Grand slam (baseball)

For other uses, see Grand Slam.

In the sport of baseball, a grand slam (or just slam for short) is a home run hit with all the bases occupied by baserunners, thereby scoring 4 runs - the most possible on a single play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a "grand slam" involves taking all the possible tricks. The word "slam", by itself, is usually connected with a loud sound, particularly of a door being closed with excess force; thus, "slamming the door" on one's opponent(s). The term was extended to various sports, such as golf and tennis, for winning all the major tournaments. It is even used in restaurants, for example a "grand slam breakfast" consisting of samplings of all the most common dishes. Word-playing sportscasters have also coined the popular (and etymologically unrelated) variation, "grand salami".

Lou Gehrig hit 23 career grand slam home runs, the most by any player in Major League Baseball history. Don Mattingly set the single-season record with 6 grand slams in 1987 - remarkably, the only 6 of his entire 14-year career; Travis Hafner tied the single-season record in 2006. Roger Connor is believed to have been the first major league player to hit a grand slam, on September 10, 1881 for the Troy Trojans, although Charlie Gould hit one for the Boston Red Stockings in the National Association on September 5, 1871 (the National Association is not recognized by Major League Baseball as a major league).

On several occasions in major league history, the first being Connor's 1881 home run, a player has hit a walk-off grand slam for a one-run victory; some baseball observers call this an "ultimate grand slam".

In the 2005 major league season, grand slams accounted for 132 of the 5017 total home runs hit (2.6 %). On June 13 and 14, 2006, the Minnesota Twins recorded the rare feat of two grand slams in consecutive games against the Boston Red Sox, including a walk off grand slam by Jason Kubel in the 12th inning on the 13th. Also in 2006, the Chicago White Sox hit grand slams in three consecutive games against the Houston Astros on June 23, June 24, and June 25. Two of the three grand slams were hit by second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. They became the first team to accomplish this feat since the Detroit Tigers did it in 1993. In 2007, the Kansas City Royals surrendered grand slams in three straight games, two against the Baltimore Orioles and one against the Detroit Tigers, from April 13 to April 16, 2007.

In the 2006 major league season, Travis Hafner of the Cleveland Indians set a major league record by hitting five grand slams prior to the All-Star Break. Weeks later on July 16, Carlos Beltran and Cliff Floyd of the New York Mets hit grand slams during an 11-run 6th inning in a game against the Chicago Cubs, the 7th time two grand slams have been hit in a single inning (the 4th time in National League history). Hafner's sixth grand slam on August 13 tied Mattingly's record for most in a season.

In Japan's professional league, the feat of multiple grand slams in a single inning by a team has been accomplished three times; most recently on April 1, 2007 by José Fernández and Takeshi Yamasaki of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The Daiei Hawks accomplished the feat in 1999.

Three players have hit grand slams at their first at-bat: Bill Duggleby (1898), Jeremy Hermida (2005), and Kevin Kouzmanoff (2006). Kouzmanoff was the first and only to hit a grand slam off of the first pitch, while Hermida's grand slam was in a pinch-hit at-bat.

Tony Cloninger became the first (and, so far, only) pitcher to hit two grand slams in one game, for the Atlanta Braves in a 1966 contest against the San Francisco Giants.

The only major leaguer to hit two grand slams in one inning is Fernando Tatis of the St. Louis Cardinals, who did so on April 23, 1999 in a road game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with both grand slams coming off Chan Ho Park in the third inning. Tatis was only the second National League player to hit 2 grand slams in one game, joining Tony Cloninger, a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Park was only the second pitcher in major league history to give up two grand slams in one inning; Bill Phillips of the Pittsburgh Pirates did it on August 16, 1890, but Park was the first to give up both to the same batter. Tatis had never hit a grand slam before in his career.

World Series

Follow the linked year on the far left for detailed information on that series.

Year	Game	Batter	Site	Pitcher	Inning	Score after HR	Final score	Series standing	Notes
1920	Game 5, October 10	Elmer Smith, Cleveland	League Park	Burleigh Grimes, Brooklyn	1st	4-0	8-1, W	3-2 Cle	The first slam in Series history, hit with none out in the 1st, is overshadowed when, in the 5th inning, Bill Wambsganss turns the only unassisted triple play ever in the Series.
1936	Game 2, October 2	Tony Lazzeri, New York (AL)	Polo Grounds	Dick Coffman, New York (NL)	3rd	9-1	18-4, W	1-1	With President Roosevelt in attendance, Lazzeri hits a 2-2 pitch with one out to give the Yankees a sizable lead.
1951	Game 5, October 9	Gil McDougald, New York (AL)	Polo Grounds	Larry Jansen, New York (NL)	3rd	5-1	13-1, W	3-2 NY(AL)	McDougald puts the Yankees up with 2 out in the 3rd.
1953	Game 5, October 4	Mickey Mantle, New York	Ebbets Field	Russ Meyer, Brooklyn	3rd	6-1	11-7, W	3-2 NY	After a two-out error by Gil Hodges, a hit batter and a walk, Mantle hits reliever Meyer's first pitch out of the park.
1956	Game 2, October 5	Yogi Berra, New York	Ebbets Field	Don Newcombe, Brooklyn	2nd	6-0	13-8, L	2-0 Bkn	Berra's blast with 2 out isn't enough to hold off the Dodgers in what becomes, at 3 hours 26 minutes, the longest 9-inning game in Series history until 1993.
1956	Game 7, October 10	Moose Skowron, New York	Ebbets Field	Roger Craig, Brooklyn	7th	9-0	9-0, W	4-3 NY	The Yankees score all their runs on 4 HRs to seal the Series, with Skowron's wallop on the first pitch with none out ending the scoring.
1960	Game 3, October 8	Bobby Richardson, New York	Yankee Stadium	Clem Labine, Pittsburgh	1st	6-0	10-0, W	2-1 NY	Richardson's HR with 1 out in the 1st starts him toward a Series-record 6 RBI.
1962	Game 4, October 8	Chuck Hiller, San Francisco	Yankee Stadium	Marshall Bridges, New York	7th	6-2	7-3, W	2-2	With 2 out, Hiller hits the first grand slam by a National Leaguer in the Series.
1964	Game 4, October 11	Ken Boyer, St. Louis	Yankee Stadium	Al Downing, New York	6th	4-3	4-3, W	2-2	With men on 1st and 2nd, Bobby Richardson's error with 1 out while seeking a double play opens the gate for Boyer to hit his pivotal blast.
1964	Game 6, October 14	Joe Pepitone, New York	Sportsman's Park	Gordie Richardson, St. Louis	8th	8-1	8-3, W	3-3	With 2 out, Pepitone hits one onto the roof of the right field pavilion to help force Game 7.
1968	Game 6, October 9	Jim Northrup, Detroit	Busch Stadium	Larry Jaster, St. Louis	3rd	8-0	13-1, W	3-3	Northrup's HR with none out is the highlight of a 10-run inning which puts the Tigers ahead 12-0.
1970	Game 3, October 13	Dave McNally, Baltimore	Memorial Stadium	Wayne Granger, Cincinnati	6th	8-1	9-3, W	3-0	Besides his 2-out HR, McNally also pitches a complete game to put Baltimore within one win of the title.
1987	Game 1, October 17	Dan Gladden, Minnesota	Metrodome	Bob Forsch, St. Louis	4th	7-1	10-1, W	1-0 Min	Gladden's HR with none out caps a 7-run inning which ends the Cardinals' 25-inning shutout streak.
1987	Game 6, October 24	Kent Hrbek, Minnesota	Metrodome	Ken Dayley, St. Louis	6th	10-5	11-5, W	3-3	With 2 out, Hrbek hits reliever Dayley's first pitch out of the park.
1988	Game 1, October 15	José Canseco, Oakland	Dodger Stadium	Tim Belcher, Los Angeles	2nd	4-2	5-4, L	1-0 LA	With 2 out, Canseco hits his first major league grand slam on a 1-0 pitch; but Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run wins it for the Dodgers.
1992	Game 5, October 22	Lonnie Smith, Atlanta	SkyDome	Jack Morris, Toronto	5th	7-2	7-2, W	3-2 Tor	With 2 out, Smith's HR helps keep the Braves alive in the Series.
1998	Game 1, October 17	Tino Martinez, New York	Yankee Stadium	Mark Langston, San Diego	7th	9-5	9-6, W	1-0 NY	Martinez' 2-out HR follows Chuck Knoblauch's 3-run game-tying shot earlier in the inning.
2005	Game 2, October 23	Paul Konerko, Chicago	U.S. Cellular Field	Chad Qualls, Houston	7th	6-4	7-6, W	2-0 Chi	Konerko's 2-out shot to left on reliever Qualls' first pitch gives the White Sox a 6-4 lead, but Scott Podsednik later wins it with a walk-off home run, after Houston tied it at 6 with two outs in the top of the 9th.

Other major league postseason grand slams

Series	Game	Batter	Site	Pitcher	Inning	Score after HR	Final score	Series standing	Notes
1970 ALCS	Game 1, October 3	Mike Cuellar, Baltimore	Metropolitan Stadium	Jim Perry, Minnesota	4th	7-2	10-6, W	1-0 Bal	In the first grand slam in the history of the LCS, Cuellar, who batted only .089 in the regular season, pulls the ball down the right field line with one out; clearly foul when passing first base, the 29 mph wind carries it fair. Cuellar himself does not last through the fifth inning.
1977 NLCS	Game 1, October 4	Ron Cey, Los Angeles	Dodger Stadium	Steve Carlton, Philadelphia	7th	5-5	7-5, L	1-0 Phi	With two out, Cey fouls off three full-count pitches before tying the game, but three singles and a balk in the 9th give the Phillies the win.
1977 NLCS	Game 2, October 5	Dusty Baker, Los Angeles	Dodger Stadium	Jim Lonborg, Philadelphia	4th	5-1	7-1, W	1-1	After Steve Garvey is walked intentionally with one out, Baker gives the Dodgers their second grand slam in as many nights.
1982 ALCS	Game 4, October 9	Don Baylor, California	Milwaukee County Stadium	Moose Haas, Milwaukee	8th	5-7	9-5, L	2-2	After Haas takes a no-hitter into the 6th in a game delayed twice by rain, Baylor brings the Angels within two runs with one out in the 8th.
1989 NLCS	Game 1, October 4	Will Clark, San Francisco	Wrigley Field	Greg Maddux, Chicago	4th	8-3	11-3, W	1-0 SF	With two out, Clark hits the first pitch for his second HR of the game; he also singles, doubles and walks, picking up an NLCS-record 6 RBI.
1992 NLCS	Game 2, October 7	Ron Gant, Atlanta	Fulton County Stadium	Bob Walk, Pittsburgh	5th	8-0	13-5, W	2-0 Atl	With two out, Gant hits his first career grand slam to double the Braves' lead.
1995 NLDS	Game 3, October 6	Mark Lewis, Cincinnati	Riverfront Stadium	Mark Guthrie, Los Angeles	6th	7-1	10-1, W	3-0 Cin	After Guthrie enters the game with none out, Lewis hits the first pinch-hit grand slam in postseason history, propelling the Reds to their eighth straight playoff victory and their eighth NLCS.
1995 ALDS	Game 4, October 7	Edgar Martínez, Seattle	Kingdome	John Wetteland, New York	8th	10-6	11-8, W	2-2	After hitting a 3-run HR in the 3rd to cut NY's lead to two runs, Martinez hits another to center field to take the lead for good, finishing with a postseason-record 7 RBI. A walk, bunt single and hit batter had loaded the bases with none out.
1996 ALDS	Game 1, October 1	Bobby Bonilla, Baltimore	Camden Yards	Paul Shuey, Cleveland	6th	9-3	10-4, W	1-0 Bal	After two walks, a single, a sacrifice fly and a hit batter, Shuey enters the game and is greeted by Bonilla's blast with two out.
1996 ALDS	Game 3, October 4	Albert Belle, Cleveland	Jacobs Field	Armando Benitez, Baltimore	7th	8-4	9-4, W	2-1 Bal	After Orioles starter Mike Mussina is controversially pulled after six innings, Jesse Orosco walks the bases loaded and is replaced; Belle crushes an 0-2 pitch with none out to keep the Indians alive in the series. It would be Belle's final hit as an Indian.
1996 NLCS	Game 2, October 10	Gary Gaetti, St. Louis	Fulton County Stadium	Greg Maddux, Atlanta	7th	8-3	8-3, W	1-1	In an inning featuring two walks, an error and a wild pitch, Gaetti wallops the first pitch with two out. Maddux surrenders his second grand slam in 34.2 NLCS innings after allowing only one in 2365.2 regular season innings.
1997 NLDS	Game 3, October 3	Devon White, Florida	3Com Park	Wilson Alvarez, San Francisco	6th	4-1	6-2, W	3-0 Fla	With two out, Florida gets a pair of singles and a walk before White hits Alvarez' 113th pitch to left field. The Marlins advance to their first NLCS, in their fifth year of play.
1997 ALDS	Game 3, October 4	Paul O'Neill, New York	Jacobs Field	Chad Ogea, Cleveland	4th	6-1	6-1, W	2-1 NY	After starter Charles Nagy walks the bases loaded, O'Neill greets Ogea with a blast to center field with two out as rain begins to fall.
1998 NLDS	Game 1, September 30	Ryan Klesko, Atlanta	Turner Field	Matt Karchner, Chicago	7th	7-0	7-1, W	1-0 Atl	Klesko's homer with two out, following three walks, secures the win for the Braves.
1998 NLDS	Game 3, October 3	Eddie Pérez, Atlanta	Wrigley Field	Rod Beck, Chicago	8th	6-0	6-2, W	3-0 Atl	After Andruw Jones is walked intentionally, Pérez hits a homer with one out to wrap up the series for the Braves, sending the Cubs to their sixth straight playoff loss.
1998 NLCS	Game 4, October 11	Andrés Galarraga, Atlanta	Qualcomm Stadium	Dan Miceli, San Diego	7th	8-3	8-3, W	3-1 SD	After Miceli enters the game, Galarraga caps a 6-run inning with a 459-foot blast to left-center with two out, helping to force a Game 5.
1998 ALCS	Game 6, October 13	Jim Thome, Cleveland	Yankee Stadium	David Cone, New York	5th	5-6	9-5, L	4-2 NY	Thome's shot into the third deck with one out pulls the Indians within a run, but it isn't enough for the defending AL champions as the Yankees advance to the World Series.
1999 NLDS	Game 1, October 5	Edgardo Alfonzo, New York	Bank One Ballpark	Bobby Chouinard, Arizona	9th	8-4	8-4, W	1-0 NY	Alfonzo hits his second HR of the game inside the left field foul pole with two out, after Robin Ventura was forced out at the plate one play earlier.
1999 ALDS	Game 2, October 7	Jim Thome, Cleveland	Jacobs Field	John Wasdin, Boston	4th	11-1	11-1, W	2-0 Cle	After a 6-run 3rd inning highlighted by Harold Baines' 3-run HR, Thome makes it a blowout, ending a 5-run inning with a two-out shot and becoming the first player to hit two postseason grand slams.
1999 ALDS	Game 5, October 11	Troy O'Leary, Boston	Jacobs Field	Charles Nagy, Cleveland	3rd	7-5	12-8, W	3-2 Bos	O'Leary homers with one out to give Boston the lead, and later hits a 3-run HR in the 7th to break an 8-8 tie and send the Red Sox to the ALCS; both homers come after intentional walks to Nomar Garciaparra.
1999 ALCS	Game 4, October 17	Ricky Ledee, New York	Fenway Park	Rod Beck, Boston	9th	9-2	9-2, W	3-1 NY	Ledee hits a pinch-hit HR with one out to wrap up a 6-run inning and the victory.
1999 NLCS	Game 5, October 17	Robin Ventura, New York	Shea Stadium	Kevin McGlinchy, Atlanta	15th	4-3	4-3, W	3-2 Atl	The Mets tie the score at 3-3 with a bases-loaded walk with one out, bringing up Ventura, who with 13 career grand slams is tied for the lead among active players with Harold Baines and Mark McGwire. He comes through with the first walk-off grand slam – and the first grand slam in extra innings – in postseason history, clearing the center-right field wall, but is officially credited with only a 1-run single after being mobbed by teammates upon passing first base.
2003 NLCS	Game 4, October 11	Aramis Ramírez, Chicago	Pro Player Stadium	Dontrelle Willis, Florida	1st	4-0	8-3, W	3-1 Chi	After Willis walks the bases loaded with one out, Ramírez gets the Cubs off to an early lead by hitting a 2-2 pitch into the left field seats.
2004 ALDS	Game 3, October 8	Vladimir Guerrero, Anaheim	Fenway Park	Mike Timlin, Boston	7th	6-6	8-6, L	3-0 Bos	Guerrero ties the score with a two-out HR to right on a 0-1 pitch, but the Red Sox score two in the 10th to advance to the ALCS.
2004 ALCS	Game 7, October 20	Johnny Damon, Boston	Yankee Stadium	Javier Vázquez, New York	2nd	6-0	10-3, W	4-3 Bos	Damon homers to right on reliever Vázquez' first pitch with one out, staking Boston to an early lead; he homers again in the 4th for an 8-1 lead as the Red Sox complete their comeback after being down 3 games to 0.
2005 NLDS	Game 1, October 4	Reggie Sanders, St. Louis	Busch Stadium	Jake Peavy, San Diego	5th	8-0	8-5, W	1-0 StL	With one out, Sanders homers on a 3-0 fastball from Peavy, who was unknowingly pitching with a fractured rib.
2005 NLDS	Game 4, October 9	Adam LaRoche, Atlanta	Minute Maid Park	Brandon Backe, Houston	3rd	4-0	7-6, L	3-1 Hou	LaRoche, battling stomach flu, homers with two out, after two walks and a hit batter, to give the Braves an early lead, but the Astros tie the game 6-6 in the 9th and win in 18 innings to advance to the NLCS.
2005 NLDS	Game 4, October 9	Lance Berkman, Houston	Minute Maid Park	Kyle Farnsworth, Atlanta	8th	5-6	7-6, W	3-1 Hou	With one out, Berkman hits an opposite-field homer to left on a 2-1 pitch to bring the Astros within a run; it is the first time that two grand slams are hit in the same postseason game. After tying the game in the 9th, the Astros win the series on Chris Burke's walk-off homer in the 18th, making it the longest game in postseason history.
2007 NLDS	Game 2, October 4	Kaz Matsui, Colorado Rockies	Citizens Bank Park	Kyle Lohse, Philadelphia Phillies	4th	2-3	6-3, W	2-0 Col	Matsui's slam gives the Rockies a 6-3 lead on the way to winning the game 10-5 and giving Colorado a 2-0 series lead.
2007 ALCS	Game 6, October 20	J. D. Drew, Boston Red Sox	Fenway Park	Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians	1st	4-0	12-2 W	3-3	Drew gave the Red Sox an early lead in the must-win game as the Red Sox tied the series.

All-Star Game

Year	Batter	Date and Site	Pitcher	Inning	Score after HR	Final score	Notes
1983	Fred Lynn, AL (California)	July 6, Comiskey Park	Atlee Hammaker, NL (San Francisco)	3rd	9-1	13-3, W	In the 50th anniversary game, Lynn hits the first grand slam in All-Star history to right field on a 2-2 pitch with two out, capping a 7-run inning and virtually ensuring the AL's first victory since 1971 and second since 1962. Just before the pitch, NBC put on-screen a graphic indicating that there had never been a grand slam hit in All-Star history.

Career grand slam leaders

Players in Bold are currently active (as of 2007).

• Lou Gehrig - 23 (all with New York Yankees)
• Manny Ramírez - 20
• Eddie Murray - 19
• Willie McCovey - 18 (National League record)
• Robin Ventura - 18
• Jimmie Foxx - 17
• Ted Williams - 17
• Hank Aaron - 16
• Ken Griffey, Jr. - 16
• Dave Kingman - 16
• Babe Ruth - 16
• Alex Rodriguez - 16

See also

• Major league players who have hit two grand slams in one game

References

• Ryczek, William J. (1992). Blackguards and Red Stockings; A History of Baseball's National Association 1871-1875. Wallingford, CT: Colebrook Press. ISBN 0-9673718-0-5
• Orem, Preston D. (1961). Baseball (1845-1881) From the Newspaper Accounts. Altadena, CA: Self-published.