Extra Inning Home Runs

This article was written by Ray Gonzalez

This article was published in 1976 Baseball Research Journal


In 100 years of major league’ baseball, there have been nearly 117,000 home runs hit in regulation games. Less than 2 percent of these, or 2150, have been hit in extra innings. Yet, these overtime homers have been very important. About 90-95% of the time they provide the winning margin.

In 1975, for example, there were 49 extra inning homers hit. On two occasions the teams with the extra inning blasts lost; on two other occasions, both teams had extra inning roundtrippers.

Home runs have been hit in all extra innings up to and including the 22nd. On June 24, 1962, Jack Reed, a third-string outfielder with the Yankees, hit his only major league homer off Phil Regan of the Tigers in the 22nd inning, giving Jim Bouton a 9-7 win. On July 17, 1914, Babe Adams of the Pirates set a record by not giving up a walk in a 21-inning game; however, he did give up a 2-run homer to Larry Doyle of the Giants and lost 3-1.

You’d think a roundtripper in the 20th would be a game winner. Tommy Harper hit one for Seattle on July 27, 1969, but Joe Lahoud of the Red Sox hit one with a man on in the bottom of the 20th and they won.

Of the several other late, late home runs, two should be mentioned because they were hit by players usually identified as pitchers. On August 17, 1882, Providence beat Detroit 1-0 in 18 innings when Charles Radbourn, playing rightfield that day, hit one out of the park. Monte Ward pitched the distance and won. On May 24, 1918, Smoky Joe Wood, also playing the outfield, hit one in the 19th to give the Indians a 3-2 win over George Mogridge of the Yankees.

When it came to hitting grand slam home runs in extra innings, no player hit one later than the 16th. The only one to do that was Clyde Voilmer of the Red Sox in 1951. His was one of 73 grand slam homers hit in overtime since 1900. Four players did it twice: Cy Williams, Roger Mans, Tommy Davis, and Cookie Rojas. Here is the full list since 1900:

*Assisted by David Ross

 

Players Hitting Extra-Inning Grand Slams 

    10th Inning AL

 

    10th Inning NL

Harry Heilmann, Det. 1919

 

Barney Friberg, Chi. 1923

Babe Ruth, New York 1925

 

Jigger Statz, Chi. 1924

Bob Meusel, N.Y. 1929

 

Cy Williams, Phil. 1924

John Berardino, StL. 1940

 

Cy Williams, Phil. 1925

Joe DiMaggio, N.Y. 1948

 

Harvey Hendrick, Chi. 1933

Don Lenhardt, Bos. 1952

 

Leo Durocher, StL. 1935

Don Buddin, Boston 1959

 

Clay Bryant, Chi. 1937

Mickey Mantle, N.Y. 1961

 

Dolf Camilli, Bkn. 1942

Roger Mans, N.Y. 1962

 

Arky Vaughan, Bkn. 1943

George Smith, Bos. 1966

 

Walker Cooper, N.Y. 1948

Don Buford, Chicago 1967

 

Wally Post, Phil. 1958

Joe Pepitone, N.Y. 1969

 

Joe Adcock, Mil. 1961

Cesar Tovar, Minn. 1969

 

Tommy Davis, L.A. 1961

Br. Robinson, Bait. 1970

 

Fr. Robinson, Cin. 1962

Cookie Rojas, K.C. 1972

 

Eddie Kasko, Cin. 1962

Bob Montgomery, Bos. 1973

 

Bob Aspromonte, Hou. 1963

Tommy Davis, Balt. 1975

 

Willie Mays, S.F. 1967

 

 

Lee May, Cincinnati 1970

 

 

Joe Hague, StL. 1971

 

   11th Inning AL

 

    11th Inning NL

Tris Speaker, Clev. 1923

 

Ray Mueller, Bos. 1937

Tommy Henrich, N.Y. 1948

 

Eddie Miller, Bos. 1940

Roger Mans, Clev. 1957

 

Ival Goodman, Cin. 1940

Dick Stuart, Bos. 1964

 

Ralph Kiner, Pitt. 1951

Cookie Rojas, K.C. 1974

 

Connie Ryan, Cin. 1951

 

 

Monte Irvin, N.Y. 1953

   12th Inning AL

 

Bob Bailey, Pitt. 1966

Joe Jackson, Clev. 1911

 

Rick Joseph, Phil. 1967

Happy Felsch, Chi. 1916

 

Johnny Bench, Cin. 1969

Wally Pipp, N.Y. 1923

 

Deron Johnson, Phil. 1971

Chas. Gehringer, Det. 1930

 

 

Vern Stephens, Bos. 1949

 

    12th Inning NL

Carroll Hardy, Bos. 1962

 

Frank Chance, Chi. 1902

Frank White, K.C. 1975

 

Johnny Kling, Chi. 1908

 

 

Pie Traynor, Pitt. 1927

   13th Inning AL

 

Frank Secory, Chi. 1946

Don Dillard, Clev. 1962

 

 

Donald Lock, Wash. 1963

 

    13th Inning NL

Dick McAuliffe, Det. 1967

 

Ed Konetchy, Pitt. 1913

 

 

Marty Kavanagh, StL. 1918

   14th Inning AL

 

Jack Hiatt, S.F. 1969

Bruce Campbell, Clev. 1935

 

 

Leon Culberson, Bos. 1946

 

    14th Inning NL

 

 

John Pramesa, Cin. 1951

   16th Inning AL

 

Tim Harkness, N.Y. 1963

Clyde Vollmer, Bos. 1951

 

 

 

While some players scored a flock of overtime runs with grand slam homers, other players divided up the honors. On May 2, 1964, the Minnesota Twins bombed the Kansas City A’s into submission with 4 consecutive homers in the 11th inning. They were hit by Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall, and Harmon Killebrew. The pitching victim of the first three was Dan Pfister. On June 8, 1965, the Braves got into the act in the 10th inning with 4 homers against the Cubs. In that inning, Joe Torre, Eddie Mathews, Henry Aaron, and Gene Oliver delivered the goods.

There have been three occasions when players hit 2 extra inning homers in the same game. In 1943, Vern Stephens connected for the Browns in the 11th and 13th innings; in 1963 when Willie Kirkland was with the Indians, he hit homers in the 11th and 19th innings; and in 1966, Art Shamsky, inserted as a sub for the Reds in mid-game, hit one in the 10th and another in the 11th, to give him 3 for the game.

When it came to hitting fourbaggers in extra innings, the real star was Willie Mays. He connected in overtime in 22 games. His first was a 3-run shot in 1951 when Willie was a 20-year-old rookie and his victim was 42-year-old Dutch Leonard. In June 1967 Willie walloped a grand slam in the 10th at the Astrodome. His most memorable was a swat in the 16th off Warren Spahn in July 1963, which gave Juan Marichal a 1-0 squeaker over the Braves’ great southpaw.

Here is a rundown on all 22 of Mays’ overtime homers.  

Date of Game      

 

Opposing Hurler & Club

Inn.  

OB

June

22

1951

 

Dutch Leonard, Cubs

10

2

July

3

1951

 

Jocko Thompson, Phils

13

0

July

7

1951

 

George Estock, Braves

10

0

April

30

1954

 

Warren Hacker, Cubs

14

0

May

13

1955

 

Harvey Haddix, Cards

10

0

June

4

1955

 

Warren Hacker, Cubs

12

0

June

30

1955

 

Ed Roebuck, Dodgers

10

1

July

4

1955 (2)

 

Lino Donoso, Pirates

11

1

July

4

1957

 

Jim Brosnan, Cubs

12

1

Aug.

4

1957 (2)

 

John Klippstein, Reds

12

0

May

21

1958

 

Hal Jeffcoat, Reds

10

0

June

20

1959

 

Stan Williams, Dodgers

13

0

July

10

1959

 

Orlando Pena, Reds

11

0

June

29

1961

 

Frank Sullivan, Phils

10

0

May

26

1962

 

Jay Hook, Mets

10

1

June

13

1963

 

Dick Ellsworth, Cubs

10

0

July

2

1963

 

Warren Spahn, Braves

16

0

Aug.

4

1963

 

Lindy McDaniel, Cubs

10

0

June

13

1967

 

Barry Latman, Astros

10

3

Sept.

27

1968

 

Ted Abemathy, Reds

15

0

April

15

1969

 

Wayne Granger, Reds

10

0

June

6

1971 (2)

 

Joe Hoerner, Phils

12

0

 

Mays has a wide margin over other home run leaders when games go beyond the regulation 9. In comparison, Babe Ruth hit 16 in overtime, and Frank Robinson 15. Robby connected either in the 10th or 11th, while Mays was the only player to hit in each overtime frame up to the 16th. Here is a breakdown of the leaders.

 

Batters Hitting Most Homers in Extra Innings

 

10th

11

12

13

14

15

16

Other

Total

Willie Mays

11*

2

4*

2

1

1

1

 

22

Babe Ruth

6

5

1

0

1

2*

 

 

16

Frank Robinson

10

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

Jimmie Foxx

6

6*

0

0

0

0

1

1

14

Mickey Mantle

8

5

1

 

 

 

 

 

14

Ted Williams

5

3

4*

1

 

 

 

 

13

Henry Aaron

7

4

1

0

1

 

 

 

13

Stan Musial

4

2

4*

1

 

 

 

 

11

Harmon Killebrew

6

4

1

 

 

 

 

 

11

Willie Stargell

5

2

0

3*

 

 

 

 

10

Yogi Berra

5

1

2

1

 

 

 

 

9

Ernie Banks

5

2

2

 

 

 

 

 

9

Billy Williams

6

1

0

0

1

1

 

 

9

Richie Allen

5

0

1

2

0

0

0

1

9

*Leader

 

Pitchers have also joined in the act of hitting extra inning home runs. It has been done 37 times since 1900, occurring all the way up to the 14th inning. Two pitchers did it twice: In 1911 Jack Coombs connected once in the 11th inning and once in the 14th. Dizzy Dean put his bat where his mouth was and hit 10th inning homers in both 1934 and 1935.

When it comes to extra inning homers, however, pitchers are usually viewed from the other end of the delivery system. What pitcher served up the most extra inning homers? Was it Robin Roberts, who gave up a record total of 502 homers in his career? Or Warren Spahn? Or Early Wynn? It was none of these. Roberts gave up only 7 overtime homers; Spahn 6, and Wynn 5. In the first place, Roberts and Wynn were starting hurlers who did not pitch much in overtime. Spahn did pitch more in extra innings, but seemed to get stronger as he went along.

Who then pitches in extra innings? Relief hurlers, of course! The pitcher most frequently victimized by extra inning homers was El Roy Face. He is way out ahead of other pitchers with 21 overtime booboos. Here is the rundown on Face.

 

Date of Game

Opposing Batter & Club

Inn.

OB

July

14

1956

Dee Fondy, Cubs

10

0

Sep.

16

1956

Rip Repuiski, Cards

10

0

April

30

1957

Stan Musial, Cards

13

0

Aug.

30

1959 (2)

Ed Bouchee, Phils

10

0

July

20

1960

Tommy Davis, Dodgers

11

0

Sep.

25

1960

Eddie Mathews, Braves

10

1

April

13

1961

Hobie Landrith, Giants

11

0

Aug.

6

1961 (2)

VadaPinson, Reds

10

0

Sep.

11

1961

Felipe Alou, Giants

10

0

Sep.

23

1961

Wes Covington, Phils

16

0

July

5

1962 (1)

Fred Whitfield, Cards

10

0

June

2

1963

Jim Hickman, Mets

10

0

Aug.

25

1963

John Callison, Phils

11

1

April

14

1964

Billy Williams, Cubs

10

1

April

28

1966

Ron Santo, Cubs

10

0

May

29

1966

Jim Gentile, Astros

11

0

Aug.

12

1966

Art Shamsky, Reds

10

0

June

6

1967

Ron Swoboda, Mets

10

0

June

20

1968

Jim Fairey, Dodgers

10

0

May

6

1969

Tito Francona, Braves

12

1

Aug.

13

1969

Johnny Bench, Reds

11

3

 

Although Willie Mays hit the most extra inning homers, 22, and El Roy Face gave up the most, 21, and they played against each other for 15 years, Willie never connected in overtime off the forkball ace of the Pirates.

Ranking some distance behind Face in giving up boundary belts in extra frames were Hoyt Wilhelm, Lindy McDaniel, Johnny Sam, and Dick Radatz. Radatz is the surprise, giving up 12 extra inning roundtrippers in his short career. Sam split his career as a starter and reliever. The only full-time starter on the list is Gaylord Perry, and he pitches more extra innings than any of the current starters.

Here is a breakdown of those pitchers who have given up the most home runs in extra innings.

 

 

10th

11

12

13

14

15

16

Total

El Roy Face

13

5

1

1

0

0

1

21

Hoyt Wilhelm

8

3

2

1

 

 

 

14

Lindy McDaniel

9

2

1

1

 

 

 

13

Johnny Sam

7

3

0

2

 

 

 

12

Dick Radatz

9

1

1

0

1

 

 

12

Gaylord Perry

4

5

0

0

0

1

 

10

John Klippstein

5

2

2

 

 

 

 

9

Don McMahon

7

1

0

0

0

1

 

9

Turk Lown

6

1

1

 

 

 

 

8