Cubs Turn Triple Play – Or Not

The Cubs turned a triple play last night, Bryant to Rizzo, their first triple play since 1997.  Or they got credit for one they didn’t turn.  Here’s the video.  Decide for yourself:

As to why the Reds didn’t challenge the play: they couldn’t.  That kind of catch – or no catch – in the infield isn’t reviewable.  And so we got a triple play.  Which was pretty neat, especially for an otherwise terrible game.  (We have to do something about the bullpen.)

In any case, last night’s triple play brought back memories of past triple plays, both ones we turned and ones we hit into.  Possibly the most amazing triple play statistic is that the 1965 Cubs turned three triple plays,¹ all with Bill Faul on the mound.²

And finally, perhaps my most memorable triple play: August 29, 1969.  I was standing outside North Austin Lutheran Church, getting ready for our wedding rehearsal.  It wasn’t quite time yet, so what else was there to do but listen to the Cubs game on my transistor radio.  It was the first inning.  Don Kessinger singled, as did Glenn Becket.  With Billy Williams up, the runners were balked to second and third.  But then Billy hit into a triple play, a 3-6-2-5-1-4-7 triple play.  But it worked out okay.  The Cubs won 2 to 1 – and well, it worked wonderfully in the most important way, too.
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¹ July 14, 1965, July 25, 1965, and October 3, 1965.
² Faul’s other claim to fame is that he said he hypnotized himself before he pitched.

Comments

[Susan Allen]

Thanks for the sweet comment. It worked out well for me too!