A great game, naturally

Seven years before homering to lift the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros in the pivotal Game 3 of the 2005 World Series, Geoff Blum is trying to revive his then-foundering career with the Montreal Expos’ Class AA affiliate on Harrisburg's City Island.

The highlight of that revival comes 26 years ago today on the island, where Blum hits for the ultra-rare natural cycle – a single, followed in order by double, triple and homer – in only four plate appearances during a 3-2 victory over New Haven before a Thursday night crowd of 6,126.

And, yes, Blum is swinging for a home run in the seventh inning, when he drives a 2-1 fastball from reliever Heath Bost over the wall in right-center and snaps a 2-2 tie.

“To be honest with you, yeah, I was,” Blum says after the game. “I was thinking he didn’t want to fall behind 3-1 and have to throw a fastball. I was thinking he would want to throw a fastball for a strike. I got lucky and guessed right.”

After the game, Blum’s bat goes to Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame before returning to Harrisburg a few months later.

The following summer the bat sells in the team’s annual charity auction.

Now, just how rare is Blum’s feat?

Consider this: Of the 14 “natural cycles” in major league history, only one – in 2000 by Blum’s onetime Montreal Expos teammate, Brad Wilkerson – comes in only four plate appearances, as Blum’s did for Harrisburg in 1998.

As for Blum, he goes on to a solid 14-year career in the majors from 1999-2012.