A triple play in baseball, is when 3 outs is made in one continuous play in the same inning. It is similar to a double play, where 2 outs are made, but more difficult to accomplish and very rare. Usually it means there are 2 players already on base, and the player at the plate is caught out and the other 2 are off their base, possibly on the run.
An unassisted triple play is even rarer than the triple play itself. Unassisted triple plays are accomplished when only ONE player is responsible for all 3 outs. I was lucky to witness (not in person however) the last unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball. It was in 2003 when the Braves were playing the Cardinals, and it was on television. The Cardinals had 2 men on base, one of first, the other on second. The batter hit the ball straight to shortstop Rafael Furcal, who caught him out. The guys on 1st and 2nd were both on the run; it was a hit and run play. Furcal was close to 2nd base, so he simply stepped on 2nd and interestingly enough the guy on 1st, who was on his way to 2nd was only steps away from Furcal, so he simply tagged him out.
It was the most bizarre play I have ever seen, and it happened so fast, that the runners didn't even know what was going on. I had to watch the replay a couple more times because I couldn't believe it myself. There has been 659 triple plays in the history of baseball. Of all of those only 12 have been unassisted. The odds of seeing a triple play is 1 in 10,000. Have you ever seen one, either in person or on television?
I have seen a triple play once. In 2000 or 2001, I don't remember which, I was watching a game in a St. Louis hotel room. The Diamondbacks pulled off a triple play. It was like 8*2*6 or something like that. I was looking for the stat on it but couldn't find a triple play website. If you have a site, it would be cool if you posted it.
Here is a website with every triple play in MLB history from 1940 to 2004, with a description of who was on base, etc. I'm thinking this is the one you saw Konq
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ARI200005310 8(2(3)6(2)/TP 8*-2*-6* 5/31/2000 St. Louis Cardinals @ Arizona Diamondbacks - Top of the 5th - Score 1-3 (3 men on: Shawon Dunston 1B, Edgar Renteria 2B, Placido Polanco 3B) Mark McGwire (STL) is the batter with a 0-2 count. He hits a fly ball to center which is caught by the CF, Steve Finley (OUT 1) CF throws to the C (Damian Miller) who putsout the runner from third, Placido Polanco (OUT 2) C throws to the SS (Tony Womack) near third who putsout the runner trying to advance from second, Edgar Renteria (OUT 3) NOTE: FIRST TRIPLE PLAY FOR ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS |
Name: Michelle
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Title: My Son's triple play
Comments: My 10 year old son made an unassisted triple play at his Biddy baseball game in New Tripoli, PA on 5/19/12. He was playing shortstop when the batter hit a pop fly. He made the catch. There were runners on first and second base. They both ran and so my son tug 2nd base and then threw to first and got all 3 outs. How exciting! I only wish we had this on video!