Definition of the word grand slam

The term "grand slam" refers to an achievement in three different sports: baseball, lawn bowling, and contract bridge. However, in this context, we will focus on the origin of the term in baseball. The term "grand slam" originally referred to a culinary dish served at the luxurious Grand Hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York, during the late 19th century. This dish consisted of four selections, one of each type, served in a single course. The baseball term grand slam, meanwhile, is believed to have originated in the late 1800s. In those days, teams often played doubleheaders, two games back-to-back on the same day. If a batter hit a home run in the last inning of the second game, with runners on all three bases (called the "bases loaded"), he had not only hit a home run (a "four-bagger") but had also driven in all three runners, effectively "slamming" them all at once. The term "grand" was added to emphasize the magnitude of the accomplishment. The baseball grand slam, however, is notorious for its rarity, as it requires a specific set of circumstances to occur. As such, batters who hit grand slams are often celebrated as heroes, as they have achieved a rare and exciting feat.