Diamondbacks’ Jay Bell once won a fan $1 million by hitting a grand slam
On Sunday 11 July 1999, the Hoyle family of Chandler, Arizona, ventured to their first ever baseball game. Gylene Hoyle, a 31-year-old child care provider, and Clayton Hoyle, a drill rig operator, took their children – Colleen, eight, and Clayton II, seven – to watch the hometown Arizona Diamondbacks take on the Oakland Athletics. The kids were particularly excited; the parents, eager to enjoy respite from their paycheck-to-paycheck grind.
Indeed, the Hoyle family budget rarely swelled to include such indulgences as Major League Baseball, but Gylene won Diamondbacks tickets on a whim while listening to The Tim & Willy Show on KNIX, a Phoenix country radio station. Gylene was intrigued by the contest, in which morning show hosts Tim Hattrick and Willy Loon offered their 300,000 listeners the chance to see a free ballgame. Gylene entered the contest and won the subsequent prize draw, scoring a Sunday trip to the ballpark.
In addition to neat seats behind the Diamondbacks’ dugout, the KNIX prize came with another subtle quirk: the scant chance to win $1 million by selecting a Diamondbacks player to hit a grand slam in a specific inning. The contest was underwritten by Bob Hamman of SCA Promotions, which insured eye-popping jackpots and banked on the overwhelming odds of entrants failing to win unlikely prizes.
Effectively a professional hedge better, Hamann sold his $1 million grand slam scheme to Shamrock Farms, a Tucson dairy producer, for a lump sum – perhaps $100,000, based on precedent campaigns. Shamrock then partnered with the Diamondbacks, who pitched in free tickets, and KNIX, which ran the Grand Slam Sundae contest – a cheesy play on words.
SCA received a big payday for taking on a minute risk; Shamrock Farms benefited from great name recognition throughout the baseball season; KNIX had a fun segment to fill airtime; and the Diamondbacks became synonymous with a unique contest that captivated fans. Everybody was a winner, so long as nobody picked a winner each time the Diamondbacks played at home on a Sunday.
Gylene Hoyle did not fancy her chances of upsetting that applecart. A baseball novice, she asked relatives for tips on the Diamondbacks’ best hitter, and chose Jay Bell – a modest second baseman enjoying a career year – thanks to their advice. Gylene’s husband, Clayton, randomly suggested the sixth inning. And so, the Hoyles’ pick was set: if Jay Bell hit a grand slam in the sixth inning of that Sunday game against Oakland, Gylene would win $1 million. It was so unlikely, the family considered it a mere afterthought to their pleasant day at the yard.
Nevertheless, before the game, Bell was informed Hoyle picked him in the grand slam contest. Per competition formalities, Gylene then met Bell in the dugout during batting practice, wearing a purple and teal Diamondbacks jersey with Shamrock Farms and #99 emblazoned on the back. Gylene then settled in to enjoy the ballgame with her husband and kids. Little did they know, their lives were about to change forever.
Through five innings, Oakland eked a 3-2 lead over Arizona. Bell led-off in that fifth inning, flying out to right field, and the chances of him appearing again in the sixth – Hoyle’s fateful frame – were greatly diminished when Luis Gonzalez and Matt Williams were retired in order. Indeed, Bell was due up seventh in the sixth, meaning at least four Diamondbacks would have to reach base and avoid double plays to even give Bell a plate appearance in the inning.
That seemed highly unlikely, and Hoyle all but dismissed her chances of winning the $1 million prize. But Steve Finley led off the home sixth with a double off Oakland pitcher Jimmy Haynes. A Travis Lee groundout moved Finley to third, from whence he scored on a David Dellucci double. Damian Miller subsequently walked, before Diamondbacks pitcher Omar Daal laid down a sacrifice bunt. That brought leadoff man Tony Womack to the dish with two on and two out. Bell lurked on-deck, a glimmer of hope presenting itself. Tiring, Haynes walked Womack on four pitches, loading the bases, ripping the roof off Bank One Ballpark, and setting the stage for Bell.
As the bespectacled Bell traipsed to the plate – 0-for-12 in the series against Oakland – those in attendance sensed magic. An expectant crowd of 36,632 found its collective voice, clapping rhythmically as Bell worked the count to three balls and one strike – prime fastball territory. As undulating waves of encouragement buzzed through the stadium, playoff-like in volume, Bell then fouled off two pitches, adding to the suspense.
Legs shaking from the pressure, Bell stepped out of the batters’ box before settling back in to await another delivery. Haynes came set and dealt a fastball up and out over the plate – eminently hittable. Ready to pounce, Bell unleashed a rapier-like swing and jerked the baseball high to left field. Bedlam engulfed the sunbathed stadium as Bell’s ball soared a majestic parabola and landed five rows back in left field, way beyond the wall, for a fairytale grand slam. “I had my eyes closed at that point,” Gylene Hoyle told the Associated Press. “I didn’t actually know he’d hit the home run until everyone around me started yelling.”
Typically reserved and unassuming, Bell gave a rare display of emotion while rounding the bases, pumping his fist and hollering into the vapid afternoon air. Upon returning to the dugout, Bell was mobbed by joyous teammates – one of whom, Finley, said ‘You just won that lady a million dollars!’ in a wholesome moment caught by television cameras.
Hoyle was swiftly whisked away from her box seat to sign legal documents. She opted for a lump sum instead of instalments, per AZ Central, and was given a huge mock cheque in celebration. The Hoyles embarked on an impromptu press tour, visiting the Diamondbacks’ television and radio broadcast booths, then spent time with Bell, their all-conquering hero, outside the home clubhouse and on the field following a 7-4 Arizona win.
“I was probably more excited about a home run than I ever have been,” Bell later told Murray Chass of the New York Times. “I was excited that this lady won a million dollars. You don’t expect to come up in that situation in the first place, but to be able to come through was truly unbelievable.”
On the other side, Jimmy Haynes offered a wry smile when asked about his role in one of baseball’s most enchanting home runs. “Where’s my share?,” he asked. “Maybe I had greater powers working against me today.” To wit, Haynes earned $9.3 million in his major league career, pitching 1,200.2 innings over 10 seasons for four teams. He earned Gylene Hoyle almost 10% of those career earnings with one singular pitch.
The first thing Hoyle bought with her winnings was a new car so she could take her children to school in comfort. The family also bought 200 acres of land; enjoyed a visit to Disneyland; and placed significant sums into savings and investments. Neither Gylene nor Clayton quit their respective jobs, but fresh financial freedom allowed them to change careers – away from mere wage-paying banality, towards vocations aligned with their passions.
In 2009, to mark the 10-year anniversary of his improbable grand slam, Jay Bell surprised the Hoyles at their renovated family home in Chandler, Arizona. Fox Sports Arizona arranged the reunion, which caught Gylene and Clayton entirely unaware. While re-watching the iconic home run in the Hoyles’ living room, Bell – by then retired – said he was even asked about the moment while travelling in Germany. Such was the resonance of that spellbinding swing.
To that end, Bell has repeatedly called the $1 million grand slam the highlight of his career, which is understandable yet remarkable when considering his other notable achievements. Bell was the first player ever signed by the Diamondbacks in 1997, and he scored the winning run for them in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series – a contender for the greatest Fall Classic of all-time – in the emotional wake of 9/11, with Mariano Rivera on the mound for the vaunted New York Yankees. Yet making Gylene Hoyle a millionaire was his favourite memory of all.
Finally, on the aforementioned Fox Arizona retrospective, statistician Joseph Hilbre quoted the odds of Bell hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning of that game – based on his career history – at 1-in-1,413, or 0.07%. However, that does not even account for the odds of Gylene Hoyle winning the initial KNIX contest – 1-in-300,000, or 0.0003%, based on average The Tim & Willy Show listenership. Not bad for a baseball beginner, then, huh? Maybe the Diamondbacks should have Hoyle write out their lineup card.