Life and Death of the Triple

[DOUGHBOYS]

We all love fantasy players who can do it all. Fill five categories. Before Fantasy baseball, these players were simply labeled as, 'exciting'.
These exciting players would electrify fans and give them reasons to go home from the game talking about what these players had done.
Stretching doubles into triples. Stealing bases. Scoring from second base on a slow grounder hit to the left side of the infield.
You know, stuff we don't see much in today's game.
I marveled at Willie Mays. He did all those things and more.
Here is a list of players achieving a feat that won't happen in today's game.
It's a list of players who have had 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 homers in a season....

Frank Schulte
Jim Bottomley
Jeff Heath
Willie Mays
George Brett
Curtis Granderson
Jimmy Rollins

Damn short list.
A shorter list would add 20 stolen bases to the mix...

Frank Schulte
Willie Mays
Curtis Granderson
Jimmie Rollins

These lists will probably not change during your lifetime. It is because of the triple.
The triple, probably the most exciting hit in baseball, has been squeezed out of our game. The biggest reason is because ball parks are getting smaller and smaller to induce more home runs. These ball parks also don't lend themselves to real 'alleys' as old ball parks knew.
Heck, even 'triples alley' in San Francisco is being changed to accommodate the home run.
Added to the equation is today's player.
Today's player likes to watch the flight of a well-struck ball. They want to see their handy work and if the ball falls short of the seats, most know that they will easily settle for a double.
Today's triples are more lucky in what happens to the ball after being struck. A carom away from an outfielder. An outfielder misreading a ball or a diving attempt in catching a ball and missing can result in triples or even inside-the-park home runs.

What is really unusual about Rollins and Granderson being on the list above is this...
Rollins and Granderson are the ONLY two players to hit 20 triples since the year 2000.
And they did it in the same year of 2007.
Christian Guzman had 20 triples in the year 2000.
The last time somebody hit 25 triples was nearly 100 years ago. Kiki Cuyler hit 26 for the Pirates in 1925.
Triples were usually accumulated by fast players like Sam Crawford and Ty Cobb.
Then came ball parks with strange nooks and crannies. Stan Musial became a triples machine in these ball parks.
Although Stan the Man had little speed, he would find plenty of room over outfielders heads. Balls are seldom hit over outfielders heads now.
If so, the ball is topped by the nearby fence where the outfielder easily retrieves the ball and throws it into the infield while the batter is going for a double.

The ultimate triples park was Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. It was built by an owner who hated the 'cheap home run'. You'll see Forbes Field's left field fence when they show highlights of Yogi Berra looking up helplessly as Bill Mazeroski's home run sails over the wall winning the 1960 World Series.
When built, the nearest part of the fence to the batter in Forbes Field was down the left field line, 360 feet away.
Right field line, 376 feet.
360 and 376 feet would be considered 'Alley' length for some of today's ball parks.
The walls would jut away from the lines. Straightaway center field was 442 feet although off center field to the right, the distance was 462 feet, to the left, 457 feet.
The Pirates actually used this area for more fans during sell-outs and it was where they 'stored' their batting practice cage.
There was also a flag pole and some monuments there.
11 teams have hit 110 triples since 1900, The Pirates, seven times at Forbes Field.
By the way, the name for Forbes Field will delight those that do not like parks named for owners, politicians, or sponsors.
Forbes Field was named for the man who gave Pittsburgh its name more than 100 years before the park was built.

Triples have all but disappeared from today's game. Here are the leaders from last year...

Eduardo Escobar-10
Whit Merrifield -10
Adalberto Mondesi-10
Hunter Dozier-10
Ketel Marte-9
Mallex Smith-9

Looking at these players and where they play, Kansas City and Arizona look to be the triples parks of today.
In actuality though, the Rockies and Tigers had 41 triples while the Diamondbacks and Royals had 40.
Today's game has all but nullified the triple.
Remember Rollins and Granderson hitting at least 20 in 2007?
In 2019, five teams failed to hit 20 triples.
In 2018, the Cardinals hit nine triples.
All the Cardinals. All year. Nine... Nine.
Stan Musial, in a better place now, threw up in his mouth.

[Edwards Kings]

I guess triples where already dying when I played ball or at least where I played ball.

I had speed (being skinny and all leg back then) and was not a big fly guy, more of a line-drive guy. So my extra base hits were more of the double type. But our coaches always drilled into us never to make the first or last out at third base. Too risky..."run us out of an inning". So just about the only time we felt justified in stretching a safe double into a (usually) hook slide triple was if we came up to bat with one out and were lucky enough to put the ball in play in a spot where an outfielder would end up chasing. It limited our opportunities because there was always a risk of extra laps for going against the convention if we were called out.

Good stuff, Dan.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Thanks Wayne!

Assuming Curtis Granderson retires, the two leading active triples hitters in baseball will be Dexter Fowler and Brett Gardner.
Fowler with 82 triples, Gardner, 68.
Each have played 12 years. An average of about six triples a year.
Fowler's 82 triples is tied with Phil Garner on the all time list at 259th!

[Edwards Kings]

Looking up Forbes Field...man...what a monster!

Pittsburgh Manager: "Congratulations on making the majors, rook! Your starting the home game today."

Rookie: "Thank you sir! It has been a lifelong dream...ummm....what position am I playing?"

Pittsburgh Manager: "Centerfield!"

Rookie: "Damn...."

[DOUGHBOYS]

And that illustration was AFTER 1925.
Before '25, the right field line was 376 feet. The move in 1925 was made to increase seating capacity in the Stadium.
After it was felt too many home runs were being struck (sound familiar?) around baseball, mostly due to some fences being less than 'a short' 350 feet, the Pirates erected a 28 feet wall and screen in right field. Only nine feet shorter than Fenway's Green Monster.
The rest of Forbes Field was enclosed by a 12 foot wall.
Triples Heaven.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Looking up Forbes Field...man...what a monster!

Pittsburgh Manager: "Congratulations on making the majors, rook! Your starting the home game today."

Rookie: "Thank you sir! It has been a lifelong dream...ummm....what position am I playing?"

Pittsburgh Manager: "Centerfield!"

Rookie: "Damn...."

It's funny. I have a running argument with a good baseball friend about the greatest defensive Center Fielder in baseball.
My pick is Willie Mays. His, Andruw Jones.
I had the advantage of watching both players. Each, elegant in the way they glided to each ball. Effortless.
For me, their defensive skills at the position were far and away better than all others.
Both played shallow, ever confident in their abilities to catch up to any ball struck over their heads.
The thin line that divides Mays and Jones, in my mind, lies in the amount of ground Mays had to cover in those old parks.
Although 'The Catch' is replayed over and over again during the World Series vs Cleveland in 1954, it shouldn't be about the catch.
The amazing part was that Mays was playing shallow and caught the ball on the dead run more than 425 feet from home plate.
The ground covered BEFORE the catch being the story.
Could Jones have caught the ball?
Maybe.
We'll never know.

If Mays had not caught up to the ball, Vic Wertz, most likely, would have had a triple.

[Edwards Kings]

Only seen Mays in clips and a few times on TV when I was very young and he was not.

Andruw however, always amazed me. Wasn't a typical skinny center fielder whose legs were attached directly to his shoulders. Looked to me like an normal player when young and a bit pudgy later, but the real estate he covered...wow! Great instincts and pure routes.

The nooks and crannies that Mays had to shine the light in would probably give him and edge, but I too think it would be thin. Might be the homer in me talking, but I would put Jones on any field from any era.

He and Mays..."Death to Triples!"

Triples...hmmm....be right back...going to Wendy's!