MLB: The History Books Have Another 4-HR Name to Add

Scooter Gennett was just the 17th player in MLB history to slug four home runs in a game Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

When we think of four homer games in baseball, we tend to think of big, powerful sluggers that can get a hold of one and drive it over the fence. While that isn’t always the case, it certainly wasn’t the case last night in Cincinnati.

Before last night, Gennett had 38 career home runs in five seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. With his smaller build and the fact that the Reds picked him up off of waivers on March 28 made last night even more unlikely.

In the past, players have ranged from Josh Hamilton to Gil Hodges to Lou Gehrig, all being a part of an exclusive group of players that have hit four home runs in a game. You never know when it’ll happen, but it’s a true spectacle of the sport. Not only is it exciting watching any player crack a ball over the fence, it’s truly remarkable to see them do it multiple times in one game.

We’ve seen in sports that it doesn’t matter who you are or what position you play, anything can happen. Whether you’re the greatest power hitter of your time or a second baseman, you could be forever etched in the history books because of an accomplishment. Just think that in the over 140 years of major league baseball, only 17 players have hit four home runs in a game. By comparison, there have been roughly 300 no-hitters and 23 perfect games. You never know who or when history will be made.

But with the recent power surge of Scooter Gennett, at least for one game, it got us all thinking about past four-homer games.