In a dreamlike moment late Friday night at Houston's Daikin Park, Jeff Kurtz experienced a feeling like none he'd ever had before. It happened while watching his son do something no Major League Baseball rookie had ever done before.
Nick Kurtz, a 2021 graduate of Chattanooga's Baylor School, was rounding the bases in the ninth inning after hitting his fourth home run in the Athletics' 15-3 win over the host Astros as the 22-year-old's proud father watched in amazement — along with thousands of other fans in the ballpark and beyond as they marveled at one of the greatest offensive performances in baseball history.
"I was up all night reading posts, texts, emails, trying to come up with an answer to what I was feeling watching Nick accomplish history last night," Jeff Kurtz told the Times Free Press in a phone interview. "Numb and excited at the same time, if that's possible. Overwhelmed with emotion. That is what I remember feeling."
Beyond being the first rookie with four homers in a single game, Nick Kurtz was just mere inches away from being the first player in MLB history to hit five home runs in a single game, as the 6-foot-5, 240-pound left-hander hit a 380-foot double off the top of the wall in left-center field. That double would have been a home run in six other MLB ballparks.
Kurtz — a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania (the source of his "Big Amish" nickname) who helped Baylor's Red Raiders to a pair of TSSAA Division II-AAA state titles before going on to star at North Carolina's Wake Forest University — finished the game 6-for-6 (he was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle) with eight RBIs and six runs scored. He became the first player in MLB history to finish a game with six hits, six runs and eight RBIs, and his 19 total bases tied Shawn Green for the single-game record for total bases.
Nick and his father shared a big hug after the game, and Jeff told his son how proud he was of him in their quick five-minute interaction before the budding star moved on to do more media interviews before he could take a shower and leave the ballpark.
"It's hard to think about this day being kind of real; it still feels like a dream," Kurtz, the No. 4 pick of the 2024 draft, said on the A's postgame telecast. "So it's pretty remarkable. I'm kind of speechless. Don't really know what to say."
Kurtz, who has been starting at first base this season since being called up in late April but was in the lineup as the team's designated hitter Friday, became the 20th player in MLB history with four homers in a game, joining a list highlighted by multiple National Baseball Hall of Famers.
The four-homer club already included Bobby Lowe (1894), Ed Delahanty (1896), Lou Gehrig (1932), Chuck Klein (1936), Pat Seerey (1948), Gil Hodges (1950), Joe Adcock (1954), Rocky Colavito (1959), Willie Mays (1961), Mike Schmidt (1976), Bob Horner (1986), Mark Whiten (1993), Mike Cameron (2002), Green (2002), Carlos Delgado (2003), Josh Hamilton (2012), Scooter Gennett (2017), J.D. Martinez (2017) and Eugenio Suarez, who accomplished the feat earlier this season.
The big game only added to what was already a historic first MLB season for Kurtz. His 43 extra-base hits in his first 66 career games are the second most by a rookie, trailing only Joe DiMaggio's 48, and Kurtz passed Bob Meusel and Ted Williams, who are now tied for third with 42 each.
Kurtz has been scorching hot in July, and he went into Saturday batting .425 with a 1.576 on-base plus slugging percentage, 24 extra-base hits (11 home runs) and 27 RBIs in 19 games. He also had nine hits in his last 10 at-bats after Friday, after which he was hitting .305 with 23 home runs, 18 doubles, two triples and 59 RBIs for the season.
As Kurtz becomes more recognized throughout the baseball world — including his trademark extra-base hit celebration of churning butter, a tribute to his hometown and its large Amish population — he's also providing joy to some of those who helped him make it to the majors.
"I just explained to my son, I spent 20 years of my life working to maybe have a shot to play pro baseball," Baylor School baseball coach Greg Elie, who coached Nick in high school along with Mike Kinney, told the Times Free Press. "To watch one of your guys do things that all of us who played the game only dream of just can't be put into words. I am just so happy for him and his family. They are great people."
Kurtz is getting his chance to shine as part of a franchise that's on the move in more ways than one.
The A's are currently playing their home games at a minor league venue in West Sacramento, California, a temporary stop before their move to Las Vegas and a stadium under construction that's slated to open in 2028. It will be their fourth official city after previously playing in Philadelphia (1901-54), Kansas City (1955-67) and Oakland (1968-2024).
And while the A's entered Saturday just 44-62 this season and last in the American League West Division standings, Kurtz and other young teammates such as Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson are providing hope for a frustrated fan base whose club hasn't reached the World Series since a run of three in a row (with two titles) from 1988-90.
Kurtz has secured his spot in baseball folklore — a scorecard with his autograph and a bat from Friday night's game were headed to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York — but the soft-spoken superstar might just be getting started.
"Nick's approach and work ethic haven't changed," Jeff Kurtz said. "He realizes the adjustments and how big the jump is from AAA to the bigs. That was much different than expected. But to his deepest core, he wants to win, and so does this team. It's a great bond they share. And they are young for the most part, which bodes well for their transition to Las Vegas."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
Baylor School grad Nick Kurtz earns his place in baseball folklore | Chattanooga Times Free Press
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