Josh Hamilton won over baseball on a summer night in the Bronx four
years ago, putting on an unbelievable show of power in the home run
derby at old Yankee Stadium.On Tuesday night in Baltimore, the Texas Rangers star captivated all of
baseball with his home run prowess again — this time during a
regular-season game — swatting four homers off Orioles pitchers in a 10-3 win at Camden Yards."I always wanted to get three [homers] and I never did that," Hamilton
told reporters after the game "Just thanking the Lord up above."
We make big deals about perfect games, but 21 pitchers have recorded
one throughout baseball history. Only 15 other players have hit four
home runs in the same game with the last one before Hamilton being
Carlos Delgado on Sept. 25, 2003. No one has ever hit five home runs in
a single game.
A few other facts about Hamilton's four-homer effort:
• Hamilton went 5-for-5 on the night with eight RBIs and collected
an American League-record 18 total bases. If you count the homer he hit
in the ninth inning of Monday's game, he has five home runs in his last
six at-bats (and a total of 14 on the season).
• Orioles starter Jake Arrieta was tagged for two of the home runs
in the first and third inning while Zach Phillips gave up one in the
seventh and former Ranger teammate Darren O'Day put Hamilton in the
record books by giving up one in the eighth.
• All four home runs were two-run shots with Elvis Andrus somehow being the lone baserunner for all four.
• According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is the first time in baseball history that a four-home run game and a perfect game have occurred in the same season.
• Larry Granillo of Tater Trot Tracker
notes that Hamilton's home run trots got quicker as the night went on:
"#1 - 23.8 secs, #2 - 21.36 secs, #3 - 24.1 secs, #4 - 20.75 secs"
Here's the list of the 16 men who have hit four home runs in a big league game:
Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers — May 8, 2012
Carlos Delgado, Toronto Blue Jays — Sept. 25, 2003
Shawn Green, Los Angeles Dodgers — May 23, 2002
Mike Cameron, Seattle Mariners — May 2, 2002
Mark Whiten, St. Louis Cardinals — Sept. 7, 1993
Bob Horner, Atlanta Braves — July 6, 1986
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies — April 17, 1976
Willie Mays, San Francisco GIants — April 30, 1961
Rocky Colavito, Cleveland Indians — June 10, 1959
Joe Adcock, Milwaukee Braves — July 31, 1954
Gil Hodges, Brooklyn Dodgers — August 31, 1950
Pat Seerey, Chicago White Sox — July 18, 1948
Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies — July 10, 1936
Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees — June 3, 1932
Ed Delahanty, Philadelphia Phillies — July 13, 1896
Bobby Lowe, Boston Beaneaters — May 30, 1894
Carlos Delgado, Toronto Blue Jays — Sept. 25, 2003
Shawn Green, Los Angeles Dodgers — May 23, 2002
Mike Cameron, Seattle Mariners — May 2, 2002
Mark Whiten, St. Louis Cardinals — Sept. 7, 1993
Bob Horner, Atlanta Braves — July 6, 1986
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies — April 17, 1976
Willie Mays, San Francisco GIants — April 30, 1961
Rocky Colavito, Cleveland Indians — June 10, 1959
Joe Adcock, Milwaukee Braves — July 31, 1954
Gil Hodges, Brooklyn Dodgers — August 31, 1950
Pat Seerey, Chicago White Sox — July 18, 1948
Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies — July 10, 1936
Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees — June 3, 1932
Ed Delahanty, Philadelphia Phillies — July 13, 1896
Bobby Lowe, Boston Beaneaters — May 30, 1894