by Justin Bartz

Created on: May 08, 2010   Last Updated: July 28, 2010

Throughout the history of Major League Baseball, there have been only 15 players to hit a record four home runs in a single game.

Allow me to put the rarity of this event in perspective for you.  The New York Yankees, arguably one of the most successful franchises in baseball history with several Hall of Fame players, have played 16,990 games in their entire history, and only one player ever hit four home runs in a single game.  It was "The Iron Horse"

Lou Gehrig, who accomplished the feat on June 3, 1932, when the Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 20-13.  In fact, the team with the most players to hit four home runs in a single game is the Philadelphia Phillies, who had three players accomplish the feat (in almost 20,000 games).  Another example of the rarity of this achievement is comparing it to another momentous baseball accomplishment, which is a no-hitter.  To date, there have been 264 no-hitters thrown, which means that for every four home run game, there are almost 17 no-hitters!

Here is a list of the players who have hit four home runs in a Major League Baseball game.  As you can see, no player has done this more than once, and never in postseason baseball.

1)  The first player to accomplish this was Bobby Lowe of the Boston Beaneaters on May 30, 1894.  The Beaneaters would defeat the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 20-11.

2)  Just over two years later, on July 13, 1896, Ed Delahanty of the Philadelphia Phillies would hit four home runs against the Chicago Colts, although Philadelphia would lose the game!  Only twice in Major League history has a team lost a game in which a player hit four home runs.

3)  The third occurrence was the previously mentioned game in 1932 where Lou Gehrig hit four home runs.

4)  On July 10, 1936, Chuck Klein would become the second Philadelphia Phillies player to hit four home runs in a single game, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6.

5)  The next occasion would not happen for over 12 years.  On July 18, 1948, Pat Seerey of the Chicago White Sox would accomplish this, defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 12-11.

6)  Just over two years later, Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers would hit four home runs in a game, with the Dodgers winning 19-3 over the Boston Braves.

7)  Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves would hit four on July 31, 1954, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 15-7.

8)  Almost five years later, Rocky Colavito of the Cleveland

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