Ventura’s Grand Slam Doubleheader

By Jay Horwitz

Hopefully, Robin Ventura’s classmates at Oklahoma State will wish him a happy anniversary today. On May 20, 1999, Robin set an MLB record, which still stands, by hitting a grand slam in each game of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at Shea Stadium.

Robin has re-enrolled as a student at Oklahoma State and is also an assistant coach for the Cowboys baseball team.

“I never consciously tried to hit grand slams,” he told me with a laugh. “I was lucky enough to be surrounded with great hitters like Mike Piazza, John Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo and I got a lot of good pitches to hit.”

Ventura is being quite modest. He hit 18 grand slams for his career, tied fifth on the all time list with Baseball Hall of Famer Willie McCovey.

Robin also had a grand slam in Game 5 of the 1999 LCS vs. the Atlanta Braves which turned the famous “Grand Slam Single.”

“We won the game and that’s all that counts,” Robin said. “If it was a normal slam, no one probably would remember it.”