Navigate to News section

Hamilton Has Superb Game, Green’s Was Better

18 total bases fall one short of Shawn Green’s record

by
Marc Tracy
May 09, 2012
Shawn Green gets his sixth hit, and fourth home run, on May 23, 2002.(Tannen Maury/AFP/Getty Images)
Shawn Green gets his sixth hit, and fourth home run, on May 23, 2002.(Tannen Maury/AFP/Getty Images)

The Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton, the American League’s 2010 MVP winner, had a spectacular outing last night against the Baltimore Orioles. For one, he became only the 16th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in one game. Add in the double he had in his fifth at-bat at Camden Yards, and it becomes even more impressive: his 18 total bases are the most ever in the American League (in a nine-inning game) as well as the most ever—among Gentiles.

The all-time total bases record was set by Jewish ballplayer Shawn Green almost exactly a decade ago—May 23, 2002—when the then-Los Angeles Dodger went six-for-six with four homers, a double, and a single: 19 total bases.

True, Hamilton got one fewer plate appearance than Green did, and, in a hypothetical sixth, he may have singled, to tie the record, or even hit for extra bases to break it. Or he may have struck out. It’s no matter: Green’s on top. (But congratulations anyway.)

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.