Three was not always a lucky number for Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Brooks Robinson … at least not on July 28. That date marks two unlikely outcomes – the only time that Stan Musial struck out three times in a game and the only time Brooks Robinson made three errors in a contest. Here’s are the stories.
Stan Musial’s Three Whiffs… July 28, 1963
In his 22-season career, Stan Musial fanned only 696 times. Here I’ll do the math – that translates to once every 4.3 games or once every 18.3 plate appearances. Further, Stan the Man had only one three-strikeout game in his entire career – and that came on July 28, 1963 (Musial’s final MLB season). It was the 2,980th regular-season game of Musial’s 3,026 game career. Further, the strikeouts came in three consecutive plate appearances (Musial’s only trips to the batter’s box in the game).
It came in the first game of a Cardinals/Cubs doubleheader at Wrigley Field. Twenty-three-year-old southpaw Dick Ellsworth (on his way to a 22-10, 2.11 season for the Cubs) fanned Musial – who started in left field, batting sixth – in the second, fourth and sixth innings. (In the bottom of the sixth Cardinals’ starting RF Charlie James moved to LF, Gary Koth came into to play RF and Musial went to the bench.) The Cubs, by the way, won 5-1 and Ellsworth pitched a complete-game, seven-hitter, with one walk and ten strikeouts.
Baseball’s Up and Downs
Southpaw Dick Ellsworth, who went 22-10, 2.11 in 1963 (when he fanned Stan Musial three times in one game) had lost twenty games the year before (9-20, 5.09). Ellsworth would go 115-137, 3.72 over 13 MLB seasons.
A little refresher on why Hall of Famer Stan Musial was “The Man.” He was an All Star in 20 seasons, a three-time Most Valuable Player and a seven-time batting champion. He finished with a .331 average (3,630 hits), 475 home runs, 1,951 RBI and 1,949 runs scored. Stan Musial stuck out just four times in 23 post-season (all World Series) games – in 99 plate appearances. He also led the NL in hits six times, doubles eight times and triples five times.
So-o-o Close
In 1948, Stan Musial – with 39 home runs – fell just one home run short of tying Johnny Mize and Ralph Kiner for the National League home run crown (despite his 475 long balls Musial never led his league in homers). He lost one homer to a rain out that season. Without that rain out, Musial would have had an offensive sweep, leading the National League in average (.376), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18), homers, runs scored (135), RBI (131), on-base percentage (.450), slugging percentage (.702), and total bases (429). Oh, and he struck out just 34 times in 698 plate appearances.
___________________________________________________
Brooks Robinson’s Three Boots … July 28, 1971
Sixteen-time Gold Glover Brooks Robinson made just 263 errors in his 23 MLB seasons (2,896 regular-season games). Again, I’ll do the math. That’s one error each 11 games. (It’s also one error every 34.8 chances – .971 fielding percentage). However, on July 28, 1971 (eight years, to-the-date, after Stan Musial’s only three-strikeout game), Robinson had the only three-error game of his career. Even more surprising, all three errors came in the same inning (on two of only three balls handled by Robinson in the game).
It all came down with the A’s batting against Robinson’s Orioles in the top of the fifth inning of a scoreless game.
It started out harmlessly enough, with Orioles’ starter Mike Cueller getting the first two A’s batters (the number seven and eight hitters). Cueller then walked A’s pitcher Blue Moon Odom. Speedy SS CF Bert Campaneris bunted for a base hit, but (attempting to make the play) Robinson threw the ball past first baseman Boog Powell for an error that let Odom go to third and Campaneris to second. Next up was CF George Hendricks, who grounded to third. Robinson booted the grounder (error number two) and then threw wildly to first (error number three). Odom and Campaneris both scored and Hendrick ended up on second base. Cueller then RF fanned Reggie Jackson to end the inning.
The score stayed 2-0 until the bottom of the ninth when Frank Robinson bailed out Brooks by rapping a three-run, walk-off home run off A’s closer Rollie Fingers.
Brooks Robinson was a 16-time Gold Glover, the 1964 AL Most Valuable Player and an All Star in 15 seasons. He finished with a .267-268-1,357 career stat line. He is the all-time leader at third base in games played, putouts, assists and double plays. He led AL third sackers in fielding percentage 11 times, putouts four times, assists nine times and double plays four times. In 39 post-season games, Robinson made four errors in 145 chances (.972 fielding percentage).
Triple Plays – Two Sides of the Coin
Brooks Robinson’s renowned glove was involved in three triple plays during his career. His bat was, however, part of our triple killings. Robinson holds the MLB record for hitting into triple plays at four.
Primary Resources … Baseball-reference.com; Stathead.com; NationalPastime.com
Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. To see the full list, click here.
I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT
Follow/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here. More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.
Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
