Saturday, September 8, 2012

With a Little Luck


It's time for some unusual trivia. Ready? Here Goes...
 
Question: How many hits can a pitcher allow in one inning without surrendering a run?
 
Incredibly, the answer is (at least) six. In a nineteenth century Indiana State League game between Muncie and Anderson City, the following events actually took place:

With Jot Goar on the mound for Muncie, a player named Ireland led off with a triple.  He attempted to score as a relay eluded Muncie’s catcher and was tagged out at the plate. The next batter, Wiswell, followed with a deep smash to center field. He was thrown out trying for an inside-the-park homer. With two out and nobody on, the three-hole hitter (Shumway) tripled to left. Unlike those who preceded him, he stayed put at third.  The clean-up man (Derby) bunted up the line and reached second as Muncie’s third-sacker waited for the ball to roll foul. He was credited with a double as Shumway was held at third. The fifth-slot hitter (Faats) followed with another bunt, loading the bases. This brought up a fellow known as “Kid” Fear, who scorched a liner between first and second. It took a bad hop and struck Faats on the leg for the third out (later being scored a base hit). Three triples, a double and two singles with nothing to show for it: The gods must have been smiling on Jot Goar that day. He was far less fortunate in portions of two seasons with the Reds and Pirates, allowing 27 earned runs in just 15 innings of work.

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