I played with a fellow from Little Rock, Ark., and his name was Brooks Robinson, Hansen said. Although Azcue struck out, a passed ball during the at-bat allowed Clevelands fourth run to score. [5] The most recent player to make an unassisted triple play is Eric Bruntlett, accomplishing the feat on August 23, 2009. Family desperate for answers four months after Richard Lea disappeared Unassisted Triple Plays | 09/17/2020 | MLB.com He was the first left-handed pitcher to win 30 games in a season. Ron Hansen saw the glove he used to turn an unassisted triple play on display in the Museum's One for the Books exhibit. Afterward the media attention focused on Hansen, given the rarity of unassisted triple plays and length of time since the last one41 years, 50,000 games, and 2.7 million putouts.12 I didnt know that, Hansen said, referring to the time since the last such play, but I did know there were three out., It was one of the best plays I ever made in terms of all the putouts, he added. It is plausible that a third baseman could complete an unassisted triple play with runners at second and third or with bases loaded, but this has never happened in MLB. In the HBO series finale, Tom Wambsgans beat out three competitors at once, just like the. See Bill Marstons award-winning poster presentation at SABR 50, available for download at https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-50-asel-marston-win-2022-convention-presentation-awards/. The runner usually just gives up because he's running full till to second. In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three outs by himself in one continuous play, without his teammates making any assists. [2], Worcester joined the National League in 1880, and Richmond signed with the team for $2,400 ($72,778 in current dollar terms) that season. The Paul Dickson Baseball Dictionary defines a perfect game as a no-hitter in which all 27 opposing batters fail to reach first base, either by a base hit, base on balls, hit batter, fielding error, or by any other means., The entry also stipulates that the first use of the term perfect game occurred on Jan. 10, 1909 when the Washington Post reported that [Ed] Walsh congratulated Addie Joss on the latters feat of pitching a perfect game [on October 2, 1908].. Those 5,937 fans at the Washington-Cleveland series finale not only enjoyed an overwhelming home-team victory, they witnessed the rarest event in baseballan unassisted triple play.4, All-Star Sam McDowell (10-9, 1.65 ERA) took the mound for Cleveland, working a three-up, three-down inning to get the game started.5, Bruce Howard (1-5, 4.28 ERA), nearing the end of his six-year major league career, also had a scoreless first inningwith a lot of help from his shortstop, Hansen.6. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Given that the play was turned by a visiting player it is not surprising that the print media did not record much crowd reaction.8. Fred Thayer invents the first catcher's mask. On May 31, 1927, Johnny Neun secured a 1-0 home win for the Detroit Tigers with an unassisted triple play in the top of the ninth inning. Chapman was. While no longer active in the professional game, he remained an active fan of the Toledo Mud Hens and he is reported to have become an excellent golfer. Register now to join us on July 5-9, 2023, in Chicago. Rebel Without a Cause. I was umpiring a youth league game (I think 13-14 year olds but might have 13-15 years old) in LaVernia, TX in 1990 or 91 and got to call a Pitcher unassisted Triple Play. Howard allowed a double to Larry Brown, a single to McDowell, and a run-scoring double to Nelson, giving Cleveland a 3-1 lead and triggering a pitching change to Bill Haywood. What 1929 feat did Lee - Pemberton Township Little League - Facebook While playing shortstop in a game for the Washington Senators, Hansen caught a line drive from Indians catcher Joe Azcue, stepped on the second base bag and tagged the runner coming from first, securing the eighth unassisted triple play in AL/NL history. Hansens play added another chapter to Clevelands odds-defying history with the games rarest occurrence. Discover one-of-a-kind artifacts and get lost in sweeping exhibitions that explore pivotal moments in the game and its impact far beyond the field. Tim Hagerty is the broadcaster for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas . 'It was wrong then, and it is wrong now': Reactions to Northam's [1], In both 1881 and 1882, Richmond pitched over 400 innings. The 'Unassisted Triple Play' Club The Vintage Composer 762 subscribers Subscribe 109 views 2 years ago The most remarkable defensive gem to record in a single inning, accomplished by just a. The unassisted triple play is one of the rarest fabulous feats in Major League baseball. The Museum in Cooperstown features more than 50,000 square feet of exhibits devoted to the National Pastime. On this date, twelve games were played marking the first (and so far only) time, in Major League history in which at least ten major league games were played with every game being won by the visiting team. Just Wambsganss-unassisted triple play! Thursday in Richmond, a judge issued an indefinite injunction preventing the removal of the Confederate general's memorial. Cabrera's unassisted triple play one for the ages - MLB - ESPN By contrast, the unassisted triple play is essentially always a matter of luck: a combination of the right circumstances with the relatively simple effort of catching the ball and running in the right direction with it. Wambsganss didnt hit much, and theres little indication he was a stellar base runner or a top-notch fielder. The state attorney general says Lee's statue will eventually come down. First rule appears stating ball must stay in fair territory to be a hit. If there was a situation with the bases loaded in a close game I might even walk Howard intentionally, McDowell said.9. So much for his endorsement deal. Phil Wood to Steven Weiner, email communication, December 5, 2022. I knew from the way he played the game, he was headed for the Hall of Fame., Janey Murray was the digital content specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Pecan Park Eagle My Baseball Movie Fiction All Stars Did Ruth Call His Shot in Chicago? With Cleveland runners at first and second in the second inning at Fenway Park, Frank Brower lined a ball that was headed for right field, when Burns cut to his right to spear it. Written by: Jim Gates The Paul Dickson Baseball Dictionary defines a perfect game as "a no-hitter in which all 27 opposing batters fail to reach first base, either by a base hit, base on balls, hit batter, fielding error, or by any other means." With runners on first and second and nobody out in the ninth inning at Citi Field, the Mets started the runners while trailing, 9-7. Glenn Wright, Pirates shortstop,, May 7, 1925, ninth inningThe thread connecting unassisted triple plays continues -- the man who turned the one after this one was also involved here. Neal Ball was the first to achieve this in Major League Baseball (MLB) under modern rules, doing so on July 19, 1909. "It's amazing," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said after snagging a liner by the Braves' Chipper Jones in the seventh inning on April 29, 2007. He joined The Times in 2004. [1], On June 2, 1879, Richmond was paid $10 to pitch for Worcester of the National Baseball Association in an exhibition game against the Chicago White Stockings. [2], In MLB, a total of fifteen players have fielded an unassisted triple play,[3] making this feat rarer than a perfect game. It was the first unassisted triple play since 1968, and the first in the National League since 1927. Hall of Fame Members receive 10% off and FREE standard shipping on all Hall of Fame online store purchases. Hansen, serving as an advance scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, was in Cleveland when Indians shortstop Asdrbal Cabrera turned what was then tallied as the 14th unassisted triple play in major league history in May 2008another 40-year span. When I finished playing, I ended up coaching in the big leagues for 12 years, and then I ended up scouting for almost 20 years with the Yankees and Phillies, so Ive stayed around baseball pretty much my entire life, and I have been connected with and seen a lot of these players that have done things, Hansen said. What people found is an unremarkable player who made a play that is worth all the attention. It was the first unassisted triple play to end a game in National League history. His home run on July 29 had put Washington ahead to stay. In particular, Hansens visit brought to mind one third baseman enshrined in the Plaque Gallery, with whom he teamed up on the left side of the Orioles infield during his first five big league seasons. Like those two 4 homer games a couple years ago, Scooter Gennett and JD Martinez. Yes, these were Monday and Tuesday nights, but games the next two nights against Baltimore pulled almost twice the crowds to cavernous Cleveland Stadium. Professional baseball career On June 2, 1879, Richmond was paid $10 to pitch for Worcester of the National Baseball Association in an exhibition game against the Chicago White Stockings. These extremely rare occurrences have never happened in the same major-league game. 08/23/09: Eric Bruntlett turns the first game-ending triple play in National League history when the Mets run themselves into an unassisted triple play, ceme. September 14, 1912: Bill Rapps turns unassisted triple play; Gus Just 35 games have ended on a steal of home. McDowell struck out Hansen for the third time. Actor who got the part: Natalie Wood. Hansen's unassisted triple play marked the first time the feat had occurred in over 41 years, with the previous one being made by the Tigers' Johnny Neun in 1927. . Day trip or a week-long adventure. That honor goes to one made on June 1, 1918. Benjamin Hoffman is a senior editor in sports and a regular contributor to the Keeping Score column. Neal Ball, Naps shortstop, July 19, 1909, second inningWhen Ball turned the first unassisted triple play in AL/NL history, the legendary Cy Young was on the mound, and he reportedly didn't know what had happened -- who could blame him, after all, since it was the first of its kind? [2][4] Richmond married Mary Naomi Chapin, his former student, in 1892, and had three children: Ruth, Dorothy, and Jane. 20 For example, Cabreras and Eric Bruntletts (August 23, 2009) were similar plays. Bill Harbidge, playing for Hartford, is the first lefthanded catcher. After Baltimore in 1914, Ball played with Richmond and Toronto in the International League as well as in Pittsfield, New Haven . This time it was in a 1-0 loss to the Tigers in Detroit. First rule defining the strike zone appears. So two days in 1927=2 UTPs. Hard to believe it took longer for a WS pinch homer than it took for a WS unassisted triple play. In the fifth inning of Game 5, with Cleveland leading by 7-0, Brooklyns Pete Kilduff and Otto Miller both singled. Paul Hines is credited as the first player ever to turn an unassisted triple play. First batting averages are recorded starting with Boston and Cleveland. Bill Wambsganss Triple Play during 1920 World Series(Source: Hall of Fame Collection). He pitched a seven-inning no-hitter and signed with Worcester after the game. Lee Richmond - Baseball-Reference.com It was the expected outcome for some, thanks to Bill Wambsganss, a second baseman for Cleveland from 1914 to 1923. Baseball History: Unassisted Triple Plays - Baseball Egg Ron Hansen - Society for American Baseball Research Thatll be interesting to tell my grandkids and great grandkids about it.. That time a center fielder turned an unassisted triple play It was the sixth inning at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, and the Pirates' Jeff King hit a line drive up the middle that Morandini made a great diving play on. Unassisted triple play 13th in MLB history - Richmond Times-Dispatch To a certain degree, these played a part in the story of his perfect game. An unassisted triple play usually consists of a hard line drive hit directly at an infielder for the first out, with that same fielder then able to double off one of the base runners and tag a second for the second and third outs. In just his fourth Major League game, Padgett became the fourth player in AL/NL history to turn an unassisted triple play. He pitched in four more games for the Senators in 1968, appeared in 26 minor- and instructional-league games in 1969, then retired. Richmond himself actually provided the best description of the event when he was quoted as saying: It is a singular thing of that no-hit, no-run, no-man-reach-first game in 1880 that I can remember almost nothing except that my jump ball and my half stride ball were working splendidly and that the boys behind me gave me perfect support., The local paper, the Worcester Evening Gazette, provided coverage for the day and described this game as a wonderful shut out and the best baseball game on record. The Gazette also reported, so faultless a game was rapidly played. A guy who is capable of pulling off one of baseballs most unusual plays, and in a World Series, no less, ought to have an equally rare name. But it would be a day to remember for something other than a blowout loss -- after a single and a walk to open the bottom of the first inning, Joe Azcue hit a liner to short, where Hansen made the catch, stepped on second and tagged the runner coming from first, Russ Snyder. .