Braves Bobby Lowe Hits Four Home Runs in Single Game

One of the rarest feats in baseball is when a player has four home runs in a single game. On this day in 1894, Bobby Lowe, playing for one of the early incarnation of the Braves, became the first player to accomplish that feat.

Throughout Major League history, only 16 players have ever hit four home runs in a single game. It is a feat rarer than even a pitcher throwing a perfect game, an accomplishment for the ages. On this day in 1894, Bobby Lowe, playing for the Boston Beaneaters, a team that would later be known as the Braves, became the first player in MLB history to accomplish that feat.

In a 20-11 slugfest against the Cincinnati Reds in the second game of a double header, Lowe had a power display the likes of which had not been seen before. He hit four home runs, including two in the third inning, as he victimized Elton Chamberlain to help lead the Braves to victory.

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Interestingly enough, in a time when home runs were a rarity, Lowe did not even lead his team by the end of the season. Hugh Duffy, a Hall of Fame player, led the Braves with 18 home runs on the season. Lowe, who put up his finest year in the power department, had 17 homers. Lowe also was not even the second best hitter on his team, ranking behind Duffy and Jimmy Bannon in OPS+, and finished fifth on the Braves in WAR.

Lowe also holds the distinction of having the fewest career home runs of any player to hit four home runs in a game. In his 18 year career, Lowe had 71 home runs, making him one of two players with fewer than 100 career homers to accomplish the feat. Pat Seerey, who played seven seasons in the Majors, had 86 career home runs to join Lowe.

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Considered one of the better second basemen of the 1800’s, Bobby Lowe holds the unique distinction of being the first person to hit four home runs in a game, and having the fewest career home runs of anyone doing so.