Unassisted Triple Play

From SoSH

Definition

In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes three putouts by himself in one continuous play. It is one of the rarest individual feats in baseball with only a 13 occuring in the Major Leagues and a handful in the minors. Most often accomplished by a shortstop or second baseman. Usually completed with runners on 1st and 2nd base, made by catching a line drive, stepping on 2nd base and tagging the runner coming from 1st base.

Rarest Feat

Walter Carlisle, a center-fielder for the Vernon team (in Los Angeles), on July 19, 1911, in a game against the Los Angeles Angels exceuted perhaps the most spectacular unassisted triple play in professional baseball history.

With the score tied in the ninth inning, Charles Moore and George Metzger of the Angels walked. Pitcher Al Barson of Vernon was replaced by Harry Stewart. The Angels' third baseman, Roy Akin, connected on Stewart's first pitch for a low line drive over second base for what appeared to be a clean single. Moore from second and Metzger from first were off running on a hit-and-run signal. Carlisle, playing in close behind second, lunged forward and caught the liner just off the turf, ending with a somersault, landing on his feet. He raced to second base and touched the bag, while Moore was well on his way to the plate; then he trotted to first, touching the bag to retire Metzger, who was well past second base.

He is the only outfielder to have pulled off the unassisted triple play.

Tris Speaker, the Hall of Fame center-fielder active in the majors 1907-28, mostly with the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland, usually played in close and made several unassisted double plays, but never came close to running off the solo triple play.