Philadelphia Phillies catcher JT Realmuto made and joined all kinds of history on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Phillies lost, 9-8, which sours the accomplishment a bit, but it doesn't sour the things that came with the accomplishment.
First, he became the first Phillies player to hit for the cycle since 2004 (David Bell). Then, he became the first catcher to hit for the cycle since 2011 (George Kottaras).
And then, he joined Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig in an incredibly prestigious group in history.
Per @OptaSTATS on Twitter:
In his career, J.T. Realmuto of the @Phillies has:
- homered in the All-Star Game (2021)
- hit an inside-the-park homer in the postseason (2022)
- hit for the cycle (2023)
Only one other player in MLB history has accomplished all 3 of those feats: Lou Gehrig.
Any time you are paired with "The Iron Horse," you are doing something right. One of the best players in baseball history, Gehrig hit 493 career home runs and had a lifetime batting average of .340. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939. He was a seven time All-Star and a seven-time World Series winner. He also was a two-time MVP.
As for Realmuto, he's hitting .256 this year with six home runs. He's a three-time All-Star and a two-time Gold Glover who has played in the big leagues for 10 years between the Marlins and Phillies.
The Phillies (32-34) will take on the Diamondbacks (41-25) again on Tuesday at 9:40 p.m. ET.
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