The White Sox have mastered the art of the triple play
It’s only May 18, yet the Chicago White Sox have already done something no other MLB team has been able to accomplish since the 2007 Philadelphia Phillies: They’ve turned not one, but two triple plays.
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In a span of just 26 days, mind you, the White Sox have turned triple plays against each of the two MLB franchises from Texas.
On April 22, they turned perhaps the wildest triple play we’ve ever seen in a win against the Texas Rangers. Then, on Wednesday, they did again against the Houston Astros, though this time in a more traditional manner, and also in a 5-3 loss.
Results be damned, let’s just enjoy the splendor of an around-the-horn triple-killing one more time, shall we?
We’d go as far as to call them triple play masters at this point.
Please note that George Springer is the man who hit the baseball and Jose Altuve was the runner at first base. Springer has above average speed, and Altuve is among the fastest players in the game today. That Chicago turned a triple play in this manner with those baserunners speaks to the talents and the fluidity of both Todd Frazier, who started it at third base, and also Brett Lawrie, who made the turn at second.
The slightest hesitation at any point would have halted the entire operation, but the White Sox turned it like a well-oiled machine.
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Here’s another interesting note on the White Sox triple play prowess. Since the year 2000, only three teams have turned triple plays twice in the same season. We mentioned the Phillies, who did it in 2007. The White Sox did it the other two times. First in 2006, and now it 2016.
Now the question is: Will the White Sox be able to triple their triple play pleasure? The last MLB team to do so was the 1979 Oakland A’s. The Wilmington Blue Rocks — the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Royals — did it just last season at the minor league level. It’s a difficult feat to be sure, but the White Sox have time on their side.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
