OTDIB – May 25th, 2002 – Shawn Green carnage continues

Phil Gurnee ♦ May 25, 2017 ♦ 1 Comment

On this date in baseball May 25th:
May 25th , 2002 – Shawn Green stays hot

With four homers on Thursday (5/23), one on Friday (5/24), and two more on Saturday (5/25), Shawn Green becomes the first major leaguer to hit seven round-trippers in three games. The Dodger outfielder’s nine big flies in a week also breaks a National League record, established by Ralph Kiner with eight and tied by Ted Kluszewski and Nate Colbert.

Might as well throw in this little bit about Shawn Green. In early May of 2002, Shawn Green was having a horrible start to the year.  On May 19th he came into the game hit-less in his previous twelve at-bats and had a season OPS below .700. I went to the May 19th game and was chatting up the game with some fans.  In his first ab-bat Green struck out looking. A woman turned around and said she was worried about Greeny, he was her favorite player but something looks wrong with him.  I told her I was worried too but that he was to good a hitter to have simply lost it.  In his 2nd at-bat he walked. In his 3rd at-bat he struck out again. She turned around again and said “are you sure he’s going to be OK”?. I like to think I gave her encouragement but I don’t really know.  Finally, in the bottom of the 8th Shawn would hit a deep double to LCF in his last at-bat before heading to Milwaukee.   I hope that lady watched that series.

In Milwaukee, Shawn Green had the greatest series in the history of baseball.  In three games Shawn went nine for fourteen, hit six home runs (4 in one game), one double, and one triple.

He wasn’t done. He went to Arizona and collected seven more hits in just thirteen at-bats, three home runs, and another double.

In as span of six games, Shawn Green had sixteen hits in twenty seven at-bats, nine home runs, two doubles, and a triple. That was twelve extra base hits in six games.

His OPS after the carnage was .927, six games prior it was .685. In late May.

May 25th, 1935 – The Bambino’s last hurrah

At Forbes Field, Boston Braves outfielder Babe Ruth hits three homers and a single in an 11-7 loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The ‘Sultan of Swat’s’ seventh-inning solo shot off Gary Bush, a blast which clears the ballpark’s roof, will be the Bambino’s 714th and final home run

Now that is how you go out. The greatest of his time, it is a shame that Hollywood has done an awful job in capturing Ruth. I always thought a mini-series would do here because his life as an orphan at the Catholic school up through signing in the minors would be a great part one. His pitching exploits with the Red Sox as part two. And finally his trade to the Yankees that changed baseball forever.