A-Rod continues his "trot" to the Hall of Fame.
On June 12, 2012, Alex Rodriguez continued his march to the Hall of Fame by stroking his 23rd “Grand Slam” home run. It was an historic and momentous blast. Historic because it tied A-Rod with Lou Gehrig for the all-time lead in career grand Slams. Momentous because it tied a game the Yankees were trailing (4-0 to the Braves in the eighth) and led to a 6-4 win that kept the Yankees in sole possession of first place (one game ahead of the Orioles).
A-Rod acknowledged history and momentum. “Lou Gehrig is not only one of the all-time greats, but he’s one of ours,” A-Rod said after the game. “He was a Yankee.” Noting the Yankees’ building momentum, he said, “I really felt it was a swing for the team. I feel like everybody needed that hit and we’ve all been waiting for it.”
BBRT says congrats to A-Rod, and would like to share some Grand Slam trivia with it blog followers.
– While A-Rod and Lou Gehrig top the career Grand Slam list with 23, they are joined in the top five positions (six actually, a tie for fifth) by Manny Ramirez (21), Eddie Murray (19), Willie McCovey (18 and the NL record holder), and Robin Ventura (18).
– Another Yankee, Don Mattingly, set the current single season record in 1987 with six Grand Slams (tied by Travis Hafner of the Indians in 2006). Notably, Mattingly’s six Grand Slams were the only base-loaded homers of his 14-year career.
– Sticking with the Yankees, they are the only ML team to hit 3 grand slams in one game – coming on August 25, 2011 against the Oakland As at Yankee Stadium (Robinson Cano, 5th inning; Russell Martin-6th; Curtis Granderson-8th). The Yankees, who trailed 7-1 after three innings, won the game 22-9.
– The NL record for Grand Slams in a season is 5, held by Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks and former Cardinal Albert Pujols.
– Four players have hit a Grand Slam in their very first major league at bat: Bill Duggleby (Philadelphia, NL, 1898); Jeremy Hermida (Florida, 2005); Kevin Kouzmanoff (Cleveland, 2006); and Daniel Nava (Boston, 2010). Duggleby, Kouzmanoff and Nava all hit their Slams on the first pitch they ever saw in the majors.
– In 1961, when the Orioles’ Jim Gentile hit a then record-tying 5 Grand Slams in a season, Baltimore’s Chuck Estrada was the Orioles’ starting pitcher each time Gentile struck a four-run blow – winning all four games (On May 9, Gentile hit two Grand Slams in a game against the Twins at Minnesota).
– Only 13 players have hit two grand slams in a game – and only once did the player accomplish this feat in his home park. Nomar Garciaparra hit two Slams for the Red Sox at Fenway in a May 10, 1999, win over the Mariners.
– Bill Mueller of the Red Sox is the only switch hitter to hit Grand Slams from both sides of the plate in the same game – in the 7th and 8th innings of a 14-7 Red Sox win at Texas on July 29, 2003.
– Atlanta Braves pitcher Tony Cloninger was the first National Leaguer to hit two Grand Slams in one game – a July 3, 1966, 17-3 complete game victory over the Giants at Candlestick. He remains the only pitcher with a two-GS game.
– Cardinals third baseman Fernando Tatis is the only player to hit two Grand Slams in the same inning – an 11-run third inning as the Cards beat the Dodgers 12-5 on April 23, 1999. Dodgers’ starting pitcher Chan Ho Park gave up both grand slams (Why was he still in there?) becoming the answer to the question, Who is the only pitcher to give up two grand slams to the same batter in one inning?
Park’s inning went like this:
Single; Hit By Pitch; Single; Tatis Grand Slam; Ground Out; Home Run; Walk; Walk; Safe on Fielder’s Choice (attempted sacrifice); Safe on Error; Single; Fly Out; Tatis’ Second Grand Slam; Call to Bull Pen; Pop Out.
Grand Slams – a grand part of the grand old game.
