Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Amazing Baseball Feats

With Baseball season upon us, I just read a really interesting article about 11 Major League Baseball Feats That Have Only Happened Once.

Some of those accomplishments are really amazing (Back to Back No Hitter and Two Triple Plays in one game) – but, due to the Cigarette Advertisement, I’ve included #4 below.  Please be sure to to out to 11 Points to read the rest.

Steal the same base twice in one inning. (And three bases total... including FIRST?)Germany

 Accomplished by Germany Schaefer, Detroit Tigers, September 4, 1908. This one's going to take some 'splainin. Until 1920, Major League Baseball had a rule that made it legal to steal bases in reverse order. If you were on second and wanted to go back to first, you could steal it. Which can, in some convoluted ways, make strategic sense.
During the September 4th, 1908, game between the Tigers and Cleveland Indians, Schaefer was on first and a teammate was on third. The Tigers wanted to do a double steal -- Schaefer would break for second, and, when the Indians tried to throw him out, his teammate would steal home. But when Schaefer broke for second, the Indians' catcher didn't make the throw, so Schaefer stole the base without the run scoring.
That wasn't the plan so, on the next pitch, he broke back for first... and successfully stole it without a throw. Then, on the next pitch, he broke for second AGAIN, to try to make the double steal work... but again, the Indians didn't throw.
That makes him the only player in MLB history to steal the same base twice in one inning. (And one of only two players to ever steal first base from second.)

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