Comments on: Innings with 3 Sacrifice Flies

By: Raphy

Raphy — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:09:26 +0000

According to the 2008 Sporting News Baseball Record Book (page 46):
The record for Sacrifice hits in an inning (at least until then) is
4—Pittsburgh vs Brooklyn, May 21, 1913, 8th

They list all the AL games with 3,but no other NL games.
http://www.sportingnews.com/books/baseball/2008baseballrecordbook/

By: RuthMayBond

RuthMayBond — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:29:27 +0000

Dodgers on 5/23/1972?
Astros on 7/6/1975? (maybe not all flies)

By: fabio

fabio — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:43:46 +0000

This is slightly off topic, but illustrates why a SF should be scored as an AB. There was a game a few weeks ago where the bases were loaded with nobody out and the batter hit a fly ball to CF. The CFer came running in and dropped the ball, but recovered in time to get a force (8-6) at 2B. The run scored and the batter was charged with an AB and got the RBI. If the ball had been caught cleanly and the runner had scored -OR- if the ball had been misplayed and rolled to the wall, it would have been ruled a SF (no AB either way) which is completely inconsistent with what actually happened. The RBI should be ample reward for a fly ball with a man on 3rd base.

By: JDV

JDV — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:04:32 +0000

Odd. I just read a newspaper account of that Yankees-Angels game (N.Y. Post on-line archive). They mention the same thing...that Gant forgot the number of outs. I guess it's a matter of an omission (mental error) vs a commission. The fact is that Posada advanced two bases after the catch and before a play was made on him. I guess there's no other way to account for Posada's advance from 3rd to home other than to say that he advanced from 2nd to home on the flyball, i.e., via SF. I guess, then, that the infielder sitting in the dirt after fielding a ground ball might have to result in a 'hit', although it's difficult to say what that infielder might have been thinking. Is there such a thing as defensive indifference on anything other than a 'non-steal' steal? I don't know. Let's say that a left fielder knew there was only one out in that situation, but his team was up by ten runs in the 9th. If he catches a routine fly ball and lobs it into an infielder, who then lobs it back to the pitcher, both knowing that a runner is scoring from 2nd on the play, but also knowing that their team remains up by nine with two out and nobody on, could that be defensive indifference?

By: mwhelan

mwhelan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:07:15 +0000

How is that considered a sacrifice fly? Even if he was able to tag up to get to third, Gant should have been charged an error for him to score from 3rd base.

If that can be considered a sac fly, then theoretically, if an infielder fielded a ground ball cleanly and sat in the dirt without even attempting a throw, would it be considered a hit?

By: GreenMonster

GreenMonster — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:21:48 +0000

The Retrosheet box score explains what happened: [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2000/B08190NYA2000.htm] Hill walked; Martinez doubled to left [Hill to third]; Posada reached on an error by Gant on a sacrifice fly [Hill scored, Martinez to third, Posada to second]; Gant dropped the liner; Brosius hit a sacrifice fly to left [Martinez scored (unearned)]; Bellinger out on a sacrifice fly
to left [Posada scored (unearned)]; Gant thought there were two out and leaned against the wall; Jeter singled to center; Sojo forced Jeter (shortstop to second).

By: pcg

pcg — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:00:07 +0000

Hmm, the Yankees-Angels game is particularly intriguing in that the third SF came when Jorge Posada (aka, Cinder Block Feet) scored from SECOND on a fly ball out to LF. What's the backstory there? I mean not to be flippant, but one has to wonder if the LF got injured on the play and couldn't get the ball back into the infield in time to get Posada lumbering home...

By: gerry

gerry — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:56:34 +0000

It is hard to believe that something that happened to one team twice in one season has only happened four times in all of baseball history.