Four HRs in a row
Sunday night, the Sox were the fifth team in MLB history to hit four home runs in a row - and only the second to do it off the same pitcher for all four. This from Bob Ryan in the Boston Globe, the details on the others:
The other four teams to hit four consecutive home runs were the 1961 Braves (Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock, and Frank Thomas); the 1963 Indians (Woodie Held, Pedro Ramos, Tito Francona — yes, The Skipper’s dad — and Larry Brown); the 1964 Twins (Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall and Harmon Killebrew); and last year’s Dodgers (Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson).
That’s some weird stuff. The Braves’ quartet were all bangers. Messrs. Mathews, Aaron, Adcock, and Thomas combined for a career total of 1,889 homers. Now in case you’re wondering how Frank Thomas could have been playing for the 1961 Braves, no, it’s not the Big Hurt. The first Frank Thomas was a slugger of some repute for such teams as the Pirates, Phillies, and even the Original Mets. He had 286 career homers.
The Twins’ quartet were bangers, as well. That group combined for a career total of 1,172 homers. Jimmie Hall is somewhat forgotten now, but he hit as many as 33 in a season. Those with acute memories might recall that he hit two homers in a losing effort the night Tony C. was hit.
As for the Dodgers, yup, that’s our own J.D. Drew. This was the amazing game in which the Dodgers hit those back-to-back-to-back-to-backers in the ninth inning to get the game into extra innings. The first two were off Jon Adkins, and the last two were off renowned closer Trevor Hoffman. Three of these came on consecutive pitches. Oh, and Nomar Garciaparra won the game in the bottom of the 10th with a two-run homer.
But take a look at the other list. Those four 1963 Indians combined for a career total of 35 home runs during that entire season. Pedro Ramos was a pitcher, for God’s sake. This means the men hitting the back-to-back-to-back homers were the numbers 8, 9, 1, and 2 in the order. And, no, that’s not the Larry Brown you’re probably thinking of, either. That Larry Brown was a light-hitting shortstop who had a career total of 47 homers, or only 32 more than Ramos. The victim of all four homers was righthander Paul Foytack.”
[Where Ryan writes “… career total of 35 home runs during that entire season”, I presume he meant “grand total” - as he goes on to tell us career totals of some of the individuals involved.]
One thing I’ll add to Ryan’s thoughts: Remember how Brian Kingman was publicly, and apparently seriously, clinging to the title of “Last Guy to Lose 20 Games”? I wonder if 76-yr-old Paul Foytack is out there somewhere bemoaning the fact that Chase Wright is now the “Last Guy to Give Up 4 HRs in a Row”? Actually, considering that probably only a handful of people even knew who Paul Foytack was until this morning, maybe he’s bemoaning the fact that so many folks are now aware that he’s the Other Guy besides Wright to accomplish this ignominious feat.
Any chance ESPN is tracking him down for an interview?