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Thread: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

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    Redsmetz redsmetz's Avatar
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    250,000th Home Run hit last night

    I saw this in a thread on the Sun Deck yesterday. Gary Sheffield hit the 250,000th home run in baseball history. Baseball-reference has a fascinating list of the various increments over the years. It's interesting to see all the various players who hit each milestone.

    I did not know that the first home run in history was given up by a Reds pitcher (Cherokee Fisher) on May 2, 1876 and the 100th was given up by Reds Hall of Famer Will White (Reds HOF) three years later.

    Now there are about 10,000 Home Runs about every two years (since about 1995).

    Here's the list

    http://www.baseball-reference.com/250_000.shtml
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Quote Originally Posted by redsmetz View Post
    I did not know that the first home run in history was given up by a Reds pitcher (Cherokee Fisher) on May 2, 1876 and the 100th was given up by Reds Hall of Famer Will White (Reds HOF) three years later.
    I wonder if he's related to Reds prospect Carlos Fisher?

    Home run number 250,000 was a grand slam.

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    breath westofyou's Avatar
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Bob Watson got 1 million tootsie rolls for the one millionth run

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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Two players with Reds connections had two other milestone home runs. Hal King hit number 100,000 in 1970 for the Braves and Paul O'Neil hit number 200,000 for the Yankees in 1999. Thanks Redsmetz for the link!
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Interestingly it took nearly 100 years to go from 1 homer to 100,000 but it only took another 29 years to get to the next 100,000. Also it's only taken 8 years for the next 50,000. At this pace MLB players should get to 300,000 by about 2016.
    Last edited by cumberlandreds; 09-09-2008 at 02:35 PM.
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    Redsmetz redsmetz's Avatar
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Quote Originally Posted by cumberlandreds View Post
    Two players with Reds connections had two other milestone home runs. Hal King hit number 100,000 in 1970 for the Braves and Paul O'Neil hit number 200,000 for the Yankees in 1999. Thanks Redsmetz for the link!
    Another former Reds shown is Wally Pipp who hit #20,000 in 1924. The following year, he caught a cold and lost his job to that up and coming future Hall of Famer, Lou Gehrig. In 1926 he was purchased by the Reds, where he finished his career.
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    Redsmetz redsmetz's Avatar
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    By the way, Cherokee Fisher gave up six home runs in 1876, which may not sound like many, but there were only a total of 40 dingers that whole season (dead ball era) and he gave up over 15% of that total.
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou View Post
    Bob Watson got 1 million tootsie rolls for the one millionth run
    Really?

    That's one of the best prizes ever. I'll bet he's still eating those things right now.

    What year did it happen?
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    breath westofyou's Avatar
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Quote Originally Posted by wheels View Post
    Really?

    That's one of the best prizes ever. I'll bet he's still eating those things right now.

    What year did it happen?
    As the 1974 season ended the American League had tallied 426,964 runs in its existence. The older National League could boast of scoring 570,819 runs. Since the American Association of the 19th Century and the Federal and Players League held no cache in the argument it was decided that Major League baseball had scored a grand total of 997,513 runs (by my count, theirs was 997,869) and that the millionth run was going to be scored in the 1975 season, and therefore a celebration should be undertaken to honor this event.

    Baseball set up at the beginning of the 1975 season a “Control Center” to track the event. To enrich the interest of the fan base the 80 year old year old candy company “Tootsie Roll’s” sponsored the event with a sweepstakes designed to give a prize to the person who correctly identified the player that scored the one millionth run, and the date that he scored the run. Also participating in the contest was the Seiko Time company of Japan, the maker of the then popular digital watch.

    As the final run came closer to being scored each park had a countdown posted in view for the players and the fans and as the nights commenced it crept closer to the magic seven figure number. For the event Tootsie had promised to pay the team of the player who scored the run $10,000, however there were those who had concerns about the sponsor, not exactly a big name, nor a class enthused product.

    The ingredients of the traditional Tootsie Roll are sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, condensed skim milk, cocoa, whey, soy lecithin, and artificial and condensed flavors. In short it’s a bunch of additives and sugar.

    Despite the grumblings the support for the promotion finally was cleared, and the turning point came at a meeting attended by Joe DiMaggio, who saw the idea as harmless. “Look,’’said Joltin’ Joe, “”I ate my first Tootsie Roll when I was six.'’

    On the evening of May 3rd the San Francisco - Astros game at Candlestick was canceled, since the next day was a Sunday afternoon game so the makeup game was scheduled for earlier in the day. Giving the teams an opportunity to get a jump on the rest of baseball in the days action.

    As the game progressed the countdown clock on the wall at Candlestick clicked closer to the magic number, during his first at bat Watson drew a base on balls, and was forced to second as Jose Cruz drew another. With the count 0-2 to Milt May the countdown clock clicked to 999,999 and May smashed pitch into the stands, Watson watched the ball sail over the fence and began trotting towards home. Meanwhile in Cincinnati, Reds shortstop Davey Concepcion also hit a home run and was rounding the bases. At the same moment John Lownestein of the Orioles was on third pondering trying to steal home to score the 1,000,000 run himself.

    “I thought about trying to steal home, but we were behind by so much (8-1) that I figured that if I didn’t make it I might as well just keep on running, so I didn’t even try to get in.”


    Meanwhile the Astros bullpen had Watson’s back, they knew that he had to run faster and they started to yell at him, imploring him to pick it up.

    “I take off in a dead sprint and score the run,” Watson said. “If I don’t take off and listen to my guys in the bullpen, Concepcion scores the millionth run. I beat him by a second and a half.”

    Officials from the Hall of Fame stopped the game, dug up home plate, asked for May’s bat and Watson’s shoes and even managed to retrieve the ball from the stands.

    “I was upset,” Watson said. “I wasn’t going to let them take my shoes because in those days it took you a long time to break your shoes in. They weren’t like the shoes you have today where you can wear them right out of the box. This was May 4, I had just gotten my shoes broken in, and then they took them.”

    The event was the highlight of the Astros year, other then breaking out the famous rainbow uniforms. For his effort Watson received a special $1,000 watch from Seiko, all his teammates received a lesser version and the Tootsie Roll Company paid off the $10,000 to the Astros in the form of 1,000,000 pennies (gee thanks guys!!) they also passed on 1,000,000 tootsie rolls to Bob Watson himself. He also received a million dollar grant to financially troubled minor league players in his name.

    Watson’s children are allergic to chocolate so he donated that and the pennies to the Girl Scouts of America.
    Topping off the season for Watson was the fact that he was the Astros lone All Star representative, and along with his one millionth run it was the highlight of a disappointing season in Houston, one that saw the Astros as the worst team in the National League and next to the Tigers the worst in the game.

    But I’ll always remember them because of the Tootsie Rolls and the lucky kid who won the contest, he and 50 other folks guessed Bob Watson and the date, and then he won the draw, $10,000 for a 10 year old who likes Tootsie Rolls, you have to love that.


    The ingredients of the traditional Tootsie Roll are sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, condensed skim milk, cocoa, whey, soy lecithin, and artificial and condensed flavors. In short it’s a bunch of additives and sugar.
    Last edited by westofyou; 09-09-2008 at 04:42 PM.

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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    WOY, I just knew you'd have something to add to this topic. Great story!
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Baseball is awesome.
    "Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?" ~ Jim Bouton

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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Quote Originally Posted by wheels View Post
    Baseball is awesome.
    There's nothing greater in the world than the game of baseball. I could watch it 24/7 365 days of the year.

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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Quote Originally Posted by westofyou View Post
    As the 1974 season ended the American League had tallied 426,964 runs in its existence. The older National League could boast of scoring 570,819 runs. Since the American Association of the 19th Century and the Federal and Players League held no cache in the argument it was decided that Major League baseball had scored a grand total of 997,513 runs (by my count, theirs was 997,869) and that the millionth run was going to be scored in the 1975 season, and therefore a celebration should be undertaken to honor this event.

    Baseball set up at the beginning of the 1975 season a “Control Center” to track the event. To enrich the interest of the fan base the 80 year old year old candy company “Tootsie Roll’s” sponsored the event with a sweepstakes designed to give a prize to the person who correctly identified the player that scored the one millionth run, and the date that he scored the run. Also participating in the contest was the Seiko Time company of Japan, the maker of the then popular digital watch.

    As the final run came closer to being scored each park had a countdown posted in view for the players and the fans and as the nights commenced it crept closer to the magic seven figure number. For the event Tootsie had promised to pay the team of the player who scored the run $10,000, however there were those who had concerns about the sponsor, not exactly a big name, nor a class enthused product.

    The ingredients of the traditional Tootsie Roll are sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, condensed skim milk, cocoa, whey, soy lecithin, and artificial and condensed flavors. In short it’s a bunch of additives and sugar.

    Despite the grumblings the support for the promotion finally was cleared, and the turning point came at a meeting attended by Joe DiMaggio, who saw the idea as harmless. “Look,’’said Joltin’ Joe, “”I ate my first Tootsie Roll when I was six.'’

    On the evening of May 3rd the San Francisco - Astros game at Candlestick was canceled, since the next day was a Sunday afternoon game so the makeup game was scheduled for earlier in the day. Giving the teams an opportunity to get a jump on the rest of baseball in the days action.

    As the game progressed the countdown clock on the wall at Candlestick clicked closer to the magic number, during his first at bat Watson drew a base on balls, and was forced to second as Jose Cruz drew another. With the count 0-2 to Milt May the countdown clock clicked to 999,999 and May smashed pitch into the stands, Watson watched the ball sail over the fence and began trotting towards home. Meanwhile in Cincinnati, Reds shortstop Davey Concepcion also hit a home run and was rounding the bases. At the same moment John Lownestein of the Orioles was on third pondering trying to steal home to score the 1,000,000 run himself.

    “I thought about trying to steal home, but we were behind by so much (8-1) that I figured that if I didn’t make it I might as well just keep on running, so I didn’t even try to get in.”


    Meanwhile the Astros bullpen had Watson’s back, they knew that he had to run faster and they started to yell at him, imploring him to pick it up.

    “I take off in a dead sprint and score the run,” Watson said. “If I don’t take off and listen to my guys in the bullpen, Concepcion scores the millionth run. I beat him by a second and a half.”

    Officials from the Hall of Fame stopped the game, dug up home plate, asked for May’s bat and Watson’s shoes and even managed to retrieve the ball from the stands.

    “I was upset,” Watson said. “I wasn’t going to let them take my shoes because in those days it took you a long time to break your shoes in. They weren’t like the shoes you have today where you can wear them right out of the box. This was May 4, I had just gotten my shoes broken in, and then they took them.”

    The event was the highlight of the Astros year, other then breaking out the famous rainbow uniforms. For his effort Watson received a special $1,000 watch from Seiko, all his teammates received a lesser version and the Tootsie Roll Company paid off the $10,000 to the Astros in the form of 1,000,000 pennies (gee thanks guys!!) they also passed on 1,000,000 tootsie rolls to Bob Watson himself. He also received a million dollar grant to financially troubled minor league players in his name.

    Watson’s children are allergic to chocolate so he donated that and the pennies to the Girl Scouts of America.
    Topping off the season for Watson was the fact that he was the Astros lone All Star representative, and along with his one millionth run it was the highlight of a disappointing season in Houston, one that saw the Astros as the worst team in the National League and next to the Tigers the worst in the game.

    But I’ll always remember them because of the Tootsie Rolls and the lucky kid who won the contest, he and 50 other folks guessed Bob Watson and the date, and then he won the draw, $10,000 for a 10 year old who likes Tootsie Rolls, you have to love that.


    The ingredients of the traditional Tootsie Roll are sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, condensed skim milk, cocoa, whey, soy lecithin, and artificial and condensed flavors. In short it’s a bunch of additives and sugar.
    I was at the Reds game that day. They were counting up to 1 Million on the scoreboard. As the board was sitting on 999,999, Concepcion hit a ball out of the park. He flew around the bases in an attempt to cross the plate before anyone else did. Everyone in the stadium thought Davey got number 1 Million. The crowd went nuts. The next half inning the scoreboard put up a message that Bob Watson scored the 1 Millionth run while Davey was rounding third and it was like some one let the air out of the place. The next day there was a picture in the paper with Concepcion holding the ball with +1 written on it.
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    Moderator RedlegJake's Avatar
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    It's amazing really. I'm old enough and heard so many stories from my Dad and Gramps about old time baseball that the history of the game seems somehow foreshortened - as if all those memories and of my Dad and Grampa and my own of old Crosley and the late fifties and early sixties game somehow compress the span of the game for me into a shorter span of reckoning. My grandad actually barnstormed with among others, Lucien Hubbard the film producer, who was from Ft. Thomas and Frank Fennelly, a Reds infielder of the turn of century. Grampa was actually my mother's dad - Tommy Maddock, who played for the old Printer's League which was from the late 1890s until the twenties a pretty darn good league with a lot of guys who made it all the way. In big cities these "craft union" teams were the equivalent of the small town semi-pro teams. One or two stars got paid under the table and the rest were just really good amateurs. So I got the baseball bug hard from both sides of my family. My dad witnessed the 1940 Reds-Tigers Series with his dad, a blacksmith turned metallurgic engineer. He talked of playing street ball in the winter when the weather was mild enough and one of the Reds outfielders who boarded in their Oakley neighborhood at the time (I think it was Ival Goodman) would come out and join the kids for a while. Of course that was the days when players were pretty much just folks like everyone else and not as "pedestalized" off the field. Fact some people felt they were a bit shady, playing games for a living and all. Baseball is able to compress time for us. The older you get the farther away most things fade that happened to you long ago but you recall baseball moments like they happened yesterday. The crack of Vada Pinson's bat and his speed as he races in a blur around the dazzling green brilliance of Crosley's infield. The way the field seemed to explode out of the shadow of the stands, the contrast making it so much the brighter. The smell of beer and cigar smoke and old wood, and Juan Marichal's high leg kick and Willie Mays throwing the ball back making the play at third so much closer than it should have been - but Davenport missing the tag as Vada hooked around his glove. Wasn't that just yesterday? And Grandpa Maddock played when a thousand homers hadn't been hit yet - When Wahoo Sam was a slugger because he'd hit 8 or 9 homers a year - and now the game has amassed a quarter million homers. And a hundred times as many memories, and old men feeling young again when they catch a game.
    Last edited by RedlegJake; 09-10-2008 at 05:44 AM.

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    Redsmetz redsmetz's Avatar
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    Re: 250,000th Home Run hit last night

    Quote Originally Posted by RedlegJake View Post
    It's amazing really. I'm old enough and heard so many stories from my Dad and Gramps about old time baseball that the history of the game seems somehow foreshortened - as if all those memories and of my Dad and Grampa and my own of old Crosley and the late fifties and early sixties game somehow compress the span of the game for me into a shorter span of reckoning. My grandad actually barnstormed with among others, Lucien Hubbard the film producer, who was from Ft. Thomas and Frank Fennelly, a Reds infielder of the turn of century. Grampa was actually my mother's dad - Tommy Maddock, who played for the old Printer's League which was from the late 1890s until the twenties a pretty darn good league with a lot of guys who made it all the way. In big cities these "craft union" teams were the equivalent of the small town semi-pro teams. One or two stars got paid under the table and the rest were just really good amateurs. So I got the baseball bug hard from both sides of my family. My dad witnessed the 1940 Reds-Tigers Series with his dad, a blacksmith turned metallurgic engineer. He talked of playing street ball in the winter when the weather was mild enough and one of the Reds outfielders who boarded in their Oakley neighborhood at the time (I think it was Ival Goodman) would come out and join the kids for a while. Of course that was the days when players were pretty much just folks like everyone else and not as "pedestalized" off the field. Fact some people felt they were a bit shady, playing games for a living and all. Baseball is able to compress time for us. The older you get the farther away most things fade that happened to you long ago but you recall baseball moments like they happened yesterday. The crack of Vada Pinson's bat and his speed as he races in a blur around the dazzling green brilliance of Crosley's infield. The way the field seemed to explode out of the shadow of the stands, the contrast making it so much the brighter. The smell of beer and cigar smoke and old wood, and Juan Marichal's high leg kick and Willie Mays throwing the ball back making the play at third so much closer than it should have been - but Davenport missing the tag as Vada hooked around his glove. Wasn't that just yesterday? And Grandpa Maddock played when a thousand homers hadn't been hit yet - When Wahoo Sam was a slugger because he'd hit 8 or 9 homers a year - and now the game has amassed a quarter million homers. And a hundred times as many memories, and old men feeling young again when they catch a game.
    What a delightful statement of the thrill of baseball history spoken personally.

    I remember my breath being taken away the first time I walked in the brilliant green of Riverfront Stadium for the All Star in 1970. I know that seems absurd now knowing how shabby it looked towards the end (and how destructive that Astroturf was to players knees), but that was my first experience, walking through the entry to the seating area.

    I loved sitting down with another friend to look at our mutual friend Don's scrapbook his mother put together from when he was a pitcher at UC and then in the minors for the Reds. Sitting with a beer and reading the box scores and seeing some of those fresh faced kids who made it. Don didn't remember Brooks Robinson hitting a home run off of him in Class D (or whatever that first level was back then - I think it was in Williamsport, PA).

    With that I remember seeing Sandy Koufax's autobiography and looking in the back to see if Don's name was in there (he roomed with Koufax during his senior year on their southern road trip - Don, a senior; Koufax, a frosh). He was in the mention of the longest home run Koufax ever gave up. I think I've told this here, but Koufax said Don told him not to throw the Xavier player any fastballs because he'd played against him his whole life and he was a dead fastball hitter. Koufax, wild as he was then, got behind on the soft stuff and then threw the ball his fastest and that was that. I asked Don about it and he chuckled and said it landed up by St. George's and if you can picture the old ball field at UC backing up to Nippert, you can picture that's a far away place!

    I loved looking at the list and seeing the names that I've heard of down through the years. Noticing that there only seemed to be one HOF combination - the 10,000th HR, Joe Tinker off of Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown - a mythic combination; one immortalized in a poem "Tinkers to Evers to Chance", the other with a terrific moniker.

    BTW, I noticed that the first home run given up back in 1876 was by a Red. The batter later played for the Reds too, one year in 1879.

    And it's mind boggling that there are about 5000 home runs every season.
    “In the same way that a baseball season never really begins, it never really ends either.” - Lonnie Wheeler, "Bleachers, A Summer in Wrigley Field"

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