Baseball, especially when you are young, is all about heroes – and, for most fans, the status of those earliest heroes seems to last a lifetime. At my first-ever MLB game – back in April of 1953 – my Milwaukee Braves (newly moved from Boston) easily dispatched the Reds at County Stadium.
There were plenty of stars in that game for a youngster of six to idolize, like the Reds’ powerful first baseman and cleanup hitter Ted Kluszewski (I was Polish, after all), but he was on the wrong squad. The Braves’ offered speedy CF Billy Bruton; slick SS Johnny Logan and muscular first-sacker Joe Adcock. I, however, latched onto a fast-rising young star, future Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, manning the hot corner for Milwaukee. Mathews hit a pair of home runs that day – the first one in the bottom of the first inning of my first MLB game. (As I recall, Logan hit one out as well.) On that day a hero was born. BBRT Note: The 21-year-old Mathews would go on to cement his hero status by leading the National League with 47 home runs in that first Milwaukee campaign (.302-47-135).
To this day, Mathews is my all-time favorite player – and I try not to miss an opportunity to mention him in these posts. Today offers one such opportunity – for it is the anniversary of the date in 1961, when Mathews hit the first home run, of the first-ever MLB streak of four consecutive round trippers in an inning. Let’s look at the seven teams to share that mark.
—-TEAMS TO HIT FOUR CONSECUTIVE HOME RUNS IN AN INNINGS—-
Braves (vs. Reds) – June 8, 1961 – Seventh Inning
On this date (June 8) in 1961, the Braves became the first MLB team to launch four consecutive home runs in an inning. It happened in the top of the seventh (versus the Reds) with the Braves trailing 10-2. As you would expect, it involved the heart of the Braves’ order, the 3-4-5-6 hitters. The key for me – the first round tripper of the streak was a two-run shot by Eddie Mathews. Oh, and right behind him came Hank Aaron. It seems fitting that the pair who hit more career home runs while teamates than any other MLB duo should get this party started. Here are the four home run hitters – and their career totals.
3B Eddie Mathews (two-run HR) … Career: 512 HR
CF Hank Aaron … Career: 755
1B Joe Adcock … Career: 336
LF Frank Thomas … Career: 286
Despite getting a home run from pitcher Warren Spahn and a second shot from Mathews in the game, the Braves lost 10-8. They are the only team to have four consecutive home runs in an inning and still lose the contest.
Indians (vs. Angels) – July 31, 1963 – Sixth Inning
On the final day of July in 1963, the Indians became just the second team (and the first American League squad) to pop four consecutive home runs in an inning. It came in the bottom of the sixth, with the Indians already up on the Angels by a 5-1 score. Surprisingly, this uprising began not in the middle of the order, but with the number eight hitter (and included pitcher Pedro Ramos). Here are the hitters and their career long ball totals.
2B Woodie Held (solo) … Career: 179 HR
P Pedro Ramos … Career: 15
LF Tito Francona … Career: 125
SS Larry Brown … Career: 47
The Indians won the game 9-5 – and also had a second home run by pitcher Ramos and one by 1B Fred Whitfield.
EIGHT IS ENOUGH
They didn’t rap four in a row, but on September 4, 1999, the Reds (vs. the Phillies) had an MLB-record eight different players go yard in the same game. The hitters were: C Ed Taubensee (two homers); 2B Pokey Reese; 3B Aaron Boone; LF Greg Vaughn; CF Jeffrey Hammonds; RF Dmitri Young; C Brian Johnson (who did not start); 3B Brian Lewis (who did not start). The Reds prevailed over the Phillies by a 22-3 score – and had six players with at least three RBI.
The record for home runs by a team in a game is ten, by the Toronto Blue Jays in an 18-3 win (September 14, 1987) over the Orioles in Toronto. The bashers were: C Ernie Whitt (three homers); 3B Lance Milliniks (two HR); LF George Bell (two HR); CF LLoyd Moseby; DH Fred McGriff; CF Rob Ducey (who didn’t start).
Twins (vs. KC Athletics) – May 2, 1964 – Eleventh Inning
On May 2, 1964, the Twins and Athletics went into the eleventh inning (at KC) tied a three runs apiece. Tony Oliva – batting in the two-hole – led off with a home run and was followed by round trippers from Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall and, appropriately for the Twins, Harmon Killebrew. Here are the players and their career long ball totals.
RF Tony Oliva … Career: 220 HR
1B Bob Allison … Career: 256
CF Jimmie Hall … Career: 121
LF Harmon Killebrew: Career: 573
The Twins topped the Athletics 7-3 – and are still the only MLB team to bash four consecutive home runs in an “extra inning.”
Red Sox (vs. Yankees) – April 22, 2007 – Third Inning
The Red Sox power surge (on April 22, 2007) had to be especially satisfying, as their four consecutive home runs came in Fenway against the rival Yankees. It all started in the bottom of the third, with two outs, no one on base cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez at the plate with the Red Sox trailing 3-0. It ended with the Red Sox up 4-3 and on their way to a 7-6 win. Here are the home run sluggers and their career long ball totals.
LF Manny Ramirez … Career: 555 HR
RF J.D. Drew … Career: 242
3B Mike Lowell … Career: 223
C Jason Varitek … Career: 193
Lowell, by the way, hit a second home run in the seventh inning of the game.
White Sox (vs Royals) – August 14, 2008 – Sixth Inning
On August 14, 2008, the White Sox torched the Royals 9-2 in Chicago – driven in large part by a six-run sixth that included four consecutive home runs from the fifth through eighths spots in the batting order. The Sox were up 3-2, when they started their half of the sixth with walks to Ken Griffey and Carlos Quentin, sandwiched between a pair of outs. Jim Thome then belted a three-run homer, followed by solo shots from Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe. Here are the home run hitters and their career totals.
DH Jim Thome … Career: 612
1B Paul Konerko … Career: 439
2B Alexei Ramirez … Career: 115
3B Juan Uribe … Career: 199
Diamondbacks (vs. Brewers) – August 11, 2010 – Fourth Inning
The Diamondbacks picked up a 8-2 win over the Brewers (in Milwaukee) in a game that featured four consecutive home runs – by the fourth through seventh hitters in the lineup – in the top of the fourth. The barrage started with one out and the Diamondbacks down 2-0, thanks to consecutive home runs by the Brewers’ Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee to open the bottom of the second. Here are the Diamondbacks’ home run hitters and their career totals.
1B Adam LaRoche … Career: 255 HR
C Miguel Montero … Career: 126 (still active)
3B Mark Reynolds … Career: 287 (still active)
SS Stephen Drew … Career: 123
The 2010 Diamondbacks are one of only two teams (the other is the 1961 Braves) to hit four consecutive home runs in an inning on the road. Five teams have given home town fans the joy of four consecutive yard blasts.
Nationals (vs. Brewers) – July 27, 2017 – Third Inning
In trouncing the Brewers 15-2 (in Washington) on July 27, 2017, the Nationals bashed eight home runs, including two each by Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman. Four of those long balls came consecutively in the bottom of the third. It started with a two-run shot by Brian Goodwin, followed by homers from Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper (his second of the game) and Ryan Zimmerman. The quartet was batting in the 1-4 spots in the order. Here are the hitters and their career home run totals.
CF Brian Goodwin … Career: 14 (still active)
SS Wilmer Difo … Career: 9 (still active)
RF Bryce Harper … Career: 168 still active0
1B Ryan Zimmerman … Career: 256 (still active)
The Nationals launched a fifth home run after their four consecutive shots – a fly out to center interrupted the home run string – in the third inning of that July 27, 2017 game. That one by 3B Anthony Rendon. The fifth homer tied the MLB record for most home runs in an inning by a team. Six teams have notched five long balls in an inning and four times the victims of the feat have been the Reds. For the full story on five-HR innings, click here.
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