Triple Records

(Sam Crawford, circa 1912)

After a little more juice was added to the ball in prior to the 1911 season, the balance between pitcher and batter began to shift towards the hitters. It cannot account though for Owen Wilson's staggering record achievement. In 1912 Wilson hit 36 triples, easily the most of any player since 1900 and 22 more than his second best season. There has never been a good enough explanation of how he did it. True, Joe Jackson, then with Cleveland, hit 26 triples that same year, the American League record. Sam Crawford of Detroit tied his Jackson's mark just two years later, a sign that the era was the most prolific for triples. Also true is that Wilson played in Forbes Field, which for many years was sculpted in such a way that balls hit between outfielders were easily stretched into triples, helping the Pirates get 110 or more triples seven times between 1903 and 1930. It still doesn't explain why it was Wilson and not Wagner or Carey, teammates of his that were much more prolific triple hitters in their career. To understand you'd have to have been in Forbes Field that year and it is just one of the feats we call a fluke for lack of a better term.

Top 10 in Career Triple
1. Sam Crawford (1899-1917) 309
2. Ty Cobb (1905-1928) 295
3. Honus Wagner (1897-1917) 252
4. Jake Beckley (1888-1907) 244
5. Roger Connor (1880-1897) 233
6. Tris Speaker (1907-1928) 222
7. Fred Clarke (1894-1915) 220
8.Dan Brouthers (1879-1904)
9. Joe Kelley (1891-1908) 194
10. Paul Waner (1926-1945) 191

Most Career Triples by Player Active After 1941
177 - Stan Musial, St.Louis Cardinals, 1941 - 1963

Most Career Triples by Player After Musial Retired
166 - Roberto Clemente, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1955 - 1972

Most Career Triples by Player Active After 1977
147 - Willie Wilson, 1976 - 1994

Most Triples, Season, since 1920
AL - 23 - Earle Combs, New York, 1927
Dale Mitchell, Cleveland, 1949
NL - 26 - Kiki Cuyler, Pittsburgh, 1925