There’s something terrible appropriate about the Jays all time record for hits in a single game not to rest with one of the team’s storied sluggers like Carlos Delgado, Vernon Wells, or Jose Bautista. Instead, it belongs to a complimentary piece picked up as a free agent in the 2002-2003 off-season. Frank ‘The Cat’ Catalanotto has started his career with the Tigers as an infielder playing multiple positions. Once acquired by Texas, he was used as a super-utility man, shifting between the infield, outfield, and oddly, designated hitter due to his ability to get on base at a high rate. By the time the Jays signed him in 2003, he was primarily either in the outfield or DH, with the occasional turn at first mixed in. Over the next four years with Toronto, Catalanotto maintained a solid 109 OPS+ and saw a lot of time hitting second.
Following the 2003 season, in which the Jays put up an 86-76 record (although finished 15 games out of first between two dynasty teams in the Red Sox and the Yankees, there was a lot of hope going into the 2004 season that the Jays could build on the previous season’s success and make a solid run. However, the team was awful out of the gate, going 8-16 to start the season. Across the board, the Jays offense was down significantly, and despite their pitching overperforming, the Jays were largely out of the race by June.
On May 1st, the Jays were in Chicago to face the Chicago White Sox. The Jays had lefty Ted Lilly on the mound against the hapless Dan Wright, who lasted just three innings, giving up six earned runs in what would turn out to be his final MLB appearance. Catalanotto was playing left field and batting second, which was usual, behind Howie Clark. Clark was a not very good utility player that managed three seasons as a bench player for the Jays, most notably being involved in the Alex Rodriguez ‘ha’ moment. On May 30, 2007, with A-Rod on first, Posada lifted a two-out pop-fly to the left side of the infield. Clark got under it but a shout from A-Rod – Clark claimed he yelled ‘got it’, Rodriguez claimed he yelled ‘ha’ – caused Clark to peel off thinking shortstop John MacDonald had called for it. The ball dropped and Rodriguez scored.
In the first, Catalanotto laced a single up the middle. Although Vernon Wells walked following him, both were stranded. In the second, the Jays put three runs on the board thanks to home runs by Eric Hinske and Orlando Hudson. Catalanotto singled into right and again went to second on a Wells’ walk but were both stranded again. In the fourth, Chris Woodward singled and Clark walked to bring up the Cat. Frank rifled another ball up the middle to score Woodward. He’d score his first run on a fielder’s choice by Josh Phelps to make it 6-2.
The White Sox pulled the score close with a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth. In the fifth, Catalanotto was us again, now facing Jon Adkins. With Woodward on second with two out, he again hit a ball up the middle to plate another run. In the top of the seventh, Catalanotto hit a double, and was singled home by Carlos Delgado. The Jays added two more with a Hinske sacrifice fly and a Zaun single. In the eighth, Catalanotto came up for the last time, singling to left centre with two outs but was stranded with a Wells strike out. Catalanotto finished the game 6-6, with two runs and two RBIs. The Jays won the game 10-6.
While his six hits falls short of the regular game record of seven, set by Wilbert Robinson with the Baltimore Orioles in 1895 and Rennie Stennett with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975, 2004 was the most common year for any player to hit six hits in a regular 9 inning games. Catalanotto was first, but four other players would also hit the milestone that year: Carlos Pena, Raúl Ibañez, Joe Randa, and Omar Vizquel. In what would be an utter forgettable season by the Jays in 2004, the Cat provided a little highlight night during a rough stretch early in the year.