Bellinger and the LAD multiple HR multiple position list

Phil Gurnee ♦ May 7, 2017 ♦ 10 Comments

Eric Stephen put together a nice list of the exploits by Cody Bellinger based on what he had done in his first eleven career games. However, the one stat that fascinates me was the one where he had hit multiple home runs from multiple positions.

I had to update this column because Cody Bellinger keeps hitting multiple home runs from multiple positions. When I first wrote this in May, Cody had just completed the task of hitting two home runs in the same game from both 1st base and LF.  I wrote this:

The two home runs on May 5th put him in some interesting company. Bellinger is now the youngest LAD to ever hit two home runs at 1st base. He is also the second youngest to ever hit two home runs from left field. Which easily makes him the youngest to ever hit two home runs from multiple positions.

When Cody was first brought up he was put in LF to make up for the DL stint of Joc Pederson. He promptly hit two home runs while playing LF on April 29th.  Eventually, Adrian Gonzalez hit the DL and Bellinger moved to his primary position of 1st base, and hit two home runs on May 5th.

Thus making Bellinger one of a handful of LAD players to hit multiple home runs while playing 1st base and LF.

Since I wrote that  Cody has become one of the few to also hit multiple home runs from THREE different positions when he hit two home runs as a right fielder on June 25th, 2017.

Heading over to baseball reference I tried to put together a list of LAD who had hit home runs from multiple positions. It wasn’t easy so I had to parse out the seasons and upload them so I could manipulate the data. I’m 99% sure I got this right and this is what I found.

Cody Bellinger joined Mike Marshall and Rick Monday as the only LAD who did it from three positions. Marshall did it as a 1st baseman, LF, and RF. Rick Monday did it from every outfield position. Cody has done from 1st, LF, and now RF.

Pedro Guerrero came oh so close to making the triple list.  He already had done it as a 3rd baseman and right fielder. On Sept 12, 1984 he started the game as a 1st baseman and hit a home run in the 3rd as a 1st baseman. Unfortunately, he was switched out from 1st to RF and hit a second home run in the 9th but as an RF so alas he does not qualify.

Below is the list. The Date is the first time they hit multiple home runs at that position. HMT stands for “How Many Times. For example, Andre Ethier hit multiple home runs as an RF, eleven times with the first being on 8/17/2008.  Sorted by first name.

Al Ferrara nicknamed “The Bull” was one of my early Dodger favorites. I never got to see him play.  He was simply a favorite because he hit 16 home runs in 1967 on a team where no one hit home runs.

It is easy to forget just how great a LAD Andre Ethier has been. I was hoping he’d have one more year left in his tank but with his back injury and the logjam, he’d be facing when/if he ever gets off the DL, that is looking very doubtful.

I could go on and on about everyone on this list and maybe some other time I will.

I’ll just leave it with this.

Frank Howard only started six games as a LAD 1st baseman. The fact he hit two home runs while playing in one of those six games to make this list made me smile.