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Unassisted
04-29-2007, 10:08 PM
http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2007/m04/d29/c1937361.jsp


Tulowitzki turns unassisted triple play
04/29/2007 5:35 PM ETBy Owen Perkins / Special to MLB.com

DENVER -- Rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki gave the Coors Field crowd something to cheer about Sunday, once they recovered from the shock. In the top of the seventh inning of a tied game, with runners on first and second and nobody out, Chipper Jones hit a line drive at Tulowitzki, who snared the ball in flight, stepped on second to double up Kelly Johnson, and tagged Edgar Renteria just between first and second for an unassisted triple play.

Just to be safe, Tulowitzki fired the ball to Todd Helton at first, but three outs was sufficient on the play.

The play was the 13th unassisted triple play in Major League history, with 12 in the regular season and one in the 1920 World Series. The last unassisted triple play was completed by the Braves' Rafael Furcal on Aug. 10, 2003.

It was also the second triple play in Rockies history, following a 3-6 play against St. Louis on April 10, 2003. Orlando Palmeiro lined to Helton on that play, and Helton threw to shortstop Jose Hernandez at second, who doubled up Scott Rolen before tagging Tino Martinez out on his way from first to second.

Eight of the 13 unassisted triple plays in Major League history have been turned by a shortstop.

Rojo
04-29-2007, 10:25 PM
http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/mlb/y2007/m04/d29/c1937361.jsp

A journalistic pet-peeve of mine is when I read something like "Absurdistan is the second largest producer of opium in the world" and then they don't TELL YOU THE FIRST. Am I really the one that's curious about such stuff?

Anyhow, 8 unassisted triple plays have been turned by non-shortstops. My guess is that at least 4 were third-basemen. But I'm curious as to the others.

Degenerate39
04-29-2007, 10:32 PM
A journalistic pet-peeve of mine is when I read something like "Absurdistan is the second largest producer of opium in the world" and then they don't TELL YOU THE FIRST. Am I really the one that's curious about such stuff?

Anyhow, 8 unassisted triple plays have been turned by non-shortstops. My guess is that at least 4 were third-basemen. But I'm curious as to the others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unassisted_triple_play

Chip R
04-29-2007, 10:35 PM
Anyhow, 8 unassisted triple plays have been turned by non-shortstops. My guess is that at least 4 were third-basemen. But I'm curious as to the others.


Probably 2nd basemen. That's about the only area where you could get an unassisted triple play. It's more luck than anything else. You have to have runners at 1st and 2nd, no outs, the runners have to be moving and it has to be a line drive. Two triple plays within a week, though. There might not be two triple plays in a season much less a week.

Big Klu
04-29-2007, 10:44 PM
8 shortstops, 3 second basemen, 2 first basemen

SandyD
04-29-2007, 10:48 PM
from SABR website (http://tripleplays.sabr.org/tp_utp.htm)

There have been 669 documented triple plays, if you include assisted and unassisted. (since 1876) Most triple plays in a season: 20 in 1890. Fewest: 0 (1961, 1974). Below is a table of the unassisted triple plays before today.


Date Game. Inn Fld Team Fielder Pos Bat Team MOB V Score H Score Note
7/19/1909 Game 1 2 Cleveland Naps Neal Ball SS Boston Red Sox 1-2 0 1
10/10/1920 Game 5 5 Cleveland Indians Bill Wambsganss 2B Brooklyn Dodgers 1-2 8 0 WS
9/14/1923 2 Boston Red Sox George Burns 1B Cleveland Indians 1-2 0 2
10/6/1923 Game 2 4 Boston Braves Ernie Padgett SS Philadelphia Phillies 1-2 1 4
5/7/1925 9 Pittsburgh Pirates Glenn Wright SS St. Louis Cardinals 1-2 10 9 EOG
5/30/1927 Game 1 4 Chicago Cubs Jimmy Cooney SS Pittsburgh Pirates 1-2 4 5
5/31/1927 9 Detroit Tigers Johnny Neun 1B Cleveland Indians 1-2 0 1
7/30/1968 1 Washington Senators Ron Hansen SS Cleveland Indians 1-2 0 0
9/20/1992 6 Philadelphia Phillies Mickey Morandini 2B Pittsburgh Pirates 1-2 1 1
7/8/1994 6 Boston Red Sox John Valentin SS Seattle Mariners 1-2 2 0
5/29/2000 6 Oakland Athletics Randy Velarde 2B New York Yankees 1-2 0 3
8/10/2003 5 Atlanta Braves Rafael Furcal SS St. Louis Cardinals 1-2 1 1

paintmered
04-29-2007, 10:53 PM
Video of the triple play is available online at mlb.com

It was more a result of bad baserunning than the great play of Tulowitzki. I'm not sure any of them completely knew what was going on, including Tulowitzki as he unnecessarily threw to first.

But still, the unassisted triple play is the rarest of feats in this game we love. To get to see one, even streaming video is wicked cool.

Rojo
04-29-2007, 10:58 PM
8 shortstops, 3 second basemen, 2 first basemen

I had to read about the first basemen myself only to find it was early baseball, IOW, crazy.

I figured 3rd basemen over 2nd basemen because they play closer to the bag more often but they'd also require bases loaded, dampening the chances.

redsfan30
04-29-2007, 11:19 PM
I saw this happen live. It's wierd...I'd never seen a triple play before and now I've seen two in one week. (Ross last weekend)

mroby85
04-30-2007, 12:17 AM
that was pretty crazy, still not sure what renteria was doing, he looked like he was just waiting to be tagged, lol.

George Anderson
04-30-2007, 01:06 AM
It was more a result of bad baserunning than the great play of Tulowitzki.


The runners were running with the count 3-2 with 2 outs. I dont think it was bad baserunning, just bad luck.

Ron Madden
04-30-2007, 01:51 AM
The runners were running with the count 3-2 with 2 outs. I dont think it was bad baserunning, just bad luck.

If this were true the Rockies couldn't have made a triple play.

Had to be 3-2 with 0 outs. ;)

Screwball
04-30-2007, 02:16 AM
To get to see one, even streaming video is wicked cool.

Except when it's turned on your team. Poor Ross.:(

cumberlandreds
04-30-2007, 08:12 AM
I saw this yesterday as I watching this game on WTBS. First time I had seen an unassisted Triple play. It happened so fast I don't think anyone knew what was happening. Both runners were trying to steal when the play occurred. A side note to this was the last time a Brave had hit into a triple was Chipper Jones who hit into this TP. I wonder how many players have hit into a triple play more than once?

redsmetz
04-30-2007, 08:31 AM
I saw this yesterday as I watching this game on WTBS. First time I had seen an unassisted Triple play. It happened so fast I don't think anyone knew what was happening. Both runners were trying to steal when the play occurred. A side note to this was the last time a Brave had hit into a triple was Chipper Jones who hit into this TP. I wonder how many players have hit into a triple play more than once?

I remember the one Furcal made, against the Cardinals if I remember correctly. I'm not surprised that the vast majority have been made by middle infielders, but I'm still trying to figure out how two first basemen have performed the feat. All I can figure is they nabbed the line drive, tagged the runner who'd been on first and ran over and doubled or tagged the runner who had occupied second. And, of course, the runners most likely were going.

George Anderson
04-30-2007, 09:35 AM
If this were true the Rockies couldn't have made a triple play.

Had to be 3-2 with 0 outs. ;)

Oh wow, thats one for the archives :bang: :laugh:

Unassisted
04-30-2007, 09:52 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unassisted_triple_play

Good article.

Amazing to learn that one of the rarest feats in baseball happened on consecutive days in 1927.

Ltlabner
04-30-2007, 10:05 AM
Very cool indeed. My father and I talked at length about how an unassited triple play could be acomplished after witnessing live the Ross inspired triple play. We played out the various senarios.

Who'da thunk that just a short while later it would actually happen.

SandyD
04-30-2007, 07:55 PM
I saw this yesterday as I watching this game on WTBS. First time I had seen an unassisted Triple play. It happened so fast I don't think anyone knew what was happening. Both runners were trying to steal when the play occurred. A side note to this was the last time a Brave had hit into a triple was Chipper Jones who hit into this TP. I wonder how many players have hit into a triple play more than once?

Brooks Robinson hit into the most triple plays: 4
Deacon McGuire hit into 3. played 1884-1912
Joe Start hit into 3. played 1876-1886

No one else has hit into more than 2


From the SABR site

cumberlandreds
05-01-2007, 07:58 AM
Brooks Robinson hit into the most triple plays: 4
Deacon McGuire hit into 3. played 1884-1912
Joe Start hit into 3. played 1876-1886

No one else has hit into more than 2


From the SABR site

Thanks SandyD!

paintmered
05-01-2007, 08:21 AM
The runners were running with the count 3-2 with 2 outs. I dont think it was bad baserunning, just bad luck.

2 outs? It was a triple play. There were no outs.

George Anderson
05-01-2007, 08:56 AM
2 outs? It was a triple play. There were no outs.

Yep