500 Home Run Club Members Rained Homers in April
While April is traditionally one of the rainiest months of the year, it
is also the time that many members of the 500 Home Run Club® let loose a
torrential flood of homers that propelled them past the 500 home run
barrier and into immortality.
Schmidt Smacked 500th on April 18th To
Secure Pennsylvania Bragging Rights
 “Iron Mike” Schmidt was the
personification of talent at the hot corner, possessing a combination of
raw power, batting skill and defensive finesse. His brute strength
enabled him to lead the league in homer eight times, and rack up more
than 500 career home runs. His 500th home run came on April 18th, 1987
to give his beloved Philadelphia Phillies a win against cross-state
rivals The Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies had a comfortable 5-0 lead
over the Pirates, but Pittsburgh rallied for six runs in the bottom of
the eighth to take a 6-5 lead. In the ninth, Juan Samuel kept the game
alive for the Phils with a hard slide into second base to break up a
potential game-ending double play.
After a walk to Von Hayes, the
Phillies had two on and two out, and Schmidt came to the plate looking
for his 500th homer and a chance to win the game. After Pirates reliever
Don Robinson fell behind 3-0, Schmidty pounded the next pitch over the
wall in left for No. 500 and an 8-6 Phillies victory. After the game, he
told reporters the homer was "the greatest thrill of my lifetime."
Sosa
Becomes First Latin Player to Launch No. 500
 After living in the
national TV spotlight for the second half of the 1998 season, as he
joined in lock-step with St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire
in their spectacular pursuit of Yankee great Roger Maris’ single-season
MLB home run record, one would think Sammy Sosa was been immune to the
pressure of hitting landmark home runs. But after sitting on 499 long
balls for the entire 2004 off-season, Slammin’ Sammy was one of the most
excited members of the Cubs squad visiting the Reds for their inaugural
home stand at the brand new Great American Ballpark. On April 4, 2005,
Cub Nation’s beloved No. 21 crushed the magical No. 500 off Cincinnati
Reds’ reliever Scott Sullivan in the top of the seventh inning. Sosa's
got all of a 1-2 fastball at the knees and he ripped it over the
right-center field wall.
Sammy Sosa’s 500th home run came on the
same day as Barry Bonds’ #615, but that didn’t diminish the significance
for Sosa, who took extra pride in being the first Latino player to
achieve the legendary plateau. This [hitting #500) was very special for
me, especially since my family was here watching. That's something that I
never will forget,” said the ever-smiling Sosa. “When I made contact I
was like 'Wow, I knew I got it, that's it, that's (number) 500.’ Then,
when I got to home plate I thanked God because I don't have to go up
there every at-bat thinking of hitting the ball out of the park."
Bonds
Blasts 500th home run on April 17th, 2001
 After reaching a career
home run total of 495, Barry Bonds went on an unprecedented tear, going
deep in five consecutive games to reach the magical 500 home run
plateau.
The historic homer came when his Giants needed it
most, with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning 2-1, in the bottom of the
eighth inning, Bonds slammed a 2-0 fastball from reliever Terry Adams
into McCovey Cove giving the Giants a 3-2 lead, an eventual victory, and
a spectacular five-hundredth career home run.
"When I hit it, I
couldn't believe I hit it,” said after the game. “Everything was in
slow motion. It looked like it was stopped in midair. After I saw it
went past those people I thought, 'Wow! I did it!'" |
