UNASSISTED TRIPLE PLAY
One of the rarest plays in all of baseball happened a bit ago. Rafael Furcal, shortstop of my Atlanta Braves, made an unassisted triple play. I was downstairs blogging and heard the reaction on ESPN and raced upstairs in time to catch the replay. David Pinto was out walking the dog.
This has only happened twelve times in Major League Baseball history! More people (14) have hit four home runs in a single game. As rare as the feat is, it’s almost always unspectacular–a middle infielder makes a routine catch, steps on the bag, and tags the runner. It’s mainly serendipity. Tonight’s was different: Furcal made a rather amazing leaping catch well behind the bag, had to hustle to get the tag, and then chased down the runner.
Update (1100 8-11):
Related Posts
- None Found
About James Joyner
I thought Ted Turner still owned the Atlanta Braves. Huh. I guess that’s the reason you can afford your own internet domain.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
I was able to grab video of the replay and posted it on my blog.
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Believe it or not…
When I played ball at the 12 year old level I made the exact play that was made last night save that jump. While it might seem something to brag about, it is more a function of happenstance. Just being in the right place at the right time.
In my case, I actually thought we had 1 out and I really (at age 12) got confused half-way thru the play. I thought I had made a double play and only tagged the runner because it was just the thing to do. (you always tag a runner) I did not know it was a triple play till the coach told me.
While the play requires little skill it was one of the highlights of my young life. Looking back, it was luck but I still have a buddy that thinks it the greatest sports moment in history including the 1980 US Ice Hockey team. LOL
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Unassisted Triple Play
Rafael Furcal turned the first unassisted triple play in Braves franchise history tonight against the Cardinals. He made a leaping catch when the Cards had a hit and run on. All he had to do was step on 2nd and…
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0
Unassisted Triple Play – Better Video
Thanks to James Joyner for pointing out Rafael Furcal’s unassisted triple play last night. MLB.com has a much better video link than you can find in this mornings InstaPundit link. I’ve linked it below for your convenience. See the play:…
—
Helpful or Unhelpful:
0 
0