Gene Stephens first American Leaguer to collect three hits in one inning.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sixty year ago today (June 18, 1953) Boston Red Sox left fielder Gene Stephe<\/strong><\/span>ns<\/strong><\/span> – a 20-year-old rookie (only 21 games the year before) \u2013 became the first American Leaguer to collect three hits in a single inning.\u00a0 In the seventh inning of the Red Sox\u2019 23-3 win over the Tigers (at Boston), Stephens went single-double-single as the Sox plated 17 runs.\u00a0 Stephens scored twice and drove in three runs that inning.\u00a0 The three hits were his only safeties of the game, in which Boston collected 27 hits, as he finished three-four-six with three runs, three RBI and one walk.<\/p>\n

Stephens’ breakout inning was remarkable in that he finished the season hitting just .205 in 78 games.\u00a0 Stephen, a career .240 hitter lasted twelve seasons as a backup outfielder, playing in 964 games.\u00a0 For one inning, he was truly unstoppable.<\/p>\n

The only other AL player to collect three hits an inning also took the field for the Red Sox.\u00a0 Center fielder and lead-off hitter Johnny Damon<\/strong><\/span>, on June 27, 2003, nearly hit for the cycle collecting a double (he later scored), a triple (two RBI and he later scored) and an RBI single, as Boston ran up a 14-run first inning against Florida (in Boston).\u00a0 The game ended 25-8, with the Red Sox racking up 28 hits.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Damon came to the plate four more times in the contest, but didn\u2019t complete the cycle \u2013 collecting two more singles.\u00a0 His day went five-for-seven, with three runs scored and three RBI.\u00a0 Damon hit .284 over 18 MLB seasons (1995-2012), with 2,769 hits in 2,490 games.<\/p>\n

Three players have collected three hits in an inning in the National League \u2013 all before 1900 and ALL IN THE SAME INNING OF THE SAME GAME<\/strong><\/span>. \u00a0\u00a0It came as the Chicago White Stockings (who later became the Cubs) scored 18 runs in the seventh inning of a 26-6 win over the Detroit Wolverines.\u00a0 In the seventh inning of that that game the White Stockings\u2019 Tom Burns collected two doubles and a home run, Fred Pfeffer smacked a double and two singles, and Ned Williamson rapped a double and two singles.\u00a0 It was the final game of a three-game series in Chicago, with the White Stockings winning the first two by scores of 13-1 and 14-1.\u00a0 For the season, Burns hit .294 (later finishing a 13-year MLB career at .266); Williamson hit .276 (later finishing a 13-year MLB career at .255); and Pfeffer hit .235 (later wrapping up a 16-year MLB career at .256.)<\/p>\n

BBRT also gives a shout out and congratulations to Woodside (CA) High School Junior Brad Degnan<\/strong> <\/span>who not only collected three hits in one inning , but rapped three homers in one inning. \u00a0It was in the 19-run first inning of Woodside’s 24-6 win over Westmoor High on April 18, 2013. \u00a0Brad, by the way, wears lucky number 13.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sixty year ago today (June 18, 1953) Boston Red Sox left fielder Gene Stephens – a 20-year-old rookie (only 21 games the year before) \u2013 became the first American Leaguer to collect three hits in a single inning.\u00a0 In the seventh inning of the Red Sox\u2019 23-3 win over the Tigers (at Boston), Stephens went […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n