# Baseball is weird. Scooter Gennett hits 4 home runs in game. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 7, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331 "2017-06-07T02:31:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/21 "2017-06-07T18:44:49Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > I’m not the definitive expert on this, as I never even heard of the “home run cycle” before. > **[Home run | Home run cycle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_run#Home_run_cycle)** > > An offshoot of hitting for the cycle, a "home run cycle" is when a player hits a solo home run, two-run home run, three-run home run, and grand slam all in one game. This is an extremely rare feat, as it requires the batter not only to hit four home runs in the game, but also to hit the home runs with a specific number of runners already on base. This is largely dependent on circumstances outside of the player's control, such as teammates' ability to get on base, and the order in which the player... It’s happened a few times in college ball and once in AA in 1998. ---
**Author:** ![UCBearcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/77aa72/32.png) [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/22 "2017-06-10T02:13:12Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > 2nd fewest lifetime HR (86) on the 4/game list. Bobby Lowe hit 71. > Ed Delahanty barely made three digits with 101. Lowe and Delahanty played in the 19th century so their career totals would be low. Delahanty is a HOFer and Lowe was above average. Seerey is a complete outlier. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/23 "2017-06-10T02:22:37Z")
Whoever gave up the 4th HR should have walked him. The opposing manager is apparently a dunce. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/24 "2017-06-10T02:34:07Z")
I just learned his name is not spelled Jeanette. So that happened to him today too! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/25 "2017-06-10T13:21:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Whoever gave up the 4th HR should have walked him. The opposing manager is apparently a dunce. Why would they have done that? Sure, he was having a great night, but he’s also had a mediocre career. Why is the great night a better predictor of how he’ll do at that at-bat than his entire career? Now, when Bonds or Sosa or the like comes up to the plate, it might make sense to walk them, because they consistently hit a lot of homers, but this guy, even on a great night, just isn’t that big of a threat. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2017, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/26 "2017-06-10T13:31:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Why would they have done that? Sure, he was having a great night, but he’s also had a mediocre career. Why is the great night a better predictor of how he’ll do at that at-bat than his entire career? Now, when Bonds or Sosa or the like comes up to the plate, it might make sense to walk them, because they consistently hit a lot of homers, but this guy, even on a great night, just isn’t that big of a threat. They pitched to Mays and Gehrig. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/27 "2017-06-24T08:08:10Z")
Milwaukee Brewer fan here. Scooter was/is a hitter who had stretches of poor hitting followed by days where he just smacked the hell out of the ball. The Brewers let him go because of defensive liabilities. He has a weak arm that only plays at second base, but not well. I am happy for what he did, especially because he did it for his ‘hometown team’. He barreled up on every pitch he hit. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/28 "2017-06-24T09:14:20Z")
> [@Enuma\_Elish](#): > > Milwaukee Brewer fan here. Scooter was/is a hitter who had stretches of poor hitting followed by days where he just smacked the hell out of the ball. The Brewers let him go because of defensive liabilities. He has a weak arm that only plays at second base, but not well. > > I am happy for what he did, especially because he did it for his ‘hometown team’. He barreled up on every pitch he hit. This is some good info. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/29 "2017-06-24T12:22:33Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Well good for him. And yeah, the rest of his career will probably be disappointing. But at least he has this bright spot. Isn’t this pretty much what happened with Armando Galarraga? In 2010, he threw a perfect game for the Tigers that the umpire goofed up and took away. He’s not even an MLB player any more. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/30 "2017-06-27T06:20:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Why would they have done that? Sure, he was having a great night, but he’s also had a mediocre career. Why is the great night a better predictor of how he’ll do at that at-bat than his entire career? Now, when Bonds or Sosa or the like comes up to the plate, it might make sense to walk them, because they consistently hit a lot of homers, but this guy, even on a great night, just isn’t that big of a threat. I would assume for the same reason that, if I suddenly started getting a bunch of heads on a bunch of coin flips, after I’d been getting the normal 50:50 on that same coin for years, I’d assume that something had changed in the coin or in how I was flipping (the batter or who he was batting against, in this scenario). ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331/31 "2017-06-27T13:51:58Z")
Sadly for this Reds fan, this is probably going to be the highlight of the entire season, because it ain’t going to be wins due to _unbelievably_ shitty pitching. Last I checked all the starters had an ERA of 6 or higher. I’ve said it in other threads, but damn the Reds offense, defense and bullpen are pretty damn good. It’s just that their starting pitching is literally _that_ bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-is-weird-scooter-gennett-hits-4-home-runs-in-game/788331.md?page=1)