Happy anniversary to Tommy Pham, who eight years ago went deep for the first time as a major leaguer, a two-run shot at Busch Stadium that gave the Cardinals the lead after a Matt Kemp RBI single for the Padres in the top of the third inning. Scoring ahead of Pham on that first homer was an appreciative Lance Lynn, who’d given up the run to San Diego in the top of the frame, and led off the bottom with a single.
Two innings later, Lynn and Pham hit back-to-back doubles, and the Cardinals went on to a 3-1 victory — Lynn the winner, he and the just called up Pham (he was in his third game that season after a cup of coffee the previous September) responsible for all the runs.
Tommy Pham hit his first home run off Ian Kennedy, 7/5/15
Ian Kennedy gave up his first home run to B.J. Upton, 9/1/07
B.J. Upton hit his first home run off Kelvim Escobar, 8/17/04
Kelvim Escobar gave up his first home run to Rey Ordóñez, 9/2/97
Rey Ordóñez hit his first home run off Rich Hunter, 9/19/96
Rich Hunter gave up his first home run to Reggie Sanders, 4/6/96
Reggie Sanders hit his first home run off Armando Reynoso, 9/26/91
Armando Reynoso gave up his first home run to Fred McGriff, 8/16/91
Fred McGriff hit his first home run off Bob Stanley, 4/17/87
Bob Stanley gave up his first home run to Ruppert Jones, 5/14/77
Ruppert Jones hit his first home run off Rick Wise, 8/29/76
Rick Wise gave up his first home run to Willie Mays, 5/21/64
Willie Mays hit his first home run off Warren Spahn, 5/28/51
Warren Spahn gave up his first home run to Frankie Gustine, 7/14/46
Frankie Gustine hit his first home run off George Barnicle, 5/6/40
George Barnicle gave up his first home run to Ival Goodman, 9/18/39
Ival Goodman hit his first home run off Charlie Root, 4/21/35
Charlie Root gave up his first home run to Elmer Smith, 7/9/23
Elmer Smith hit his first home run off Parson Perryman, 5/31/15
That was the first home run allowed by Parson Perryman, who pitched 24 games for the 1915 St. Louis Browns and gave up one other home run that season, to White Sox first baseman Jack Fournier, who went on to lead the National League with 27 home runs in 1924, and also is part of Francisco Lindor’s home run chain, which we haven’t yet gotten to here. Maybe tomorrow?
We Can Pod It Out 148: Cry Baby Cry