The First 2-1 Double Play That You Have Ever Seen
As baseball fans who happily allow themselves to be consumed by information, we know, automatically, what certain number sequences refer to. Take, for example, 40-40. That’s homers and steals, applying to the rare player both speedy and powerful. 30-100? Homers and RBI, which, whatever, don’t act like you didn’t know. 6-4-3? That’s a run-of-the-mill double play. 2-1? Padres game. It’s all a different language, and we’re fluent in it, even if it isn’t the sort of fluency you’re comfortable declaring on a resume.
But numbers are just numbers, and they can refer to anything. I mean, it’s possible that 6-4-3 could also mean six runs on four hits, with three errors. You just can’t be sure right away. Now, baseball makes this promise: any day at the ballpark, you might see something you’ve never seen before. It’s an element that helps to keep the game fresh, despite 162 repetitions. Not everyone, granted, might appreciate something rare, something historical. Kind of depends what we’re talking about. In this case, we have something appealing only to dorks. Sunday afternoon in Oakland, Mike Zunino and Felix Hernandez of the Mariners turned a 2-1 double play.
You’re having trouble picturing what this looked like. This is what this looked like. It is, unfortunately, not yet available to embed, but it’s pretty easy for you to click a link. Many of you, probably, have already seen the highlight, if you weren’t watching live, but for those of you to whom this is new, spend some minutes mulling this over before you watch the clip. Make a game of it. Imagine what happened. Just how wrong were you?
Very obviously, a 2-1 double play is unusual. It passes the broadcaster test:
Sims: I dare you to say you’ve seen that before.
Blowers: Can’t say that I have. Can’t say that I have.
M. Richards hits into a 2,1 double play as the Lady Rattlers escape the top half of the inning and avoid giving up another score to Italy.
And most importantly, it passes the history test:
According to STATS INC, today’s 2-1 double play was the first in their data going back to 1987. pic.twitter.com/aaS1sqVqCG
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 13, 2015
What this doesn’t say is it was the first 2-1 double play since 1987. What this does say is it was the first 2-1 double play since at least 1987, and, given that that’s a long time to go without one, chances are the last one didn’t occur in 1986. We’re left to guess, and they’re not even particularly educated guesses, but there’s some, non-zero chance this was the first 2-1 double play in major-league history. That’s obviously quite a leap, and I don’t want that to be the conclusion. What we know for sure is this is extraordinary. This is almost certainly the first 2-1 double play you’ve ever seen in your life. At least in the majors — I don’t know what happens at levels below. Even if there were one of these in the 60s or 70s or 80s, I doubt the game was widely televised, and I doubt you were in attendance.
To whatever extent we care about numerical combinations and sequences on defense, this is an incredible play. People, I think, are generally more in love with the rare 9-3 putout, because then someone looks amazing and someone gets laughed at. But we saw multiple 9-3 putouts just last year. It’s a rare sequence, but it’s not the most rare sequence. A 9-3 putout, perhaps, is gold. A 2-1 double play is lechatelierite. Yes, I had to look that up. Consider this a post about unfamiliar things.
Certain conditions are necessary for a 2-1 double play. Clearly, you need a runner on. Clearly, you need there to be fewer than two outs. But you then need more, a lot more, or else this wouldn’t be the first one of these in Internet-forever. The biggest difference-maker, in this case: Sam Fuld took off on the pitch. Mark Canha softly put the ball in the air. He hit the ball to an area where it would’ve been difficult for Fuld to see it. But Fuld was also not looking.
Rather, he was looking ahead. Ahead, there was a trap!
Felix said they were able to double off the stealing Fuld on the foul pop because Cano tricked him by acting as if he turned a double play. — Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) April 13, 2015
This isn’t anything unheard of. We’ve seen guys get doubled off before on attempted hit-and-runs. And we’ve heard of infielder decoys. It’s a relatively common strategy, and usually it doesn’t do anything. Here, Robinson Cano might’ve bought the Mariners an extra split-second or two. It was by that margin that Fuld was thrown out back at first base.
You can see Cano’s arm swung around, here:
Fuld didn’t slide, so he didn’t think he was breaking anything up, but he did continue to run forward. He had to try to turn on a dime.
A side view, where, again, you can just barely see Cano’s fake throwing motion:
So, Fuld was going on the pitch. He was thrown off a little bit by the second baseman, before he hit reverse. Still, that didn’t just lead to an automatic 2-1 — more parts were required. That “1” means the pitcher had to be covering a bag, or at least be in the vicinity. What that means: the hit ball had to cause both the catcher and first baseman to converge. And then the pitcher had to be aware enough to get in position. And, at last, the catcher had to realize quickly that there was a chance to get another out with a fast and accurate throw.
When it was all over, it’s understandable why Sam Fuld didn’t quite gather what had happened.
Meanwhile, the play got Lloyd McClendon to clap and stand up in the dugout. “This is why we do so much PFP,” he probably thought, even though no pitching staff in the world practices this particular play. That’s the true sign of polished defensive instincts — not just being able to do what you’ve gone over, but being able to think beyond that. Mike Zunino and Felix Hernandez created a new play. It’s twice as good as a strikeout.
It’s difficult to spot an obvious error. Or, I guess it isn’t — Fuld never picked up the baseball, after he took off. But that happens often, and he was deceived by the player just in front of him. The ball was hit in the air literally behind his back, and it nearly got out of play. In another ballpark, it very well might’ve. We’ve seen runners like this get doubled off. We’ve just never seen it happen where the catcher makes the catch and then throws to the pitcher. It’s nothing as memorable as a grand slam or a no-hitter, but those are exponentially more common events. This is something you’ve never seen. You’ve seen a lot of baseball, and still it can pull crap like this out of its pocket.
As it happened, two innings later, Fuld was again on base with Canha at the plate. Fuld this time was maybe a little more wary:
But we saw a 4 unassisted double play just last September 19. It’s like, who even cares? Sunday brought us a 2-1 double play. It wasn’t the only conceivable way in which a 2-1 double play could take place, since pitchers also sometimes cover home, but who knows how long it’ll be until the next? Could be tomorrow. Could be after you’re dead. If you’ve gotten this far in the post, you’re a baseball dork. And if you’re a baseball dork, this was just the coolest thing. Except for all those other dorky cool things. This is the perfect sport for us.
Jeff made Lookout Landing a thing, but he does not still write there about the Mariners. He does write here, sometimes about the Mariners, but usually not.
I imagined a popped up bunt (not high enough for an infield fly) with the bases loaded, catcher makes a diving catch, the runner on 3rd doesn’t think it was caught and runs home thinking he was forced, and the pitcher (covering home) getting a throw and tagging him.
This was somehow stranger. I also think Fuld, seeing the decoy, may have thought that it was a single and that Cano was trying to get him to slide (something 2B do fairly often).
This is incredible
Yeah, that’s more or less the kind of play I was imagining, but reality once again was way better!
Now you have me wondering if there’s ever been a 2-2 double play. Not unassisted. Say a runner on first goes, and the batter strikes out. The catcher throws the ball into CF, the CFer has trouble getting the ball, the runner comes around and is thrown out at home.
Of course, there are ways the pitcher could make the second PO on that play, too.
The problem with that play is that someone has to touch the ball in order to get it back to the catcher. That makes them part of the play and they would receive an assist.
Not to be a downer, but if the CF was the one to throw it home, it would be a 2-8-2 double play. And even at that, I don’t know if that would count as a double play; the strikeout might be considered a separate “play” from the ensuing throwing error and guy getting thrown out at home.
Andy you’re describing a 2-8-2 put out. Did you forget about the center fielder?
Oops, yes, I did!
I am eagerly awaiting the first unassisted triple play that doesn’t involve second base.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unassisted_triple_play
If the runner on 2nd forgets how many outs there are, the 3rd baseman could conceivably catch a line drive, land on 2nd, then tag out the runner between 2nd and 3rd.
That has happened… Forget the team, was in the last few years. Bases loaded and the players took off on a line drive down the 3B line. The 3B was playing in, about a foot inside the 2nd to 3rd baseline and dove to his right, almost behind his right shoulder, he snared it just before it hit the ground and his glove landed on the bag when his slide came to a stop, then he stood up just in time to turn around and touch the guy coming from 2nd base. There were two guys from the other team standing at 2nd base wondering what happened.
It’s been done by an outfielder, shortstops, and first basemen.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Triple_play
What I’ve always imagined is — runners on second and third, no outs. Suicide squeeze attempt with both runners going. (Not extremely likely, but maybe it’s a close game in the late innings.) Third baseman charges. Batter pops up the bunt, and the third baseman catches it, and needs to run back to third to tag out the runner going from second to third. Then the third baseman touches third base for the third out. Completely conceivable, no????
Every time I see a triple play I can’t help but think of the first ever softball game I ever played. I was 7 years old and at friends family reunion for some reason or another and although I had never played the game, I had watched baseball almost daily since I was 5. I was playing near second base because we had extra infielders. I caught a soft looper, ran over and stepped on second and 5 hopped a throw to first base.
Most people just stood around confused or stunned while my friends Dad laughed his ass off. After eventually getting control of himself he had to explain to everyone what the hell just happened. Even though we were playing friendly rules where everyone got one atbat per inning, they decided to end that half inning right there because how often does a 7 year old turn a triple play against a team of mostly adults.
I would then go on to be pretty terrible at little league.
The Braves had a neat triple play against the Cubs in 1969. It involved seven defenders, and no one touched the ball more than once. The last out was made by left fielder Rico Carty covering third.
God, I love baseball.
Me too.
And I love Jeff Sullivan writing about baseball. This is the perfect convergence of singular subject and inimitable writer.
Long live the Baseball Dorks! Fun stuff.
This was just the coolest thing. Except for all those other dorky cool things. This is the perfect sport for me.
I imagined a bunt, too. Popped up between first and home with both the first baseman and catcher giving chase; the runner thinking it would drop, and the pitcher covering first. Thinking about that, though, the pitcher has to be closer than either the catcher or first baseman
I pictured the catcher sliding into the first base dugout to catch a pop fly, a runner tagging from third, and the pitcher covering the plate. Never in a hundred guesses would I have thought the second putout would come at first base.
It is also worth noting that Fuld rounded 2B, but missed it on the way back, so they could have had it even if he had gotten back in time.
Would that have also been scored 2-1 DP? I genuinely do not know.
Wouldn’t that require an appeal to 2nd? In which case it would be the 2B/SS recording the putout.
I think Felix could have tagged him at first with the appeal, but that might be scored as 2-4 or 2-5 like Dylan said.
An excuse to tell of my favorite truly odd play, even though it was only a softball game where I was the player-coach. In our last at bat our hitter knocked in the go ahead/winning run while hitting into a triple play. With the bases loaded he singled in the runner from third. The runner on second was thrown out at the plate, the runner on first was then thrown out at third, and finally the hitter/runner was thrown out at second. I doubt that happens very often, but maybe more than a 2-1 double play…
This could only happen in either a little league game or an adult softball game where the baserunners are reckless/undisciplined. Pretty interesting thing though haha.
There have been triple plays in the majors with two runners thrown out trying to advance (I remember one not too long ago). I’m not sure about three. In general, little league/crappy adult league play lends itself more towards not getting outs.
The last all-tagout triple play in the majors was turned by the White Sox in 1959. There were runners on 1st and 3rd. The batter hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, who threw to third to catch that runner trying to dive back. The third baseman than ran all the way across the diamond to tag out the batter, who had rounded first. He then saw the other runner rounding third and headed for the plate. He threw to the catcher, who got the runner in a rundown, and made a throw to the shortstop to tag that runner out.
Wish I could find video of this play but the radio call will have to do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b6HxTIwey8
This happens in the Majors sometimes. Especially to teams Nook Logan plays for.
And really, really friggin slow.
Baseball!
Baseball is my (adjective) sport. I love to (verb) when (name of favorite player) (verb) the (noun), but sometimes (repeat name of favorite player) only (verb) the (noun). I guess we can’t all be like Mike Trout!
Baseball is my (gorgeous) sport. I love to (sing) when (Chase Utley) (bakes) the (hog), but sometimes (Chase Utley) only (queefs) the (bed). I guess we can’t all be like Mike Trout!
Baseball is my (red) sport. I love to (taste) when (Jeff Bagwell) (sins) the (water), but sometimes (Bags) only (goatees) the (face). I guess we cun’t all be like Mike Trout!
Baseball is my (proletariat) sport. I love to (pontificate) when (Craig Breslow) (throws) the (ball), but sometimes (Craig Breslow) only (alienates) the (abstract citizen). I guess we can’t all be like Mike Trout!
Baseball is my (cromulent) sport. I love to (hoot) when (Adrian Beltre)(obliterates) the (coffee), but sometimes (Beltre) only (hastens) the (lolwut). I guess we can’t all be like Mike Trout!
So not what I pictured. I had it as a strike out where the ball got away and the catcher ended up making the tag a little down the line as the runner from 3rd tried to sneak home only for the pitcher to cover and tag him out when receiving the throw from the catcher.
Yes, I think we all pictured some kind of event where the pitcher ended up covering the plate and making the final out at home. Well, those of us who didn’t have the good fortune to be actually watching the Mariners playing the A’s (and as a Mariners fan, that’s certainly the first time I’ve ever written those words).
Bases loaded with one out. Batter strikes out, Ball gets away. Catcher retrieves it and throws out the Runner trying to score from third. Out is made by the Pitcher covering.
This must have happened before?
or like a deep foul pop up/tag up scenario with a runner on 3rd and the pitcher covering home. seems like the type of thing that could easily happen like once a season or so. cant believe theres no recorded instances of this in mlb history.
The runner on 3rd would have to tag until the catcher makes contact with the popup. By then, I can’t imagine him to start running home.
Well, but the batter wouldn’t be out if the catcher doesn’t catch the ball. So the pitcher getting the runner out at home would be the first out of the play. There’s an infield-fly-type rule specifically for this situation to prevent a catcher from dropping a third strike intentionally with the bases loaded to sneak in a double play. Of course, I dot know when that rule was implemented, so it’s possible that it happened at some point and orcs them to create the rule. But it wouldn’t work today.
He would be if the bases were loaded. The batter can only advance on a dropped 3rd strike when 1B is unoccupied of there are two outs.
Now that I’ve seen what a 2-1 double play looks like, the only things left unexplained are:
1. Who are the Lady Rattlers?
2. Why are they playing against Italy?
1. A womens’ softball team from Tolar, TX.
2. Because they met Italy, TX in some kind of regional playoffs.
Google is your friend: https://italy.neotrib.com/stories/4dc92dadc29e06850300079d
My nominee for best named player: Bailey Bumpus. Best nickname: Meredith “Mer Bear” Brummett.
My first thought was “Man, that’s a hell of a tune-up for the World Baseball Classic” And then I imagined Team Italy getting doubled up by the pitcher because one of their baserunners was too busy trying to chat up a Lady Rattler.
I’ve found three earlier instances using the baseball-reference Play Index.
– Braves @ Astros – September 21, 1978. 1st inning. Runners at 1st and 3rd.
– Phillies @ Reds – August 14, 1970. 4th inning. Runner at 1st.
– Cubs @ Phillies – June 24, 1950. 3rd inning. Runner was at 2nd.
I’m wondering whether some of these might have involved a baserunner thinking there were already two outs and running on a pop-up that multiple infielders converged on.
There may be others as the the play-by-play data only goes back to 1938 and is only complete from 1973.
How about the batter squares to bunt with 2 strikes and a runner on third. First baseman charges aggressively. Batter and catcher both miss the ball. Catcher retrieves it. First baseman sprints towards home to cover. Baserunner retreats to third. First baseman eases up and jogs past home. Catcher throws to pitcher covering first to retire batter. Baserunner turns around and dashes for home. Alert catcher races him there, takes throw from pitcher, tags runner out. 2-1-2 double play. It could happen!
What I actually pictured is pretty much what happened, but I thought a fair ball was more likely. Pitcher, catcher and first baseman converge, pitcher’s momentum takes him towards first as catcher dives to snare the ball. Runner is doubled off. I didn’t expect the runner to be caught so far off on a foul ball, but this was a unique circumstance.
2-1-2 != 2-1
According to the box score in baseball-reference.com of a game between the Angels and the White Sox on 6-13-66, second game of a DH, Gary Peters hit into a 2-1-2 DP with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning.
What I had pictured was: Runners at first and second and the batter shows bunt. Defense puts the wheel play on, batter pops up very softly right in front of the plate. Catcher charges out and catches it at shoetop level. The runner from seconds sees this and returns to second, but the runner from first thinks it was a trap and keeps going. Both of them are now on second. The pitcher goes there to cover, and the catcher throws to him. He tags both runners; the runner from first is out.
you forgot to add the gif of Canha throwing his bat down in disgust after the play…
“2-1? Padres game.”
Very Cistullian.
Jeff grew up in San Diego, so his ennui (when it comes to low-scoring baseball) is legit.
There is no reason to care, but I think I found a couple more of these.
The most recent I can find was in 1978, and the situation was a little different. Actually, it’s quite strange and you can imagine. Rafael Landestoy had made it to 3B with 1 out and, well I’m not really too sure what happened. Jose Cruz hit a ball that was caught by the catcher, and either Landestoy thought it might be a good idea to tag-up, and was tagged out at home or for some insane reason he got doubled up on 3rd with the pitcher somehow covering third. The data indicates it was a fair ball, so it’s probably not a case of a catcher chasing the ball way out in the middle of nowhere where tagging up might be plausible. First inning, this game:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU197809210.shtml
And then there is one in a Reds game which seems similar to the Felix play. Hal McRae in the 4th inning:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197008140.shtml
That one was a foul ball, similar to the Felix play it seems like.
There is one more that is not really the same but weird enough that I want to highlight it. Dramatic situation: Bases loaded, bottom of the 9th, 1 out. Gary Peters enters the game as a pinch-hitter, and he hits into a double play. Okay, so what? Well, the double play goes C-P-C:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA196606132.shtml
Looks like the catcher fielded the ball, threw it to the pitcher covering first to get the batter, and then the pitcher threw it back to the catcher to get the runner at home! Pretty dramatic way to finish the game. Not every day you see the pitcher throw the ball FROM first! The runner on third must have been crazy slow, and looking at it he was a catcher, JC Martin, so makes sense! Should have been a pinch runner there.
Ryan
That was exactly what I pictured, actually. But still awesome.
I was thinking it would be a swinging bunt with the bases loaded, catcher plays the ball and tags home and throws to the pitcher covering 1st (due to the 1st baseman being shifted or trying to play the bunt or something).
Squeeze play… Batter pops the bunt up foul to the left side, maybe in foul territory. Third baseman and catcher go after the ball, with the catcher making the play. Pitcher, recognizing the situation, breaks to cover third when the pop up is caught and beats the runner back to the base to complete the DP.
wow, people are bored.
This is still my favorite weird putout, from 8/24/2006:
Sean Casey grounds out, third baseman Joe Crede to left fielder Pablo Ozuna to first baseman Paul Konerko.
Woops, first baseman Ross Gload.
http://m.mlb.com/video/v20072423/cwsdet-casey-out-at-first-on-a-liner-to-left/?c_id=mlb
I’ve seen a few 1-unassisted putouts. I saw the Braves’ Craig McMurtry do one in a spring training game. The batter grounded softly to the left side of the mound. McMurtry broke to his left, fielded the ball, kept going in that direction, and tagged the batter out.
Jordan Zimmermann had a 1-unassisted in his no hitter last season.
In terms of dekes, has this ever happened?
2 on, no out. Fly ball to CF. The CF reaches over the wall and catches it but he makes like he missed it by giving a look back at the wall and slumping back to his position. As the runners advance a couple bases, he jogs in, shows the 2B ump the ball in his glove and steps on 2nd and 1st for a TP8U.
Or would at some point the 2B umpire make the HR official with the twirly finger sign?
Seems like once the deke has worked well enough to get the runners far enough off the bases, the center fielder would throw the ball in. It also seems very unlikely as you’d have to be thinking about this beforehand, and it wouldn’t work if either runner were tagging, which is distinctly possible and in that case your hesitation and gamesmanship could cost you.
On a deep fly ball, a runner on third would stay at the bag but runners on first and second would go halfway or so and probably wouldn’t go back to their bags if they thought it was out.
But you’re certainly right that a grownup would throw it in for the extra outs.
Surely outfielders, standing out there, alone with their thoughts, have at least considered such a thing. But it’s also possible that imagination is strictly an infield requirement. (I like to think that Cano wasn’t trying to represent a force play/double play to get him to slide, but instead tried to represent the deke so that Fuld would disbelieve it and round the base. Now that’s imagination.)
I had pictured a weak grounder along the first base line, with the catcher picking it up and tagging the batter as he ran to first, and then flipping it to the pitcher, covering home, who tagged out a runner coming from third. I wonder how many different versions of this people imagined
Since Jeff would only write about it, if it were a weird play — I pictured something close, but even less likely.
Swinging 3rd strike with a runner on 3rd, less than two out. Catcher doesn’t catch the ball, batter is momentarily confused.
Runner sees an opportunity brewing, and heads down the 3rd base line to steal home. Catcher retrieves the ball, which had deflected up the 1st base line, in time to tag out the batter. Then throws to the pitcher, who is covering home, in time to get the runner. Voila.
Okay, now I’m finally going to watch the clip.
Fuld over ran second base when Cano faked the double play, would he have been out anyways if he didn’t re-tag second before going back to first and was safe at first?
I actually was at the game, keeping score, and had no idea I’d seen anything unusual (except Sam Fuld looking like a fool) until I read this. Embarrassed.