Triple play record in year of lousy defense.

In a National Baseball Series full of errors and poor collective average defense of only 966, there are two triple play records that could remain for a few years.

In a National Baseball Series full of errors (up to the 67th day a total of 1,354) and a poor collective defense average of only 966, there are two triple play records that could remain for some years, nine in total and three for one team: Isla de la Juventud.

As baseball followers know, the normal triple play is the one in which two or more players of the team on defense intervene. It is rarely achieved in all the Leagues, although the one that is least seen is the one produced by a single player, the unassisted, considered the most spectacular to the field.

The new mark of triple play moves, all by more than one defender, of this National Series 63, leaves behind the six of the 54th campaign (2014-2015) and the three executed by the team of Isla de la Juventud, constitute a record for a contest.

It is interesting to note that all nine were the same way, by a ground ball to third to start the performance and for the first time the Island and Matanzas repeated in a sub-series.

The nine were:

-March 10th, 2024, Isla de la Juventud vs. Industriales, at the Latinoamericano.
-March 16th, Guantanamo vs. Las Tunas, at the Julio Antonio Mella stadium.
-March 20th, Las Tunas vs. Pinar del Río, at the Capitán San Luis.
-March 27th, Matanzas vs. Villa Clara, at the Sandino.
-April 9th, Juventd Island to Camaguey, in the Càndido Gonzàlez.
-April 23rd, Isle of Youth against Matanzas, at the Victoria de Girón.
-April 27th, Matanzas vs. Isla de la Juventud, at the Victoria de Girón.
-May 25th, Granma vs. Ciego de Avila, at José Ramón Cepero stadium.
-May 29th, Artemisa won against Matanzas, at 26 de Julio Park.

From History.

In MLB, the first regular triple play occurred on May 13th, 1876, by the New York Mutuals against the Drak Blues, with the bases loaded. It was a line drive that caught the second baseman, threw to first and the starter back to second base.

In the books Historia del béisbol profesional en Cuba, by Raúl Díaz Muro, and later in the book Béisbol en Cuba hispánica, by Severo Nieto, only one triple play appears, executed on January 23rd, 1887 by the Almendares team against the Fe, in the Almendares Park stadium.

This can be considered the first normal triple play in Cuba. It was performed by catcher Ignacio García, on a grounder that he caught near his position with two runners in circulation, threw to third baseman Ricardo Martínez, who quickly gave the pill back to bartender Ramón Hernández and the latter to starter Laureano Cortés.

The first normal triple play in revolutionary baseball was made by the Granjeros’ bullpen player, Jorge Hernández and the starter Daniel Hernández, on February 11th, 1965, at the Cerro stadium. Jorge caught a line out off the bat of Jesús Jufré, of Industriales with runners on first and second, who had left to steal, stepped on second and returned to the starter.

As for the unassisted triple play, Neal Ball, a bullpen player of the Cleveland Indians, made the inaugural one of the MLB on July 19th, 1909, against the Boston Red Sox, and another Cleveland player, second baseman Bill Wambsganss, made history with the first one in a World Series, against the Brooklyn Dodgers, on October 10th, 1920, at League Park.

The first unassisted triple play in Cuba was made by Baldomero Merito Acota, center fielder of the Havana Reds, against the Almendares Blues, on December 2nd, 1918, at the Almendares Park stadium.

It was not until 80 years later, on November 12th, 1998, that the third baseman of Villa Clara, Rafael Orlando Acebey made it at the Sandino stadium, in Santa Clara, against Industriales. The most curious thing is that it was a rolling ball, something unprecedented and which was influenced by a bad run by the batter.

Written by Francisco Soriano.