Below are two lists of four players, one list of batters and one of pitchers. Both the batters and pitchers are the only players in the searchable era with a certain connection to the Fourth, one connection for the batters and a different but related connection for the pitchers.
So, what are the connections?
| Batters | Pitchers |
|---|---|
| Augie Bergamo | Art Houtteman |
| Dwight Evans | Ray Moore |
| Rich Gedman | Billy Pierce |
| Eric Hosmer | Rick Waits |
Hint #1: there is no batter vs. pitcher connection between the listed players (at least, none that is germane to the quiz)
Hint #2: the fact that Art Houtteman, Ray Moore and Billy Pierce were teammates of each other at various times is purely coincidental and has nothing to do with the quiz. Ditto for Dwight Evans and Rich Gedman. Honest.
Congratulations to Richard Chester and Insert Name Here! Richard correctly identified (with a little help) that these batters homered in a July 4th game off of a pitcher whose birthday is July 4th. Similarly, INS identified that these pitchers gave up a home run in a July 4th game to a batter whose birthday is July 4th. They are the only players in the searchable era who meet these criteria. The fact that there are four of each for July 4th – hey, truth is stranger than fiction.
Here are the games (birthday boys are bolded):
- 1945 – Augie Bergamo homered off of Loren Bain. It was the final career home run hit and surrendered for both (also, the first HR surrendered by Bain).
- 1955 – Bill Tuttle of the Tigers homered off of Art Houtteman.
- 1958 – Bill Tuttle of the Athletics homered off of Ray Moore.
- 1961 – Bill Tuttle of the Twins homered off of Billy Pierce.
- 1979 – Wayne Nordhagen homered off of Rick Waits.
- 1986 – Dwight Evans and Rich Gedman homered off of Jim Beattie.
- 2011 – Eric Hosmer homered off of Sergio Santos.
Not that it means anything, but … Houtteman, Moore, Pierce, Waits and Beattie all surrendered two homers in these games. And Bergamo hit two, off of different pitchers.
