Hessman Swinging for History-Making Home Run
July 27, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release
Crash Davis may have done it in the movie 'Bull Durham', but Mike Hessman is on the verge of setting an amazing historical baseball record in real life. Nearly twenty years after being drafted out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, Mike Hessman is one swing away from tying the all-time career home run mark in Minor League Baseball. His 431 career home runs in the U.S.-based affiliated minor league system are one shy of Buzz Arlett's record of 432.
Buzz Arlett spent 13 seasons with Oakland of the Pacific Coast League from 1918-1930, and played a total of 19 seasons in the minors, retiring in 1937. He spent one season in Major League Baseball, playing with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1931.
Hessman is already the all-time Mud Hens home run leader with 182 and is the International League career home run king with 286. He spent eight years in the Atlanta Braves organization before making his MLB debut on August 22, 2003. After signing a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers, Hessman helped the Mud Hens win back-to-back Governor's Cup Championships in 2005 and 2006. He played three more season with Toledo before joining the Mets organization in 2010.
After stints in Japan and with the Reds organization, Hessman returned to the Mud Hens in 2014, and broke the all-time International League mark on June 30, 2014 in Indianapolis.
Just like his fictional counterpart, Hessman has also "been to the show", hitting 14 Major League home runs over the course of five seasons with the Braves (2003-04), the Tigers (2007-08) and the Mets (2010).
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