Reds 1B coach Hatcher no stranger to grand slam history
Former player hit one of three in 1987 game between Astros, Cubs
MILWAUKEE -- In the entire history of Major League Baseball, there have been four games where the two teams have combined for three grand slams.
Reds first base coach Billy Hatcher has been a part of half of them.
"And I've been in two? That's awesome," a laughing Hatcher said. "So I should be special, huh? That's pretty good, then."
Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier hit two-out grand slams in consecutive innings for the Reds on Tuesday night, and Elian Herrera, called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Colorado Springs, hit his first career grand slam for the Brewers in a wild 16-10 Cincinnati victory at Miller Park.
In the other instance, Hatcher was one of three grand slam hitters when the Cubs pounded out a 22-7 victory over the Houston Astros on June 3, 1987, at Wrigley Field. Brian Dayett and Keith Moreland hit grand slams for Chicago, while Hatcher hit his off Cubs' ace Rick Sutcliffe, who improved to 8-2 that day despite giving up seven runs in five innings.
"You have some guys that never get to hit one," Hatcher said. "I'm talking about some of your best hitters. And they never get to hit one. Just to see three in one game, it's crazy. It is really crazy."
Hatcher, who played 12 seasons in the Majors from 1984 through '95, had two career grand slams -- one in '86 and another in '87. There was a reason he didn't hit another one, he said.
"They quit pitching to me when the bases were loaded later on in my career," Hatcher joked.
The other games in which three grand slams were hit were Baltimore vs. Texas in 1986 and in 2011 when the Yankees hit all three grand slams against Oakland. There has never been a game with four grand slams.