Why the number seven?\u00a0 It seems to be an appropriate and notable cut off point. Only six times in MLB history has a batter logged seven (or more) hits in a game. By contrast, there have been 170 six-hit games. (Note: These numbers may change as Negro League stats from 1920-48 are further documented and incorporated into the MLB record books<\/em>).\u00a0 So, let’s look at some of baseball’s lucky<\/strong> sevens<\/strong><\/em> – as well as a pretty significant nine<\/strong><\/em> and a remarkable six<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n __________________________________________<\/p>\n Wilbert Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, June 10, 1892<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: https:\/\/sabr.org\/bioproj\/person\/wilbert-robinson\/, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Baltimore Orioles’ catcher Wilbert Robinson<\/strong>\u00a0seems an unlikely candidate for the seven-hit club. Robinson was a .273 hitter over 17 MLB seasons (1886-1902).\u00a0 Coming in to the 1892 season, his career average was .226 and in 1892, he hit .267 for the campaign.<\/p>\n On the day of his seven-hit performance, Robinson was catching and batting eighth in the Orioles\u2019 lineup. The Orioles apparently had on their hitting shoes that day, as they led the St, Lous Browns 25-2 by the end of the sixth inning \u2013 eventually winning 25-7.<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s day:<\/p>\n First Inning<\/em> \u2013 Single.<\/p>\n Second Inning<\/em> – Single.<\/p>\n Third Inning <\/em>– Single.<\/p>\n Fourth Inning<\/em> – Double.<\/p>\n Fifth Inning<\/em> – Single.<\/p>\n Seventh Inning<\/em> – Single.<\/p>\n Ninth Inning<\/em> – Single.<\/p>\n While Robinson scored just one run in the contest, he drove in a (then-record) 11 runs in his seven-hit game.\u00a0 In his 89 other 1892 appearances, he drove in 35 runs.<\/p>\n Robinson was inducted into to the Baseball Hall of Fame \u2013 as a manager \u2013 in 1945. In 19 managerial seasons, his teams went 1,399-1,398, He won a pair of pennants (1916 and 1920) with the Brooklyn Robins. As a player, Robinson hit .273-18-722, with 637 runs scored and 196 stolen bases over 17 seasons (1,371 games).<\/p>\n In the first six years of his MLB career (1886-91, with the Philadelphia Athletics and Baltimore Orioles of the American Association), Robinson hit .226-9-205, with 107 steals (in 479 games). \u00a0From 1892 through 1902 (Baltimore and St. Louis in the NL and Baltimore in the AL), he hit an even.300, with nine homers and 517 RBI in 892 games. He topped .300 in five of those 11 campaigns.<\/p>\n We Won\u2019t See That Again<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On Monday (Labor Day) September 7, 1896, the National League saw the Baltimore Orioles sweep triple header from the Louisville Colonels. The very next day, the Orioles swept a doubleheader from those same Colonels. Wilbert Robinson caught all five games for Baltimore.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Rennie Stennett, Pittsburgh Pirates \u2013 September 16, 1975<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Hostess via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Wilbert Robinson seven-hit record would stand alone for more than 80 years.\u00a0 Then on September 16, 1975 \u2013 as the Pirates topped the Cubs 22-0 in Chicago \u2013 Pittsburgh leadoff hitter and 2B Rennie Stennett<\/strong> would go seven-for-seven. That day, Stennett collected two hits in both the first and fifth innings.<\/p>\n Stennett\u2019s day went:<\/p>\n First Inning<\/em> – Lead-off double off Rich Reuschel<\/strong> and<\/em><\/strong> an RBI single off Tom Dettore<\/strong>. Stennett scored on a single by 3B Richie Hebner<\/strong> and later in the inning on a single by 1B Willie Stargell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Third Inning<\/em> \u2013 One out Single off Dettore. Stennett scored on a Hebner home run.<\/p>\n Fifth Inning<\/em> – Leadoff double off Dettore and<\/em><\/strong> an RBI-single off Oscar Zamora<\/strong>. Stennett scored a run on a single by CF Al Oliver<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Seventh Inning<\/em> \u2013 Leadoff single off Buddy Schultz<\/strong>, later scoring on a single by RF Dave Parker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Eighth Inning<\/em> \u2013 Two-out triple off Paul Reuschel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In the game, Stennett scored five times and drove in two.<\/p>\n Brotherly Love<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In Rennie Stennett\u2019s seven-for-seven, nine-inning game, he collected base hits off brothers Rick and Paul Reuschel.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Stennett came into the game hitting .279 on the season (138 games).\u00a0 He raised is average to .287 that day \u2013 and would finish the season sat .286-7-62, with 89 runs scored.<\/p>\n Stennett played in 11 MLB seasons (1971-81 \u2026 Pirates, Giants), hitting .274-41-432 in 1,237 games. He was signed as an amateur free-agent (out of Panama) in 1969 and called up to the Pirates in 1971, after hitting .344 at Triple- A. He made his MLB debut July 10 and hit .353-over 50 games for the Pirates that season.<\/p>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n <\/p>\n History Made<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On September 1, 1971, Rennie Stennett led off for the Pirates \u2013 atop the first-ever MLB all black and Latino lineup: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rennie Stennett 2B<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Gene Clines CF<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Roberto Clemente RF<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Willie Stargell LF<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Manny Sanguillen C<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dave Cash 3B<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Al Oliver 1B<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Jackie Hern\u00e1ndez SS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dock Ellis P<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Pirates topped the Phillies 10-7 in Pittsburgh.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n ____________________________________________<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Johnny Burnett, Indians \u2013 July 10 1932- Nine Hits (18 innings)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Goudey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Indians’ SS Johnny Burnett<\/strong> came into Cleveland\u2019s July 10, 1932 contest versus the Athletics hitting .298 on the season. \u00a0A solid contact hitter, Burnett had hit .300 in 111 games the previous season, fanning just 25 times in 470 plate appearances. In that July 10, 1932 game, Burnett would come to the plate 11 times and collect nine hits. Despite this record-setting performance, the Indians lost the see-saw game 18-17 in 18 innings. Over the contest, Burnett\u2019s Indians would trail 2-0; lead 3-2; trail 5-3; lead 6-5; trail 13-8; lead 14-13; and trail 15-14, before tying the game at 15 in the bottom of the ninth.\u00a0 Both teams would score two runs in the sixteenth inning, and the Athletics would finally prevail 18-17 in 18 frames.<\/p>\n Burnett, batting second and playing shortstop, had this day:<\/p>\n First Inning<\/em> \u2013 Single off Lew Krausse<\/strong> \u2013 later scoring on a home run by CF \u00a0Earl Averill<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Second Inning<\/em> \u2013 One-out single off Ed Rommel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Fourth Inning<\/em> \u2013 Single off Rommel, later scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of 1B Ed Morgan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Fifth Inning<\/em> \u2013 RBI double off Rommel.<\/p>\n Seventh Inning<\/em> \u2013 Leadoff single off Rommel, later scoring on a LF Joe Vosmik<\/strong> double.<\/p>\n Seventh Inning<\/em> \u2013 Strikeout (versus Rommel) to end the inning.<\/p>\n Ninth Inning – Game tying (15-15), two-out RBI single off Rommel.<\/p>\n Eleventh Inning<\/em> – Double off Rommel.<\/p>\n Thirteenth Inning<\/em> \u2013 Single off Rommel.<\/p>\n Sixteenth Inning<\/em> \u2013 Single off Rommel, later scoring on an Ed Morgan<\/strong> single (tying the game at 17-17).<\/p>\n Seventeenth Inning<\/em> \u2013 Flyout to CF off Rommel.<\/p>\n Burnett played nine MLB seasons (1927-35 \u2026 Indians Browns), hitting .284-9-213, with 288 runs scored (in 558 games). He played at least 100 games in only two of his nine MLB seasons. \u00a0In his two 100+ game campaigns (1931-32, he hit .298-5-105 and scored 166 runs (240 games).<\/p>\n ____________________________________<\/p>\n Ed Rommel\u2019s Final MLB Win \u2013 One For The Record Books<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Bain News Service, publisher, public domain, Wikimedia Commons<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n In his 171st<\/sup> and final MLB victory, Athletics\u2019 righty Eddie Rommel gave up the most hits ever surrendered by a pitcher in an MLB game \u2013 and it happened In Johnny Burnett\u2019s record-setting nine-hit game. \u00a0The Athletics\u2019 knuckleball specialist gave up a single-pitcher, single-game record 29 hits (as well as nine walks) in 17 innings of relief. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rommel\u2019s 17-inning relief outing was the product of scheduling quirks. Rommel\u2019s Philadelphia Athletics found themselves slated to play nine games in five days – double headers on July 7, 8 and 9 in Chicago, a makeup single game on July 10 in Cleveland<\/em> and a double header (versus Cleveland) in Philadelphia on July 11. Reportedly to save a beleaguered pitching staff (as well as travel expenses for the one-game stand in Cleveland), Athletics\u2019 owner Connie Mack opted to send just two pitchers to Cleveland, starter Lew Krausse and Rommel. Unfortunately for Rommel, Krause got knocked around early, setting up Rommel\u2019s 17-inning, 29-stint.\u00a0\u00a0 In a bit of irony, the victory was Rommel\u2019s final MLB win.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rommel\u2019s pitched in five more games in 1932 (his final MLB season) picking up two losses to go 1-2, 5.51 (in 17 relief appearances) on the year.\u00a0 Over a 13-season MLB career (1920-32, all with the Athletics,) Rommel went 171-119, 3.54, twice leading the AL in wins (and twice leading the league in losses). \u00a0\u00a0In 1922, Rommel went 27-13, 3.28 for an Athletics team that went 65-89-1 and finished seventh in the eight-team American League. After retiring as a player Rommel spent time as an Athletics coach and minor-league manage, before beginning a long career as an umpire (21 seasons in the major leagues).<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n __________________________________<\/p>\n <\/p>\nMost Hits in a Nine-Inning game\u00a0 – Seven<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Most Hits In An Extra-Inning Game<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>When the Tigers faced the Yankees (in Detroit) on June 24, 1962, Detroit LF Rocky Colavito<\/strong> \u2013 an established power hitter \u2013 was hitting .268-14-43 on the season (65 games). \u00a0On that day, Colavito raised his average 17 points \u2013 getting seven hits and a walk in eleven trips to the plate. Surprisingly, all those hits produced just one run scored and one RBI, as the Yankees prevailed 9-7 in 22 innings.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gutty-221x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Cesar Gutierrez may have had the most unexpected seven-hit game. Gutierrez played in just four MLB seasons (1967,1969-71 \u2026 Giants Tigers), hitting .235-0-26 in 223 games.\u00a0 His 1970 season was the only one in which he played more than 38 games at the major-league level. In his MLB career Gutierrez had more than one hit in only 24 games.<\/p>\n