The Pecan Park Eagle

July 18, 1948: Pat Seerey of the Chicago White Sox celebrates his 4 home run game against the Philadelphia A’s at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The Sox also won, 12-11.

One day in my childhood, in the summer of 1948, I awoke to the amazing Houston Post story of a fellow named Pat Seerey, an outfielder for the Chicago White Sox. I almost fell into my good morning hot tea when I read what he had done the day before.

PAT SEEREY HITS 4 HOMERS IN ONE GAME! The date was July 18, 1948; the site was Shibe Park, the same former ballpark site that some of us visited in Philadelphia last week. The visiting Chicago White Sox blasted the homey Philadelphia Athletics of Connie Mack that day by a score of 12-11. Seerey played left field and batted clean up that day, going 4 for 6, and using his 4 homers to bat in 7 runs.

Years later, I met Dave Philley, who played center field for the Sox in that game, and i also got to be good friends with the late Ray Coleman, who made a late appearance as a pinch hitter for the A’s in the game. Now I can only wish that I had asked Ray more questions about Mr. Mack and that day that Seerey unloaded upon them.

Four Home Runs In One GameAmerican League Players in Chronological Order
Name	Position	Team	Date / Box Score
Lou Gehrig	1B	New York	06-03-1932
Pat Seerey	LF	Chicago	07-18-1948
Rocky Colavito	RF	Cleveland	06-10-1959
Mike Cameron	CF	Seattle	05-02-2002
Carlos Delgado	1B	Toronto	09-25-2003
Josh Hamilton	CF	Texas	05-08-2012
Name	Position	Team	Date / Box Score
Four Home Runs In One GameNational League Players in Chronological Order
Name	Position	Team	Date / Box Score
Bobby Lowe	2B	Boston	05-30-1894
Ed Delahanty	LF	Philadelphia	07-13-1896
Chuck Klein	RF	Philadelphia	07-10-1936
Gil Hodges	1B	Brooklyn	08-31-1950
Joe Adcock	1B	Milwaukee	07-31-1954
Willie Mays	CF	San Francisco	04-30-1961
Mike Schmidt	3B	Philadelphia	04-17-1976
Bob Horner	1B	Atlanta	07-06-1986
Mark Whiten	RF	St. Louis	09-07-1993
Shawn Green	RF	Los Angeles	05-23-2002
Name	Position	Team	Date / Box Score
Four Home Runs In One Game

The four home run game by a single player has happened only 16 times in big league history, with 6 times it going the AL way and 10 times it pounding off an NL hitter’s bat. Last year’s 4-HR spot by the AL’s Josh Hamilton was the first time in 10 years since it had last been done by the NL’s Shawn Green.

That fact it can happen at all is a tribute to both chance and strange pitcher mercy. Most 3-HR batters only get one of those butt-drilling pitches when they return for a fourth shot at the plate.

At any rate, my future with this subject is pretty much fixed. The next time it happens, if it even happens in my lifetime, the first person to run his cleats through my mind will still always be – Pat Seerey.