There are a host of baseball “feats” that get plenty of recognition and publicity. You know what I’m talking about – accomplishments like perfect games, four-homer games, no-hitters and two Grand Slams in a game. Baseball Roundtable would like to dedicate this post to an achievement I believe has not gained the notoriety it deserves – reaching double-digits in RBI in a single contest. (Along the way, I’ll drop in a few trivia tidbits about the achievements mentioned in this list. Below is the first of those.)
A TRULY “COMPLETE” GAME
The first National Leaguer to hit two Grand Slams in a single game was Atlanta Braves’ PITCHER Tony Cloninger. On July 3, 1966, Cloninger banged out two Grand Slam home runs (first and fourth innings) and a run-scoring single (eighth inning) – while pitching a complete-game 17-3 win over the Giants in San Francisco. Cloninger did not make the double-digit RBI list, however, coming up just short with nine RBI on the day (still an MLB record for pitchers).
Anthony Rendon –
joined the Double-Digit RBI Club this season.
Photo by Keith Allison 
Let’s start by adding a bit of perspective. There have been 23 perfect games tossed in MLB history; we’ve seen 17 four-home-run games; and 13 players have smashed two Grand Slams in a single contest. These are rare accomplishments.
Double-digit RBI in one game? A total of 15 players have driven home ten or more runs in a game – and only two have reached the MLB-record 12 RBI in a single contest (both Cardinals, by the way). This season is somewhat unique – and a good time to look at this accomplishment – in that it is the first MLB season to see two ten-RBI performances: Anthony Rendon and Scooter Gennett.
How tough is it to make it onto the 10+ RBI list? Only three of the 13 players to hit two Grand Slams in a game made the cut; and only two of the players to smash four home runs in a game are on the list. The fact is, you need a little help from your friends to plate ten “ducks” in a game. There have to be plenty of teammates on base for your at bats.
Before we get into the details of each double-digit RBI performance, a few tidbits.
- The youngest player with double-digit RBI in a game is the A’s Reggie Jackson at 23-years, two-months and one-day (1969); the oldest is the Angels’ Garrett Anderson at 35 (2007).
- Home field may provide a bit of advantage – nine times the feat has been achieved at home, six times on the road.
- The only MLB player to reach ten or more RBI in a game without hitting a home run also was the first to ever notch a double-digit RBI game – Wilbert Robinson (Orioles of the NL) in 1892. He went seven-for-seven with six singles and double, while driving in eleven tallies. Since 1900, the Giants’ Phil Weintraub (1944) came closest to a no-homer, ten-RBI game with just one dinger on his big day.
- Games on the list include two four-homer contests; seven three-homer games; four two homer performances; one one-homer game; and one game without a long ball.
- The double-digit RBI games include eleven Grand Slams – including a record-tying two Grand Slams in a game by Tony Lazzeri (1936); Rudy York (1946); and Nomar Garciaparra (1999).
- First basemen lead the double-digit RBI club, with four members. Next comes CF, LF, 3B and C with two each. RF, 2B and SS are each represented once. Pitchers and Designated hitters are absent.
- As you might expect, cleanup hitters are the most represented on this list – six of the fourteen spots. The lowest spot in the order is the eight-hole. Tony Lazzeri (1936) and Wilbert Robinson (1892) got their double-digit RBI despite batting right in front of the pitcher.
- The Red Sox have had three players have had achieve a double-digit RBI game. Next, with two, are Yankees, Cardinals and Reds.
- Wilbert Robinson had the fewest home runs and RBI in the season he achieved a double-digit RBI game – two homers and 57 RB in 90 games. Since 1900, Phil Weintraub had the fewest home runs and RBI in a season that included a double-digit RBI game – 13 and 77, respectively.
- The most runs scored in any of the double-digit RBI games is 26 (Giants over Dodgers 26-8 in 1944); the fewest is 12 (Both 12-4 finals: Red Sox over Mariners in 1999 and Yankees over Angels 2005). The games include one shutout (16-0 – Red Sox over Senators in 1955).
- No team with a player recording a double-digit RBI game has ever lost the contest.
Now, let’s take a look at each of these remarkable offensive outbursts.
—–TWELVE RBI IN A GAME—–
Mark Whiten, CF, Cardinals (versus Reds) … September 7, 1993
Whiten tied the MLB single-game RBI record in a game in which he also joined the elite group of hitters with four home runs in a game. Whiten came into the contest hitting .248, with 18 home runs and 75 RBI – and finished the day at .254-22-87. As the Cardinals topped the Reds 15-2 in Cincinnati, Whiten’s day went: First inning – Grand Slam; fourth inning – foul out; sixth inning – three-run homer; seventh inning – three-run home run; ninth inning – two-run home run.
Whiten ended the 1993 season with a .253 average, 25 home runs and 99 RBI (the HR’s and RBI proved to be career highs). He had a .259-105-423 stat line in an 11-season MLB career.
Jim Bottomley, 1B, Cardinals (versus Brooklyn Robins) … September 16, 1924
Bottomley became the first player to reach 12 RBI in a game as his Cardinals topped the Robins 17-3 in Brooklyn. His afternoon included six hits in six at bats – and went like this: First inning – two-run single; second inning – run-scoring double; fourth inning – Grand Slam; sixth-inning – two-run home run; seventh inning – two-run single; ninth inning – run-scoring single. He started the day at .318-12-92 and ended the day at .326-14-104.
Bottomley, a Hall of Famer, ended the 1924 season at .316-14-111. It was the first of six 100+ RBI seasons for the Cardinals’ 1B, who finished a 16-season MLB career at .310-219-1,422. He led the NL in home runs once (a career-high 31 in 1928); doubles twice; triples once and RBI twice.
—–ELEVEN RBI IN A GAME—–
Phil Weintraub, 1B, Giants (versus Dodgers) … April 30, 1944
Weintraub gave Brooklyn fans plenty to cheer about as his Dodgers topped the Giants 26-8 at home. Weintraub, batting fifth that day, drove in 11 runs on four hits (missing the cycle by a single). His day: First inning – two-run double; second inning – bases-loaded walk; third inning – three-run triple; fourth inning – two-run double; sixth inning – infield fly out; eighth inning – three-run homer, Weintraub came into the game hitting .240, with no home runs and just one RBI. Since it was early in the season, his big day made a big difference, he ended the day at .33-1-12. Side note: A solid minor league hitter; Weintraub was up and down between 1933 and 1938, hitting .293 in 52 major league games. Then, from 1939 through 1943, Weintraub toiled solely in the minor leagues. In a professional career that covered 18 seasons, Weintraub played in 444 MLB games and 1,403 minor league contests (with a career minor league batting average of .337).
Weintraub hit .316-13-77 for the Giants in 1944. At age 36, it was his best season in a seven-season MLB career (It was a War year). That season, he set career highs in games played (104); hits (114); triples (9); home runs (13); and RBI (77).
Tony Lazzeri, 2B, Yankees (versus Athletics) … May 24, 1936
Lazzeri was batting in the eight-spot when he had his big 11-RBI day – as the Yankees topped the Athletics 25-2 in Philadelphia. On that day, he not only drove in 11 runs, but also became the first MLB player to hit two Grand Slams in a game. His day went like this: Second inning – Grand Slam; fourth inning – walk; fifth inning – Grand Slam; seventh inning – solo homer; eighth inning – two-run triple. Lazzeri came into the game hitting.274, with five home runs and 27 RBI. He ended the contest at .295-8-38. On the season, Lazzeri hit .287-14-109.
The Hall of Famer had a 14-seasaon MLB career in which he hit .292-178-1,194. While he never hit more than 18 home runs in a season, he topped 100 RBI seven times – despite most often hitting low in the Yankee order.
Wilbert Robinson, C, Baltimore Orioles (NL) versus St. Louis Browns … June 10, 1892
Robinson, playing catcher and batting eighth, drove in 11 runs with a seven-for-seven performance (still tied for the MLB record for hits in a nine-inning game). Robinson’s day included six singles and a double – and his Orioles topped the Saint Louis Browns 25-4.
Robinson finished the 1892 season at .267-2-57 in 90 games. In a 17-season MLB career (1886-1902), his line was .272-18-722. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager.
SEVEN FOR SEVEN – WITH A “STROKE OF LUCK”
Wilbert Robinson had a record seven-for-seven day on June 10, 1892 – also the day he became the first member of the single-game, double-digit RBI club. The seven hits remains the MLB record for a nine-inning game (since tied). Robinson’s seventh hit involved just a bit of luck. Under current rules, he never would have come to the plate for the seventh at bat.
Robinson’s National League Baltimore Orioles were at home against the St. Louis Browns. At that time, the rules afforded the home team the option of choosing to bat first or second. The Orioles chose to hit first. Robinson’s seventh hit came with two out in the TOP of the ninth. Had the Orioles chosen to bat second, under current rules, Robinson would not have come to the plate. (He already had his then-record 11 RBI before that final at bat.)
—–TEN RBI IN A GAME—–
Scooter Gennett, LF, Reds (versus Cardinals) … June 6, 2017
Gennett, playing left field and batting fifth, entered the 10-RBI club with a bang – hitting an MLB single-game, record-tying four home runs in a 13-1 Reds’ win over the Cardinals. Gennett’s five-for-five day went: First inning – run-scoring single; third-inning – Grand Slam; fourth inning – two-run home run; sixth-inning – solo shot; eighth inning – two-run homer. Gennett came into the contest hitting .270, with three home runs and 20 RBI and finished the game at .302-7-30. For more on Gennett’s big day – and other four-homer games, click here.
Gennett is in his fifth MLB season and, as of August 18, was hitting .289-20-70 – the home runs and RBI were already career highs for a season. Over 561 career MLB games to date (August 18), Gennett’s stat line is .281-55-230.
Anthony Rendon, 3B, Nationals (versus Mets) … April 30, 2017
Rendon was playing 3B and batting sixth for the Nationals when he went he went six-for-six and drove in ten tallies in a 23-5 win over the Mets in Washington D.C. Rendon started with a two-run single in the first and went on to: third inning – solo home run; fourth inning – three-run home run; fifth inning – three-run double; seventh inning – single; eighth inning – solo home run. Going into the game, Rendon was off to a low start, hitting .236 with no home runs and five RBI for April. He upped those numbers to .278-3-15.
Rendon is in his fourth MLB season and, as of August 18, was hitting .304-22-76 on the year and .279-75-304 over his first 598 MLB games. He appears headed for a career-best batting average, home-run mark and RBI total. Note: Rendon led the league in runs scored (111) in 2014.
SO CLOSE … AND YET, SO FAR
Cardinals’ third baseman and cleanup hitter Fernando Tatis illustrates just how hard it can be to join the double-digit RBI club. On April 23, Tatis had eight RBI IN THE THIRD INNING ALONE – and still didn’t reach double-digits for the game. Tatis became the first – and still only – MLB player to hit two Grand Slams in one inning. The two long balls were his only hits on a two-for-five day. Biggest surprise for me is that Tatis hit both his four-run taters off the same pitcher –Dodgers’ starter Chan Ho Park.
Garrett Anderson, LF, Angels (versus Yankees) … August 21, 2007
Garrett Anderson’s ten-RBI day – as the Angels topped the Yankees 18-9 in Anaheim – included four extra-base hits (two doubles and two home runs) in six at bats. It went like this: First inning – two-run double; second inning – run-scoring double; third inning – three-run homer; fifth inning – ground out to second; sixth inning – Grand Slam; eighth inning – groundout to shortstop. Batting cleanup, Anderson came into the game with a stat line of .273-6-40 and ended the day at .281-8-50.
For the 2007 season, Anderson hit .297-16-80. In his 17-season MLB career, he hit .293, with 287 home runs and 1,365 RBI (including four consecutive seasons – 2000 through 2003 – of 100+ RBI). He was a three-time All Star. His best season was 2002, when he hit .306, with 29 home runs, 123 RBI and a league-leading 56 doubles.
Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees (versus Angels) … April 26, 2005
A-Rod was in just his second season as a Yankee when he plated ten of the Yankees’ twelve runs in a 12-4 win over the Angels in New York. Rodriguez was off to a solid start that season, coming into the late-April contest at .280-4-15. He would end the day at .310-7-25. It went like this: First inning – three-run home run; third inning – two-run home run; fourth inning – Grand Slam; sixth inning – two-run single; eighth inning – long fly out to deep center. Had the last at bat – fly out to center leading off the eight – been pulled a bit more or carried just a bit farther, A-Rod could have become the first major leaguer to hit for the “Home Run Cycle” – solo, two-run, three-run and Grand Slam homer in one game. To read about the only professional hitter to accomplish that in a game, click here.
Rodriguez ended the 2005 season at .321, with a league-leading 48 home runs and 130 RBI. He was clearly a candidate for a ten-RBI day. The 14-time All Star (22 MLB seasons) had a career .295 average, with 696 home runs and 2,086 RBI. He hit 30 or more homers in a season 14 times – topping 50 three times (a high of 57 in 2002). A-Rod also topped 100 RBI 14 times, with a high a 156 in 2007. His resume includes five league HR titles, two RBI titles and one batting crown.
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
I digress a bit, but this unique achievement has always intrigued me. On April 21, 2012, the White Sox’ Phil Humber pitched a perfect game – shutting down the Mariners 4-0. It was the only complete game of Humber’s eight-season MLB career (16-23, 5.31 ERA).
Nomar Garciaparra, SS, Red Sox (versus Mariners) … May 10, 1999
Like Alex Rodriguez, Garciaparra’s big day saw him drive in ten of this team’s 12 runs in a 12-4 win (at home over the Mariners). Batting in the four-hole, Garciaparra’s day included three home runs in four at bats. In addition to joining the ten-RBI club, he also joined the list of players with two Grand Slams in a game. It looked like this: First inning – Grand Slam; third inning – two-run shot; fourth inning – foul pop out; sixth inning – walk; eighth inning – Grand Slam. Garciaparra came into the game at .309-2-14 and ended at .327-5-24.
Garciaparra ended the 1999 season leading the league in batting at .357, with 27 home runs and 104 RBI. He would win a second consecutive batting title in 2000, hitting .372. A six-time All Star, Garciaparra hit .313, with 229 home runs and 939 RBI in a 14-season MLB career. He hit 30 or more homers twice, topped 100 RBI four times and also led the league in hits once (209 in 1997), doubles once (56 in 2002) and triples once (11 in 1997).
Fred Lynn, CF, Red Sox (versus Tigers) … June 18, 1975
Lynn was playing CF and batting fifth as the Red Sox trended the Tigers 15-1 on his ten-RBI day. Lynn went five-for-six in a day that looked like this: First inning – two-run home run; second inning – three-run homer; third inning – two-run triple; fifth inning – line out to second; eighth inning- single; ninth inning – three-run home run. Lynn came into the game with a stat line of .337-11-40, which improved to .352-14-50.
Lynn finished the 1975 season at .331-21-105 – led the AL in runs scored with 103 and captured the MVP and Rookie of the Year Awards. A nine-time All Star, Lynn hit .283-301-1,111 over 17 MLB seasons.
Reggie Jackson, RF, Athletics (versus Red Sox) … June 14, 1969
Jackson rang up two home runs, a double and two singles in six at bats, as his Oakland A’s topped the Red sox 21-7 in Boston. He came into the game hitting .246, with 20 homers and 35 RBI – and left the park at .266-22-45. His day: First inning – run-scoring double; third inning – two-run home run; fourth inning – walk; fifth inning – two-run home run; seventh inning – two-run single; eighth inning – three-run single.
The Hall of Famer finished the 1969 season at .275-47-118. The 47 home runs was his single-season career high. The 14-time All Star hit .262, with 563 home runs and 2,597 RBI in a 21-season MLB career. He won four league HR titles and led his league in RBI once (topping 100 RBI six times).
Norm Zauchin, 1B, Red Sox (versus Senators) … May 27, 1955
Zauchin was batting fifth for Boston in Fenway, as the Red Sox shutout the Senators 16-0. Zauchin came into the game hitting just.214, with one home run and five RBI. By the end of the day, his numbers would look a lot better (.247-4-15). Here’s how it looked on the fans’ scorecards: First inning – two-run home run; second inning – Grand Slam; fourth inning – run-scoring double; fifth inning – three-run home run; seventh inning – strikeout.
Zauchin hit just .239 in 1955 (the 25-year-old’s first full MLB season) and led the league with 105 strikeouts. But he showed good power, with 27 home runs and 93 RBI. It would, however, be the only one of his six MLB seasons that he topped 15 home runs or 37 RBI. In those six MLB seasons, he hit .233, with 50 home runs and 159 RBI.
Walker Cooper, C, Reds (versus Cubs) … July 6, 1949
Coopers’ Reds blasted the Cubs 23-4 in Cincinnati. Cooper, batting in the cleanup spot, banged out three home runs in the game – and had six hits in seven at bats. In the game, Cooper batted in each of the Reds’ eight offensive half innings except the fifth (the Reds did not bat in the bottom of the ninth). His day went: First inning – single; second inning – two-run single; third inning – three-run home run; fourth inning – single; sixth inning – three-run homer; seventh inning – three-run home run; eighth inning – groundout to shortstop. Cooper started the day at .231-7-30 and finished the game at .251-10-40.
Cooper finished the 1949 season (which he started with the Giants) at .258-20-83. He was an All Star eight times in his 18-season major league career. His career average was .285 and he hit 173 home runs and drove in 812. Cooper’s best year, by far, was with the Giants in 1947, when he hit .305, with 35 home runs and 122 RBI in 140 games. That season he achieved his career highs in games, hits (157), runs (79), triples (8) and home runs (35).
Rudy York, 1B, Red Sox (versus Browns) … July 27, 1946
York’s Red Sox toppled the Browns (in Saint Louis) by a 13-6 score on his big day at the dish. York – batting cleanup – had two Grand Slams and a double in five at bats, in a performance that went: First inning – two-run double; second inning – Grand Slam; third inning – walk; fourth inning – Grand Slam (Note: the Browns had intentionally walked Ted William to load the bases and get to York); seventh inning – strikeout; ninth inning – grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. York came into the game with a stat line of .283-11-74 and ended the day at .287-13-84.
York ended the 1946 season with a .276 average, 17 home runs and 119 RBI. The seven-time All Star had a career line of .275-277-1,149 over 13 MLB seasons. His best season was with the Tigers in 1943, when he hit .271 and led the AL with 34 home runs and 118 RBI. York had six seasons of 100+ RBI and four campaigns of 30+ home runs (including his 1937 rookie year, when he hit .307-35-101). Note: he did get into three games for the Tigers in a 1934 call up.
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