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 Four Consecutive Home Runs Photo Gallery
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A Historic Baseball Event Occurred This Week!

I used to call 1918 the most dysfunctional season in major league history, but this 2020 season appears to now hold that dubious title. I coined the term “ghost baseball” to describe these fanless games (or perhaps, “the ghost of baseball past” is a better descriptor). Plus, with all these changes they implemented this year, who knows what will be left of our game by the time the season ends?

Although it may be a crazy year, it doesn’t mean that historic things aren’t happening between the white lines. So just this week, something occurred in a game between the White Sox and the Cardinals that’s extremely rare. Prior to this game, it had only happened nine times. As a matter of fact, it’s even rarer than perfect games (23), unassisted triple plays (15), natural cycles (14), and a player hitting four home runs in one game (17). The only thing I can think of that’s rarer is the .800 slugging season, which has happened only four times (two by the Babe and two by Barry Bonds).

Care to take a guess as to what I’m talking about?

It’s a team hitting four consecutive home runs. On Sunday, August 16, White Sox Yoan Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu, and Eloy Jimenez went back-to-back-to-back-to-back in the fifth inning of the White Sox’ 7-2 win over the Cardinals. This was only the tenth time in major league history a team homered in four straight at-bats. A quick look through the details of the game reveals some other interesting information:

• All four homers came off of Cardinals’ reliever Roel Ramirez, who was making his major league debut. What a way to break in!
• The unfortunate Ramirez pitched only 2/3 of an inning, leaving him with an ERA of 81.
• Moncada’s blast was a three-run shot, so the Sox scored six times in the inning to salvage the last game of the three-game series.
• It was the first time in major league history that three Cuban-born players hit back-to-back-to-back home runs (Mancada, Grandal, and Abreu).
• The White Sox are the only team to have accomplished the feat twice, the first was in 2008.

After not happening in the first 85 years of major league baseball, it happened for the first time on June 8, 1961 in a game between the Braves and the Reds. It happened again a little over two years later on July 31, 1963 when the Indians’ sluggers Woody Held, Pedro Ramos, Tito Francona, and Larry Brown did it in a game against the Angels. Less than a year later, it happened for the third time in a game between the Twins and Athletics, May 2, 1964, with Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall, and Harmon Killebrew doing the honors.

In the true spirit of Old-Time Baseball Photos, let’s take a look back at the very first time a team hit four consecutive home runs on June 8, 1961 at Crosley Field.

In the featured photo we see the four Milwaukee Braves that hit the home runs.

On that day, the Braves Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron knocked Reds starter Jim Maloney out of the game with back-to-back long balls in the top of the seventh. Reliever Marshall Bridges came in and didn’t fare any better, serving up gopher balls to Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas in consecutive at-bats. That made a record setting four homers in a row.

Here’s a list of historic ten times four consecutive home runs have occurred:

White Sox, Aug. 16, 2020
Yoán Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez homer in fifth inning vs. Cardinals. 

Nationals, June 9, 2019
Howie Kendrick, Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon homer in eighth inning vs. Padres. 

Nationals, July 27, 2017
Brian Goodwin, Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman homer in fourth inning vs. Brewers. 

D-backs, Aug. 11, 2010
Adam Laroche, Miguel Montero, Mark Reynolds and Stephen Drew homer in fourth inning vs. Brewers. 

White Sox, Aug. 14, 2008
Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe homer in sixth inning vs. Royals. 

Red Sox, April 22, 2007
Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek homer in third inning vs. Yankees. 

Dodgers, Sept. 18, 2006
Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin and Marlon Anderson homered in ninth inning vs. Padres. 

Twins, May 2, 1964
Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall and Harmon Killebrew in 11th inning vs. Athletics.

Indians, July 31, 1963
Woodie Held, Pedro Ramos, Tito Francona and Larry Brown homered in 6th inning of Game 2 vs. Angels.

Braves, June 8, 1961
Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas homered in 7th inning vs. Reds.

Gary Livacari 

Information: Excerpts edited Chicago Tribune White Sox article, August 18, 2020

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