Tuesday, July 8, 2014

July 8, 1962, Stan The Man Launches Three In The Big Apple

     On July 8, 1962, with a three home run performance during a 15-1 thrashing of the Mets at the Polo Grounds in New York, Stan The Man Musial tied a major league record for home runs in consecutive at bats. Musial had belted a home run in his last at bat the day before, which proved to be a game winner as the Birds prevailed over that same Mets squad 3-2, then he returned to the ballpark the next day and entered the record books once again. The 41-year-old was no stranger to the record book at that point in his career, and he made it look easy, as he belted a solo shot in the first off of Jay Hook, then victimized the hurler once again with a solo shot in the fourth. When he stepped into the batters box in the seventh, there was a rookie on the mound by the name of Willard Hunter who served up the third home run of the day. The three home run barrage made Musial the oldest player to hit three home runs in a game, and the oldest to hit four home runs in consecutive at bats.

     Before that day only 12 major leaguers had hit four home run in consecutive trips to the plate. Today, 22 men are on that list. Albert Pujols joined him in the exclusive club in 2006, and Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies is the last to achieve the feat, as he joined the club in 2012.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196207080.shtml


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