Late Sunday Afternoon Trivia

[barrysloate]

What major league player didn't enter a game until the 8th inning as a pinch-hitter, yet still managed to hit three home runs in the game?

[barrysloate]

I think this is a hard one. I'll post the answer a little later.

[Wite3]

Actually seen this question once before...I won't post the answer but the player sat out the next game but came in to pinch hit the following game and hit his fourth consecutive homer in four at bats...

Joshua

[barrysloate]

I just checked that box score Joshua and you are absolutely correct- he hit another pinch hit homerun for his fourth consecutive one. Wow! I never knew that.

And feel free to give the answer. Why not? The two games took place on August 12 and 14, 1966.

[CobbSpikedMe]

I feel bad throwing the answer out too soon so I'll wait a bit longer for someone else to play. And yes, Joshua is totally correct.

[Sean]

Gates Brown?

[barrysloate]

Nope, although Gates was an incredible pinch hitter. I think 1968 was his big year.

[Cliff Bowman]

Art Shamsky? He did something like that for either the Reds or the Mets in the late 60's.

[barrysloate]

Art Shamsky is correct, although at least two other people knew it.

On August 12, 1966 the Pirates led the Reds 7-6 when Shamsky pinch hit in the bottom of the 8th inning. He hit a two-run homer and stayed in the game, which went into extra innings.

In the bottom of the 10th trailing 9-8, he hit a solo homer to tie the game.

In the bottom of the 11th, with the Pirates leading 11-9, he hit a two-run homer, his third straight, to tie it again at 11-11. The Pirates scored three runs in the top of 13th and won 14-11.

And what I discovered tonight is two days later Shamsky pinch hit yet another home run, his fourth straight.

Three homer games have probably occurred well over a hundred times in baseball history, but Shamsky's achievement is unique among them.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Art Shamsky is correct, although at least two other people knew it.

On August 12, 1966 the Pirates led the Reds 7-6 when Shamsky pinch hit in the bottom of the 8th inning. He hit a two-run homer and stayed in the game, which went into extra innings.

In the bottom of the 10th trailing 9-8, he hit a solo homer to tie the game.

In the bottom of the 11th, with the Pirates leading 11-9, he hit a two-run homer, his third straight, to tie it again at 11-11. The Pirates scored three runs in the top of 13th and won 14-11.

And what I discovered tonight is two days later Shamsky pinch hit yet another home run, his fourth straight.

Three homer games have probably occurred well over a hundred times in baseball history, but Shamsky's achievement is unique among them.

He batted in consecutive innings with no runs scoring in between and only one runner on base the second time up? That must not happen too often.

[ValKehl]

Barry, I'm not hijacking your thread, but now that your quiz is solved, here's another home-run, pinch-hitting quiz:

Which 2 players share the record for hitting pinch-hit HRs in 3 consecutive pinch-hitting appearances?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I feel like Cliff Johnson did something like that

[ValKehl]

Sorry Scott, it wasn't Cliff Johnson. But, I will provide this hint: both players accomplished this feat in the 1970's.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

He batted in consecutive innings with no runs scoring in between and only one runner on base the second time up? That must not happen too often.

I had the same thought Peter. The numbers didn't seem to work. But you can check out the box score right on Net54 on retrosheet.

And Val, I'm still thinking but I don't think I know this one.

[Rich Klein]

I thought Del Unser was one of the 2

[ValKehl]

Rich, you are correct - Del Unser is 1 of the 2 - he did it with the Phillies in 1979 on June 30th, July 5th, and July 10th - Unser was the 2nd player to accomplish this feat.

The first player, yet to be identified, was also a NLer.

[barrysloate]

I have no idea Val. Could you at least give us the decade it happened?

[CobbSpikedMe]

Both happened in the 70's Barry.

[ValKehl]

Barry, I already did, in post #13. Both players did this in the 1970's.

[barrysloate]

Sorry about that. I'll just take a wild guess and go with Jim Ray Hart.

[commishbob]

Gonna take a guess at the second player...Terry Crowley? He was an NL guy in the middle of the decade between his stints with my Orioles. Always a solid pinch hitter as I recall.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Trying to think of great 70's pinch hitters (besides Johnson) and most of them weren't power guys like Mota or Davalillo

[ValKehl]

The other player I have is Lee Lacy of the Dodgers in 1978 - May 2nd, 6th, and 17th. However, another Net54er has just informed me that Lacy's 3 pinch hit homers were not achieved in 3 consecutive pinch hit appearances, but rather in 3 consecutive pinch hit at bats - Lacy had a pinch hit walk in between one of his homers. Sorry for this mistake! Unser was one of my favorite expansion Senators of the late 1960's, and I have long believed he was the first and only to accomplish this, until I checked the other day and read that Lacy had seemingly done this before Unser.

[barrysloate]

Lee Lacy would have been my 800th guess.