Diamondbacks are one homer away from 3,000
As the Arizona Diamondbacks go for their first series win of the 2016 season against the San Diego Padres tonight, history could be in the making as well.
Diamondbacks fans’ primary focus right now is probably collecting back-to-back victories and winning 2016’s first series.
But the Diamondbacks are also chasing a milestone in the franchise’s history, something that most are probably not aware of.
Luckily, this post is here to enlighten you. Brad Ziegler collected his 30th consecutive save on a typical double-play ball, an ongoing club record to secure the victory, but Welington Castillo had an important at bat launching his first home run of the 2016 campaign, a towering shot to left field in the second, to give the D-backs the lead 1-0.
That was also the 2,999th home run in franchise history, and if all is right in the math universe, the Diamondbacks are one shot over the fence from 3,000 long balls in the early stages of the team’s 18th season.
With everybody know wondering who will get the honor of etching this achievement in the history books, here are some interesting nuggets that you might have not known before a possible momentous evening gets underway at 5:10pm Arizona time.
Travis Lee accounted for the both the first and 100th home runs in team history. Lee hit the first home run in the Diamondbacks first game as a franchise on March 31, 1998 off Rockies starter Darryl Kile, and homer number 100 was hit on July 15, 1998 off Mike Hampton of the Astros.
Here’s who hit the rest of the Diamondbacks’ milestone home runs with the home run number, the player, the date, the opponent, and the opposing pitcher all in order from left to right:
500: Danny Bautista: 7/27/00: @STL: Alan Benes
1,000: Lyle Overbay: 6/25/03: HOU: Wade Miller
1,500: Luis Gonzalez: 7/25/06: @PHI: Rheal Cormier
2,000: Justin Upton: 7/29/09: PHI: J.A. Happ
2,500: Jason Kubel: 7/1/12: @MIL: Francisco Rodriguez
What is most interesting about this list is that all of them, except for the first, have been hit in the summer.
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The most home runs hit by a individual Diamondbacks team was 216 in 1999, the year the team won 100 games and won the West. That team averaged 5.60 runs per game, and three players hit 30 or more bombs: Jay Bell (38), Matt Williams (35), and Steve Finley (34).
Luis Gonzalez is the Snakes’ single season and career leader in the home run category. The active career home run leader is Paul Goldschmidt with 119 home runs in 2,695 PAp.
The club record for most home runs in a game is six, and its been done twice.
The longest home run at Chase Field by a Diamondback came courtesy of Adam Dunn on September 27, 2010 against Colorado off Glendon Rusch. Richie Sexson hit his 200th at Chase, the 2nd longest homer in ballpark history measured at 503 feet, on April 26, 2004 against the Cubs off Francis Beltran.
Who will hit number 3,000 and how far will it go? It might happen tonight so make sure your tuned in!