# Unassisted triple play **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725 "2005-01-14T16:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725/41 "2005-02-01T16:48:18Z")
I forgot to mention last night that while Schaefer’s steal of first was indeed a rare play, and one that hasn’t happened since he did it in 1908 (September 4, to be precise), it wasn’t the first time it had been done, in the same way and for the same reason. According to several sources, including [this one](http://forums.mlbcenter.com/showthread.php?t=14958), Harry Davis of the A’s tried it with Dave Fultz on third, against the Tigers (Schaefer, Jones, and Crawford’s team in 1908) back on August 13, 1902. The other recorded instance was by Fred Tenney of the New York Giants, also in 1908 (July 31, according to the source above; the Giants were playing St. Louis that day, according to [http://www.baseball-reference.com](http://www.baseball-reference.com)). Schaefer was something of a character anyway, and since his steal of first came near the end of the season and quickly became another well-known Germany Schaefer anecdote, I think it ensured that the rules committee would do something in the off-season. ---
**Author:** ![badomen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c2a13f/32.png) [@badomen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badomen)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725/42 "2005-02-01T18:51:30Z")
I was robbed ROBBED I tell you of an UTP back in my t-ball days. I played 2nd base because I could reasonably catch and throw the ball. The ball was hit almost directly to me at 2nd base, and the runners from first and 2nd were off. I caught the ball, immediately stamped hard on 2nd base and the runner from first ran into my glove. Sweet right? There was already one out. So really, me stamping on the base ended the inning. So close to glory. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725/43 "2005-02-01T21:34:55Z")
> [@rackensack](#): > > I think it ensured that the rules committee would do something in the off-season. Schafer did that one other time, apparently. He was the player representative for the 1907 World Series. There was no Commissioner then, but a National Commission composed of Ban Johnson, the AL President; Harry Pulliam, the NL President; the head of the Commission, Garry Herrmann, owner of the Reds. Also in the pre-Series meeting were the two umpires, who I think were Hank O’Day (NL) and Bob Emslie (AL), and the two managers, the Cubs’ Frank Chance and the Tigers’ Hughie Jennings. Schaefer asked if a tie game is a legal game. He pointed out the Series rule thay the players share only in the receipts from the first four games and wanted to know how a tie game would count. The commission ruled then and there that the players would share in the receipts of any tied Series game. Wouldn’t you know it, the very first game of the 1907 Series ended in a 12-inning 3-3 tie. The Cubs then swept; but the players got a cut of all five games. The next month, however, the Commission ruled that the players share _only_ in the first four games, ties or no ties; that rule is still in force. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725/44 "2005-02-02T19:35:00Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > Hitting a ball entirely out of the Kingdome, now, that’s rare. 🙂 How about hitting a ball entirely out of the Metrodome? Dave Kingman did that. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725/45 "2005-02-02T21:04:19Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > How about hitting a ball entirely out of the Metrodome? Dave Kingman did that. If that’s the one and only, then it’s rarer than Schaffer’s schtick. But if I had a choice, I’d rather have seen Schaffer theft of first than Kingman’s homer. Polycarp’s version had Cobb on third. So I figured the idea came from him. He was always looking for an edge. A long time ago I read that when runners were on base and a routine fly ball was hit to center field, Cobb would camp under it hands over his head to catch it, then at the last second he’d take his eyes off the ball to check the base runners, and catch the ball at the same time. Whatever the runners did, he knew exactly where to fling the ball. And he’d do this with those crappy-ass gloves they used in those days. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725/46 "2005-02-02T23:47:29Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > If that’s the one and only, then it’s rarer than Schaffer’s schtick. But if I had a choice, I’d rather have seen Schaffer theft of first than Kingman’s homer. One and only. Picture it, May 4th, 1984. Two out, nobody on. Viola on the mound, Kingman, signed by A’s during the offseason, in his first Metrodome appearance. The following is from [Kingman’s website](http://www.davekingman.com/1984.htm): > [@](#): > > Frank Viola of the Twins sent a low fastball Kingman’s way. Kingman hit it up, up, up and right through a seven-inch-wide drainage hole in the first layer of the roof. > > The Twins’ infielders gathered near the mound and peered skyward. Shortstop Houston Jimenez covered his head, fearing he might be bopped by a falling object. > > “it was like a rocket going off,” said Twins second baseman Tim Teufel. “I was waiting for it to come down through the atmosphere. I knew it had to land near the pitcher’s mound somewhere.” > > Umpire crew chief Jim Evans declared the drive a roof-rule double. A’s manager Steve Boros said a ground rule–make that a sky rule–about a ball being lost in the roof never had been discussed. > > “That’s like a hole-in-one in my book,” said Twins first baseman Mickey Hatcher. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unassisted-triple-play/284725.md?page=2)