From today's chat:

Drew (Philly): Hey Rob, What are your thoughts on Mark Teixera's shattered bat home run this weekend? Have you ever seen anything like that before?
Rob Neyer: He's definitely not the first to do it ... Surely some enterprising young fellow has culled the archives to find other examples, right? I have a vague memory of Bo Jackson...

I get so many questions and comments in the chats that it's impossible for me to see all of them while I'm actually chatting. Today, though, I did something I've never done before: Afterward, I went back and read through everything I'd missed ... and what a trove! Below, all the memories of other broken-bat homers ...
********

Kevin (San Diego): I remember Brian Downing of the Angels hitting a broken bat HR in the mid-80's. Also Damian Jackson at Enron Field, errr Minute Maid Park, albeit only 310 feet away...

guinness: Didn't Cliff Floyd do it, too?

Jason (Detroit): Marcus Thames hit a broken-bat homer, I think in 2007, though it could've been 2008, to LF at Comerica Park.

Brandon (NYC): Larry Walker hit a broken bat bomb in St. Louis once...

Mike (Akron): Frank Thomas shattered his bat on a home run in Chicago.

Johnny (Scranton, PA): Without looking it up, somehow the name Jack Howell comes to mind hitting a broken bat HR at the old Yankee Stadium. Might be wrong here.

Otis, D.C.: Jack Howell hit a broken bat home run against Dave Righetti years ago. 1987?

Frank (CT): Mo Vaughn hit a broken bat HR in Pawtucket back in the day. I recall them claiming it was the first time it was done in a professional ball game in a very long time (or perhaps ever) my memory is pretty hazy from that long ago.

Larry (Albany): I saw Mo Vaughn hit one out in the minors off the handle of the bat which then shattered ...

Matt (Chicago): Canseco definitely hit a shattered-bat HR.

Stack (NJ): I seem to remeber Canseco hitting a broken bat HR and mouthing, "What a joke" afterwards...

Rob (Boston): Rob, I remember a broken-bat home run Andruw Jones hit a few years ago (when he was good) thinking it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.

Colin (NY): Andruw Jones did it a few years back.

Bob (Wethersfield): I remember Andruw Jones hitting a broken bat HR a couple years ago.. when he was still hitting those.

Chris (CT): Bill Haselman hit a broken bat home run for the Red Sox sometime in the 90's, I believe.

Brad (Norfolk, NE): Shattered-bat home runs have been done before. I remember Bill Haselman doing it for the Red Sox back in '95 or '96. If he can do it, there's no reason Teixeira is that special for doing it.

*********

So we've got multiple memories of Jack Howell, Mo Vaughn, Jose Canseco, Andruw Jones, and Bill Haselman (!). As Brad in Norfolk suggests, while broken-bat home runs are rare, they're far from unprecedented and one hit by a big strong guy doesn't tell us anything truly interesting about him or his home ballpark.