Making History

Last night in Baltimore, Josh Hamilton hit four home runs. He is only the 16th MLB player to achieve the feat of hitting four home runs in one game.

Not a bad night for the Texas Rangers slugger. And good for him. It’s hard NOT to root for him to succeed.

Hamilton also set the A.L. record for most total bases in one game – 18 (4 HR = 16 + 1 2B = 2 for a total = 18). That is an amazing feat.

Incidentally, the MLB record for total bases was set by Shawn Green of the L.A. Dodgers on May 23, 2002 vs. Milwaukee. He had 19 total bases (4 HRs plus a double and a single).

I remember it well. I was at that game.

In 2002, we took an early vacation (late May) and we took the kids to the Windy City for our vacation. It features a number of kid-friendly attractions and museums. We went to many of them.

We also saw a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and then, almost as an afterthought, we decided we would drive up to Milwaukee (not far…little more than an hour’s drive) and see the Brewers play. They happened to be playing a day game against the Dodgers. So, we’d be back in Chicago in plenty of time for dinner!

Our sidetrip to Milwaukee was fun. 

We loved our visit to Miller Park.

We had no idea we’d see MLB history in the making that Thursday afternoon. 

Green, the Dodgers right fielder, was hitting third in the line-up that day. He doubled in the first inning off Brewers starter Glendon Rusch. As the Dodgers batting over turned over quickly, he stepped up to the plate, again, in the second inning and hit a three run bomb.

Two innings down. Two at bats. Two extra base hits. Easy enough. Green had already experienced a really good game before Bernie Brewer had settled in, before the first chorus of the Beer Barrel Polka was played, and before the Brewer brats were off the grill!

When Green hit a solo home runs in the fourth and fifth inning, it was obvious that he was having a really good day and had the makings of something potentially very special. By that point, the Dodgers were ahead of Milwaukee 10-2, so the game was essentially over. So, everyone was rooting for Green to go ahead and finish the task.

He singled in the eighth and the line-up turned over one last time. Green came to bat in the top of the ninth with two outs and no one on base. He already had a 5-for-5 day with 5 runs scored and 6 RBIs. I thought of my fantasy baseball friends who had Green on their roster. No doubt they were very happy!

But three HRs in a game is great; four is spectacular. And in his last at bat of the game, with two outs in the ninth, he did it! Just a little after 3 p.m. CDT, he became just the 14th MLB player to hit four home runs in an MLB game. And he got his 19th total base, which still stands as the record.

I’ve been fortunate to see many MLB games. I’ve seen playoff games; a world series game. I’ve never seen a bigger bit of MLB history than I did on that cool spring day in Milwaukee.

JG  

(Source: USA Today) 

Originally posted 5/9/2012