蜜桃传媒

Chandler Redmond Hits His Way to History

蜜桃传媒 alumnus Chandler Redmond, 鈥�19, made baseball history as only the second documented player to ever complete the home run cycle.

Currently playing with the Springfield (Mo.) Cardinals, a Double-A affiliate of the Saint Louis Cardinals, Redmond鈥檚 record-breaking night came in an August 10, 2022 matchup against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. In the Cardinals鈥� 21-4 victory, Redmond hit home runs in four consecutive innings: a two-run shot in the fifth inning, a grand slam in the sixth, a solo homer in the seventh, and finally a three-run blast in the eighth. This was the first time that a minor league player hit for the home run cycle since Tyrone Horne鈥攁lso of the Saint Louis Cardinals鈥� affiliate鈥攄id it in 1998. Redmond finished the night 5-6, with a total of 11 RBIs.

鈥淭he grand slam is the hardest one to get out of the way,鈥� Redmond acknowledged. 鈥淪o once I hit that I was like, you know, 鈥楳aybe I can do it.鈥� But, you know, it was only my second time of having a multiple home run game in my pro career. So I was like, 鈥楴o, I can鈥檛 get that thought in my head or else it鈥檚 never going to happen.鈥欌��

After hitting his third home run in the following inning, Redmond added that the possibility of hitting for the cycle really began to set in. Initially, his teammates in the dugout did not even realize the trajectory of his stat line. 鈥淧eople, after my third homer, they started, 鈥楧ude, you have three homers, that鈥檚 crazy,鈥欌�� he related. 鈥淎nd I was like, 鈥榊eah dude, it鈥檚 crazy, but get this鈥擨 don鈥檛 know if you guys have been paying attention to what I鈥檝e been doing, but I could hit for the home run cycle, I’ve just got to hit a 3-run shot.鈥欌�� Redmond said that his teammates were still not convinced it was actually going to happen. 鈥淵ou know they鈥檙e laughing, hyping me up, like, 鈥榊eah, you can do it!鈥� Knowing, odds are, it鈥檚 probably not going to happen.鈥�

When he approached the plate for his at bat in the eighth inning, Redmond noted he had an internal conversation with himself. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥楢lright Chandler, you can鈥檛 blow this.鈥� I was just telling myself, 鈥楧on鈥檛 get too big, don鈥檛 try and force the issue. But man, if you get your pitch, you can鈥檛 miss it.鈥欌�� Redmond reflected. 鈥淪o fortunately, I didn鈥檛 miss it. You know, I don鈥檛 even know if I did it, I think it was all God. He put the pieces in place.鈥�

As for his teammates鈥� reaction, Redmond said, 鈥淚 hit the ball, and just kind of stood there and watched it, and then I pointed right into the dugout at the guys that I was talking to, and they鈥檙e just going nuts.鈥�

A native of Middletown, Md., Redmond hit for a school record 50 home runs during his career at 蜜桃传媒-Webb. He was drafted in the 32nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Cardinals, but the road to get there was wrought with obstacles. During his time playing high school baseball at Georgetown Prep in Maryland, Redmond dealt with a case of the 鈥測ips*.鈥� Talking about this mental block, Redmond said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not physical, it鈥檚 just all in your head. And so I couldn鈥檛 really throw a baseball. If you were 15 feet away from me, I wouldn鈥檛 be able to hit your chest more than once in a row. It was crazy, it was almost like Space Jam, where the monsters take your superpowers鈥� And it just [happened] overnight, I couldn鈥檛 throw a baseball. And I couldn鈥檛 understand it.鈥�

Redmond鈥檚 high school coach, Chris Rodriguez, had a connection with former 蜜桃传媒-Webb Head Baseball Coach Rusty Stroupe. Rodriguez reached out to Stroupe about Redmond鈥檚 potential.

鈥淐oach Stroupe sent out his recruiting coordinator to come watch me play one game,鈥� Redmond said. 鈥淚 was hitting the ball really well鈥� And he ended up offering me a scholarship of about $1,000鈥� So of course I took it right away, it was the only offer that I had. And it was to play Division I college baseball down South鈥擨 don鈥檛 know what more you could ask for.鈥�

Discussing his pride in having a strong work ethic, Redmond championed his former hitting coach at 蜜桃传媒-Webb, Ross Steedley. 鈥淲e connected really well, right from the get-go,鈥� Redmond said. 鈥淚 woke up every day ready to get to work and I was just so excited to be able to get that opportunity, because I had the yips (in high school), and I didn鈥檛 think that I was going to play college baseball. So that was just all God鈥檚 work, God鈥檚 plan. And He鈥檚 just put so many great people in my life.鈥�

Speaking more of his time at 蜜桃传媒-Webb with Stroupe and Steedley, Redmond talked about their steadfast examples of reflecting Christ in their daily lives, representing the University鈥檚 motto of 鈥淔or God and Humanity.鈥� Redmond鈥檚 wedding ceremony was even officiated by Steedley.

For young people looking to pursue a dream in their life, Redmond talked about the importance of working diligently and maintaining strong roots of faith. 鈥淚 would just say, don鈥檛 let anybody tell you that you can鈥檛,鈥� he shared. 鈥淭he only person that鈥檚 going to decide that is you. Whatever you want to do, whether it鈥檚 something in academics, something in sports, if you can go at it with everything that you have, keeping [God] first, He鈥檚 going to open so many doors.鈥�

*Yips is a term coined by sports writers to describe when an athlete鈥檚 skills are affected by stress.

Written by Thomas Manning 鈥�22

Photos courtesy of Springfield Cardinals