revision preference src: A common misconception about the dead-ball era is that it was due entirely to a scarcity of home runs. However, home runs were also rare in the 1890s -- a very high run-scoring decade. <SEP> tgt: A common misconception about the dead-ball era is that it was due entirely to a scarcity of home runs. Home runs were also rare in the 1890s -- a very high run-scoring decade.