Rare Feats on the Diamond – Who would You Rather Be?

During this past week, we who follow professional baseball saw not one, but two rare feats from a hitter that you normally go years without seeing.

Early in the week, Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers swatted not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 home runs in a game against Baltimore. He also threw in a double for good measure. Never in the history of American League baseball had a player had 18 total bases in a game.

Then late in the week, Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds hit 3 home runs in a game, the last coming with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to win the game for his squad.

Just 2 tremendous games for 2 of the games finest players.

The question is, if you were a player, which feat would you rather have accomplished?

Hamilton’s exploits came in a blow-out game. Votto’s came in a tense, come from behind battle.

In my way of thinking, I’ll take Hamilton’s game any time. He was only the 16th player to have ever hit 4 dingers in a game. That’s less than the total number of perfect games that have been thrown in Major League history.

Though both are tremendous accomplishments, my money is on Josh.