16 TB, The Somewhat Hard Way
Posted by Steve Lombardi on November 13, 2009
Sometimes the simple searches via Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index are still the most fun ones...
...such as show me all the players to hit 4 homers in a single game since 1954:
And, sometimes these quick and easy lists can lead to more fun - and some good trivia...
For instance, seeing the above group it's clear that you cannot hit 4 homeruns in a game and not have at least 16 total bases in the contest. After all, four times four is sixteen. But, how many players, since 1954, have had 16+ total bases in a game regardless of their homerun totals that day? Here's that list:
Note Fred Lynn and Edgardo Alfonzo here. They had 16 total bases in a game without hitting 4 homeruns that day. And, that's a nice little trivia question: Name the only two players in the last 56 years to have at least 16 total bases in a game without hitting four homeruns in the contest. Go ahead and try that one on your friends - and see if they can answer it with Play Index!
November 13th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Then see if your friends can name the other three players to have at least 16 total bases in a game without hitting four home runs. One was Ty Cobb, 5 May 1925: 3 homers, a double, and two singles. I think this was the time when Cobb decided to show everyone that he could hit home runs, if he wanted to. Jimmie Foxx had the same collection of hits on 10 July 1932, in an 18-inning game. But by far the weirdest effort was that of Larry Twitchell (who?) of Cleveland in the National League on 15 August 1889. A single, a double, only one home run - and three triples.