Players who rap four home runs in a game (which, by the way is rarer than a pitcher’s perfect game) usually have (well-earned) nicknames like Rocky, The Iron Horse or The Hammerin’ Hoosier. Yesterday (June 6), an uncharacteristic “Scooter” was added to the list (now 17 players long) of major leaguers with four home runs in a single game. I’m talking, of course, about the Reds’ Ryan “Scooter” Gennett – the 27-year-old (5’10”, 185-pound) utility player who went four-for-five, with four home runs, four runs scored and ten RBI as the Reds’ topped the Cardinals 13-1 in Cincinnati. Gennett came into the game with three home runs on the season. Let’s look at how Gennett and his big game compare to others on the four-homer list.
- Gennett blasted his four long balls in front of a home crowd; 12 of the 17 four-homer games have been achieved “on the road.”
- Gennett’s ten RBI were the second most in a four-homer game. The Cardinals’ Mark Whiten’s 12 RBI (September 7, 1993) are the record, not just for a four-homer game, but for any MLB game (tied). The Mariners’ Mike Cameron (May 2, 2002) is the only player to drive in the minimum four runs in a four-homer game.
- Gennett and Mark Whiten are the only players to include a Grand Slam in their four-homer contest.
- Gennett came out on the winning end of the Reds/Cardinals matchup, only two players – the Phillies’ Ed Delahanty (July 13, 1896) and Braves’ Bob Horner (July 6, 1986) hit four home runs in a losing cause.
- At 27-years-old, Gennett is the seventh-youngest player to hit four homers in a game. The youngest is the White Sox’ Pat Seerey (July 18, 1948) at 25 years -four months – one day. The oldest is the Blue Jays’ Carlos Delgado (September 25, 2003) at 32-years-old.
- Gennett, a utility player, was in left field for the game – the second left fielder to accomplish the feat. Four-homer games have been achieved by: six first baseman; four center fielders; three right fielders; two left fielders; one third baseman; and one second baseman.
- Gennett was batting fifth in the order. Fourth (appropriately cleanup) is the most popular lineup spot for a four-home contest – seven times. Other spots: third – four times; fifth – twice; sixth – twice; seventh – once; leadoff – once.
- Gennett scored four times and had 17 total bases. The Dodgers’ Shawn Green holds the top spot for four homer-games with six runs scored and 19 total bases (also the MLB record for total bases in any MLB game).
- Gennett had a total of 38 career homers before his four-homer game, tied with Mark Whiten for the fewest ever for a player at the time he notched a four-homer contest. (Whiten ended his career with 105 homers).
- Gennett now has a total of 42 career home runs (he is in his fifth MLB season). The Giants’ Willie Mays (April 30, 1961) has the most career home runs of a player with a four-homer game at 660. The player with the fewest is the Beaneaters’ Bobby Lower (May 30, 1894) with 71.
- The fewest home runs hit by a player in the season in which he had a four homer game is 13 by Ed Delahanty, who went .397-13-126 in 1896. (The 13 HR’s did lead the league.) The most home runs hit by a player in a season in which he had a four-homer game is 43 by the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton in 2012.
- Three players have won the home run crown in the year of their four-homer games: the Phillies’ Ed Delahanty (1896); Indians’ Rocky Colavito (1959); Phillies’ Mike Schmidt (1976).
Below is a list – and brief wrap up – of the 16 players in big league history to record a four-homer game before Scooter Gennett.
Josh Hamilton, CF, Rangers, May 8, 2012 …. Hamilton (hitting in the number-three spot) went five-for-five (four home runs and double), scored four and drove in eight as his Rangers topped the Orioles 10-3 in Baltimore. The homers were his 11th-14th of the season. The 6’4”, 240-lb., 30-year-old outfielder finished the 2012 season at .285-43-128 and his nine-season MLB career at .290-200-701. Hamilton had a career-high 43 home runs in 2012 and also had two seasons of 30+ round trippers.
Carlos Delgado, 1B, Blue Jays, Sept. 25, 2003 … Delgado (batting cleanup) went four-for-four, scored four and drove in six as his Blue Jays bested the Devil Rays 10-8 in Toronto. The homers were his 38th-41st of the season. The 6’3”, 215-lb., 31-year-old finished the 2003 season at .302-42-145 and his 17-season MLB career at .280-473-1,512. Delgado had a career-high 44 home runs in 1999 and had 11 seasons of 30+ round trippers (three of 40+).
Shawn Green, RF, Dodgers, May 23, 2002 … Green (batting in the number-three hole) went six-for-six (four homers, one double, one single), scored six times and drove in seven as the Dodgers beat the Brewers 16-3 in Milwaukee. The homers were his sixth-ninth of the season. The 6’4”, 190-lb., 29-year-old finished the 2002 season at .285-42-114 and his 15-season MLB career at .283-328-1,070. Green had a career-high 49 home runs in 2001 and had four seasons of 30+ round trippers (three of 40+).
Mike Cameron, CF, Mariners, May 2, 2002 … Cameron (batting cleanup) went four-for-five, scored four and drove in four as the Mariners blasted the White Sox 15-4 in Chicago. The homers were his sixth-ninth of the season. The 6’2”, 210-lb., 29-year-old finished the 2002 season at .239-25-80 and his 17-season MLB career at .249-278-968. Cameron had a career-high 30 home runs in 2004; and had seven seasons of 20 or more.
Mark Whiten, CF, Cardinals, Sept. 7, 1993 … Whiten (batting in the seventh spot) went four-for-four, scored four and drove in 12 as the Cardinals battered the Reds 15-2 in Cincinnati. The homers were his 19th-22nd of the season. The 6’3”, 210-lb., 26-year-old finished the 1993 season at .253-25-99 and his 11-season MLB career at .259-105-423. Whiten’s 25 home runs in 1993 were a career high, he had just one other campaign of 20+ long balls.
Bob Horner, 1B, Braves, July 6, 1986 … Horner (batting cleanup) went four-for-five, scored four and drove in six as his Braves lost to the Expos 11-8 in Atlanta. The homers were his 14th-17th of the season. The 6’1”, 195-lb., 28-year-old finished the 1986 season at .273-27-87 and his 10-season MLB career at .277-218-685. Horner had a career-high 35 home runs in 1980 and had three seasons of 30+ round trippers.
Mike Schmidt, 3B, Phillies, April 17, 1976 … Schmidt (batting sixth) went five-for-six (four homers and a single), scored four and drove in eight as his Phillies edged the Cubs 18-16 in Chicago – in a game that featured 43 combined hits and nine homers. The homers were Schmidt’s second-fifth of the young season. The 6’2”, 195-lb., 26-year-old finished the 1976 season at .262-38-107 and his 18-season MLB career at .267-548-1,595. Schmidt had a career-high 48 home runs in 1980 and had 13 seasons of 30+ round trippers (three of 40+).
Willie Mays, CF, Giants, April 30, 1961 … Mays (batting third) went four-for-five, scored four and drove in eight as his Giants beat the Braves 14-4 in Milwaukee. The homers were his third-fifth of the season. The 5’10”, 170-lb., 29-year-old finished the 1961 season at .308-40-123 and his 22-season MLB career at .302-660-1,903. Mays had a career-high 52 home runs in 1965 and had 11 seasons of 30+ round trippers (two of 50+ and another four of 40+).
Rocky Colavito, RF, Indians, June 10, 1959 … Colavito (batting fourth) went four-for-four (one walk), scored five and drove in six as the Indians topped the Orioles 11-8 in Baltimore. The homers were his 15th-18th of the season. The 6’3”, 190-lb., 25-year-old finished the 1959 season at .357-42-111 and his 14-season MLB career at .266-374-1,159. Colavito had a career-high 42 home runs in 1959 and had seven seasons of 30 or more round trippers (three of 40+).
Joe Adcock, 1B, Braves, July 31, 1954 … Adcock (batting fifth) went five-for-five (four home runs and a double), scored five runs and drove in seven, as the Braves beat the Dodgers 15-7 in Brooklyn. The homers were his 16th-19th of the season. The 6’4”, 210-lb., 26-year-old finished the 1954 season at .308-23-87 and his 17-season MLB career at .277-336-1,122. Adcock had a career-high 38 home runs in 1956 and had two seasons of 30+ round trippers.
Gil Hodges, 1B, Dodgers, Aug. 31, 1950 … Hodges (batting sixth) went five-for-six (four home runs and a single), scored five times and drove in nine as the Dodgers bested the Braves 19-3 in Brooklyn. The homers were his 20th-23rd of the season. The 6’1”, 200-lb., 26-year-old finished the 1950 season at .283-32-113 and his 18-season MLB career at .273-370-1,274. Hodges had a career-high 42 home runs in 1954 and had six seasons of 30+ round trippers (two of 40 or more).
Pat Seerey, LF, White Sox, July 18, 1948 … Seerey (batting fourth) went four-for-seven (also had a walk), scored four times and knocked in seven runs as his White Sox topped the Athletics 12-11 in the first game of a double header in Philadelphia. The homers were his eighth-eleventh of the season. The 5’10”, 200-lb., 25-year-old finished the 1948 season at .231-19-70 and his seven-season MLB career at .224-86-261. Seerey had a career-high 26 home runs in 1946 – his only season of 20 or more.
Chuck Klein, RF, Phillies, July 10, 1936 … Klein (batting third) went four-for-five, scored four and drove in six as the Phillies beat the Pirates 9-6 in Pittsburgh. The homers were his 11th-14th of the season. The 6’, 185-lb., 31-year-old finished the 1936 season at .306-25-104 and his 17-season MLB career at .320-300-1.201. Klein had a career-high 43 home runs in 1929 and had four seasons of 30+ round trippers (two of 40+).
Lou Gehrig, 1B, Yankees, June 3, 1932 … Gehrig (batting cleanup) went four-for-six, scored four and drove in six as the Yankees outlasted the Athletics 20-13 in Philadelphia. The homers were his 8th-11th of the season. The 6’, 200-lb., 28-year-old finished the 1932 season at .349-34-151 and his 17-season MLB career at .340-493-1,995. Gehrig had a career-high 52 home runs in 1927 and had 12 seasons of 30+ round trippers (seven of 40 or more).
Ed Delahanty, 1B, Phillies, July 13, 1896 … Delahanty (batting cleanup) went five-for-five (four homers and a single), scored four and drove in nine as his Phillies lost to the Colts (Cubs) 9-8 in Chicago. The 6’1”, 170-lb., 28-year-old finished the 1896 season at .397-13-126 (the 13 home runs led the NL) and his 16-season MLB career at .346-101-1,466. Delahanty had a career-high 19 home runs in 1893.
Bobby Lowe, 2B, Beaneaters, May 30, 1894 … Lowe (batting leadoff) went five-for-six (four home runs and a single), scored four and drove in six as his Beaneaters (Braves) beat the Reds 20-11 in Boston. The 5’10”, 150-lb., 28-year-old finished the 1894 season at .346-17-114 and his 18-season MLB career at .273-71-989. Lowe’s 17 homers in 1894 were his career high.
Sources: Baseball-reference.com; Society for American Baseball Research; MLB.com.
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Which player faced the most/fewest pitches in the course of hitting 4 HR’s in a game?
Pitch counts are a little sketchy when you go back aways. The fewest pitches received by a batter in a four-homers game I have been able document is 12, by the Blue Jays Carlos Delgado (September 25, 2005). Delgado is also the only batter to have a four-homer game with only four plate appearances.