- Publish date:
19TH HOLE THE READERS TAKE OVER
HORNER & CO.
Sir:
Peter Gammons's note about Bob Horner and the 10 other players who
have hit four home runs in a game (INSIDE BASEBALL, July 14) was
very interesting. I recently lost a bet that Willie Mays was the only
other person to perform that feat. I am curious about some of the
details on those 11 performances, though: 1) How many of the 11 did
it in a 9-inning game and also hit all 4 over the fence (not inside
the park)? 2) I believe that Joe Adcock had the most productive day,
with 4 home runs and a double; did any of the others get a hit in
addition to the home runs?
DOUG SCHEPP
Seabrook, Texas
-- 1) Eight of the 11 -- Bobby Lowe (Boston, 1894), Ed Delahanty
(Philadelphia, 1896), Lou Gehrig (Yankees, 1932), Gil Hodges
(Brooklyn, 1950), Adcock (Milwaukee, 1954), Rocky Colavito
(Cleveland, 1959), Mays (San Francisco, 1961) and Horner --
accomplished the feat in 9 innings. Chuck Klein (Philadelphia, 1936)
and Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia, 1976) did it in 10, and Pat Seerey
(Chicago White Sox, 1948) did it in 11. With the exception of
Delahanty, who had at least one inside-the-park home run (details on
that 1896 game are sketchy), all hit their homers out of the park. In
fact Mays's four all exceeded 400 feet. 2) Lowe, Delahanty, Hodges
and Schmidt each had an additional single. Gehrig was denied an
additional triple when the Philadelphia A's Al Simmons made a
spectacular catch, and Klein might have had a fifth homer had
Pittsburgh's Paul Waner not gone up against the fence and grabbed a
long second-inning drive. But might-haves don't count, so Milwaukee's
Adcock (above) did indeed have the most productive day. -- ED.
Photo(s):
UPI/BETTMANN NEWSPHOTOS NO CAPTION
