A guide to every 4-homer game in MLB history
On each of the following slides, you'll find every occurrence of a four-homer game in MLB history. They're broken up into specific eras or player segments for convenience.
The Trailblazers: Bobby Lowe (1894) and Ed Delahanty (1896)
Like Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay for Mount Everest, someone had to be first to break the four-homer barrier. Lowe, an 18-year big leaguer, did so on May 30, 1894 for the Boston Beaneaters versus the Cincinnati Reds.
Lowe spent his first 12 professional campaigns with the Beaneaters and split six more between the Chicago Cubs (two) and Detroit Tigers (four). He recorded a singular at-bat for the Pittsburgh Pirates - a strikeout as a pinch hitter - before joining the Tigers.
Player | Years Played | Career Home Runs | Career OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|
Bobby Lowe | 18 (1890-1907) | 71 | 87 |
Ed Delahanty | 16 (1888-1903) | 101 | 152 |
*Italics indicate player is in the MLB Hall of Fame
Delahanty, like Norgay, often gets overlooked when it comes to his most notable showing. But he boasts something no other four-homer player does. According to mlb.com, two of Delahanty's four dingers were of the inside-the-park variety. None of his 18 club members recorded even one of those. Unfortunately, his Philadelphia Phillies lost 9-8 to the Chicago Colts in spite of his efforts.
None of us were in attendance for Delahanty's big day on July 13, 1896, but nobody who was should have been shocked about him flying around the bases. His 186 career triples are by far the most by any player in the four-homer club.
1930s Triple Crown Winners: Lou Gehrig (1932) and Chuck Klein (1936)
"The Iron Horse" needs no introduction. Gehrig, the 1934 AL Triple Crown winner, is one of the greatest baseball players to ever grace the diamond. His four-homer day overshadowed teammate Tony Lazzeri's cycle in a 20-13 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics on June 3, 1932.
Player | Years Played | Career Home Runs | Career OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|
Lou Gehrig | 17 (1923-39) | 493 | 179 |
Chuck Klein | 17 (1928-44) | 300 | 137 |
*Italics indicate player is in the MLB Hall of Fame
Klein, owner of the 1933 NL Triple Crown, was an Athletic when Gehrig hit four home runs against them. He suited up for 154 games, accumulated 7.5 bWAR and won the 1932 NL MVP award, but wasn't in the lineup for Gehrig's four-homer game. His own four-homer display came as a member of the Chicago Cubs on July 10, 1936.