Baseball Trivia

Lazzeri A player "hits for the cycle" when he hits a single, double, triple, and homer in a single game.  When done in that order, the player hits for a "natural cycle."

Name the only grandfather/grandson pair to hit for the cycle.

(Here's a one-word hint:  "Esmerelda")

Pictured: HOF'er Tony Lazzeri card ( "Game 854") from the 2008 Upper Deck Yankee Stadium Legacy set.  Lazzeri is the only player to hit for a "natural cycle"  in which his home run was a grand slam.  He had to share the spotlight, though, with teammate Lou Gehrig, who went "yard" four times in the same game.

5 Comments

  1. Bill Chuck

    Gus and David Bell, but I don't get the "Esmeralda" hint

  2. Tim Zinnecker

    Esmeralda … The Hunchback of Notre Dame … title character was Quasimodo … a name that might ring a "bell"?

  3. Jeff Lipshaw

    I don't get the "natural cycle". Why does it matter how many runners were on base, or were batted in, on any of hits? Why is a "four-run" homer more significant than, say, a two-run single?

  4. Tim Zinnecker

    The point to a "natural cycle" is the order of the hits: single, then double, then triple, then homer. Re-arrange the order and the batter still hits for the cycle, just not the "natural" cycle. I don't follow the rest of your comment. Clarification?

  5. Jeff Lipshaw

    It looked like you defined a natural cycle as having something to do with the grand slam, not the order of the hits, which I now understand.

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