Unassisted Triple Play Doesn't Happen Every Day
ALSO: A NO-HITTER IS NEVER PREDICTABLE, NOT ALWAYS LASTING
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Miguel Cabrera gas joined Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols as the only players with at least 3000 hits, 600 doubles, and 500 homers . . .
Chris Sale, Boston’s oft-injured ace lefty, had his 2022 return delayed again by a “personal medical issue” the team says is not Covid-related. Since 2018, he’s had shoulder and elbow problems, Tommy John surgery, and a rib cage injury . . .
Although Alex Rodriguez didn’t homer until the 34th game of his career, nephew Joe Dunand, an infielder with Miami, connected in his first at-bat — joining Jeremia Hermida and Mitch Lyden as Marlins who did that . . .
The mother of rookie White Sox third baseman Jake Burger was inducted into the University of Evansville’s athletic Hall of Fame as a tennis player . . .
Great to see brothers Willson and Williams Contreras exchange lineup cards before a Cubs-Braves game at Truist Park, then play against each other in the majors for the first time . . .
Texas pitcher Jon Gray is one of four Cherokees in the majors, along with Ryan Helsley (Cardinals), Dylan Bundy (Twins), and Adrian Houser (Brewers).
Leading Off
Unassisted Triple Play Is More Rare Than a Total Eclipse
By Andrew Sharp
Triple plays are unusual, but not rare. Most seasons have more than one. The Rangers, for example, turned a triple play on April 20 this year. What is rare — and probably the most unusual fielding play of all — is the unassisted triple play.
Decades can pass without one. Yet they happen in a flash. Too bad if you were at the concession stand.
The last unassisted triple play, just the 15th ever, was turned by Eric Bruntlett of the Phillies on August 20, 2009, a hundred years after the first one. The situation was the same as it has been for the other 14 unassisted triple plays in the major-league history*: Runners on first and second are moving on the pitch. The batter hits a line drive to an infielder -- in all but two cases, the shortstop (eight times) or second baseman (five). Two first basemen have made unassisted triple plays, both times their momentum and speed getting them to second base for the third out before the returning base runner.
The unassisted triple play on May 31, 1927 by first baseman Johnny Neun snuffed out Cleveland’s rally and ended the game, securing Detroit’s 1-0 win. That was the last time a first baseman made one, the last triple play for 41 seasons.
Amazingly, thanks to Neun, baseball had unassisted triple plays on consecutive days. Jimmy Cooney of the Cubs had turned one on May 30 against the Pirates.
After Neun in 1927, it would be July 30, 1968, in Cleveland before another unassisted triple play was made. Senators’ shortstop Ron Hansen turned the trick against the Indians on a first-inning line drive by Joe Azcue. Hansen’s play didn’t help. Cleveland beat Washington 10-1. He was charged with an error later in the game.
Bruntlett’s was the second unassisted triple play to end a game. The Mets had the tying runs on base (both had reached on errors) when Jeff Francoeur lined to second baseman Bruntlett. He stepped on second and tagged the approaching runner. The Phils won, 9-7. That was the same score two years earlier when Troy Tulowitzki turned an unassisted triple play in Colorado’s win over Atlanta.
Three players have made unassisted triple plays in games their teams won by a single run. Clearly, those rally killers were meaningful.
The 2000s had five unassisted triple plays, but we’re now in the 13th season since the last one. There were six unassisted triple plays in the 1920s, one of them coming in the 1920 World Series.
After Hansen’s in 1968, another 24 years passed until the next unassisted triple play. That came on September 20, 1992 by Mickey Morandini of the Phillies against the Pirates. So for more than 60 years, only one player recorded three outs single-handedly on one batted ball.
Teams whose players have turned unassisted triple plays have won seven times and lost eight, but most of the games were close. The 1968 loss by the Senators and the 1920 World Series loss by the Brooklyn Robins, 8-1 to Cleveland, were the only games that were not.
From May 1927 to September 1992 – nearly 66 seasons -- just one unassisted triple play was turned. Don’t place any bets about when the next one will happen.
* The only credited “unassisted” triple play prior to 1900 required a throw for the third out. Research on such plays in Negro league games is ongoing.
Andrew Sharp is a retired journalist and a SABR member who blogs about D.C. baseball at washingtonbaseballhistory.com
Cleaning Up
A No-Hitter Isn’t Always a No-Hitter
By Dan Schlossberg
Harvey Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings but lost in the 13th. Six years later, Jim Maloney pitched 10 hitless frames before yielding a solo homer to the leadoff man in the 11th. Then Pedro Martinez threw nine perfect innings before the first batter up in the 10th smacked a double.
None of those games counted as official no-hitters thanks to a “clarification” handed down in 1991.
Officially, Major League Baseball recognizes 317 no-hitters, including two thrown this year and 43 pitched before the advent of the Modern Era in 1901.
Actually, there were many more.
Just last year, when MLB recognized a record nine no-hit games, there were two more that occurred in legally-sanctioned games limited to seven innings because they were part of double-headers. That rule is gone but so is Madison Bumgarner’s only hitless game. He got credit for a shutout and complete game but not a no-hitter. Ridiculous.
The first no-hitter of this season was a five-pitcher effort started by Tylor Megill of the New York Mets against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 29, 2022. Then Reid Ditmers, a rookie lefty wearing the livery of the Los Angeles Angels, pitched a solo hitless game against the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this week.
After the rules regarding no-hitters were tightened in 1991, games that featured hits in extra innings or were shortened by rain, darkness, rules changes, or train schedules were no longer considered official hitless games. Pitchers who worked less than nine innings were also removed from the no-hitter list (sorry, Andy Hawkins).
Five men threw no-hitters and lost. Four others, including the still-active Max Scherzer, hurled two no-hitters in one season. But only one — Hall of Famer Ray Halladay — threw no-hiters in both the regular season and post-season play.
In 1965, Cincinnati’s Jim Maloney threw the first no-hitter that was an extra-inning complete game since Fred Toney in 1917.
Every team has thrown at least one, with San Diego joining the fold last year after Joe Musgrove became the first (no, neither Gaylord Perry nor Randy Jones threw one for the Padres).
Nolan Ryan threw the most no-hitters — seven — but the still-active Justin Verlander took no-hitters in the eighth inning eight times (and wound up with three no-hitters). He and Halladay were among the handful of stars who pitched no-hitters in both leagues.
Oddly, perhaps, Grover Cleveland Alexander never held an opponent hitless. He threw 90 shutouts, second only to Walter Johnson’s 110, and once had four one-hitters in a single season. But he never hurled a hitless game.
Neither did Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Steve Carlton, or Roger Clemens — even though the latter rang up a record seven Cy Young Awards and had two 20-strikeout games.
Sandy Koufax, on the other hand, had four no-hitters — a National League record — while Ryan and Bob Feller came close to topping him with a dozen one-hitters, four more than Walter Johnson.
Some no-hitters are spectacular: think the 1964 Father’s Day perfect game by Jim Bunning, father of nine and future U.S. Senator. Years later, the otherwise-forgotten Dallas Braden pitched one on Mother’s Day!
And let’s not forget Jose Jimenez, who threw a no-hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals in Arizona against future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, the only pitcher to throw the first no-hitter for two different franchises (Mariners and Diamondbacks).
In the year he threw it, 1999, Jimenez had a 5-14 record but the only two shutouts and complete games of his otherwise-uninspiring seven-year career.
Among active pitchers in the big leagues, only Verlander and Max Scherzer have multiple no-hitters. But that doesn’t mean no-hitter records will fall — especially with universal humidors, deadened balls, and the aftermath of an abbreviated spring training.
Pitchers are certainly ahead of hitters and might just stay there all season. Baseball historians who believe 1968 was The Year of the Pitcher just might have to reconsider.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is available to talk baseball and sign books at libraries, card stores, civic clubs, and Men’s Clubs. The author of 40 books has been covering baseball for more than half a century. His byline appears in forbes.com, Latino Sports, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, Ball Nine, and elsewhere. Contact him at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
“Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way!”
—Former Braves owner and CNN founder Ted Turner
Glad to see the return of the traditional minor-league names — and to see the International League, Pacific Coast League, American Association, and Southern League back in the transactions listings . . .
Nobody seems to know anything about it, but the Baseball Winter Meetings will be held in San Diego Dec. 4-8, which means another wonderful dinner at Fleming’s Steakhouse . . .
Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon took his first career left-handed at-bat in a laugher and hit a home run (!) in what is likely to be his one and only left-handed at-bat . . .
Poor Cincinnati: in addition to posting the worst record by a wide margin, the Reds were victims of a Christian Yelich cycle for the third time — a major-league record . . .
Watch out! Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner crashed into an umpire while attempting to make a play and injured himself . . .
Speaking of injuries, Cleveland needs more guardians after a Covid outbreak forced cancellation of Wednesday’s White Sox game . . .
After sitting out 17 games, well-rested Atlanta utilityman Orlando Arcia — playing in place of the injured Ronald Acuna Jr. (groin) — hit a walk-off homer to beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-3, in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday night . . .
Wishing a speedy recovery to highly-respected Padres manager Bob Melvin, who will miss at least part of San Diego’s road trip after undergoing prostate surgery . . .
The only active pitchers with multiple no-hitters are Max Scherzer (Mets), Justin Verlander (Astros), and Mike Fiers (Mexican League).
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Brian Harl [bchrom831@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.