Finding a New Favorite Very Specific Baseball Play
A quest to discover a beautiful moment in time.
In a baseball game log, each play is recorded as a simple matter of fact. No opinions, no superfluous contextual information, no footnotes screaming Holy shit did you see that?! Nope, just give me the practical details for the scorebook and my imagination will take it from there. The businesslike and comfortable – but never predictable – series of notations is one of my favorite ways to interact with baseball.
A baseball play represents a singular moment in time, a snapshot where a series of recognizable actions has been captured and preserved for eternity – or at least until they decide to put this whole internet thing out of its misery. However, contrary to their monotonous representations in the game logs, we all know not every moment is created equal. The fan who receives the same level of excitement from reading each of “Bobby Richardson lines out to shortstop” and “Bill Mazeroski hits a home run to left field” (the first and last plays in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series) has either gone off the deep end or achieved ultimate baseball nirvana.
With different types of plays naturally providing a wide variety of emotional responses, it makes sense that we develop particular affinities for some over others. For obvious reasons, the mainstream favorites generally occur amidst a confluence of several high-stakes factors: playoff game, late in the series, late in the game, close score, multiple runners on base, 2 outs, full count. A spectacular home run or dominating strikeout in that scenario is guaranteed to spike millions of heart rates and be remembered for many years thereafter.
Don’t get me wrong, those historic moments certainly rank near the top when I mull over my own favorite baseball plays, but if I ever wanted to disregard other responsibilities for a few minutes by distracting myself with game logs (hypothetically), I wouldn’t choose them. I’ve seen ‘em plenty of times. They’re old news. They’re stored away in those corners of my mind that are very valuable to me and really should’ve been allocated to studies on world peace and beloved memories of my grandparents but baseball got there first. If I ever want to relive them, I know where they are.
I want to find a new favorite baseball play. There are so many moments in baseball history that were huge at the time, inspiring all fans in attendance to leap and scream with pure joy, but have since disappeared into the abyss. However, thanks to all the baseball fanatics who have dedicated significant portions of their lives to making sure Major League game logs are recorded and available to all, there is hope in recovering these snapshots of jubilation. And since I wasn’t around to experience most of baseball history firsthand, there are virtually endless potential favorite plays out there, waiting for me to discover them and revel in their glory as if they are brand new.
With the vast wealth of game logs that history has to offer, my quest has an overwhelming number of directions it could take. So I’m gonna get real specific with it.
Game-Tying Multi-Run Triples in the Bottom of the 8th with 1 Out and a Runner on First Base
I’ve chosen to go outrageously specific for a couple reasons. One, I didn’t want to overwhelm myself with hundreds of instances to appreciate, so narrowing it down with a ton of qualifiers gives me a manageable compilation. Two, if I’m ever at a party and someone asks me, “What’s your favorite baseball play?” I want to be able to humorously respond with something like, “A game-tying multi-run triple in the bottom of the 8th with 1 out and a runner on first base,” and blow their mind with several examples listed off the top of my head.
Thanks to my Stathead subscription, I was able to find 19 plays that match the exact criteria I’ve laid out. (There are actually 20 on that list, but one of them was a single-run triple in which the batter scored on an error, and I couldn’t find a way to filter that one out.) Before I explore them and determine which one will be my Absolute Favorite, though, let’s go over why this is not just a silly construction of game log filters, but an honest-to-god truly cherishable baseball moment.
Tension swells throughout the stadium. Our beloved home team faces a multi-run late-inning deficit, but the stressful faces in the crowd display guarded hopes of erasing it. The go-ahead run is at the plate, so what we’re all secretly yearning for – but afraid to even acknowledge the possibility of – is a blast into the bleachers to leapfrog the opponents on the scoreboard. That’s the ultimate wish, but asking the all-powerful baseball gods for something so outlandish feels like putting a Ferrari on your Christmas list while your parents debate whether to get you one pair of underwear or two.
So everyone keeps their mouths shut and hangs on every pitch, swaying slowly from side to side. Cautiously optimistic. Prepared for disappointment. Any toddlers struggling to remain still and quiet are promised ice cream after the game in exchange for good behavior.
With 1 out and a runner on first, the dreaded prospect of an inning-ending double play looms over the ballpark like a thundercloud ready to strike down anybody who remarks upon it. Having more than one runner on base, though, means there have already been multiple glimpses of the sun poking through that cloud. Any other base-out situation (no outs, 2 outs, only one runner on, etc.) either lightens or darkens the outlook, and the balance I’m shooting for in the composition of this moment tips too much in one direction or the other.
“You look nervous, Dad.”
“If you aren’t nervous right now, I’m not raising you right.”
The pitch is delivered and contact is made, and though there’s a brief moment of recognition that it’s not exactly what we were hoping for, the ball’s voyage into the outfield grass is an excellent backup plan. At the very least, it’s not an out. The batter has kept the line moving and the optimism odometer continues its ascent – but how far will it proceed?
And then it’s off to the races. Outfielders accelerate toward the bounding getaway speck, crowd feeding off the anguish in their chase. Any runners who started on third or second base trot happily toward home, and after their runs are scored they immediately turn around to provide any necessary sliding advice to the potential tying run. In the best-case version of this scenario, there is no guarantee the runner originally on first base will successfully complete (or even attempt) the full 270-foot trek to the plate. Reaching third is salvation enough.
But when that steam engine rounds the corner full speed ahead, our hearts leap in our chests. Whether we’re watching the relay throw or not, we are fully aware it’s on the way, aiming to destroy this uptick in momentum. The runner eyes home plate like a marathon finish line, intense and desperate, straining to gather every ounce of energy the human body is capable of mustering. It is animalistic, an evolutionary response. There is a tiger in pursuit, and this caveman must make it back to his cave in order to be declared safe.
Maximum excitement calls for, of course, the throw and the runner arriving at home plate at the exact same time, but with a convincing split-second win by the runner. There should be no need for replay review or controversies on whether the umpire’s call was correct – it would muddy the waters and take attention away from the elation of the moment.
There is no doubt: we’ve got a brand-new ballgame, folks.
As the crowd erupts with that emphatic safe call at home, a secondary bliss bursts through when everyone realizes the original hero, the batter, is now standing on third base, hyped as all hell or perhaps stoic in success. A triple is already one of the most exciting plays in baseball, as it typically includes solid contact and a marvelous display of speed. With all the focus elsewhere in this case, we didn’t get the chance to appreciate the batter’s flight around the bases, but knowing the go-ahead run now stands 90 feet away at least affirms to us there was no lollygagging when we weren’t looking.
With less than 2 outs, there is now a good chance a lead is taken without the necessity of a hit. All we need is a deep fly ball or a well-placed groundout. There is simultaneously a sigh of relief that we’re no longer losing, a remaining strain of tension at the tie, confidence that this oh-so-close run can somehow find its way onto the board, and a little annoying voice in the back of our heads saying There’s still plenty of ways to blow this.
I’ve specifically chosen the 8th inning because it’s the perfect equilibrium between pressure in this moment and potential pressure in the next several moments. If it’s the 7th or earlier, the away team will still have multiple opportunities to counteract this comeback and bring us back down, so the situation feels less monumental. If we’re in the 9th or extra innings, we know that as soon as the next run scores, all this pent-up tension will be released. That’s nice if you want to get that toddler back to the car, but something feels wrong about rooting for the dopamine to stop flowing.
In the 8th, there are only 3 outs standing between this next run and victory, but since that victory would not be immediate when the lead is taken, we’re aware our suspense will remain intact for at least another 10 or 15 minutes. If the run scores, we’ll get to watch the closer emerge from the bullpen to defend this newfound lead. If the runner is stranded on third, then we can hope for a walkoff later on.
Either way, if this ain’t baseball at its finest, I don’t know what is.
The Absolute Favorite
I designed this very specific play without any real examples in mind – though transparently, a couple of qualifiers were added in order to narrow down the list. The Stathead search could only go back to 1910 because of incomplete play-by-play data before that, but I guess I’ll be happy enough with “only” 116 years worth of baseball to look through.
After analyzing various elements of each instance, I have determined my Absolute Favorite. Here it is.
September 17, 1969: Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers. Jim Lefebvre (LAD) vs. Hoyt Wilhelm (ATL). Down 5-3, runners on 1st and 3rd.
Prior to this game, the Braves and Dodgers were tied for second place in the NL West, each only a half game behind the Giants, with 2 weeks left to play in the season. Along with the Reds, the four teams had spent the entire summer jockeying for the top of the division, each one spending considerable time in the top spot and, up to this point, none ever dropping further than 5 games back.
The game was tied 3-3 going into the 8th, when the Braves put up 2 runs in the top of the inning to take the lead. When the Dodgers opened the bottom half with a leadoff walk, Atlanta called upon 47-year old legend Hoyt Wilhelm, who they had acquired in a trade with the Angels just 9 days beforehand. Despite his advanced age, Wilhelm pitched great for the Braves during the final stretch – in fact, the only run he gave up in 12.1 innings was in this very inning.
Wilhelm induced a popup for the first out, but a single put runners on first and third for Jim Lefebvre, whose last name I can assure you has been quadruple-checked. A star infielder at the beginning of his career, Lefebvre’s sparkle had since faded, but his bat reclaimed its magic for a brief moment that day, belting a two-run triple to tie up the game. Here’s how I imagine it happened: “Tension swells throughout the stadium. Our beloved home team faces a multi-run late-inning deficit, but the stressful faces in the crowd display guarded hopes of...” Oh wait... I guess I’ve already got the romantic retelling of the moment covered.
Lefebvre’s big hit gave Dodger fans hope that they might end the day in first place, but the Hall of Famer on the mound had other plans. With Bill Russell at the plate and Lefebvre surely thinking of getting a headstart on a grounder, Wilhelm threw over to third. The game log shows the third baseman then throwing home, so Lefebvre understood he was dead to rights on the pickoff and tried an all-or-nothing approach toward the plate. There, he was tagged for a huge second out of the inning. Russell grounded out, and eventually the Braves won the game thanks to a 12th inning home run by some guy named Henry Aaron. I’ve heard he hit a few of those over the course of his career.
The two teams played again the next day and the Dodgers actually took that contest thanks to a bases-clearing triple in the 6th (many call this the Exciting Triples Series). Once again, both teams were a half game behind the Giants when they parted ways. From there, however, the conclusions of their seasons went entirely separate directions: the Braves went on a 10-game winning streak and the Dodgers spiraled into an 8-game losing streak. Just two weeks after this intense battle, the Braves were celebrating a division crown with the Dodgers in 4th place, a full 8 games below.
Did I anticipate my Absolute Favorite very specific baseball play would lead to the beneficiary team losing the game and plummeting down the standings shortly after? Definitely not. But I do not need happy endings where everything somehow works out perfectly for the main characters in the end. The collapse does not spoil this beautiful individual play I have discovered. In fact, it kinda makes it cooler. For a moment, a brief flickering moment, the stars aligned and a home crowd felt the very specific emotions I asked for – amidst a tight pennant race, no less – and nothing outside that moment mattered to them at the time, or to me now.
The Rest
Here are the other 18 times this exact scenario has taken place, ordered reverse-chronologically, as well as some basic notes on each. These are all regular season plays, as this has never happened in the playoffs.
If you ever catch this extremely specific scenario in person or even on TV, I hope you stop for a moment and consider how lucky you are to be part of history. Not everyone can say they have witnessed a game-tying multi-run triple in the bottom of the 8th with 1 out and a runner on first base. Take your good fortunes and use them wisely.
April 14, 2019: Danny Santana (TEX) vs. Joakim Soria (OAK). Down 7-5, runners on 1st and 3rd.
Standings: 5th and 4th place, respectively
Very early in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
May 29, 2018: Ender Inciarte (ATL) vs. Jacob Rhame (NYM). Down 6-4, runners on 1st and 3rd.
Standings: 1st (tie) and 4th place, respectively
Early in season
Batter did not score
Home team won in bottom of the 9th (walkoff HR!)
April 14, 2008: Ivan Rodriguez (DET) vs. Pat Neshek (MIN). Down 9-7, runners on 1st and 3rd.
Standings: 5th and 3rd place, respectively
Very early in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
April 20, 2007: Coco Crisp (BOS) vs. Mariano Rivera (NYY). Down 6-4, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 1st and 3rd place, respectively
Very early in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
Home team eventually won World Series
June 30, 1994: Damon Berryhill (BOS) vs. Bob Wickman (NYY). Down 5-3, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 3rd and 1st place, respectively
Midway through season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
September 22, 1970: Tony Taylor (PHI) vs. Danny Frisella (NYM). Down 5-2, bases loaded.
Standings: 5th and 3rd place, respectively
Very late in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Away team took the lead back in the top of the 9th
Away team won in bottom of the 9th
August 16, 1969: Ed Stroud (WSA) vs. Jim Kaat (MIN). Down 5-3, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 4th and 1st place, respectively
Late in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
September 10, 1967: Maury Wills (PIT) vs. Joe Hoerner (STL). Down 7-5, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 7th and 1st place, respectively
Very late in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
Away team eventually made it to World Series, but lost
September 7, 1964: Willie Smith (LAA) vs. Dick Radatz (BOS). Down 3-0, bases loaded.
Standings: 5th and 8th place, respectively
Very late in season
Batter did not score
Home team won in 11 innings
June 6, 1958: Dick Gray (LAD) vs. Bob Rush (MLN). Down 3-1, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 8th and 1st place, respectively
Midway through season
Batter did not score
Home team won in bottom of the 9th (walkoff HR!)
Away team eventually made it to World Series, but lost
August 26, 1946: Bob Souchock (NYY) vs. Stubby Overmire (DET). Down 6-4, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 2nd and 3rd place, respectively
Late in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
May 21, 1944: Frank Colman (PIT) vs. Charley Schanz (PHI). Down 3-1, runners on 1st and 3rd.
Standings: 3rd and 4th place, respectively
Early in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
September 23, 1936: Ken O’Dea (CHC) vs. Jim Weaver (PIT). Down 6-4, runners on 1st and 3rd.
Standings: 3rd and 4th place, respectively
Very late in season
Batter did not score
Away team won in 10 innings
October 1, 1929: Hughie Critz (CIN) vs. Guy Bush (CHC). Down 2-0, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 7th and 1st place, respectively
Very late in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
Away team eventually made it to World Series, but lost
June 27, 1920: Babe Ruth (NYY) vs. Allen Russell (BOS). Down 5-3, runners on 1st.
Standings: 2nd and 5th place, respectively
Midway through season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
May 20, 1914: Cy Rheam (PBS) vs. Doc Watson (CHI). Down 4-1, bases loaded.
Standings: 8th and 2nd place, respectively (Federal League)
Early in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Away team tied the game in the top of the 9th
Home team won in 11 innings
July 18, 1913: Beals Becker (PHI) vs. Mordecai Brown (CIN). Down 2-0, runners on 1st and 2nd.
Standings: 2nd and 8th place, respectively
Midway through season
Batter scored to take the lead
Away team scored 3 in top of the 9th
Away team won in bottom of the 9th
May 14, 1912: Heinie Wagner (BOS) vs. George Baumgardner (SLB). Down 5-2, bases loaded.
Standings: 2nd and 8th place, respectively
Early in season
Batter scored to take the lead
Home team won in top of the 9th
Home team eventually won World Series