jeff@rlgvax.UUCP (Jeffrey Kegler) (08/09/83)
According to my almanac, there was only one triple play in the World Series
ever. This was made by the Cleveland Indians against Brooklyn in 1920.
What is interesting (aside from the fact that anything unique is
interesting) is that it was made unassisted by the 2nd baseman Billy
Wambsganss. Can anyone out there tell me exactly how he did it? My
(limited) sources are silent there, and I was not at the game.
Jeffrey Kegler, CCI Office Systems Division
...{allegra,seismo,mcnc,lime,we13,brl-bmd}!rlgvax!jeffalb@alice.UUCP (08/09/83)
I am not sure if this is the triple play you are talking about, but there once was an unassisted triple play by a second baseman. With runners on first and second, he caught a line drive (1st out), stepped on second to get the runner leading from there (2nd out), and tagged the runner running from first (3rd out).
halle1@houxz.UUCP (08/09/83)
I don't know about that triple play being the only one in World Series play, but it is the only unassisted one in the W. S. As a matter of fact, it was the first unassisted triple play ever, if I recall correctly. There have been over the years seven or eight of them, all but one pulled off by a second baseman or shortstop. The other one according to the list I saw was done by a first baseman. How, I have no idea. I expect my list was wrong and that it really was a third baseman. Does anyone know for sure?
klein@houxt.UUCP (N.KLEIN) (08/10/83)
Ron Hansen, SS for the Washington Senators had an unassisted triple play sometime in the 60's. NDK
bradley@princeton.UUCP (08/10/83)
The unassisted triple play in the 1920 Series has been the only triple play in Series history. Unassisted triple plays listed in The Book of Baseball Records are George Burns (1b) Boston vs Cleve 1923 John Neun (1b) Detroit vs Cleve 1927 Neal Ball (ss) Cleve vs Bos 1909 Ron Hansen (ss) Washington vs Cleve 1968 Ernest Padgett (ss) Boston (NL) vs Phil 1923 F. Glenn Wright (ss) Pittsburgh vs St.L. 1925 James Cooney (ss) Chicago (NL) vs Pitt 1927 Looks like the '20s and Cleveland made for the most!
bradley@princeton.UUCP (08/10/83)
The unassisted triple play in the 1920 Series has been the only triple play in Series history. Unassisted triple plays listed in The Book of Baseball Records are George Burns (1b) Boston vs Cleve 1923 John Neun (1b) Detroit vs Cleve 1927 Neal Ball (ss) Cleve vs Bos 1909 Ron Hansen (ss) Washington vs Cleve 1968 Ernest Padgett (ss) Boston (NL) vs Phil 1923 F. Glenn Wright (ss) Pittsburgh vs St.L. 1925 James Cooney (ss) Chicago (NL) vs Pitt 1927 Looks like the '20s and Cleveland made for the most!
petec@umcp-cs.UUCP (08/11/83)
As houxt!klein said, Ron Hansen of the Senators pulled off an unassisted
triple play. I believe the year was 1968, and I'm pretty sure that this
was the last unassisted triple play pulled off. As an interest of note,
Hansen also hit a grand slam in the same week, and then was traded within
days to the Chicago White Sox. You see, us Senators fans were used to a
certain level of mediocraty in our ball-players, and the management realized
that they couldn't have any one player looking too good, or we might get
spoiled.
--
Call-Me: Pete Cottrell, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Dept.
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!petec
CSNet: petec@umcp-cs
ARPA: petec.umcp-cs@UDel-Relaydwtill@watmath.UUCP (David Till) (08/12/83)
I was wondering - how can a first baseman make an unassisted triple play? Does he run to cover second? Does one of the baserunners become disoriented? I can't figure it out! Anyway, something a little different - Wilfredo Sanchez, one of the greatest Cuban ballplayers ever, once nearly started a quadruple play with a great outfield catch! How? Well, according to Thomas Boswell's "How Baseball Helps The Harvest": "With the bases loaded, none out, tie game, Sanchez made a remarkable catch in right-center field. The runners on first and second bases ran on the line drive up the gap, and were trapped far off their bases as Sanchez pegged to second and the relay was fired to first. Triple play: one flyball caught, two runners doubled up. "Meanwhile, however, the alert runner on third base had tagged up and crossed home plate before the final (third) out at first base. Since the final out was not a force play, the run counted." Then: "The manager of Sanchez' team appealed the runner's tagging up at third, claiming that he had left the base a split second before the catch. "In the confusion, one umpire signaled that fourth out, while the others upheld the run. Finally, the run was upheld, and it cost Sanchez' team the game, 3-2." Second opinions, anyone? -David Till