SABR adds Negro Leagues plays to Triple Plays Database
OCTOBER 1, 2025 — SABR has added 60 documented triple plays from Negro Leagues teams to its comprehensive Triple Plays Database. This list includes triple plays turned by the Kansas City Monarchs, Homestead Grays, and other major leagues and teams between 1906 to 1949, featuring some of Black baseball’s top stars such as Buck O’Neil, Mule Suttles, Willie Wells, Pete Hill, and “Cannonball” Dick Redding.
The SABR Triple Plays Database at sabr.org/tripleplays now includes 800 known triple plays in major league history since 1876, sortable by date, team(s), runners on base, play sequence, fielders, pitchers, opposing batter, unassisted, end of game, and other categories. In addition to the American League and National League and major Negro Leagues, the database also includes triple plays from the Federal League, American Association, Players League, and Union Association.
Some highlights from the Negro Leagues collection:
- The 1917 Indianapolis ABCs turned three triple plays, matching the most ever turned by a major league team in one season. In AL/NL history, the feat was last accomplished by the 2021 New York Yankees.
- The New York Lincoln Giants reportedly turned two triple plays in one game against the Harrisburg Giants on April 27, 1924, preceding the 1990 Minnesota Twins as the only other major league team to do so.
- Hall of Fame shortstop Willie Wells was involved in four triple plays turned by the St. Louis Stars between 1926 and 1929. (One of those plays, a 1*-3*-6* play recorded on July 29, 1928, involved two other future Hall of Famers: Turkey Stearnes was the Detroit Stars batter and Mule Suttles was the St. Louis first baseman.)
- The Negro Leagues player involved in the most triple plays was John Henry Russell. As a fielder, he helped turn five triple plays — one for the Memphis Red Sox in 1925 and four for the St. Louis Stars between 1926 and 1929. Russell also was the batter for two triple plays, turned by the Kansas City Monarchs in 1924 and the Indianapolis ABCs in 1926.
- Two triple plays were turned during Negro American League playoff games: by the 1930 Detroit Stars and by the 1939 Kansas City Monarchs, both against the St. Louis Stars.
- Six Negro Leagues triple plays ended the game.
- The only known 2-3*-2*-5* triple play sequence in major league history was turned by the 1923 Memphis Red Sox.
Play-by-play data for all Negro Leagues triple plays was supplied by SABR members Kevin Johnson, Gary Ashwill, Robert Wickwire, and the Seamheads Negro Leagues Database, supplemented by newspaper and archival research. Retrosheet box score links have been added whenever possible. About 20 triple plays are missing fields such as names of baserunners or the specific play sequence; several other possible triple plays remain unconfirmed and may be added if and when future research can fill in the gaps.
SABR’s Triple Plays Database was originally developed by Chuck Rosciam and Frank Hamilton as conceived by David Smith, and published online in 2005. Over the years, the list has been updated and corrected by many volunteer researchers and digitized in its current format by members of the Baseball Records Committee, including Sean Lahman, Hamilton, Rosciam, Frank Vaccaro, and Jacob Pomrenke.
To learn more, visit SABR.org/tripleplays.
Photo credits: Mule Suttles, Buck O’Neil, Willie Wells: SABR-Rucker Archive.
Originally published: October 1, 2025. Last Updated: October 1, 2025.