What is more common, a Grand Slam or an Inside the Park Home run.?

Question

Hello, All,

Here's the deal. Took my family out last night to celebrate my son's 7th birthday, to see the local single-A team play. It was a fantastic game. The first batter for the local heroes started off the festivities with an inside-the-park home run. The ball hit the wall in left center, caromed over the outfielders' heads as they chased it, and by the time they ran it down he was around third and on his way home. The throw was about a second too late. Flash now to the bottom of the ninth, the score is tied at 8 (you rarely see pitchers' duels in single-A ball, at least here in Lancaster) :-), two outs, and the bases loaded. Up comes the second baseman, and wouldn't you know it, blasts the first pitch over the right-field wall for a game-winning grand slam. Very exciting.

So here is my question. I've seen one other grand slam live before (also at a single-A game), and I've never seen an inside-the-park home run before (except in little league, of course). I was pretty darn excited about both, especially how they "bookended" the game. I'm just wondering if there are any baseball statistician experts out there who know the answer to this: Which play was more rare. The inside-the-park homer or the grand slam? Both were pretty exciting, I'm just wondering which was more unusual.

I appreciate, as always, any responses you may be able to offer!

Peace,
Tom

Answer 1

MLB 2009:



Total HR: 5042.



Grand slams: 127.

Walkoff slams: 5.



ITP HR: 9.

Leadoff ITP HR: 1.



QED.

Answer 2

Inside the park homers are definitely rarer than grand slams. For an inside the park homer to occur, the ball must take an erratic hop or the the fielder must misplay the ball. If the the fielder gets to the ball cleanly, there is no way the runner can get around the bases. Slams are simply uncommon because the bases must be loaded for it to occur. They are simply home runs hit at the most opportune time. If you want a comparison, Lou Gehrig has the record with 23 grand slams in his career. I highly doubt any player has or will ever hit 23 inside the park homers in their career.

Answer 3

In the dead ball era, inside the park home runs were much more common. Nowadays Grand Slams are much more popular. Overall there's been more Grand Slams than ISTPHR but up until around 1950 or 1960 that propably wasn't the case.



For the record there has been 21 players who have more inside the park home runs than Gehrig had Grand Slams. Jesse Burkhett has the most with 55 followed by Sam Crawford with 51 and Tommy Leach with 48. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_isphr.shtml



And Roberto Clemente did hit a walk off inside the park grand slam on 7/25/1956 to help the Pirates beat the Cubs 9 to 8. Overall there has been 224 inside the park grand slams. http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?3641-Inside-The-Park-Grand-Slams

Answer 4

Just reinforcing Utter Chaos's comment, at one time in the history of baseball, inside-the-parkers were the MORE common form of home run. Unlike today, when a weird bounce by either the ball or the fielder is necessary, many old parks had extremely deep outfields where a ball could roll, roll, roll and the outfielders frequently looked like linebackers, so close to the infield, ready to rob singles and cut down baserunners. Lively ball changed all that, thankfully...

Answer 5

If you watch sports center you will probably see like 1 grand slam a week or so...you only see inside the parkers like 3 times a year

Answer 6

Maybe the fact that you're going to Single A Minor League games is the reason why you've only seen one other grand slam?! I've see sooo many, on the other hand i've only seen like one or two inside the parkers.

Answer 7

Hmm More likely Grand Slams.

Answer 8

got to say grand slam. you got to have a lot of speed or a lot of luck for the ball to bounce around the field. to get a inside park home run. inside park homeruns are just more special though.

Answer 9

Grand slams

Answer 10

whoa thats amazing!and inside the park homrun is rarer.u will NEVER see that happen,like in thebig leages maybe once or so a year thru al the teams combined,like 1 in 1500 or something games it may happen

Answer 11

park home runs