Yesterday (May 16), the Reds’ dynamic (nine homers and 30 steals as of this morning), young (22-year-old) shortstop Elly De La Cruz became just the 29th AL/NL player in the Modern Era (post-1900) to collect at least four hits and steal at least four bases in a game. (Note: Negro Leagues game records from 1920-48 – now considered major-league, have not been fully documented incorporated into the MLB record book). The performance came in a Reds’ 7-2 win over the Dodgers In LA. De La Cruz had three singles, a double and a walk; scored three runs; and drove in one. He stole second base twice and third base twice.
As usual, the events of the day sent Baseball Roundtable to the record books and “one thing led to another.” Here’s a look at what grabbed my attention.
Johnny Neun, an MLB Unicorn
On July 9, 1927 Tigers’ 1B Johnny Neun became just the second – and there are still two still only – MLB player credited with at least five hits and at least five steals one one game. He accomplished the feat on July 9, 1927 in a 14-4 Tigers’ win over the vaunted 1927 Yankees.
Photo: Bain News Service, publisher., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The other to meet this criteria was Athletics’ 2B Eddie Collins, who had a 5-5 game in a 24-2 Athletics’ win over the Tigers on May 18, 2012. Collins had five singles, scored four runs and drove in one. He stole second base three times and third base twice. Side note: Three of his hits were bunt singles.
Why give Neun “unicorn” status? In a bow to #InBaseballWeCountEverything, Neun is the only player to collect five hits and five steals (or even four hits and four steals) in a game of less than nine innings. His five-and-five came in the second game of a doubleheader – a contest that went only seven innings. (Most likely called due to darkness.) All five of Neun’s safeties were singles and he scored four times and drove in three. He stole second base three times and third base twice.
Neun, who played in just 432 games over six MLB seasons (1925-28, 1930-31) had a career stat line of .289-2-85, with 41 steals and 171 runs scored. Despite the short career, he made another mark or two on the record books.
- Neun is one of only two MLB first baseman (Modern Era) to turn an unassisted triple play. The other 13 were turned by shortstops (8) or second basemen (5).
- Neun is also of just one of two players whose unassisted triple play notched the final three outs of the game – and the only one whose triple-killing ended a 1-0 victory.
Johnny Neun’s Society for American Baseball Research bio – written by Cort Vitty – paints a picture of a versatile athlete. Neun and his partner were the Baltimore city tennis doubles champions in 1920. Neun was also a founding member of the Baltimore Soccer Club and captain of it 1918-20 championship teams.
Neun started his professional baseball career in 1920 (age 19) and made it to the major leagues after a .353 season with the double-A Saint Paul Saints in 1924. Neun hit .320 or better in all but the one (the first) of his five minor-league seasons before making the Tigers’ roster.
After his final MLB season (1931), Neun played in the minors from 1932 through 1937 and managed in the minors from 1935 through 1943. He did a brief stint as manager of the Yankees( 14 games) in 1946 before managing the Reds for 1947 season and 100 games in 1948,
By The Numbers
In addition to Johnny Neun’s and Eddie Collins’ five hit-five steal games, two additional players have had games of five hits and four steals:
- Carl Crawford, Rays … May 24, 2006
- Rickey Henderson, Yankees … April 11, 1988
Two players have had games of four hits and six steals:
- Carl Crawford, Rays …. May 3, 2009
- Eddie Collins, Athletics … September 22, 1912
Doubling Up on a Four-By-Four
Just six players have had two games of at least four-hit and at least four-steals (see chart below) and only Athletics’ 2B Eddie Collins did it twice in one season (1912).
Something Old – Something New
The oldest player to record a four-hit/four-steal games is the Rangers’ Kenny Lofton – at age 40 (and 29 days) – in a 2-1 loss to the Red Sox on June 29, 2007.
The youngest? Who else? The Tigers’ Ty Cobb at age 20 (and 288 days) in a 9-5 win over the Nationals on October 2, 1907.
Speed and Power
Only four players had had a home run as part of a game of at least four hits and at least four steals:
- The Indians’ Kenny Lofton – four hits (three singles and a homer) and five steals in a September 3, 2000, 13-inning, 12-11 win over the Orioles;
- The A’s Rickey Henderson – four hits (two singles, a double and a home run) in a 12-5 win over the Rangers on October 5, 1991;
- The Cardinals’ Vince Coleman – four hits (two singles, a triple and a home run) and four steals in a 9-4 win over the Cubs on July 24, 1990; and
- The Rays’ Carl Crawford – five hits (four singles and a homer) and four steals in a 10-8 win over the Blue Jays on May 24, 2006.
Positioned for Success
As you might guess, 14 of the 35 games of at least four hits and at least four steals were accomplished by leadoff hitters. The lowest spot in the batting order for anyone on the list goes to Ichiro Suzuki, who had a four-for-four game with four steals (as a 38-year-old), while batting in the eight-hole for the Yankees in a 2-1 win over the Blue Jays on September 19, 2012. His fourth hit of the day, an eighth inning single, drove in the winning run. Side note: 2012 was his 38-year-old season – and he had seven more MB campaigns ahead of him.
The only positions to not place a player on the four-by-four list are catcher and DH. Left Field ranks number-one (10) and CF number-two (9).
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com
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