One reason I love baseball is because of its rich history. The players and games live on in the form of statistics unlike any other sport. These stats open the door for many interesting and fun hypothetical discussions. Who is the greatest shortstop of all-time? Which team is the greatest of all-time?
Earlier today, I stumbled upon an answer to one of my favorite hypothetical questions: "If you could go back in time and watch any baseball game, which game would you choose?"
I have heard great arguments for many games. Babe Ruth's "Called Shot" in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. Harvey Haddix's near perfect game in 1959. Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951. Bill Mazeroski's Game 7 walk-off home run in 1960 or Joe Carter's Game 6 walk-off home run in 1993.
The list goes on and on, but one game that I bet you have never heard of, and I had never heard of before today, was a June 3, 1932 regular season match up between the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.
The lineups alone are enough to raise your eyebrows. Of the 31 players that saw action that day, eight are in the Hall of Fame, four combined to win eight MVP Awards, and 14 combined to appear in 57 All-Star Games. (Keep in mind, the first All-Star Game wasn't until 1933, so many of these players didn't have the opportunity to appear in an ASG until late in their careers.)
This doesn't even include the two Hall of Fame managers, Connie Mack for the A's and Joe McCarthy for the Yankees. Mack managed for 53 years (50 with the A's) and won 3,731 games (most all-time), nine pennants and five World Series titles. McCarthy managed for 24 years (16 with the Yankees) and won 2,125 games (eighth most all-time), nine pennants and seven World Series titles.
The Yankees won the game 20-13 in a slugfest that featured 36 hits, of which four were doubles, five were triples and nine were home runs.
However, the most amazing part of this game was the rare feats that occurred.
Yankees Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig hit four home runs in his first four at bats of the game. After grounding out in his fifth at bat, he came up to the plate in the ninth inning for a second chance at five home runs. Gehrig hit a deep shot to the deepest part of the park, where A's center fielder, and future Hall of Famer, Al Simmons robbed him of a home run. Instead, Gehrig had to settle for the third four-home run game in MLB history, a feat that has only happened 16 times ever.
Not to be outdone, fellow Yankees Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri went 5-for-6 and hit for the cycle. Making it more unique, Lazzeri collected a single, double, triple and home run in that order, hitting for what's called a "natural cycle." It was the third "natural cycle" in MLB history and is one of only 13 ever.
If my calculations are correct (I need Elias to confirm it), the odds of a player hitting four home runs and another player on the same team hitting for the "natural cycle" in the same game are almost 1-in-800 million. To put that in perspective, it is nearly nine times more likely that someone will hit a hole in one in golf AND die in a plane accident in their lifetime (1-in-90 million odds).
The Yankees other three Hall of Famers, Earle Combs, Babe Ruth and Lefty Gomez, also didn't disappoint. Combs went 3-for-5 with a home run, while Ruth went 2-for-5 with a double and home run. It was the 626th career home run for Ruth, who finished with 714. Gomez allowed two hits and one earned run in two innings of work, but picked up the save.
Despite losing the game, the Athletics had solid performances from their three Hall of Famers, as well. Mickey Cochrane hit a home run and Jimmie Foxx collected a triple and home run. It was the 135th career home run for Foxx, who finished with 534. Foxx challenged Ruth's single-season home run record that year, finishing with 58, two shy of Ruth's 60.
Along with Simmons' home run-robbing grab in centerfield, he went hitless in four at bats and struck out once, but walked and scored twice.
In the field, the Yankees committed five errors, but still found a way to win the game. I couldn't find any stats on the subject, but I imagine a team doesn't win often when they commit five or more errors and the other team commits none.
This illustrates the Yankees' dominance in baseball during that era. They went on to win the World Series that year and four more times in the '30s.
Are there any games similar to this that you know of? If so, let me know. I love learning new things and having friendly arguments. Feel free to comment on this post, tweet me or leave a post on my Facebook.
