Philly’s 50-home run legends

When it comes to players in Philadelphia baseball history, we now have three who reached the amazing milestone of 50 home runs in a season.

• Phillies Alumni

Kyle Schwarber became No. 3 when he blasted a typical towering bomb against the New York Mets on Tuesday. In doing so, he joined Ryan Howard as No. 2 in Phillies history. “The Big Piece” got to his 50th in 2006 at Citizens Bank Park, home to Schwarber’s dramatic blast.

So, who’s No. 1? Jimmie Foxx, the burly first baseman of the American League Philadelphia Athletics.

Sept. 3, 1932

No. 50 for Foxx, 2nd inning off Gordon Rhodes, in a 4-3 win over the Boston Red Sox at Shibe Park (deep LF). A Saturday afternoon before an attendance figure listed at 2,000.

No. 51, tied the game leading off the bottom of the ninth (deep LF). Teammate Eric McNair followed with a walk-off home run.

“By hitting his fiftieth and fifty-first four-masters of the year, Jimmie Foxx increased his chances to top Babe Ruth’s record of 60 made in 1927. The Athletics have 19 more games to play and if Jimmie can produce at least 10 more round-trippers, he will be able to junk the Bambino’s mark,” was the lone reference of the milestone home run in the Philadelphia Inquirer game story the next day.

He wound up leading the league with 58, a number Howard would eventually match.

Foxx became the first AL player other than Ruth to reach this milestone. The first National League player: Hack Wilson, Chicago Cubs, 1930 (56).

Sept. 3, 2006

Howard became the first Phillies player to reach 50. He did it in classic style before 37,044 at Citizens Bank Park, first game of a Sunday afternoon doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves, who started right-hander Tim Hudson.

No. 50: 2nd inning, 1st pitch, solo, (RCF bleachers)

No. 51: 3rd inning, 2-1 pitch, 1 on (visitors' CF bullpen)

No. 52: 6th inning, 1-2 pitch, solo (deep LF)

“Three homers in a game, I’ve never done that before,” said Howard.

“He’s pretty hot right now. You just have to tip your hat,” said Hudson. “That last homer he hit, I felt it was the most impressive one. He’s so far off the plate, and it was a four-seamer [fastball] that was up and away.”

Sept. 9, 2025

No. 50: Schwarber’s swing on a 3-1 cutter from Mets righty reliever Justin Hagenman was his first home run after his four-homer game (Aug. 28). The ball smashed off the pitch clock in straightaway center field after leaving his bat at 110.4 mph and traveling a Statcast-projected 437 feet.

41,609 fans rose in unison and cheered well beyond a curtain call from the man of the hour.

“It just looks like a video game for the guy,” said rookie third baseman Otto Kemp after the game.

Historical Nuggets

Schwarber is the 34th different player to reach 50. Babe Ruth was the first, May 1, 1920 -- his first home run that season was in the New York Yankees’ 13th game. Sixth inning off Boston’s Herb Pennock (Kennett Square, Pa., native) at the Polo Grounds.

Schwarber is now the only player in MLB history with 50 and also a game of four home runs in the same season. He’s only the second to even have this combo in a career (Willie Mays).

Foxx got to 50 in the A’s 135th game (1932). Howard, 136th (2006). Schwarber, 145th (2025).

In Phillies history, Schwarber’s 50th was No. 14,232 all-time.

The three victims were right-handed pitchers: Gordon Rhodes (Foxx), Tim Hudson (Howard), Justin Hagenman (Schwarber). Hagenman was born in Voorhees, N.J.; graduate of Bishop Eustice Prep and Penn State.

For the second straight season, two players reached 50. Schwarber joined Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh. A year ago, it was Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees OF Aaron Judge.

(Sources: Sarah Langs, @SlangsOnSports, Wikipedia, Baseball-reference.com, Inquirer archives)