On July 31 in sports history, one significant event took place in 1954 when Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves achieved a rare feat in Major League Baseball. In a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, Adcock hit four home runs in a single game, becoming only the seventh player in MLB history to accomplish this remarkable milestone.
Adcock's incredible performance began in the second inning when he hit a solo home run off Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe. He followed that up with another solo shot in the fifth inning, this time off reliever Erv Palica. In the seventh inning, Adcock struck again, hitting a two-run homer off Palica, giving the Braves a comfortable lead.
But Adcock wasn't done yet. In the ninth inning, facing pitcher Pete Wojey, Adcock hit his fourth home run of the game, a towering shot that sealed the Braves' victory with a final score of 15-7. Adcock's four homers accounted for seven runs batted in (RBIs), showcasing his dominance at the plate throughout the game.
Interestingly, Adcock nearly had a chance to hit a fifth home run in that game. In his final at-bat, he hit a deep fly ball to center field, but it was caught just short of the fence, denying him the opportunity to make even more baseball history.
Joe Adcock's four-homer game was a testament to his power-hitting abilities and solidified his place among the game's greatest sluggers. It's a feat that has only been accomplished 18 times in MLB history, with the most recent occurrence by J.D. Martinez in 2017.
Adcock, who played for the Braves from 1953 to 1962, finished his career with 336 home runs and was named to the All-Star team twice. His legacy as a powerful first baseman endures, and his four-homer game on July 31, 1954, remains one of the most impressive single-game performances in baseball history.
