APRIL 23, 1952 | NEW YORK, NEW YORK – The first one took place in New York on this date in 1952. A relief pitcher by the name of Hoyt Wilhelm – you probably heard of him, a knuckleballer who became one of the best relief pitchers in baseball history, he’s in the Hall of Fame – hit a home run in his first major league at-bat.
He never hit another one in his 21-year major league career. This was before the designated hitter. How does that happen?
There is a logical explanation. Wilhelm was a middle relief pitcher. He played in over 1,000 games, but seldom was seen with a bat in his hand. In 1968, for example, he appeared in 72 games for the White Sox. He had 3 at-bats the entire year. Struck out each time.
What Wilhelm was known for was pitching. He won 143 games as a starter, saved 227 games as a reliever, mostly with the Sox and New York Giants. He finished with a career ERA of 2.52. Seven different seasons he had ERAs under 2.00
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APRIL 23, 1999 | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Also on April 23rd, but in 1999, Fernando Tatis hit two grand slams – IN ONE INNING! Needless to say, a record.
It turned out to be a breakout year for Tatis. He hit 34 home runs and drove in 107. Tatis never came close to those numbers again, but there’s a good chance his two slams in one inning record will never be broken. What are the chances someone will hit three grand slams in one inning?
CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
First at bat HRs
New York Times, New York, NY, April 24, 1952
Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, CA, April 24, 1999
Hoyt Wilhelm
Fernando Tatis