On April 13, 2009, the Chicago White Sox played the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit.
2005 World Series MVP first baseman Jermaine Dye and first baseman Paul Konerko both came into the game sitting on 299 career home runs, slotted in at the fifth and sixth spots in the lineup behind Jim Thome.
In the second inning, Dye reached the 300 career home room plateau on a 2-1 pitch with a blast to left center field. But Dye only held the bragging rights over his teammate for a meager eight pitches. Konerko took Tigers pitcher Zach Miner deep to left field on a 3-2 count for his 300th blast in the next at-bat.
𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟑, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟗
Jermaine Dye & Paul Konerko go back-to-back, both hitting career HR #300! pic.twitter.com/3HQCd2QLFr
— This Day in Chicago Sports (@ChiSportsDay) April 13, 2020
After the game, Konerko told reporters that his teammates had begun to hint at starting a pool to wager on the possibility that he, Dye, or both could go another day without achieving the milestone.
“I’m proud of it and I’m sure Jermaine is as well,” Konerko told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s even more amazing that it was back-to-back. And it was great it came in winning fashion. You can enjoy it more. It’s a cool thing. You’re in the dugout reflecting for a few minutes and then you look over at Jim [Thome] and say, ‘Let’s go play defense.'”
Thome himself at the time had 543 career homers but later finished his Hall of Fame career with 612. Dye and Konerko enjoyed the spotlight nonetheless, and the White Sox pulled out the 10-6 win.
That was the first time two teammates reached the milestone of 300 homers or more in the same game. Furthermore, it was the first time a pair of teammates reached a home run milestone of a century mark.
11 years later, it’s still one of the most memorable moments in recent franchise history.
At the time, opposing pitchers were facing a lineup whose four through six hitters had over 1,100 career round-trippers; it had to be intimidating. Of course, for fans of the team that played on the Southside of Chicago, this legendary milestone was pretty exciting.
