Vlad Sr.’s Walk-Off, Tanks From Mo Vaughn & Mark McGwire – Random HR History for Week of 1/6
Come for the random homers, stay for ridiculous stats from Barry Bonds' consecutive games with a home run streak.
Just because it’s the offseason doesn’t mean I still don’t share home run videos every day. Instead of discussing “on this date in home run history,” you now get a chance to see which random players/moments I’ve been thinking about recently.
And since you’re on this email list, you get a sneak peek of what I’m sharing for the upcoming week before everyone else does. Enjoy!
Monday, 1/6
9/19/2024: Shohei Ohtani established the 50-50 club with a six-hit night that included three homers, 10 RBI and two steals.
10/3/2006: Frank Thomas hit a pair of homers in the Athletics’ ALDS Game 1 matchup against the Twins.
9/17/2010: Manny Ramirez slugged the 555th and final home run of his big-league career in an unusual White Sox jersey.
Tuesday, 1/7
6/24/1997: Mark McGwire launched one of the longest homers ever at the Kingdome off Hall of Fame hurler Randy Johnson.
10/4/1989: NLCS Game 1 was a night to remember for Will Clark. It was a four-hit, six-RBI performance that included a double and two homers, with one being a grand slam.
10/5/2014: Mike Trout has recorded just one postseason hit in his career. It was this homer in ALDS Game 3 against the Royals.
Wednesday, 1/8
11/4/2001: Alfonso Soriano gave the Yankees a late lead in World Series Game 7 with this go-ahead home run. We all know what happened after that, though.
10/2/1979: Willie Stargell gave the Pirates an 11th-inning lead in NLCS Game 1 with this tie-breaking three-run homer.
10/7/1983: Eddie Murray gave the Orioles an early lead in ALCS Game 3 by slugging this first-inning three-run homer.
Thursday, 1/9
7/18/1999: Ken Griffey Jr. hit the first home run at Safeco Field because of course he did.
6/16/2024: Aaron Judge’s homer at Fenway Park had a 45-degree launch angle, tied for the eighth-highest dinger of the season.
5/17/1979: Dave Kingman contributed to a wild 23-22 game at Wrigley Field with three homers. This was his final tater of the day.
Friday, 1/10
6/12/1995: Mo Vaughn hit an absolute tank in Toronto that might still be in orbit.
8/7/2024: This home run from Yordan Alvarez had an exit velocity of 117 mph. It was the 10th hardest-hit homer of the season.
8/2/1997: Todd Helton hit his first of 369 homers during his Hall of Fame career with the Rockies.
Saturday, 1/11
8/28/1999: Vladimir Guerrero Sr. ended this game against the Reds with a two-run walk-off homer for the Expos.
7/23/2021: Nelson Cruz hit his first homer as a member of the Rays after getting traded to Tampa before the deadline.
5/17/2023: Pete Alonso ended a crazy game at Citi Field with this walk-off tater for the Mets.
Sunday, 1/12
6/13/2010: Tony Gwynn Jr. turned on the afterburners to record a two-run inside-the-park homer for the Padres.
10/17/1980: George Brett slugged a solo homer in World Series Game 3 for the Royals.
8/29/2023: Bryce Harper’s 299th career home run was an absolute missile at Citizens Bank Ballpark.
Barry Bonds' Seven-Game Home Run Streak Was Outrageous
Barry Bonds entered the 2004 season with six NL MVP Awards, including one in each of the last three years. He’d eventually win another in ‘04 and set the tone early by hitting a homer in seven straight games between April 12 and 20.
He finished the year with 45 homers. It was the fifth straight year he slugged at least 40 dingers (eighth overall).
This streak technically spanned eight games because Bonds entered one as a pinch-hitter. His only plate appearance ended in a walk, though, which kept everything intact. In 29 total plate appearances, Bonds hit eight homers with 16 RBI and 10 runs scored.
He slashed .722/.828/2.167 during this time, which led to a 555 wRC+. It also included a 37.9% walk rate and a 3.4% strikeout rate. Lol…like, what?!
Nine players have slugged a home run in at least seven straight games. Learn about that and more right here on the blog.