In a season in which the Mets are recalling their history – mostly in undesired ways – it was just a matter of time before they hit into a triple play in their new home at Citi Field.
The “Metsies” are nothing if not amazing, so die-hard fans can take some solace in the fact that in the entire storied history of baseball, they are the only home team to ever hit into an unassisted triple play to lose the game.
In fact, the only other time a regular season major league game ended so abruptly was on May 7, 1925 in Pittsburgh, by Pirates shortstop Forest Glenn “Buckshot” Wright.
St. Louis first baseman James Leroy “Sunny Jim” Bottomley hit the liner to Wright, who caught Cardinals shortstop Jimmy E. Cooney off the bag for the second out and then tagged out baseball legend, Rogers “The Rajah” Hornsby, to complete the historic play. The play is scored 6*6*6* or more precisely 6(B)6(2)1X2(6)/LTP, for those who were wondering.
Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett duplicated this feat on Sunday, August 23 by snagging outfielder Jeff Francoeur’s liner, catching second baseman Luis Castillo off the bag and putting out Daniel Murphy to end the game with a Mets loss, 9-7.
The Mets are now all even at 18 triple plays – having hit into and made nine of these inning-killers in their history.
The Mets turned their first at-home triple play in the 6th inning on May 30, 1962, against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Polo Grounds; Chacon to Mantilla to Hodges. It was only their 41st game. They lost.
There were seven triple plays made in Shea Stadium, and the very first was on May 31, 1964, in the top of the 14th inning, against the San Francisco Giants.
With the score tied 6-6, Jesus Alou hit a lead-off single off Met reliever Larry Bearnarth. Willie Mays walked. Orlando Cepeda then hit a line drive to Met shortstop Roy McMillan, who stepped on second base and threw to first baseman Ed Kranepool for a 6-3 triple play.
The Mets lost anyway, 8-6, in the 23rd inning.
They hit into their first “triple-killing” at Shea on August 15, 1964.
Mets third baseman Bobby Klaus hit a line drive to Phillies pitcher Ray Culp. He threw to shortstop Ruben Amaro, catching Mets shortstop Roy McMillan off second base. Amaro threw to first baseman Frank Thomas for the third out – Mets starter, Jack Fisher.
The Mets lost, 8-1.
Citi Field already had a tie to the triple play. Jackie Robinson hit into one in a Dodgers-Giants game, on September 29, 1957, at the Polo Grounds. Both teams then moved to California.
Incidentally, in addition to ending that bit of history, Hornsby, who debuted as a player in 1915, ended his major league career in 1962 – as a batting coach for the Mets.
