Idk how many of you have been to a Giants game, but the energy whenever Bumgarner does *anything* offensive is unreal. I went to a game where he actually pinch-hit (because everyone on our bench sucks at hitting) and Bum hit a double and the place went absolutely nuts. He's like an urban legend around here.
Mike Cuellar of the Orioles hit one against the Twins in the 1970 ALCS. It was the first grand slam in any LCS games. If you can find film of that, watch it. It’s great. Ball was eight feet foul but blown back fair by a 23-mph wind just before leaving the yard.
haha I was gonna say this! Stroman was the only AL pitcher to hit a home run in 2017. It's so much fun to watch a pitcher help out his own cause, and that's why I fiercely oppose the designated hitter!
It looks like Felix Hernandez is the only AL pitcher to hit a grand slam. It's especially rare since you have to be on the road on an interleague game plus, in the AL pitchers have no reason to practice hitting other than a once a year game that they might play in.
*Before the DH was used in the AL, I'm sure there had to be at least a few AL pitchers that had grand slams. He's definitely the only AL pitcher **_since_** the DH was implemented in 1973 to have a grand slam.*
WHAT ! Where is Tony Cloninger ?.......2 slams in ONE game ! A record then (7/3/66) and NOW.....will most likely never be equaled. His 9 RBIs in that game is also a record for ANY pitcher that will probably never even be approached. For good measure, (as a warm-up) he dinged 2 homers in a single game against the Mets the previous month. Tony came to bat 3 times in the first 4 innings.....2 of those at bats resulted in GS's. He should have at least been mentioned
The whole time that I was watching this, I was thinking, "Are they going to show Cloninger's two grand slams?" I don't even know if any video exists of that game. Would be interesting to see.
Pitchers hitting dingers are like when a punter makes a big hit on a returner. Pitchers crushing grand slams are like when the punter fakes the punt and throws a perfect ball to a gunner on a post route for six. Unicorn City, population: that shit.
I remember watching Tony Cloninger pitch against the Giants in Candlestick Park. He hit two grand slams. (He had a single to add another run, which I don't remember) and when he came up for his final time with the bases loaded, I seem to recall that the Giants walked him.
