The Ultimate grand slam

 

So last night, Kody Clemens of the Twins did something only 33 major leaguers had done before- he hit an "Ultimate Grand Slam".  Non baseball fans have permission to tune out right now, but if you care to hear some fun stories, hang out.

A grand slam comes when, with the bases loaded (all three bases with runners on), a home run is hit, resulting in 4 runs.  An ultimate slam is when your team is down by 3 at the end of the game, and the 4 runs ends the game- known as "walking it off".  This is one of the rarest feats in baseball, and this is the second one this year- which kind of figures, because in these days of 5-inning pitchers and super-powered sluggers, 15 of them have happened since 2000.  That said, I want to do a little thing on each of them, from the beginning, starting with-

Babe Ruth, Yankees: Sept. 24, 1925, vs. White Sox

Of course the Bambino was first!  His came in the 10th inning of a game which had been tied at 2 before the White Sox got 3 in the top of the inning.

Samuel Byrd, Reds: May 23, 1936, vs. Pirates

The first of his two home runs that season, he came in as the 3rd pinch hitter in a game where starter Bill Swift had just been removed after loading the bases with no outs.

Jack Phillips, Pirates: July 8, 1950, vs. Cardinals

A pinch hitter that day, he would get a starting nod the next and homer again.

Bobby Thomson, Giants: June 16, 1952, vs. Cardinals

The summer after his "shot heard round the world" that won a pennant for the Giants, he added this gem.

Eddie Joost, Philadelphia A's: July 15, 1952, vs. St. Louis Browns

Philadelphis A's? St Louis Browns? These ar now the soon-to-be- Las Vegas A's and the Baltimore Orioles.  The A's were down 6-1, then the starter gave up a HR and a walk; the legendary Satchel Paige thenm came in, and gave up 3 straight singles and the blast that ended  game 1; he would hit a 2-run shot in the second game, an 11-3 win.

Del Crandall, Braves: Sept. 11, 1955, vs. Phillies

The first to do the 'ultimate ultimate' hit it with 2 outs- the future Brewers manager brought the then Milwaukee Braves back from 5-0 down coming into the inning, his 25th on the year.

Danny Kravitz, Pirates: May 11, 1956, vs. Phillies

Just 10 games into his career as a backup catcher, he hits his 1st career HR to beat the cross-state rivals.  But the Pirates weren't done that seaon...

Roberto Clemente, Pirates: July 25, 1956, vs. Cubs

Just weeks later, the future Hall of Famer, also in  his first season, did it with an inside the park shot.  The Bucs had just given the Cubs a 7-run 8th inning to turn a Pirate 4-0 lead into an 8-5 defict.  Not only that, he blew off the stop sign at 3rd base, and he missed the plate with the slide- but reached back to touch it before he could be tagged.

Ellis Burton, Cubs: Aug. 31, 1963, vs. Astros

He only hit 17 HRs in his career- 13 this season.  First one at Wrigley Field.

Tony Taylor, Phillies: Aug. 2, 1970, vs. Giants

The only Phillie to do it at the time, in the last year at 61-year old Connie Mack Stadium.

Carl Taylor, Cardinals: Aug. 11, 1970, vs. Padres

What are the odds that 2 guys named Taylor would hit them in the same year?  One was the last year for the old stadium, one was the last homer for Carl.

Ron Lolich, Indians: April 22, 1973, vs. Red Sox

Cousin of star Pitcher Mickey Lolich, Ron had just 4 HRs in an 87-game career.

Roger Freed, Cardinals: May 1, 1979, vs. Astros

The last of his 22 career HRs, it came off of Darold Knowles, who (as an A's fan, I know) had a penchant for such disasters.

Bo Diaz, Phillies: April 13, 1983, vs. Mets

The first legit star to get one since Clemente, his came after a bases-loaded walk to Bill Robinson to set it up.

Buddy Bell, Rangers: Aug. 31, 1984, vs. Brewers

Another big name, he was another of the just 15 who did it with 2 outs.

Phil Bradley, Mariners: April 13, 1985, vs. Twins

An early season slam- in their fifth game- off star closer Ron Davis.

Dick Schofield, Angels: Aug. 29, 1986, vs. Tigers

Willie Hernandez had struggled with the Cubs, but became a star on the Tigers.  But Schofield reminded him of all those wind blown flies at Wrigley.

Alan Trammell, Tigers: June 21, 1988, vs. Yankees

A guy you really like to see hit one, off a team you really like to see them be hit off of.

Chris Hoiles, Orioles: May 17, 1996, vs. Mariners

This was the 6th HR of a crazy 14-13 game that featured a 7-2 Oriole lead at one point.

Brian Giles, Pirates: July 28, 2001, vs. Astros

Another crazy one, the Buc came into the 9th down 8-2.  Reliever Mike Jackson had a melt down, and the Astros brought in star closer Billy Wagner to try and finish it.  He hit Jason Kendall to load them up, before giving up the blast to Giles.

Jason Giambi, Yankees: May 17, 2002, vs. Twins

Another extra inning classic, the Twins had scored 3 in the top of the 14th before Giambi walked it off.

Adam Dunn, Reds: June 30, 2006, vs. Indians

The Reds were down 7-0 before a 4 run, 2 homer 8th and a 5 run ninth capped by Dunn's monster shot, his second of the season.

Brooks Conrad, Braves: May 20, 2010, vs. Reds

This one needed the help of Laynce Nix's glove to get over the wall- giving the Braves a 7-run 9th to top the Reds' 8 run 2nd.

Travis Hafner, Indians: July 7, 2011, vs. Blue Jays

The Jays had just pushed the lead to 4-0 in the ninth when a bases-lodaed single and Pronk's slam reversed the course.

Brian Bogusevic, Astros: Aug. 16, 2011, vs. Cubs

This converted pitcher-come-outfielder hit the second of his 19 career HRs to top the Cubs.

Ryan Roberts, D-backs: Sept. 27, 2011, vs. Dodgers

Another wild extra-inning affair; the Dodgers got 5 in the top of the tenth, but 2 relievers couldn't prevent a run-scoring error, a bases-loaded walk, and Roberts' 19th HR.

Rajai Davis, Tigers: June 30, 2014, vs. A's

After 3 in 2011, we wait three years for another. Davis lights up his former team off soon to be all-star Sean Doolittle, who did little that night.

Steve Pearce, Blue Jays: July 30, 2017, vs. Angels

This one featured a 7-run 9th, with Kevin Pillar hitting a 2-run shot earlier.

David Bote, Cubs: Aug. 12, 2018, vs. Nationals

Another two-out hitter -the third of the pinch-hitters to do it- Max Scherzer and one reliever held the Cubs without a run.  Ryan Madsen, though, featured TWO hit batters in the 9th before making Bote a legend.

Daniel Vogelbach, Brewers: Sept. 5, 2021, vs. Cardinals

The first walk off slam for the Brewers since Ryan Braun did it in 2008- and it happened on Ryan Braun Bobblehead night!

Josh Donaldson, Yankees: Aug. 17, 2022, vs. Rays

Donaldson becomes the third FORMER Oakland A to do it, after Giambi and Rajai Davis. Once again a 10-inning game, but with IMHO an asterisk, since at this point baseball put a runner on second in the extra innings to speed things along.

Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees: Sept. 20, 2022 vs. Pirates

Later that same year, Stanton- on the night that Aaron Judge hit his 60th- made the Yankees the second team to do it twice in one year, along with the '56 Pirates.

Bryce Eldridge, Giants: June 10, 2026 vs. Nationals

Yet again, a wild 11-10 game in which the Giants scored 5 times in EACH of the last two innings.  Matt Chapman had a solo HR in the eighth (the first of back to back with Rafael Devers) and a rbi double in the ninth before Eldridge (who scored in the 8th) ended it.

And finally, last night...

Kody Clemens, Twins: July 30, 2026 vs. Royals

Here, the woebegone Royals held the Twins scoreless into the ninth, when after 2 outs the Minnesotans got a single, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk- and Clemens made it even more impossible by hitting an 0-2 pitch out!