Mac doubles up again
Suddenly sizzling McGwire gets Nos. 50, 51 against Mets
Posted: Thursday August 20, 1998 11:03 PM
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Mac-nificent: Mark McGwire has now hit 161 home runs in the last three seasons combined AP |
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mark McGwire
became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs in three consecutive
seasons Thursday night, belting homers in both games of a doubleheader
between the St. Louis
Cardinals and New York
Mets.
After Brian
Jordan led off the seventh inning of the opener with a homer off Willie Blair,
McGwire sent a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left-center for his 50th of the
season. McGwire, who hit Nos. 48 and 49 on Wednesday, pumped his right fist
above his head as he rounded first base as the large Shea Stadium crowd
gave him a standing ovation.
McGwire came right back in the nightcap, giving the Cards a 1-0 lead with
a solo shot off Rick Reed in the
first for No. 51.
Only Babe Ruth (1920-21 and 1927-28) and McGwire had hit 50 or more
homers in back-to-back seasons before McGwire's 369-foot shot, which fell
in between the outfield wall and the bleachers.
McGwire, who hit 52 homers in 1996 for Oakland and 58 for the Athletics
and Cardinals last year, has said all season that Roger Maris' record of 61
homers wouldn't be legitimately threatened until someone reached 50 homers
by September.
"That's what I truly believe," he repeated Thursday afternoon. "Ever
since I was a young kid hitting home runs. I mean if someone gets to 50 by
September 1, they have a shot down the stretch run."
He's there now.
"He's handled this so well," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said after
the 2-0 win over the Mets in the opener. "He's part of getting people
excited."
McGwire, who struck out and lined to third in his first two at-bats,
tied the record for the fewest games to 50 homers. The shot came in the
Cardinals' 125th game and matched the marks of Maris (1961) and Ruth
(1921).
McGwire also tied his major league record for fewest at-bats to 50. He
homered in his 390th at-bat this season, matching the total it took him to
hit No. 50 in 1996.
He is the sixth NL player to hit 50 in a season and first since George
Foster hit 52 in 1977 for Cincinnati. At 34 years, 324 days, McGwire is
also the oldest player to hit 50 homers. Johnny Mize was 34 years, 256 days
when he connected for his 50th in 1947.
No. 50 was caught by fan Mike Scelsi of Yonkers, New York.
"I was in the right place at the right time. I'm a happy guy," Scelsi
said.
Another fan, Mark Lewis of
Center Reach, New York, handed out fliers before the game saying he would
pay $10,000 cash to the fan who caught McGwire's milestone homer. On his
flier, Lewis said, "we have binoculars, so hold up the ball after catch."
Lewis also included his phone number just in case.
Scelsi, however, said he was going to hold onto the ball, for now.
"I want to talk to Mr. McGwire to see what he wants to do," he said.
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