In 1890, Joshua Mercer Goar completed the most unlikely half inning in Baseball History as a Pitcher. During the half inning he pitched against the Anderson Tigers in the Indiana state league, he allowed:
3 Triples
1 Double
2 Singles
....... No Runs Scored.
Yeah, I know you’re saying it’s impossible.
Sounds impossible right? The first three batters he faced all hit Triples and then the next three hitters got a double and two singles and NOBODY SCORED !!!!
This is how the box score/play by play happened:
The first batter, Benjamin Ireland hit a triple.
Next up was Edward Wiswell. There was a wild pitch, Ireland tried to score and was thrown out at the plate.
1 triple / 1 Out
Wiswell then hits a triple and tried to stretch it out into an inside-the-park Home Run but was thrown out at the plate.
2 Triples / 2 Outs
The next batter was Rush Shumway and he hits a triple.
3 Triples
Next up, Gene Derby.
Derby hits a bunt down the Third Base line and the Third Baseman followed the ball rolling along the line hoping it would roll foul and it didn’t. The ball stayed in play and by the time the ball was picked up, Derby was standing on 2nd Base with a Successful Bunt Double and Shumway remained on Third.
1 Double.
Next, another bunt. This time just a single.
Gene Fatz beat it out to First and the other runners didn’t advance.
1 Single.
Then, with bases loaded, Frank Fear hit a vicious liner toward right field and it hit Fatz in the arm while he was off the 1st Base bag. Because the base runner touched the ball, Fatz was out but because of MLB rule 5.05, Fear was still awarded a single.
1 more single, 3 outs, inning over.
So there you have it.
In a single inning, a team hits in the following order:
3 Triples
1 Double
2 Singles
......and No Body Scored a Run.
The way I look at it, never give up, even when the odds are against you. The impossible happens more often than we give the impossible credit for.
.....and enjoy the game.