# Rafael Furcal turns unassisted triple play **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409 "2003-08-11T15:58:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/1 "2003-08-11T15:58:29Z")
[Unassisted triple play by Furcal a rare feat](http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/rockies/article/0,1299,DRMN_19_2173089,00.html) > [@](#): > > It all happened so quickly, even Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal wasn’t sure what he accomplished. > > Furcal turned the 12th unassisted triple play in major league history, but the St. Louis Cardinals beat Atlanta 3-2 Sunday night on Albert Pujols’ tiebreaking homer off John Smoltz in the eighth inning. Did anyone else see this game? I was half-watching and half-playing pool, but did happen to glance up and catch this play. How cool! I’ve been saying for years that I hoped one day to see an unassisted triple play, and now I have! Cecil wrote a column a while back about the unassisted triple play, but I’m having trouble getting the archive search to work. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/2 "2003-08-11T17:30:43Z")
My six year old son made an unassisted triple play earlier this summer in his baseball league. The bases were loaded with no outs and the batter popped up. He caught the pop-up, tagged the kid who was at second running to third because he failed to tag up, and then ran to third and tagged the base because that runner also failed to tag up and was standing at home plate. Funniest thing I ever saw. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/3 "2003-08-11T17:37:37Z")
I was watching the game, and I nearly soiled myself. I was trying to explain how rare this was to the woman. I think she was not as impressed as I was. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/4 "2003-08-11T17:45:36Z")
**mouthbreather** , I got a similar reaction. “Omigosh, did you see _that_?” “Yeah. It’s a baseball game.” ---
**Author:** ![Press](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Press](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Press)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/5 "2003-08-11T20:02:13Z")
With the playoffs around the corner, I think it’s great that Braves fans got one last thing to cheer about. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/6 "2003-08-11T20:05:07Z")
I sat giddy (braves are my TEAM) for hours. They kept on replaying it and I kept being amazed and astonished. Second in Braves history (first was as the Boston Braves). Considering there’ve only been 11 in regular-season play, that’s quite a feat:D **fizzestothetop** ruined my buzz by not caring either (as in, joining the other non-caring women already mentioned). WOMEN! ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/7 "2003-08-11T20:11:26Z")
I found the column: [How is an unassisted triple play accomplished in baseball?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_173.html) I’m going to see our local AAA team, the Memphis Redbirds, play the Las Vegas 51s tonight (the really _good_ seats are $15.50; I love the minors), but I doubt I’ll see anything that spectacular. I did see us win with a walk-off homer on the Fourth of July; that was pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/8 "2003-08-11T20:15:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Press \* > With the playoffs around the corner, I think it’s great that Braves fans got one last thing to cheer about. [Er…](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings)if things go as they have since 1991 (strike season exempted), most other teams will be either watching them, playing golf or otherwise engaging in something other than playoff baseball. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/9 "2003-08-11T20:18:31Z")
I was watching the end of this game, but didn’t catch this part. I caught the beginning of SportsCenter and they mentioned an unassisted triple play, so I kept watching till they showed it. I was surprised to find it was the game I had been watching earlier, and disappointed because I am a Cardinals fan. Anyway, I always tried to get my head around how this could be acheived and I always had trouble. Here’s how it happened this time. Runners on 1st and 2d. Batter hits a ball that looks like it will go over the Shortstop’s head and drop into the outfield. The runners both go. SS makes a great leaping catch (Out 1). Steps on 2d base before the runner can return to tag up (Out 2). Tags the runner from 1st base just as he is turning around to return to 1st (Out 3). Pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/10 "2003-08-11T20:35:47Z")
According to the trivia snippets broadcast before every Rangers game by announcer Eric Nadel, there has been exactly one unassisted triple play by an _outfielder_ in the history of professional baseball (in the minor leagues, as it happened). I’ll let everyone just chew on the likelihood of that for a while … ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/11 "2003-08-11T20:37:46Z")
The runners were moving on the pitch, **Frankd6** , not the hit ball. It was a hit and run, which was part of what made it even more unlikely, because if Furcal had not stayed at his position (Giles covered the bag for the possible throw), then probably 2 runs score on that play. ---
**Author:** ![mojave66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mojave66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mojave66)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/12 "2003-08-11T20:37:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > \*\*_fizzestothetop_ ruined my buzz by not caring either (as in, joining the other non-caring women already mentioned). WOMEN! \*\* Hey! I’m female and what’s worse, a GIANTS fan, and even Furcal’s amazing play thrilled the hell out of me. But wait 'til you Braves have to face the rather mundane and all too common Durham-Aurillia-Snow double in the playoffs. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Press](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Press](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Press)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/13 "2003-08-11T20:38:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jackelope \* > \*\*I found the column: > > [How is an unassisted triple play accomplished in baseball?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_173.html) > > I’m going to see our local AAA team, the Memphis Redbirds, play the Las Vegas 51s tonight (the really _good_ seats are $15.50; I love the minors), but I doubt I’ll see anything that spectacular. I did see us win with a walk-off homer on the Fourth of July; that was pretty cool. \*\* Oh, I’m well aware that the Braves have made the playoffs twelve years straight. Living near Philly (forty minutes away, living in South Jersey…but I’m a Yankee fan, go figure) means that I keep up pretty well on the standings as far as the NL East goes. However, let’s remember that with the exception of '95, when the Braves actually won it all, they’ve done nothing but sputter and die in the playoffs. Hence, it’s a good thing Braves fans have one last thing to cheer about. ---
**Author:** ![Press](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Press](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Press)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/14 "2003-08-11T20:39:45Z")
…um…ignore the quoting in the post above, please. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/15 "2003-08-11T20:39:56Z")
Don’t despair, gentleman – I’m a girl, and my only thought was, jolly super, but pity it wasn’t a guy on a team I support! 😃 (and, nope, not a Cardinals supporter, either – I listen to the Sunday night matches to listen to Jon Miller – the nicest thing about the triple play was Joe Morgan couldn’t work in some comment about the 1975 World Series.) By the way, my (male) partner was less than impressed, though… ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/16 "2003-08-11T20:45:46Z")
Thanks **Iampunha** , that makes more sense. As I say, I only saw the highlight, which removed some of the context. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/17 "2003-08-11T20:46:00Z")
If Furcal’s up, we won’t have to. Man’s only hit into one double-play all season, and even that one was dubious (IMNSHO:D). **Simmons** , here’s my guess: Center Fielder is playing shallow against a weak-hitting batter (or even fifth infielder, behind second). Hit and run, so batters are off with the pitch. CF catches ball with diving stab, which stab takes him to close to second base. Pokes other runner. If it was back in the day when a ball caught on one hop was ruled an out, this makes everything much easier… ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/18 "2003-08-11T20:56:55Z")
**Simmons** , I assume that in your example the shortstop is not considered an outfielder? He plays pretty much in the infield, but in the official scorekeeping system he’s listed between left and center fielders. I’ll go with **iampunha** ’s guess on this. Either that or maybe rightfielder runs toward infield, makes running catch, tags first, and then beans another runner directly with the ball or something crazy like that. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/19 "2003-08-11T21:16:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Press \* > However, let’s remember that with the exception of '95, when the Braves actually won it all, they’ve done nothing but sputter and die in the playoffs. Let’s not remember it and say we didn’t, because it’s not true: [1991](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=1): > [@](#): > > Steve Avery was the MVP of the NLCS after tossing a record 16.1 consecutive scoreless innings to lead the Braves to a seven-game triumph. Mark Lemke then turned the World Series into a personal showcase by hitting .417 and helping push the Twins all the way to Game 7, a heartbreaking, 1-0 loss in 10 innings. [1992](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=2): > [@](#): > > Francisco Cabrera’s 9th-inning, two-out, two-run, pinch-hit single and Sid Bream’s photo finish slide at home plate gave Atlanta a stunning 3-2 triumph over the Pirates and sent the Braves to their second consecutive World Series. The Braves became the first NL team to win back-to-back pennants since the 1977-78 Dodgers… [1993](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=3): > [@](#): > > After one of the most pulsating stretch runs in baseball history, the Braves became the first team to win the N.L. West for three consecutive years when they captured the division over the Giants on the season’s final day. Went on to lose in the NLCS. 1995 already mentioned. [1996](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=6): > [@](#): > > The Braves made their fourth trip to the World Series out of the last five played, but were unable to defend their world title as the Yankees took the championship in six games… The Braves swept the Dodgers in three games in the Division Series then became the first team in history to rebound from a three-games-to-one deficit in the NLCS, overcoming the ST. Louis Cardinals. Atlanta took the final three contests by scores of 14-0, 3-1, and 15-0. [1997](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=7): > [@](#): > > In the post-season, Atlanta swept 3 games from Houston in the Division Series, giving the Braves a 9-1 mark in Division Series competition. Competing in a record 6th straight National League Championship Series, the Braves lost to the Marlins in 6 games losing the final 2 contests, marking the first time a team other than Atlanta represented the National League in the World Series since 1993. [1998](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=8): > [@](#): > > The Braves met the Chicago Cubs in the Divisional Playoffs and won in three straight games. The San Diego Padres were the opponents in the NLCS. After losing the first three games, the Braves won two dramatic contests in San Diego, before falling in six games. [1999](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=9): > [@](#): > > In the post-season, Braves disposed of Astros in 4 games, then appeared in their record 8th straight LCS, outlasting the Mets in a pulsating 6-game series after being up 3 games to none. Braves made their 5th World Series appearance of the 1990’s, and held two 8th-inning leads (in Games One and Three), but failed to preserve them and were swept in 4 straight by the Yankees. [2000](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=10): > [@](#): > > The Braves claimed their unprecedented ninth straight division title, but saw their streak of eight consecutive appearances in the N.L.C.S. come to an end when they were swept in the Division Series by the Cardinals. [2001](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=11) > [@](#): > > The Braves advanced to the NLCS where they lost in five games to the eventual World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks…the Braves swept the Astros in the Division Series. [2002](http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/history/atl_history_timeline_article.jsp?article=12): > [@](#): > > For just the second time since 1991, the Braves didn’t advance to the National League Championship Series. Tom Glavine suffered two losses in the team’s five-game Division Series loss to Barry Bonds and the Giants. Sputtering and dying? Me no sink so. ---
**Author:** ![Press](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7993a0/32.png) [@Press](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Press)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409/20 "2003-08-11T22:14:03Z")
For a team that’s done so well in the regular season for those twelve years, I would think that not winning a World Series title more than once in twelve years would be pretty akin to sputtering and dying, especially when you look over the Yankees’ success in the last seven or eight years they’ve made the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be hostile/start a flame war, here. I respect the Braves, because I get to watch them whomp the Phillies every single year (and there’s nothing I like more than watching the Phils get it handed to 'em). They’re a great team, but they never seem to follow through when it comes down to the final few series. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rafael-furcal-turns-unassisted-triple-play/194409.md?page=2)