#ThisDayThatYear: Wambsganss accomplishes World Series' only unassisted triple play (1920)
On October 10, 1920, Bill Wambsganss a professional second baseman for the Cleveland Indians, completed an unassisted triple play during Game 5 of the 1920 World Series against the Brooklyn Robins. Cleveland beat Brooklyn 8-1, as Wambsganss recorded the only unassisted triple in the history of the World Series. Cleveland won the World Series 5-2. We decode this unique record and Wambsganss' career stats.
The Indians trounce the Robins 8-1 in a historic game
Brooklyn's sole run game was in the ninth innings. Ed Konetchy recorded one RBI and two hits and also managed a strikeout. Meanwhile, for Cleveland, Elmer Smith and Jim Bagby hit one homer each in the first and fourth innings. Wambsganss pulled off the only unassisted triple play in World Series history in the fifth inning, as the Indians took a 3-2 lead.
What is an unassisted triple play?
An unassisted triple play in baseball occurs when a defensive player records all three outs in one continuous play without help from teammates. Neal Ball first accomplished this under modern MLB rules (July 19, 1909). For an unassisted triple play to happen, there must be no outs in the inning and at least two runners on base, typically with runners advancing on the pitch.
Other players and teams accomplish this rare feat
In Major League history, only 15 players have achieved an unassisted triple play, making it rarer than a perfect game. Among the 15, eight were shortstops, five second basemen, and two first basemen. The Cleveland Naps/Indians/Guardians are unique, having three players—Neal Ball, Bill Wambsganss, and Asdrúbal Cabrera, who accomplished this feat while on their roster.
Bill Wambsganss' crunch career stats
Wambsganss played 13 seasons for the Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Athletics. The second baseman had a career batting average of .259, with 1,359 hits, 521 RBIs and seven home runs over 1,491 games. From 5,241 at-bats, Wambsganss has managed 140 stolen bases with an on-base percentage of .328. Meanwhile, in seven postseason games, he has three runs, four hits, and one RBI.
