On this date, 15 years ago (May 23, 2002), the Dodgers’ RF and number-three batter Shawn Green belted four home runs, a double and a single in six at bats – as LA topped the Brewers 16-3 in Milwaukee. Green’s offensive outburst gave him the major league record for total bases in a game (19) and made him just the 14th player to hit four home runs in an MLB contest (that number is now up to 16). A summary of Green’s record-setting day:
First inning – RBI double off Brewers’ starter Glendon Rusch (who would go on to give up eight runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched).
Second Inning – Three-run home run off Rusch (as Dodgers end the half-frame up 8-1).
Fourth inning – Solo home run off reliever Brian Mallette,
Fifth inning – Solo home run, again off Mallette.
Eighth inning – Single off Jose Cabrera.
Ninth inning – Solo home run off Cabrera (Dodgers’ Adrian Beltre, Green and Dave Hansen hit back-to-back-to-back HRs with two outs.
Green ended the day six-for-six, with six runs scored and seven RBI. He came into the game with .238-5-23 line on the season, left at .265-9-31. Green’s 19 total bases broke the record of 18 – set by Milwaukee Braves’ 1B Joe Adcock on July 31, 1954, as the Braves topped the Dodgers 15-7 in Brooklyn. Adcock ended his day five-for-five (four home runs and a double) with five runs scored and seven RBI. The only other player to collect 18 total bases in a game was Rangers’ CF Josh Hamilton, who holds the AL record. Like Adcock, Hamilton had four home runs and a double. His output came on May 8, 2012 – as the Rangers topped the Orioles 10-3 in Baltimore. His line for the day was five-for-five, with four runs scored and eight RBI.
The 6’4”, 190-pound Green finished the 2002 season at .285-42-114 one of three seasons in a 15-season MLB career (Blue Jays, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Mets) in which he topped 40 homers. His career line was .283-328-1,070. His best season was 2001, when he hit .297 with 49 home runs and 125 RBi for Dodgers.
MLB PLAYERS WITH FOUR HOME RUNS IN A GAME
Bobby Lowe, 2B, Boston (NL) … May 30, 1894
Ed Delahanty, 1B, Philadelphia (NL) … July 13, 1896
Lou Gehrig, 1B, New York (AL) … June 3, 1932
Chuck Klein, RF, Philadelphia (NL) … July 10, 1936
Pat Seerey, LF, Chicago (AL) … July 18, 1948
Gil Hodges, 1B, Brooklyn (NL) … August 31, 1950
Joe Adcock, 1B, Milwaukee (NL) … July 31, 1954
Rocky Colavito, RF, Cleveland (AL) … June 10, 1959
Willie Mays, CF, San Francisco (NL) … April 30, 1961
Mike Schmidt, 3B, Philadelphia (NL) … April 17, 1976
Bob Horner, 1B, Atlanta (NL) … July 6, 1986
Mark Whiten, RF, St. Louis (NL) … September 7, 1993
Mike Cameron, CF, Seattle (AL) … May 2, 2002
Shawn Green, RF, Los Angeles (NL) … May 23, 2002
Carlos Delgado, 1B, Toronto (AL) … September 25, 2003
Josh Hamilton, CF, Rangers (AL) … May 8, 2012
Some four home run game factoids:
- Four-homer games have been accomplished ten times in the NL, six in the AL.
- Shawn Green’s four-homer game (May 23, 2002) included an MLB-record 19 total bases.
- Mark Whitens four-homer contest (Sept,. 7, 1993) included an MLB-record tying 12 RBI.
- Two players have hit four home runs in a game in a losing cause: Ed Delahnaty (July 13, 1896) in a 9-8 Phillies loss to the Chicago Colts (Cubs) and Bob Horner (July 6, 1986) in a Braves’ 11-8 loss to the Expos.
- Five left-handers, 10 right-handers and one switch hitter (Mark Whiten) have hit four homers in a game.
- By position, four-homer games have been accomplished by six first baseman; four right fielders; three center fielders; one left fielder; one second baseman; and one third baseman.
- Ten of the sixteen four-homer gamers never won a home run title. Mike Schmidt won the most with eight.
- The most home runs hit in a season by a player with a four-HR game that campaign is 43 by Josh Hamilton (2012). The fewest home runs hit in a season in which the player had a four-homer game is 13 by Ed Delahanty (1896). The fewest in a post-1900 season in which a player hit four homers in a game goes to Joe Adcock with 23 (1954).
- The fewest career home runs for a player with a four-homer game is 71 for Bobby Lowe; post-1900, it’s 105 for Mark Whiten.
- The most career homers for a player with a four-homer game are 660 for Willie Mays.
- Chuck Klein, Pat Seerey and Mike Schmidt’s four-homer games came in extra inning contests.
Follow/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page – link here. Bobblehead giveaways (Derek Jeter/Mariano Rivera) coming up at the end of the month.
I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT
Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.
