As you likely know by now, a list of the Brewers who have hit for the cycle doesn't really coincide with the list of the best players in franchise history. True, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor are on the first list, but so are Chad Moeller and Jody Gerut. In that tradition, today we celebrate the anniversary of the first cycle in Brewer history and the unlikely batter who performed it.
Mike Hegan was a Seattle Pilot and an original Brewer, but took a three year hiatus from the team before returning to Milwaukee as a part time player in 1974. He remained there in that capacity for his last four major league seasons, and on this day in 1976 he hit for the cycle in an 11-2 win over the Tigers.
Hegan got his big day started early, driving in two runs with a first inning double. He hit the home run in the third, a solo shot off Tigers starter Mark Fidrych. He got the triple out of the way in the fourth, driving home three runs, and singled in the sixth to complete the cycle in four at bats.
As is usually the case, the triple was the most unlikely leg of Hegan's cycle: He only hit 18 of them in his 12 year career, and never hit one again after this day.
With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:
- Huntsville Star R.J. Seidel, who turns 24.
- 1998-02 Brewer Chad Fox, who turns 41.
- 1998-99 Brewer Eric Plunk, who turns 48.
- La Crosse, WI native Ed Konetchy, who would have turned 128. Konetchy played 15 major league seasons as a member of the Cardinals and five other teams.