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Of course, there's another reason to celebrate Gennett this week. Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of his record-breaking performance against the St. Louis Cardinals. On June 6, 2017, he became the first Red to hit four home runs in a game and the 17th player in baseball history to do so. He became the first player in baseball history to record five hits, four home runs and 10 RBIs in a game.
It’s a feat that will mean more to Gennett later in his career or when he retires. It’s hard for him to celebrate the achievement with the Reds in last place.
A group of reporters approached Gennett on Tuesday to remind him of the anniversary.
“Oh wow, is that today?” Gennett asked. “Tomorrow? Man.”
“Do you have four more in you?”
“I don’t know,” Gennett said. “My expectations are low. I’ll say that. No, it’s cool and stuff but …”
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Fans remind Gennett of the home runs, and although he showed plenty of power all of last season and leads the Reds with 12 home runs this season, he said, “It’s not me. I just try to hit the ball hard.”
The Reds entered the opener of a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday with a record of 21-39. They were 27-30 last season after Gennett’s four home run game and then won their next two games, briefly moving within two games of first place. Since then, they are 43 games under .500 (60-103).
That takes away some of the pleasure from the anniversary.
“Those are all just personal-type achievements, which are cool and stuff but more for family and friends to brag about with their buddies,” Gennett said. “For me and a lot of guys, it’s not what’s important. It’s about winning ballgames.”
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