johnson led the majors in strikeouts for the sixth time, fanning 364, the fourth-highest season total ever. He struck out 10 or more 23 times, matching the record Nolan Ryan set with the California Angels in 1973.

Boston's Pedro Martinez won his first AL strikeout title with 313 and won his first AL ERA title at 2.03 -- he won the NL ERA title two years ago for Montreal. Martinez also led the major leagues in wins, going 23-4.

Houston's Mike Hampton had the most victories in the NL, beating Los Angeles on Sunday to finish 22-4, one win ahead of teammate Jose Lima. Johnson won the NL ERA title at 2.48.

New York's Mariano Rivera led the AL with 45 saves and Montreal's Ugueth Urbina led the NL with 41.

Arizona's Tony Womack won his third straight NL steals title, swiping 72, and Seattle's Brian Hunter won the AL title with 44 -- the fewest for an AL champion since Baltimore Luis Aparicio won with 40 in 1963.

Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero had 19 errors, matching the post-World War II high for outfielders of 19, by Lou Brock (1966) and Chili Davis (1988). After making nine errors in April, Guerrero avoided becoming the first outfielder to reach 20 since Bob Johnson of the 1935 Philadelphia Athletics.