“Solo home runs don’t beat you” (baseball adage)

“Solo home runs/homers don’t/won’t beat/hurt/harm/kill you” is a baseball saying cited in print since at least 1986. A solo home run accounts for only one run, leaves no runners on base, and usually occurs only about once or twice during a game. A pitcher shouldn’t stop throwing hard just because of one solo home run.
 
The baseball adage doesn’t always apply in every situation and solo home runs can win low-scoring or extra-innings games.
 
 
Google News Archive
12 May 1986, Bangor (ME) Daily News, “Red Sox hold off A’s for 5th straight victory,” pg. 18, col. 1:
“Solo homers don’t beat you. That’s what everybody has always told me,” said Boyd, 3-3.
(Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd—ed.)
 
Google News Archive
14 July 1989, Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME), “Boddicker shackles Twins” by Nick Cafardo, pg. 39, col. 1:
“Jim Palmer always told me, solo homers won’t kill you, but three-run homers will.”
(Boston Red Sox pitcher Mike Boddicker—ed.)
 
7 August 1990, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), pg. 3D, col. 5:
“Whoever said solo home runs don’t beat you is a liar,” said Swindell.
(Cleveland Indians pitcher Greg Swindell—ed.)
 
Philadelphia Phillies
Spin Forward: Long balls = short series
Rays must keep Phillies in the park or dream season could end quickly
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com | 10/26/08 4:29 AM ET
(...)
Matt Garza gave up all three jacks on Saturday. They were all solo shots, and an old baseball adage says solo homers don’t beat you. Give up enough of them, though, and they will in fact do just that. And the cozy confines of Citizens Bank Park magnify that challenge.
     
Sporting News
Pirates-Twins Preview
Published Thursday, Jun 18, 2009 at 5:55 am EDT
(...)
“As the game went on, I think he got stronger,” Russell told the Pirates’ official Web site. “His sinker worked really well for him. ... The old saying is, ‘Solo home runs don’t often beat you.’”
           
The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA)
Bears’ solo homers stop Spokane 
Vince Grippi The Spokesman-Review
June 28, 2011 10:30 p.m. - Updated: June 29, 9:56 a.m.
When Lou Pinella was the Mariners manager he used to say, in his inimitable way, solo home runs don’t beat ya.
 
Tuesday night the Yakima Bears proved Pinella wrong.
 
Of course, they hit four of them.
 
All during the first four innings.
 
Twinkle Town
Twins 7, Rangers 2: The Return of Professional Baseball Players
by fischean on Jul 28, 2011 3:27 AM EDT in Game Recaps
(...)
COMMENTS
I would agree
Bert often says (and I actually agree with this one) that solo homers don’t kill you. They hurt when there are guys on base, and Joe is pretty good at that.
 
A run driven in with a single is every bit as good as a run driven in by a solo HR. Or, as Kubel showed, a 3 RBI double is pretty fun too.
by spanspanspan on Jul 28, 2011 1:38 PM EDT
 
Pro Sports Daily
Bravo95
05-21-2012, 11:06 PM
Quote:
“I think all the runs were on solo home runs. The old adage is that solo home runs don’t beat you. But we didn’t hit. We didn’t give him an opportunity. But I saw something in Mike today. I saw some growth in him.” 
 
CBSSports.com
Verlander struggles with control in loss
The Sports Xchange
June 30, 2012 4:29 AM ET
RHP Justin Verlander gave up three solo home runs Friday night but managed to keep from crumbling to last through his 59th straight six-inning start. (...) “The old saying that solo home runs don’t hurt you does not apply to a night when you give up three of them,” Verlander said