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Q: What team hit into two triple plays in one game? I believe it the only time it has happened but I could be wrong. Nate R

A: What a game on July 17th, 1990 between the Twins and the Red Sox in Boston. Scott Erickson on the hill for Minnesota against Tom Bolton for the Sox. Minnesota pulled two triple plays with the infield of Gary Gaetti, Greg Gagne, Al Newman, and Kent Hrbek. It still wasn’t enough as Boston won the game 1-0. The next night Minnesota pulled six double plays and lost that one, too 5-4. Nice question. I like big league defense. Marty

Q. This is in honor of the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of The Shot Heard Round the World. Who were the two Giant baserunners when Bobby Thomson took Ralph Branca deep on October 3, 1951?

I was just thinking about that inning today. Alvin Dark singled, Don Mueller singled, Whitey Lockman doubled, Dark scored, Mueller hurt his ankle sliding into third, Hartung ran for Mueller, Thomson came up not realizing Branca was in the game because he was so concerned about Mueller’s injury. Thomson took a strike and then it happened. The Shot Heard Round the World. A great baseball moment.

– Marty

A friend of mine saw this one a few years ago in a game at St. Marys:

Runners at second and third with one out. Fly to center, both runners tag and move up. The runner from third left early. Once the pitcher got the ball on the mound, the ump said play ball, and the team in the field started to go through the ritual of appealing the runner at third. Before they could make the throw over to third, the third base coach told the runner now on third to, “take off”. He did and was tagged out as he headed for the plate for the third out. Since it was the third out, the run scored. No appeal since third out is recorded. Is this contrary to the “three outs make an inning”, or just heads up coaching? — Jon and Heather

You guys love appeal plays. I think the appeal stands since the error on the base paths occurred during the course of the appeal, thus the defending team doesn’t lose its right to make the appeal. The runner took off for home before the appeal could be completed, so I say the runner who left too early is “outta there”. I wanna talk to the ump who made that call.

Flash: After thinking this one over, I asked major league scouts Ron Brand and Shooty Babbitt for their opinion. They both agreed with the ump and said that once the pitcher shows an intention to try to retire the runner who took off from third, the appeal is abandoned and the prior run counts. So, I’m stumped. I learn something new every day. Good question. Congatulations.

Marty

Hi Marty,

I have been a fan of the Oakland A’s since 1969 and I really enjoy listening to your show. My question for you is……Can you name the top ten switch-hitting homerun hitters of all time and the number of homeruns that they have hit in their careers? Mickey Mantle 536 homeruns, and Eddie Murray 504 homeruns are first and second. (But who is 3rd through 10th ?????) –John “Flying Hawk” from Fremont

Hi Flying Hawk,

Here goes, with all credit given to David Vincent, home run master, as of opening day 2000:

3) Chili Davis 350

4) Reggie Smith 314

5) Bobby Bonilla 282

6) Ted Simmons 248

7) Ken Singleton 246

8) Mickey Tettleton 245

9) Ruben Sierra 240

10) Howard Johnson 228

11) Ken Caminiti 224

As you can see Sierra has moved up this year and Ken Caminiti has replaced Johnson in the tenth spot. Excellent question. — Marty

This is probably a fairly easy question, but I’ve always liked it for its relevance to the “modern day” ballplayer. Who are the 5 Cy Young Award winners to have spent time in prison? –Criminally Insane

Dear CI –

OK, I slept on this one and all of a sudden I saw Vida, Doc, Fergie, Lamarr, and Denny talking with their lawyers. Good Question. –Marty

Jose Pagan, the Giants light hitting shortstop once hit two home runs in a single game, but that wasn’t the lead story for the Giants that day. What was? – The Ritchie Family

I had to think back to 1961 to answer this question. Hall of Famer, Willie Mays had one of his biggest days in his career on April 30th.The Say Hey Kid hit four homers in four at bats against the Milwaukee Braves and missed a chance for a fifth when the Giants left him in the on deck circle as the ninth inning ended.What people don’t know is that he used teammate Joey Amalfitano’s bat that day because it was lighter and Mays was feeling tired. The bat disappeared from Amilfitano’s locker the next day and as far as Amalfitano knows it has never been recovered. By the way, Jose Pagan, hit two homers in that game also for the Giants, but who remembers. -Marty

Marty –

Read your article – Fun in Seatlle – Say it Ain’t So – with great pleasure. Especially the tet-a-tet between Rhodes/Vizquel/McClelland. Now, noticing the picture of Rhodes, you can see the ice. But it is nothing compared to the reflection of the sun off the star logos on Rhode’s uniform. What standard was McClelland using when in told Rhodes to remove to earrings? What’s next? His cap? His jersey? – Befuddled in Oakland.

Dear Befuddled,

The cornerstone of baseball rules is that the opponent shall be prohibited from using dirty tricks ( Nixon could have played baseball) to deceive the other team. The umpire must use his judgment and decide if Arthur Rhodes’ earrings actually did impede the natural play of the game. Consequently, he did rule that the glare form the diamonds interfered with Omar Vizquel’s ability to follow the flight of the pitch. Sometimes an undershirt sleeve or a frayed part of a uniform shirt comes in for similar scrutiny. As in life, the authority figure makes a judgment call. You can always appeal to the commissioner for help if he isn’t too busy trying to change the strike zone

If three outs makes an inning, could this happen? Runner on second with two out. Batter singles to right and the runner scores. The hitter takes too big of a turn and is out at first when the cut off man throws behind him. That made three outs, but astute third baseman saw that the runner missed third. Since there are three outs can the defense appeal the runner at third? That would make four outs, wouldn’t it? Is defense out of luck and the run scores?

How about one more. In a game in 1962, Roger Maris was intentionally walked four times. How many intentional walks did he get in all of 1961 when he hit 61 dingers? Does this stuff ever give you a headache?

You guys sound like you want to be umpires. How’s your strike zone? I consulted with Hall of Fame baseball writer Leonard Koppett on this one.The runner is out for missing the bag on his way to the plate. Since that transgression occured prior to the third out being recorded on the bases, even though it was appealed at the conclusion of the play….the runner trying to score is outta there for missing third!

Second question, Maris received Zero ..none …not a single intentional walk in 1961 because Mickey Mantle was hitting behind Roger.Many feel if their spots were reversed in the order Maris would not have hit 61 homers.

Marty