# Slowest circuit of the bases following home run? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 10, 2011, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958 "2011-06-10T09:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/21 "2011-06-17T02:45:34Z")
I would guess Reggie Jackson started this trend, late 70’s with the Yankees – he was certanly the most flagrant (as well as most celebrated) about it. I do recall one time he stood and watched one at K.C… that was caught on the warning track. I don’t recall Reggie ever getting plunked in response, but that’s probably a case of my memory failing me. Jeffrey Leonard I think was the worst going around the bases with his “flap down” (aka, dropping his left shoulder). I recall Pedro Guererro hitting one out during one of his more torrid years with the Dodgers, but threw his back out swinging and took _forever_ to get around the bases (can’t find it on YouTube, sorry). Having played both recreational baseball and softball at a pretty high level (relatively speaking) into my mid-40’s, hitting one over the fence is a nirvana seldom experienced in other aspects of life (especially if you don’t don’t do it a whole lot – like me). Something about the way the ball jumps off the bat and you _just know_. It’s different from balls that stay in the park and watching it from home plate is worth admiring – to an extent. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/22 "2011-06-17T13:27:40Z")
An anonymous coach in _Baseball Confidential_ claimed that he once timed Dave Parker taking 31 seconds to go around after a homer. I can believe that–Parker was both a bit of a hot dog and tough enough not to care if the pitcher went headhunting the next time he came up. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/23 "2011-06-17T13:34:53Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Anybody have clips of guys admiring a HR that didn’t actually go out? Surely someone’s made that bonehead play before. I do not have the clip, but I distinctly remember Barry Bonds doing this once. He just stood at home plate, like he alway did after he got a hold of one, except this time it went off the wall and I think he may have gotten a single. There was another time where Bonds was playing left field and the batter belted one over his head and he didn’t move, just stood there, thinking it was gone, turned around and again the ball went off the wall, so he had to go retrieve it. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/24 "2011-06-17T14:10:29Z")
> [@Moonchild](#): > > I would guess Reggie Jackson started this trend, late 70’s with the Yankees – he was certanly the most flagrant (as well as most celebrated) about it. I do recall one time he stood and watched one at K.C… that was caught on the warning track. I don’t recall Reggie ever getting plunked in response, but that’s probably a case of my memory failing me. [Dock Ellis drilled him in the face in 1976 because Reggie showed him up when he hit a home run off the light tower in the 1971 All Star Game.](http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2008/12/20/2008-12-20_from_nohitter_on_lsd_to_hair_curlers_to_.html) ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/25 "2011-06-22T03:16:06Z")
Back in 2005, Gabe Kapler of the Red Sox was on base when Tony Graffanino hit a home run. Kapler blew out his Achilles tendon rounding the bases. MLB rules allowed for him to be replaced by a pinch runner, but Graffanino had to wait until this process was complete before he could resume his home run trot. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/26 "2011-06-22T12:24:11Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > He’s not only not the record-holder, that day’s hit isn’t anywhere on the list. With no completed circuit, there is no _home run_. But once he completes it . . . . ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/27 "2011-07-02T01:59:05Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > He’s not only not the record-holder, that day’s hit isn’t anywhere on the list. With no completed circuit, there is no _home run_. Interesting trivia: one of the many problems in comparing hitters from different eras, is that the rules for walk-off multi-run homers used to be different. Strictly speaking, once the winning run crosses the plate and the batter reaches first safely, the game is over. So the hits in those situations were often officially scored as singles, even though the ball left the park … It’s not clear exactly how many more home runs some of the old-time long-ball hitters would have ended their careers with had the modern scoring been in place. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/28 "2011-07-03T01:39:08Z")
> [@SCSimmons](#): > > Interesting trivia: one of the many problems in comparing hitters from different eras, is that the rules for walk-off multi-run homers used to be different. Strictly speaking, once the winning run crosses the plate and the batter reaches first safely, the game is over. So the hits in those situations were often officially scored as singles, even though the ball left the park … It’s not clear exactly how many more home runs some of the old-time long-ball hitters would have ended their careers with had the modern scoring been in place. The modern rule, under which hitters are allowed to complete walk-off homers, came into place in 1920. Before that walk-off hits were scored as only as many bases as the winning run advanced; in other words, if the winning runner started the play on second, you got a double. The impact was not major, since it was an era of big parks and dead balls. Babe Ruth “lost” one pre-1920 home run under the rule. (If anyone is curious, it happened on July 8, 1918; here is the [box score](http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1918/B07081BOS1918.htm).) About 40 other players “lost” one or two home runs. Of course nobody thought of this as a “loss” at the time; it only seemed unusual after the later rule change. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/29 "2011-07-03T02:32:19Z")
Avila of the Tigers did it last week. he hit one out first time up. Next time he drilled one that bounced off the top of the fence. he was thrown out easily and much surprised at second base. He was midst a home run trot. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/30 "2011-07-05T05:16:04Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Or there was [this situation](http://www.godvine.com/Injury-Turns-into-Inspiration-for-One-High-School-Girl-323.html), where the runner tore her ACL when she turned after missing first base. If anyone from her team had come to assist her, it would have been ruled a two-run single. Instead, in a very noble gesture, the opposing team assisted her to make her circuit of the bases. I apologize for the glurginess of this website and of this video, but it is the only record of this that I have found, and I do admire the members of that team for their sheer class and sportsmanship. That’s one of the two best sportsmanship videos out there - anybody got a link to the autistic manager hitting the threes? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/31 "2011-07-05T15:12:49Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Or there was [this situation](http://www.godvine.com/Injury-Turns-into-Inspiration-for-One-High-School-Girl-323.html), where the runner tore her ACL when she turned after missing first base. If anyone from her team had come to assist her, it would have been ruled a two-run single. Instead, in a very noble gesture, the opposing team assisted her to make her circuit of the bases. I apologize for the glurginess of this website and of this video, but it is the only record of this that I have found, and I do admire the members of that team for their sheer class and sportsmanship. I just want to know how they got Robert Redford as their coach. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958/32 "2011-07-05T15:38:00Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > That’s one of the two best sportsmanship videos out there - anybody got a link to the autistic manager hitting the threes? Jason McElwain! Hope he’s doing well. This happened down the Thruway from here: [20 points in under six minutes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fw1CcxCUgg). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slowest-circuit-of-the-bases-following-home-run/584958.md?page=1)