Watch: Mike Hessman sets minor-league home run record
Mike Hessman broke the minor-league home run record in style.
In the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and one out, the 37-year-old Hessman turned on a 2-0 pitch and sent the ball well over the wall in left field to give his Toledo Mud Hens an 8-6 lead over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Monday night.
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It was Hessman’s 433rd minor league home run, passing Buzz Arlett for first on the all-time list in major-league affiliated ball. Before Hessman’s big swing, Arlett had held top spot for 79 years.
Hessman told MiLB.com that while he never kept track of his home run total, he’ll remember the record-breaker fondly:
“I just enjoyed the pursuit of it all and everything that’s taken place,” he said. “I’ve never looked at it, what else is out there, but this is probably the most special one for me. And then I just [want to] try to go out there and still have fun and play the game hard.”
Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1996, Hessman played 109 games in the majors – most recently in 2010 with the New York Mets – and hit 14 home runs.
But it’s in the minors where he really left his mark. This is his 19th season overall, seventh with Toledo, and he’s played over 2,000 games, mostly as a corner infielder. Yep, the comparisons to Crash Davis of the classic baseball flick Bull Durham have been made before.
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Now that he’s got the home run record, what’s next for Hessman? He’s leaning toward retiring as a player after this season, but he doesn’t expect to be away from baseball for long. Hessman has his sights set on a coaching gig in the near future and given his experience, he’ll be a great guy to have around young players to show them what it takes to be a professional. At the very least he should be able to give them a crash course in cliches.
The Stew applauds Hessman for his accomplishment.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
