Johnny Mize - Career Notes

Career Notes

Mize holds the Major League record for the most times hitting three homers in one game, a feat he performed six times. He also was one of a handful of players (also including Babe Ruth) to do it in both leagues — five times in the National League and once in the American. He was the first player to hit three home runs in a game twice in one season in 1938 and did it twice again in 1940. He finished his career with 359 home runs. Like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Hank Greenberg, all of whom spent at least three years in the military at the peak of their power, Mize undoubtedly lost a large number of home runs because of his service. His 43 home runs in 1940 broke the Cardinal record of 42 set by Rogers Hornsby in 1922 – and remained the record until Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998. He and Carl Yastrzemski are the only players to have three seasons of hitting 40 or more home runs, without a season of hitting between 30 to 39 home runs.