Game 68 on the season in 1968 for the Astros had an interesting thing happen to Dick Simpson. He lead off the bottom of the first inning with a homerun, was later plunked and also later had an outfield assist. In advance of game 68 today we'll be looking at the other two players to accomplish this feat.
Before we get to them though lets dig a little deeper into Dick Simpson's feat. Simpson was leading off for the Astros and playing right field. The game was played June 23, 1968, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Woodie Fryman was the starting pitcher. The homerun, as I mentioned, came in the bottom of the first inning. The outfield assist came in the top of third inning when Roberto Pena was thrown out at third base trying to stretch a double into a triple. The plunking came in the fifth inning with Denny Lemaster standing on first.
The next time an Astros player hit a homerun, received a plunking and threw a runner out was less than a month later when Jimmy Wynn did it on July 7, 1968. In that game with two runners on in the first inning Wynn hit a homerun off Atlanta Braves starter Milt Pappas. In the bottom of the fourth inning with Larry Dierker on the mound and the bases loaded, Sonny Jackson of the Braves lifted a flyball to centerfield, Wynn caught the ball and threw out Clete Boyer at homeplate. Wynn was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth inning with no one on.
The third and most recent time a player accomplished this feet was April 18, 1999 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Carl Everett, hitting fifth and playing centerfield, in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the first inning was hit by a pitch with a runner on third base. In The top of the next inning, J.D. Drew singled to centerfield Shawon Dunston who had been on second base, was thrown out at home plate by Everett. The homerun came with Everett leading off the bottom of the eight inning.