Mariners Cameron ties ML record with four HR

Posted 7:09AM on Friday 3rd May 2002 ( 23 years ago )

CHICAGO - Put another asterisk beside Mike Cameron's name. Better yet, make it four - one for each of the home runs he hit. The guy who'd been known more for his Gold Glove and being part of the Ken Griffey Jr. trade hit four homers Thursday night and came close to a record-setting fifth. He's only the 13th player in major league history to homer four times in a game, and the first since Mark Whiten in 1993. Not even Junior can claim that. ``Guess another asterisk goes by my name,'' Cameron said after leading the Seattle Mariners to a 15-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Cameron connected in his first four at-bats, hitting a solo shot each time and doing it in just five innings. He got two more chances to be the first player in the 132-year history of big league ball to homer five times in a game. In the seventh, he was hit by a pitch from Mike Porzio in the back of the left thigh, drawing boos from the crowd of 12,891 at Comiskey Park. In the ninth inning, he lined an opposite-field drive that had the crowd thinking No. 5. But right fielder Jeff Liefer made a running, backhanded catch at the front of the warning track as the crowd groaned. ``I still wonder how Liefer caught that ball out there,'' Cameron said. ``I wanted to get at least a base hit out of it. But I tried.'' And as if four homers weren't enough, Cameron began his historic night by joining Bret Boone as the first teammates ever to both hit two home runs in the same inning. They connected back-to-back twice in a 10-run first. ``Amazing,'' said Mark McLemore, one of Cameron's good friends on the Mariners. ``He and Boonie both had an outstanding night.'' Cameron's was nothing short of spectacular. He even had one of his trademark defensive gems, leaping high above the center-field wall to rob Magglio Ordonez of what would have been a grand slam in the third inning. The 29-year-old Cameron had never hit more than two home runs in a game before. He began the night with five homers in 91 at-bats this season, and hadn't homered since April 15, a span of 41 at-bats. But when Seattle manager Lou Piniella shuffled his lineup, dropping Cameron from second to third in the order, something clicked. ``It was just one of those days,'' Cameron said. ``If I could compare it to anything, it was like MJ (Michael Jordan) when he hit the six 3s against Portland and just shrugged his shoulders. ``That's what I told guys on the bench, `I don't know. I'm just putting a good swing on the ball.''' After Chicago's Jon Rauch hit Ichiro Suzuki to lead off the game, Boone and Cameron homered, with Cameron's shot just clearing a jumping Kenny Lofton. Two outs later, they did it again off reliever Jim Parque. ``It was awesome to be a part of it and to watch it,'' Boone said. ``I really don't have any words for it.'' And Cameron wasn't done, hitting a solo shot to left off Parque in the third. With two outs in the fifth, he went deep again on a 2-1 count. As his fourth shot soared toward center field, a loud, ``Ohhhh!'' went up from the crowd. He rounded the bases with a big grin on his face, and slapped hands with third-base coach Dave Myers. Ruben Sierra, one of Cameron's closest friends on the team, greeted him with a big hug after he crossed home plate. Whiten hit four homers on Sept. 7, 1993, for St. Louis in the second game of a doubleheader. Rocky Colavito had been the last to do it in the AL, on June 10, 1959, for Cleveland. Rauch (0-1) allowed eight runs - five earned - and six hits in just 1-3 of an inning, and was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte with Parque after the game. James Baldwin (3-1) beat his old team in their first meeting. But this night belonged to Cameron. There was a makeshift shrine - courtesy of McLemore - in front of his locker after the game. A cardboard crown with ``King Cam 5-2-02'' rested on top of a white towel with 4s written on it. On the seat of the chair, four baseballs, a cigar and a CD of Michael Jackson's greatest hits sat on a red towel. Cameron sat on a couch waiting to watch his highlights on TV, but finally gave up and went to the shower. When the clips came on, Cameron came out of the showers, soap still on his shoulders. ``I'm going to definitely enjoy this night, all the way to New York,'' said Cameron, whose team begins a three-game series with the Yankees on Friday. ``It's a special feeling to leave a city where I know I'm going to be on the front page. It's a good thing - especially with a lot of things I've been through here.'' Cameron began his career with the White Sox in 1995, and led AL rookies in walks and steals in 1997, his first full season. But he was traded to Cincinnati in 1999. After one season with the Reds, he was traded to Seattle as part of the deal for Griffey. Last year, he hit a career-high 25 home runs. ``I'm still living the moment,'' Cameron said. ``I just felt like I was the king of the hill today.'' NOTES: There had only been 39 previous instances of a player hitting two home runs in an inning, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Eric Karros was last to do it, on Aug. 22, 2000, for Los Angeles. ... Cameron's feat flashed on the scoreboard in New York during Thursday night's game between Oakland and the Yankees. ``Maybe he's tired. The law of averages, he's not going to hit eight in two days,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said. Torre was the Cardinals' manager when Whiten hit four homers.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/5/195120