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USA TODAY
Minor league second baseman Chandler Redmond accomplished a rare feat on Wednesday that has only occurred once in the modern era.
The 25-year-old Springfield Cardinals prospect smashed a solo, two-run, three-run, and grand slam homer to complete a “home run cycle.”
“It’s unbelievable,” Redmond said. “I don’t even know what words to use to describe the feelings right now.”
The last time a player recorded the feat was nearly 30 years ago when Tyrone Horne of the Cardinals affiliate Double-A Arkansas Travelers did it on July 27, 1998.
A “home run cycle” has never occurred in the major leagues.
Redmond’s four homers and 11 RBI were a part of a five hit evening that also set new single game records for the club.
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“So, after I hit the grand slam, I had a little thought creep into my mind about maybe the cycle. But then I brushed it off real quick. I was like, come on, this was only my second time with a multihomer game in pro ball,” Redmond said. “But then I go up there and hit the solo shot and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can do it.’ So then walking up for that last at-bat and seeing two guys on, I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, everything is lining up, you can do this. So, just stay calm and stay within yourself, but if you get a chance to get a ball to hammer, you better not miss it.”
Redmond did not waste any energy in the seventh inning, sending the first pitch he saw out of the park for a solo homer.
“For me, the whole night, I just went up there trying to see something up in the zone,” Redmond said. “I stayed away from anything low that I could ultimately drive to the ground. My focus was to get something up that I could get underneath and lift it and potentially hit it out.”
Following a celebration with his teammates and coaches, he received a call from his dad to celebrate the huge moment.
“It’s just mind-blowing to think that I’m just the second guy to ever do it. I actually just talked about it with my dad,” he said. “He’s just so proud of me and he gets so much joy out of watching me play. He’s watched every single college game and pro game and I know it’s what he looks forward to most at night. So to be able to put on a show like this for him is pretty special.”
