Pitchers who gave up milestone home runs
There is great exultation for a hitter and his team when he launches a milestone home run. There is also resignation for the pitcher who served up the memorable shot.
Barry Bonds hit 756th career home run on August 7, 2007. Mike Bacsik gave up the homer in one of his final few starts. Bacsk posted a 5.46 ERA over 51 MLB appearances (31 starts) for Cleveland, the Mets, Rangers and the Nationals.
Barry Bonds hit 71 home runs against Chan Ho Park in 2001. Park is the only pitcher in AL/NL history to surrender two grand slams to the same player in the third inning. Bonds finished the season with 73 home Runs. Park went on to pitch for the Dodgers, Rangers, Padres, Mets, Pirates, Phillies and Yankees.
Steve Trachsel gave up Mark McGwire's 62nd home run of 1998 on Sept. 8. Trchsel finished his career with the Cubs. He was an All-Star in 1996 with Chicago. Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in 1961 stood for 37 years. Trichsel predicted that McG wire would break the record again on September 9.
Al Downing gave up 715th homer to Hank Aaron on April 8, 1974. Aaron was one shy of Babe Ruth's record of 713 career home runs. Downing was the first African-American starting pitcher in Yankees history in 1961. He was an All-Star in 1967 for New York and an NL All Star in 1971. He is mainly remembered for giving up No. 714 to Aaron. After Aaron's death in 2021, Downing said he was humble.
Mike Corkins gave up Willie Mays' 600th homer on September 22, 1969. Corkin played for the San Diego Padres from 1969-74. He had a 3.54 ERA over 140 innings.
Roger Maris hit 61st homer of 1961 on October 1, 1961 against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Tracy Stallard gave up just one homer in a 1-0 loss on the last day of the 1961 regular season. Stallards played for the Boston Red Sides from 1960-62 and the Mets from 1963-64 and 1965-66.
Babe Ruth hit his 700th career home run on July 13, 1934. Tommy Bridges was an All-Star in 1934 and was named to five more All Star teams in a stellar 16-year Major League career. Bridges won two World Series rings with Detroit and made one appearance in the Fall Classic.
Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run of 1927 on September 30th against the Washington Senators. Nobody else had ever hit 50 home runs in a single season. Five other players have since reached the same milestone. Tom Zachary had a good MLB career, over which he posted a 3.73 ERA.
