RetroSimba

When Jim Thome of the Twins hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning Aug. 17 to beat the White Sox, 7-6, he tied the major-league record for most game-ending homers, with 12.

The other five to do it all are in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle and Frank Robinson. (Thanks to David Vincent of the Society of American Baseball Research for noting this).

Musial hit his first walkoff homer at age 21 and his last 20 years later at 41.

To put into perspective how rare and quirky it is to hit a game-ending homer, consider that:

_ Musial once went seven years (1952-59) between walkoff homers.

_ The Cardinals’ star also three times hit two walkoff homers in the same year (1946, 1948 and 1959).

Musial’s first walkoff homer was a two-run shot in the 11th inning off Dick Errickson of the Braves, lifting the Cardinals to a 7-5 win on July 14, 1942, at St. Louis. The Cardinals had trailed 5-0 before rallying for three runs in the sixth and two in the eighth.  Boxscore 

On June 5, 1962, Musial hit his last game-ending homer, a solo blast with one out in the 11th off Dave Sisler for a 10-9 Cardinals win over the Reds at St. Louis. The Cardinals, who snapped an eight-game losing streak, had trailed 9-1 in the sixth. Boxscore

A snapshot of Musial’s 12 walkoff homers:

DATE………..FOE………LOSING PITCHER………….FINAL SCORE

7-14-42…….Braves……Dick Errickson……………..7-5 in 11

7-14-46…….Dodgers….Vic Lombardi………………2-1 in 12

8-22-46…….Phillies……Andy Karl…………………..7-6 in 12

8-26-48…….Giants……..Ken Trinkle…………………7-5 in 9

8-28-48……..Giants…….Monty Kennedy…………..5-4 in 12

9-6-50……….Cubs………Paul Minner………………..5-4 in 10

6-17-51………Phillies…..Russ Meyer…………………5-4 in 10

7-6-52………..Pirates…..Murry Dickson…………….6-5 in 9

5-7-59………..Cubs………Don Elston…………………4-3 in 9

8-7-59………..Phillies…..Ruben Gomez……………..3-1 in 9

8-27-60………Pirates……Roy Face…………………..5-4 in 9

6-5-62…………Reds………Dave Sisler………………..10-9 in 11