Quiz – Tough Luck Sluggers (solved)

In last weekend’s showdown series with Toronto, the Yankees’ Brett Gardner became the first player of this century to record an unusual game feat. In so doing, he joined 10 others with the same feat since 1914. What is this unusual batting accomplishment?

Rk Player
1 Brett Gardner
2 Mark McGwire
3 Mike Stanley
4 Kal Daniels
5 Bob Horner
6 Gary Roenicke
7 Frank Thomas
8 Roy Sievers
9 Bob Cerv
10 Johnny Mize
11 Jimmie Foxx
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/16/2015.

There was no fooling Yankee aficionado Richard Chester. He knew that Gardner is the latest player to lose a 9 inning contest at home despite a monster game with 6 or more RBI on 2 or more home runs, no other hits and no strikeouts. More after the jump.

Here are those games, which include Bob Horner’s famous 4 home run game for Atlanta.

Rk Player Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP WPA RE24 aLI BOP Pos
1 Brett Gardner 2015-09-12 (2) NYY TOR L 7-10 5 5 2 2 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0.096 4.610 .446 2 LF
2 Mark McGwire 1999-07-16 STL CHW L 8-9 5 4 2 2 0 0 2 6 1 0 0 0 0.286 3.438 1.732 3 1B
3 Mike Stanley 1995-08-10 (1) NYY CLE L 9-10 4 4 3 3 0 0 3 7 0 0 0 0 0.505 4.997 1.628 7 C
4 Kal Daniels 1990-09-04 LAD HOU L 8-10 5 5 2 2 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0.168 3.473 1.052 3 LF
5 Bob Horner 1986-07-06 ATL MON L 8-11 5 5 4 4 0 0 4 6 0 0 0 0 0.262 5.204 .718 4 1B
6 Gary Roenicke 1985-07-13 BAL CHW L 8-10 4 4 2 2 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0.194 4.618 1.310 5 LF
7 Frank Thomas 1962-08-01 NYM PHI L 9-11 5 4 3 2 0 0 2 6 1 0 0 0 0.402 4.544 1.914 4 LF
8 Roy Sievers 1961-05-07 (1) CHW DET L 6-8 4 4 2 2 0 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0.310 3.432 1.683 4 1B
9 Bob Cerv 1959-08-20 KCA BOS L 10-11 5 5 3 3 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 0 0.512 4.332 1.258 4 LF
10 Johnny Mize 1940-09-08 (1) STL PIT L 14-16 5 5 4 3 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 0.000 0.000 4 1B
11 Jimmie Foxx 1930-05-22 (2) PHA NYY L 13-20 6 5 2 2 0 0 2 6 1 0 0 0.000 0.000 5 1B
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 9/17/2015.

Only a curiosity but some unusual clustering of these games with three in four years (1959-62), then none for 22 years (1963-84), then 5 times in 15 years (1985-99) and then not at all over the next 15 seasons (2000-14). Also, 10 of the 11 games were turned in by first basemen or left-fielders.

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Brendan Bingham
Brendan Bingham
8 years ago

Does it have anything to do with driving in six runs in a loss, which Gardner did in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader?

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
8 years ago

For starters they all had 2+ HR and 6+ RBI in a home game and their team lost, but so did more than two dozen more.

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
8 years ago
Reply to  Doug

They all had H = HR but so did 8 others.

mosc
mosc
8 years ago

Something like after both his home runs his team was STILL down by at least 3 runs?

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
8 years ago

My final PI run showed this: Team lost at home, HR = 2+, RBI = 6+, H = HR, SO = O and the length of the game was 9 innings.

Kahuna Tuna
Kahuna Tuna
8 years ago

Teams that have a player hitting three home runs in a game win the game right around 80% of the time. Johnny Mize, tied for the all-time lead in three-homer games, had his teams go 1-4-1 in those 3-HR games.

Kahuna Tuna
Kahuna Tuna
8 years ago
Reply to  Doug

Sure, Ruth was 0-2 in regular-season 3-HR games.

But he was 2-0 in 3-HR World Series games.

My nominee for most obscure player with two major-league three-homer games: Pat Seerey (1943-48 Indians, 1948-49 White Sox, 86 career home runs).

Richard Chester
Richard Chester
8 years ago
Reply to  Kahuna Tuna

Pat Seerey and Willie Mays are the only players with 15+ TB in a game twice.