Perfecting the S.L.A.M. method of v-Club induction

None of the three inductees to the v16 Club were prodigious home run hitters. Preston Ward only had fifty in his career. Honorary v18 member Dale Long hit long home runs but similarly lacked quantity. Joe Adcock is the first club member to maximize his quality AND quantity. His 336 home runs rank 111th all-time1 and history notes many occasions when he hit home runs to places that were unmatched. With this power bat, Adcock progressed through his career using what we’ll call the S.L.A.M. method.

S – Start in Cincinnati

Joe Adcock was signed by the Cincinnati Reds in the spring of 1947 out of Louisiana State University. His collegiate career described a prototypical power hitting first baseman who was effective with the glove. Adcock spent three years in the Reds’ minor league system before getting the call before the 1950 season.

As adept and capable as Adcock was with the bat and glove, the Reds already had another adept and capable first baseman in Ted Kluszewski. The Reds chose to move Adcock to the outfield where he would share space with a another permanently installed teammate, the left-field terrace in Crosley Field. The outfield feature had allegedly ended Babe Ruth’s career and left surest of fielders Willie Mays flat on his back. Adcock co-existed with the terrace enough to hit eight home runs in his rookie campaign which included five ledgers.

LEDGER ONE: July 5, 1950 at St. Louis Cardinals

LEDGER TWO: July 16, 1950 (Game 2) vs New York Giants

LEDGER THREE: August 14, 1950 at Pittsburgh Pirates

LEDGER FOUR: September 9, 1950 (Game 2) vs Chicago Cubs

LEDGER FIVE: September 14, 1950 (Game 1) at Brooklyn Dodgers

His fifth ledger was hit off Erv Palica who will make a cameo later in this profile and also go on to allow v16 Club member Earl Torgeson’s fourteenth ledger six years later.

Adcock’s 1951 season was spent in left field again but was beset with injuries. Even with a bum knee and ankle, Adcock smacked ten more home runs including the two he needed to max out.

LEDGER SIX: May 1, 1951 at Philadelphia Phillies

LEDGER SEVEN: July 14, 1951 at Boston Braves

His ledger against the Braves proved quite important. He would only have 48 more plate appearances and no more home runs against them in his career despite staying with the Reds for the 1952 season. But by the end of 1952, Adcock had had it with injuries, had had it with manager Rogers Hornsby, and had had it with the terrace2. He wanted to play first base, but he couldn’t play with enough consistency to ouster Kluszewski from the position. It was time to pack his bags and head to Boston. No, scratch that. A month after the trade (which included the aforementioned Earl Torgeson being sent to Philadelphia) the Braves organization announced its move to Milwaukee.

L – Live Large in Milwaukee

Adcock cleared his ledger of all National League teams by June, hitting one against the Redlegs back at Crosley Field. Sadly, if he hit it over the terrace as a final retribution has been lost to history.

LEDGER EIGHT: June 30, 1953 at Cincinnati Redlegs

Adcock installed himself as another important slugger on the Braves alongside Eddie Matthews and Hank Aaron. But we’ve entered into the ledger doldrums. Any home run Adcock would over the next eight years was inconsequential to the ledger. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t address five home runs and two doubles.

On July 31, 1954, Adcock became only the seventh player in major league history to belt four home runs in the same game (one of them off the aforementioned Erv Palica). He added a double that day to tally eighteen total bases, a record that wouldn’t be broken until 2002 by another v-Club member, Shawn Green.

On May 26, 1959, Adcock hit a ball high and deep over the right field fence in Milwaukee to break up Harvey Haddix’s no-hitter bid in the thirteenth inning (which earlier that inning was a perfect game bid). Because Adcock passed Hank Aaron on the bases on his way home, he was only credited with a double.

Finally on June 8, 1961, Adcock followed Eddie Matthews and Hank Aaron home runs with one of his own. Three consecutive home runs had only been accomplished a handful of times prior. But then Frank Thomas made it one for the record books with another round tripper to set the record at four.

In addition to these highlights, Adcock was hitting massive bombs. Legendary home runs are recorded at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia, the Polo Grounds in New York, and Forbes Field in Pittsburgh where the ball went to places never before seen.

But with the highlights came low lights too. Adcock lost valuable playing time due to injury after injury. He once again found himself playing the outfield and not his well-defended first base. But when he played his power remained steady.

The New York Mets and Houston Colt .45s joined the NL in 1962 as the league’s first expansion teams. Adcock’s knee and time in Milwaukee were growing both perilously close to an end but the ledger machine can wait for no man.

LEDGER NINE: June 20, 1962 (Game 1) at New York Mets

LEDGER TEN: August 1, 1962 vs Houston Colt .45s

Once again, Adcock had maxed out the National League, but was there anything left in the tank if he somehow made it to the American League?

A – Add Some Homers in Cleveland

The Braves dealt Adcock to the Indians in a move that made him the second oldest player for Cleveland3. Injuries continued to afflict Adcock who was splitting time at first base with Fred Whitfield. But he still managed thirteen home runs in 1963 which included seven efficient ledgers before the end of June.

LEDGER ELEVEN: May 1, 1963 at Kansas City Athletics

LEDGER TWELVE: May 5, 1963 at California Angels

LEDGER THIRTEEN: May 19, 1963 (Game 2) vs Minnesota Twins

LEDGER FOURTEEN: June 2, 1963 (Game 1) vs New York Yankees

LEDGER FIFTEEN: June 4, 1963 vs Detroit Tigers

LEDGER SIXTEEN: June 10, 1963 at Baltimore Orioles

LEDGER SEVENTEEN: June 26, 1963 at Boston Red Sox

Adcock then added one more in September.

LEDGER EIGHTEEN: September 2, 1963 (Game 1) vs Washington Senators

As 1963 drew to a close, so did Adcock’s time with the Indians. He was going to get a final shot with the Angels

M – Make the Club in Los Angeles

Still needing home runs against the White Sox and his former team, Adcock went to work.

LEDGER NINETEEN: June 11, 1963 at Cleveland Indians

LEDGER TWENTY: July 11, 1964 vs Chicago White Sox

And just like that, Adcock became the first member of the v20 Club. Remarkably, he would play for two more seasons with the Angels before hanging it up at the end of 1966. Even to the end, Adcock was launching bombs in the newly built hitter-friendly Anaheim Stadium.

As mentioned in the intro, Joe Adcock was the first true slugger to join the club which made for an interesting phenomenon – his ledgers just aren’t very interesting. The bulk of them came very early and very late in his career. His most noteworthy home runs came in the middle, far removed from being ledgers. But he still shares commonalities with fellow club members – lots of injuries, persevering through struggles, playing in the shadow of other greats, and never quite making it to the pinnacle of greatness.