Mark Whiten--1993
On This Date
in Major League History,
September 7, 1993…
It was another installment of
baseball's quirky "Every Dog has his
Day," when St. Louis outfielder Mark
Whiten enjoyed one of The Game's
biggest days at the plate.
A career .259-hitter with good power
and a strong arm, Whiten was a
toolsy player who bounced between
eight clubs as each attempted to
harness his outstanding athletic
ability.
Well, for one shining moment on
September 7, 1993, all his hitting
abilities came together for one
memorable game, as Whiten
connected for four home runs that
drove in 12 runs against Cincinnati.
It was the second game of a double-
header and Whiten began his one-
man assault in the first inning when
he launched a grand slam off
Cincinnati rookie hurler Larry
Luebbers.
The right-hander would extract a
small revenge in the 4th inning when
he induced Whiten to pop out to third
baseman Chris Sabo.
Yet, in the 6th inning Whiten would
face rookie righty Mike Anderson with
two men on base and promptly drove
a long one over the wall in right-
center field for his second homer of
the game.
Liking what he saw from Anderson,
Whiten found himself hammering
another offering from the Reds hurler
over the Riverfront fences in the
seventh inning. Again, Todd Zeile
and Gerald Perry were on base as
the slugger of the day reached 10
RBI for the moment.
With a 13-2 lead and the game
comfortably in the hands of Cardinal
pitcher Bob Tewksberry, Whiten
added to the run total in the 9th with
his fourth home run of the game, a 2-
run shot off a Rob Dibble fastball.
All totalled, "Hard Hitting'" Mark
Whiten's four home run festival
plated 12 runs and when combined
with a run batted in from game one,
placed the Cardinal fly catcher in
historic company as he tied Nate
Colbert's major league record of 13
RBI in a twinbill set in 1972.
"Well, it really hasn't dawned on me
yet." Whiten responded a few days
later in an Sports Illustrated
interview. "I hit four home runs and
drove in 12—that's all I know."
I was actually scouting this game in
Cincinnati and I had never witnessed
a single-game hitting performance
like that of Mark Whiten on the
special September evening... That's
all I know.
Editor's Note: It was fun to look at the
names in box score. Larry Luebbers
once walked through my condo that
was for sale, though he didn't buy it.
Stan Royer, who I coached in high
school during my one year of student
teaching in Charleston, IL was
fanned by Dibble in the 9th inning. I
was the Reds Assistant Farm
Director just a few years prior and
remember Mike Anderson as being a
super kid from Texas who I was glad
to see get his chance at the big
time--- though this was just one of his
three career major league outings.
Reds outfielder Greg Tubbs later was
an area scout for the Mets in
Tennessee and we watched many
games together never realizing that
he was in the Riverfront dugout that
day. Lastly, hello to Hal Morris my
fellow Chicago Bears fan... We finally
have a quarterback this season!
(9/7/09)
in Major League History,
September 7, 1993…
It was another installment of
baseball's quirky "Every Dog has his
Day," when St. Louis outfielder Mark
Whiten enjoyed one of The Game's
biggest days at the plate.
A career .259-hitter with good power
and a strong arm, Whiten was a
toolsy player who bounced between
eight clubs as each attempted to
harness his outstanding athletic
ability.
Well, for one shining moment on
September 7, 1993, all his hitting
abilities came together for one
memorable game, as Whiten
connected for four home runs that
drove in 12 runs against Cincinnati.
It was the second game of a double-
header and Whiten began his one-
man assault in the first inning when
he launched a grand slam off
Cincinnati rookie hurler Larry
Luebbers.
The right-hander would extract a
small revenge in the 4th inning when
he induced Whiten to pop out to third
baseman Chris Sabo.
Yet, in the 6th inning Whiten would
face rookie righty Mike Anderson with
two men on base and promptly drove
a long one over the wall in right-
center field for his second homer of
the game.
Liking what he saw from Anderson,
Whiten found himself hammering
another offering from the Reds hurler
over the Riverfront fences in the
seventh inning. Again, Todd Zeile
and Gerald Perry were on base as
the slugger of the day reached 10
RBI for the moment.
With a 13-2 lead and the game
comfortably in the hands of Cardinal
pitcher Bob Tewksberry, Whiten
added to the run total in the 9th with
his fourth home run of the game, a 2-
run shot off a Rob Dibble fastball.
All totalled, "Hard Hitting'" Mark
Whiten's four home run festival
plated 12 runs and when combined
with a run batted in from game one,
placed the Cardinal fly catcher in
historic company as he tied Nate
Colbert's major league record of 13
RBI in a twinbill set in 1972.
"Well, it really hasn't dawned on me
yet." Whiten responded a few days
later in an Sports Illustrated
interview. "I hit four home runs and
drove in 12—that's all I know."
I was actually scouting this game in
Cincinnati and I had never witnessed
a single-game hitting performance
like that of Mark Whiten on the
special September evening... That's
all I know.
Editor's Note: It was fun to look at the
names in box score. Larry Luebbers
once walked through my condo that
was for sale, though he didn't buy it.
Stan Royer, who I coached in high
school during my one year of student
teaching in Charleston, IL was
fanned by Dibble in the 9th inning. I
was the Reds Assistant Farm
Director just a few years prior and
remember Mike Anderson as being a
super kid from Texas who I was glad
to see get his chance at the big
time--- though this was just one of his
three career major league outings.
Reds outfielder Greg Tubbs later was
an area scout for the Mets in
Tennessee and we watched many
games together never realizing that
he was in the Riverfront dugout that
day. Lastly, hello to Hal Morris my
fellow Chicago Bears fan... We finally
have a quarterback this season!
(9/7/09)
