Even Shohei Ohtani Cannot Challenge This Batting Mark By ‘The Babe’

BusinessSportsMoneyEven Shohei Ohtani Cannot Challenge This Batting Mark By ‘The Babe’ByChuck Murr,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Chuck analyzes and writes about baseball, soccer & other sports.Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 11:59pm EDTJun 10, 2026, 12:02am EDTTOKYO: American baseball legend Babe Ruth hits his first home run during his 1934 tour of Japan at Miji Shrine Stadium. (Photo by New York Times Co./Getty Images)Getty ImagesBaseball players have taken aim at many batting achievements by “The Babe”. There’s one bizarre feat that may live forever.Current stars Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge will never get a chance. Hall of Famers Henry Aaron, Jim Thome and Ted Williams, legendary sluggers Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Roger Maris – along with just about everybody in MLB history never came close.Even Babe Ruth had no shot at the nondescript exploit. That’s because George Herman (Babe) Ruth did not do it. Journeyman George Werner Birrer did – and earned the nickname “Babe” because of it.On July 19, 1955, Birrer accumulated all two of his career home runs and all six of his career RBI in one game. Nobody before or since has had such an unexpected one-day outburst and then zilch at the plate.Such odd occurrences are the very essence of baseball. For every fabulous feat, there’s an interestingly zany one.The right-hander, 25 at the time, also got one quarter of his four career saves after replacing Frank Lary of the Detroit Tigers against the Baltimore Orioles at Briggs Stadium that day. He came on with a 5-3 lead, runners on second and third and nobody out in the top of the sixth inning. The Tigers won, 12-3, thanks to his shutout pitching and standout hitting.In the bottom of the sixth, the rookie got his second career hit in his eighth at bat – a three-run home run off Orioles reliever George Zuverink. In the eighth, he hiked his career average to .333 (3-for-9) with a three-run shot off Art Scha...