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Cubs who hit for 'home run cycle', Part 2

Second of 2 posts about players who completed a home run cycle, hitting 1 of each possible kind, in a single season (98 different players, 168 times) or at least during their years as a Cub (35 players).

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TIME TRAVELER

Cliff Johnson's Home Run Log at baseball-reference.com show that in 1980 it took him only 5 homers as a Cub to complete a cycle, as he hit a grand slam, then homers for 2, 1, 4 and 3 runs.But he really did it in his first 4, starting with 2-run homer on July 4, in his 10th game since being traded to the Cubs on June 23.

Look at his homer log closely and you will see that the first of his homers as a Cub came on May 28, a 14th-inning walk-off slam that beat Montreal, 8-4.

But on May 25, it shows he hit a 3-run homer for Cleveland, at Boston, and on May 29, he hit a solo homer for Cleveland, at home against Milwaukee!

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That's because the game at Wrigley Field between the Expos and Cubs on May 28 was suspended in the top of the 11th, with the score tied at 3.

It was not resumed until Aug. 8, by which time Johnson had played 33 games for the Cubs.

He pinch hit in the 11th inning when the suspended game was resumed, striking out, then played first base. He struck out again in the 13th before clearing the bases with 2 out in the 14th.

Under baseball's arcane scoring rules, everything that happened in the final 4 innings, on Aug. 8, is recorded as if it happened on May 28, so Johnson's first homer as a Cub came nearly 4 weeks before he was dealt to the team!

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SLAM TO START

Hank Sauer and Bobby Murcer, as described in Part 1, hit grand slams for their first homer of the year, then quickly earned a home run cycle.

Walt Moryn began 1957 with a slam, then followed with homers that drove in 3, 2, 2, 2 and 1 run.

In 1970, Joe Pepitone hit 12 homers after the Cubs purchased him from the Astros on July 29. His first was a grand slam. His next 5 scored 1, 1, 2, 2 and 3 runs to complete his cycle. Then his next homer drove in 3 more!

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MORE HOMER PATTERNS

Other interesting sequences of runs produced during players' successful bids for a single-season home run cycle:

Charlie Irwin's first 7 homers of 1894: 3, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2, 4

Ron Santo started out 1960 with homers for 3, 1, 2, 1, 1 and 4 runs.

Mike Olt's first 6 homers of 2014 went 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 4. He ended the year with 12.

Mark DeRosa's fourth through 10th homers of 2007 were 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4.

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MISSING 1 TYPE FOR CYCLE

There have been dozens of season in which a particular Cub had 3 of the 4 kinds of homers but lacked the fourth.

In alphabetical order, here are the stories of some of those seasons:

Howard Earl, a rookie, hit 2 grand slams in 1890. He also hit a pair of 3-run homers and 3 good for 2 runs -- but none with the bases empty. The next year, with Milwaukee of the rival American Association, he hit 1 homer: a solo shot. That was the last of his 8 homers, as he played only the 2 big league seasons.

Bernie Friberg, in 1923, had a grand slam, 5 with 1 on base and 6 with nobody on, but no 3-run homers. His first of 1924 came with 2 aboard.

Harvey Hendrick homered 4 times in 1935, his only season as a Cub, driving in 2, 3, 4 and 3 runs.

Brian McRae, in 1996, hit a grand slam for his first homer. Then he hit 3 homers with 1 on and 13 with the bases empty. A year earlier, he had hit 11 solo homers and a slam. In 1997, he hit 6 solos as a Cub, then 4 more after being traded to the Mets, before hitting a slam for his final homer of the year.

Ace Stewart played 1 season for Chicago, 1895. He hit 8 homers: a grand slam, 4 for 3 runs and 2 for 1 run, but none for 2 runs.

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Augie Galan hit neither a 3-run homer or a grand slam in 1937, but merits mention for what he did hit: 5 solo homers, followed by 8 2-run homers, followed by 5 solo homers!

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CAREER HOME RUN CYCLES

In addition to the 98 different players who completed a home run cycle in a single season, 35 did it during their tenure with the Cubs.

That group doesn't quite make it from A to Z, as it starts with Albert Almora Jr. but ends with Travis Wood.

Wood hit 7 of his career homers as a Cub. His first 5 came between 2012 and 2014. They produced 1, 2, 4, 1 and 3 runs, giving him the cycle.

Only 1 other pitcher has done so: Claude Passeau, who homered 12 times for the Cubs in 1939-46. His first 2 homers were solo shots, followed by a grand slam and 3 more solos. He hit a 2-run homer as his seventh, then finished the cycle with a 3-run blast as his ninth, in 1945.

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At least 3 of those who had a cycle during their careers, but not in a season, may come as a surprise: Cap Anson, Phil Cavarretta and Bill Madlock.

Frank Chance did it with the first 4 homers of his career, spread over 6 seasons, 1898-1903. In order, they were for 1, 2, 4 and 3 runs. He ultimately homered 20 times.

Nelson Matthews matched Chance's feat, in just 2 years, with a grand slam and 3-run homer in 1962, then a 2-run and solo in 1963. He hit only 2 more homers, for a total of 6.

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Frank Secory hit just 7 home runs in 186 trips to the plate during 3 seasons as a Cub. The first 4, in 1944, scored 3, 1, 3 and 1 run. Then in 1946 he pinch hit a pair of 12th-inning, walk-off homers before and after a solo shot: a grand slam that beat the Giants, 10-6, and a cycle-capping 2-run drive that ended a scoreless battle against the Reds.

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Daryle Ward also had a career cycle among only 7 home runs. His grand slam was his first home as a Cub, in 2007. He added 2 solos that year, then a 2-run and a solo followed by a pinch-hit 3-run in 2008. His final homer was a 2-run.

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Lloyd McClendon completed his cycle when he homered with the bases loaded in 1990. That was his last of 13 during his 2 seasons with the team.

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Two current Cubs are in the career-only list, David Bote and Jason Heyward. So is Victor Caratini, traded last winter.

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15 YEARS FOR CYCLE

Clyde McCullough's first homer as a Cub came in April of 1941, with 1 man on base. Between June 7 and 30, he homered with 2 on, 1 on and none on.

He hit 5 more homers that year, 5 in 1942 and 2 in 1943, none with the bases loaded.

After spending 2 years in the military, he returned in 1946 and his first 3 homers were for 3, 2 and 1 run. He hit only 1 more that year, for 2 runs.

In 1947 and 1948, McCullough hit 3 solos and a 2-run. Then he was traded to the Pirates. During 4 seasons with Pittsburgh, he homered 18 times, all with none or 1 on base.

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After 1952, he was traded back to the Cubs, for whom he hit 6 homers in 1953: 4 solos, followed by a pair of 2 runs.

Another solo followed, on Opening Day, April 13, of 1954.

McCullough was injured 11 days later and was out of action until July 5. He played in 14 games through Aug. 8, then sat out 7 in a row.

He celebrated his return, in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Aug. 17, by blasting his long-sought grand slam in the fourth inning at home against the Reds.

It was the 51st homer of his career and his 33rd in 9 seasons as a Cub over 15 years.

He hit 1 more, with the bases empty, on Sept. 9, then none in part-time duty in 1955 and 1956 before retiring, at age 39.

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MISSES OF NOTE

Many Cubs missed a career home run cycle for lack of 1 kind of homer, typically with a small number of homers. In most cases, they did not have a grand slam -- most, but not all.

Future Hall of Famer Lou Brock homered 18 times: a grand slam and 17 with 0 or 1 on base.

Bryan LaHair's 18 homers were a grand slam, 6 for 2 runs and 11 for 1.

Johnny Kling had 2 slams but no 3-run homer among his 16. After he was traded during the 1911 season, his first homer for the Braves came with 2 aboard.

Jason Marquis missed joining Passeau and Wood as pitchers with a career homer cycle by never homering with 2 runners on base. His 3 career homers as a Cub were, in order, for 2, 1 and 4 runs.

Bill Everitt, who played in 1895-99, may have had the oddest miss. He had a trio of 3-run homers. He had a slam and 7 solo homers, but none for 2 runs.

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FULL LIST OF CAREER, NOT SEASON, CYCLERS

Here, in alphabetical order, are all players who had a home run cycle as a Cub but not in a single season, divided into 3 paragraphs for easier reading:

Albert Almora, Cap Anson, David Bote, Roosevelt Brown, Victor Caratini, Phil Cavarretta, Ronny Cedeno, Frank Chance, Dom Dallessandro, Carmen Fanzone, Max Flack, Dexter Fowler

Jose Hernandez, Jason Heyward, Malachi Kittridge, Pete LaCock, Junior Lake, Bill Madlock, Nelson Matthews, Lloyd McClendon, Clyde McCullough, Lennie Merullo,

Rafael Palmeiro, Claude Passeau. Paul Popovich, Bob Scheffing, Frank Secory, Tuck Stainback, Steve Swisher, Mike Vail, Eddie Waitkus, Daryle Ward, Cy Williams, Walt Wilmot, Travis Wood

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FULL LIST OF 1-TIME SEASON CYCLERS

And, as promised in Part 1, here, in alphabetical order, are all 63 Cubs who hit for a home run cycle in exactly 1 season, divided into 4 paragraphs for greater legibility:

Earl Averill, Gene Baker, Vince Barton, Mark Bellhorn, Damon Berryhill, Mandy Brooks, Bill Buckner, Jeromy Burnitz, Johnny Callison, Kiki Cuyler, Al Dark, Jim Edmonds, Dee Fondy, Jake Fox, Gary Gaetti, Mark Grace

George Grantham, Ad Gumbert, Ian Happ, Babe Herman, Billy Herman, Jim Hickman, Glenallen Hill, Monte Irvin, Charlie Irwin, Cliff Johnson, Reed Johnson, King Kelly, Ralph Kiner, Chuck Klein, Bill Lange, Jerry Martin

Fred McGriff, Norm McMillan, Rick Monday, Miguel Montero, Jerry Morales, Keith Moreland, Walt Moryn, Bobby Murcer, Ron Northey, Bob O'Farrell, Troy O'Leary, Mike Olt, Rafael Ortega, Joe Pepitone, Neifi Perez

Fred Pfeffer, Adolfo Phillips, Addison Russell, Vic Saier, Frank Schulte, Frank Schwindel, Bill Serena, Roy Smalley, Dwight Smith, Alfonso Soriano, Riggs Stephenson, Joe Tinker, Ned Williamson, Heinie Zimmerman and Julio Zuleta

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