Daniel Nava
Boston Red Sox (2010)
The bottom of the second inning of yesterday's game against the Red Sox was not a fun time for Phillies starter Joe Blanton. Former Phillies first round draft pick JD Drew led off the inning with a solo home run. This was followed by three consecutive singles hit by Adrian Beltre, Jason Varitek, and Darnell McDonald. This loaded the bases with no outs for the rookie Daniel Nava, who was making his first plate appearance in the big leagues. Nava belted the very first pitch he saw to deep right field for a grand slam.
In so doing, Nava became just the fourth player in the history of Major League Baseball to hit a grand slam in his first plate appearance. The first player to hit a grand slam in his first plate appearance was Phillies pitcher Bill Duggleby back in 1898. It took 107 years for it to happen again when Jeremy Hermida hit a grand slam in his first plate appearance in 2005. Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff accomplished the same feat in the following season, and is the only other player besides Nava on this short list to have hit a grand slam in the first pitch that he saw in a MLB game.
