What a Catfish!!

After the 1967 the Kansas City Athletics of the American League were transferred by owner Charlie O. Finley to Oakland, California. The A's made the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum their new home. On May 9, 1968 fans in the San Francisco Bay area were still getting used to the idea that an American League team was playing in their area. The Minnesota Twins were in town to play the rubber game of a three game series. The game was only the 11th home game that the A's had played in their new home. The A's with their glory years just a few short years away, were enroute to a 82-80 record had a 12-12 record on the year. They had a home record of 3-7, not the kind of record a team wants to present to new fans. The Twins had a 13-12 record and were enroute to a 79-83 record.
On this particular Wednesday evening, the A's sent 22 year old James A. "Catfish" Hunter to the mound to face Dave Boswell. Although seeming young in age Hunter had already pitched 103 games by this point in his young career. The game started off quickly for Hunter as he retired Cesar Tovar, Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew in order in the first inning. Killebrew was the first of 11 strikeouts on the game.
Hunter continued inning after inning mowing through the tough Twins lineup until he reached the ninth inning. When he took the mound in the the ninth inning everyone in the park knew histiry was on the line. After retiring pinch hitter Johnny Roseboro and catcher Bruce Look, he faced pich hitter Rich Reese. When Reese was called out on strikes Hunters name went into the history books as the first American League pitcher since 1922 to pitch a perfect game. His 4-0 gem was only the ninth of what is today 18 perfect games ever pitched in Major League Baseball.
It was most certianly a treasured memory for all of the 6298 fans in attendance that evening. One those historic games that fans wish they could be there for when they happen. We dont know when, we dont know where, we dont know by whom, but we do know that someday a pitcher will etch his name in the record book as the 19th pitcher in MLB history to pitch a perfect game, will be today, maybe tonight in Seattle. We can only sit back with a cold drink and see as todays games unfold themselves right before our eyes. As for tomorrow we will drop down to the Texas League and look at another rare play the unassisted triple play. Have a great day wherever you are.

Home Run, Home Run, Home Run, Home Run

There are many ways a baseball player can set or tie a record in a single game. Today we are looking at one of the rare feats that will most certainly get the attention of all the highlight shows. Not the perfect game or the unassisted triple play, but hitting four home runs in one MLB game.

On May 2, 2002 Michael T. Cameron of the Seattle Mariners became the 13th MLB player to hit four home runs in one game when he lead his team to a 15-4 win over the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park in Chicago. One of the things that made Camerons feat so unique was that each of his home runs were solo shots as he had only 4 RBIs on the game. His first two home runs were in the Mariners 10 run first inning, both blasts were following home runs by his teammate Bret Boone. His third home run was in the third inning. His fourth home run was in the fifth inning. During his fifth trip to the plate, he was hit by a pitch. In the ninth inning, he lined to the warning track in right field, becoming only the second player to get a second chance to hit a fifth home run during a game. (Thank You Retrosheet.org)

The feat of hitting four home runs in a MLB game has been done twice since. The feat has been done in the minor leagues 86 times and four players in the minors have hit five home runs in one game with one player hitting eight home runs in one game (June 15 preview).

Are you convinced this is going to be a great blog to follow on a daily basis yet? Tune in tomorrow when we look at a wild game that was played in the National Indoor Football League in 2003.