How did Evan Gattis hit 11 triples in a season? | Baseball Bits

Use code FOOLISH for $20 off your first SeatGeek order.
seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/FOOLISH
____________________________________________
PATREON: / foolishbaseball
TWEETER: / foolishbb
MERCH: shop.jomboymedia.com/collecti...
____________________________________________
Evan Gattis hit 11 triples in 2015 for the Astros. It's one of the most amazing outlier seasons in MLB history, if not all sports. The Evan Gattis triples season may already be known to you already, as well as the other interesting aspects of Gattis' story. Gattis quit baseball and was an Evan Gattis janitor as a young adult, but was drafted by the Evan Gattis Braves and became a rookie sensation. He joined the 2015 Houston Astros and hit 11 triples for them in a season despite his nickname, El Oso Blanco. We don't exactly think of speed when we think of a white bear.
In this episode of Baseball Bits, a Foolish Baseball production, we'll also touch on the Houston Astros Cheating Scandal. The 2017 Astros World Series run isn't accepted by all as legitimate. Evan Gattis, of course, played for that Astros team. In fact, he was part of that now infamous Evan Gattis Danny Farquhar moment. Hopefully we can reconcile Gattis' legacy with some of his wonderful accomplishments, eleven triples in a season being just one of them.
_____________________________________________
Evan Gattis Triples via Andrew Vargha: • Evan Gattis's 12 Caree...
Gattis on his mental health: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...
Jomboy Farquhar breakdown: • Astros using cameras t...
Gattis on the Scandal: www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...
The Athletic on the Cheating Scandal: theathletic.com/1363451/2019/...
Manfred on the Scandal: www.latimes.com/sports/dodger...
Soundtrack by William Kage: www.williamkage.com/

[@FoolishBaseball]

A couple more Evan Gattis facts that didn't make the video * Evan Gattis is the only player since 1962 with at least 10 triples and 0 steals in a season * Evan Gattis hit more triples in 2015 than entire MLB teams will hit in 2022 (like the Yankees and White Sox) To subscribe to Evan Gattis facts, head on over to www.patreon.com/foolishbaseball

[@obscurereference6298]

Any chance of a video about some of the biggest trades ever and their fallout? The Joe Carter + Alomar trade for the Jays, maybe the Tatis Jr trade from the Sox. The Pirates trading pitchers and always regretting it, etc.

[@warlordofbritannia]

For anyone who was vaguely curious, that 1962 player was Jerry Lumpe

[@haydenanderson2121]

@@obscurereference6298 he tends to do more positive stuff but I suppose that could work if he focused on the scouting the teams who “won the trades” did.

[@LeeLee-db8kd]

Q

[@AllenJeremiahWells]

Yankees are at 8 triples so far this season.

[@picoxd4339]

FB’s ability to tell a story through the lens of some weird baseball stuff is second to none, especially since there is no one else doing content even vaguely as unique as this.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@benjaminwiler8271]

Baseball doenst exist is another really good random baseball channel but I always love when new foolish drop

[@ethanniedorowski116]

Did you finish

[@HughMungus4655]

@@bernier42 i mean if someone said you make content similar to the greatest sports writer ever i would think that youd take it as a complement too lol

[@TTG725]

There’s actually quite a few people who do stuff like this just not animated so they can upload much more often tbh. Not his fault; it’s why people respect him. But jolly olive baseball doesn’t exist stark raving sports etc. all make bangers about random baseball shit and especially jon bois of Secret base I forgot what it used to be called before

[@CadChamberlain]

what makes baseball so beautiful is that one of the types of hits almost entirely relies on the other team forgetting how to play baseball for a second.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Yup. I would wager that the majority of triples are due to some sort of miscue.

[@traviswrigg5158]

@@FoolishBaseball You gotta be... Fielding motion of the feet until the ball into the glove. But then there's the misplay you have to think about

[@Kurgosh1]

Sometimes yeah, but that can be a little harsh. Failing to make a spectacular play isn't always a mistake. Some of those balls up against the wall, you've got to go for it and try to get the out. You get the out that's fantastic. You don't and maybe you turn a double into a triple, and you're team's really not that much worse off. You could back off, play the carom and let the guy have a safe double, but where's the fun in that?

[@Eibarwoman]

Or being absurdly fast.

[@annamariaisland1960]

The lifetime record holder for triples is of course Wahoo Sam Crawford (Cobb's teammate). There's no way to know why he hit so many triples, but I suspect it was because it was the dead ball era and he was a very strong man. If he had played 15 years later, probably nearly all of his triples would have been home runs.

[@jsworld8842]

i thought evan gattis was a fever dream. forgot about how much of a beast this dude was. no gloves too… you knew he was a menace

[@CadChamberlain]

hitters that wear no gloves feel like time travelers, like theres no way joey wendle knows what launch angle is

[@Ian00003]

@@CadChamberlain Kyle Tucker knows what launch angle is tho

[@FoolishBaseball]

Man just showed up with no batting gloves and started crushing chest high fastballs

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

@@FoolishBaseball Not just no gloves, but also a BARE BAT! No pine tar, nothing sticky on the handle, just bare hands and brute grip strength.

[@thearbiter3369]

Some would say he likes to feel the pain

[@pikaJrl]

I always love me some baseball bits, but you're gonna have to redo this video when lord Daniel Vogelbach inevidably hits 12 triples in 2023.

[@FoolishBaseball]

Can't wait

[@baactiba3039]

Minecraft and baseball fan at the same time, legendary

[@danielschauer]

You're selling him short. There's still time for him to do it this season!

[@Kurgosh1]

Are you aware of some Daniel Vogelbach in the MLB pipeline other than the rather large and round and slow one?

[@kennymccormick8295]

@@baactiba3039 Simp.

[@underhandcloud1414]

Finally, a video about everyone’s favorite janitor

[@FoolishBaseball]

Everyone says Babe Ruth played vs plumbers, but it turns out the modern guys were playing janitors.

[@jclips2098]

Unironically gattis is one of my favorite random players ever. I was always infatuated with guys who didn’t wear batting gloves because I didn’t either, lol.

[@ricebuckets]

@@FoolishBaseball I think we have to admit the janitor throw is the #1 janitor-related baseball content. Evan Gattis is firmly but strongly in second place

[@alejandroboing9387]

Evan Gattis will forever hold a special place in my heart after the hugs for homers he did with Tony Kemp

[@FoolishBaseball]

Love Tony Kemp. Always a fun ballplayer.

[@ryanpope9106]

My favorite Gattis moments are him hitting fastballs at his neck 400 ft with his lumberjack swing.

[@Harakanrules]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYTRpYhuj7Z9fJo

[@Arden2000]

Everyone loves a big guy triple, but we all know the real purpose of this video was to get Danny Farquhar added to the Baseball Bits sporcle quiz

[@RetroBaseball]

I have a feeling this video is going to be the perfect combination of meme and high quality-ness.

[@FoolishBaseball]

That's what I aim for!

[@hardyworld]

I miss Tal's Hill. I like parks with a very deep centerfield and that is the only fair place to locate a quirk in the field of play. I wish it still existed and another MLB park had a similar quirk.

[@titush6533]

i think they should add random hills in the outfield. with no rhyme or reason to it. also, i want a koi pond in right field at tropicana

[@brendansouter4869]

Anytime a new Foolish Baseball video drops; it instantly makes my day

[@FoolishBaseball]

that's right

[@alanf5615]

100% agree

[@almightysosa3007]

Lmao Bailey I love you for the I Think You Should Leave reference. “Triples makes it safe, triples is best”

[@alexandertoth3191]

Barracuda roadrunner nova

[@redrangers12330]

I hate I think you should leave

[@user-ui7jw8ow4f]

@@redrangers12330 they said that to me at a dinner

[@emiliofedele3428]

I don’t live in a hotel

[@paulykatz9666]

Even though Evan Gattis played 6 seasons in mlb, he’s one of my favorite players based on his story. Everyone knows the story about him being a janitor but not everyone knows that he struggled with mental health issues when he was younger. As someone who struggled with mental health earlier in their life, it was awesome to see him make a comeback and be able to play the game at the highest level.

[@Abravesfan1988]

Totally agree and he’s still one of my fav players of all time

[@BOT_Riley]

I'm so happy you made this video. I loved Gattis and I loved his 11 triple season

[@FoolishBaseball]

Gattis is the man!

[@davidlagasse2979]

It’s not the same but Eddie Rosario led the MLB in triples in 2015 with 15 in his rookie season. He’s never hit more than 3 since… what a weird year for triples

[@The_Diesel4]

Well that is likely because the dude hasn't played a full season since and has become a platoon player on the Braves

[@reedl.wilton312]

4:37 The Padres could play with Moon Gravity and the statistically greatest roster of all time and still lose. I actually stopped watching baseball for 7-8 years because of how bad we were. Your videos actually are helping a lot with getting back into baseball & give me some fun facts to talk with my dad about. Thanks! 😁

[@AndThatsBaseball]

Wait, so you're telling me Miguel Sano had a top 30% sprint speed? I actually don't believe that

[@FoolishBaseball]

This is only slightly off topic, but I think every baseball content creator should watch Ballplayer: Pelotero.

[@AndThatsBaseball]

@@FoolishBaseball guess I gotta watch it. Why specifically do u recommend it for content creators?

[@sportsloverbaseball]

I love the voice over. “How many triples you got?” “5” _“5?!”_

[@jamesesterline]

I'd like to see a video about Craig Biggio, specifically his 285 hit by pitches which rank 2nd all-time and only 2 behind Hughie Jennings' record.

[@justaregularrhino6529]

Didn’t Secret Base make a video about him?

[@nolanvaughn25]

@@justaregularrhino6529 link?

[@FoolishBaseball]

Hate to say it, but Tim Locastro is this channel's weird HBP guy

[@Pocketjuju22]

@@FoolishBaseball A shame as it sounds interesting

[@jamesesterline]

@@justaregularrhino6529 no, that was Brandon Guyer kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqKWXoOkftCEec0

[@Korijenkins1414]

You really should include the 2nd part of his quote when interviewed about 2017. Pretty much explains why anyone on the team went along with it at the time. They believed (and were correct) that other teams did the same thing. The article that broke the story literally called it "part of a much broader issue" but people love to forget that. Astros absolutely got scapegoated for a league-wide issue because it was better than having another PED situation, at least for the other 29 teams.

[@IceStationZebraAssociates]

Lance McCullers, a teammate of Gattis at the time, said that in the clubhouse they joked that Gattis hit so many triples because he didn't have the power to hit homeruns but just enough for triples.

[@rickypatrick3907]

He was mine and my dads favorite player in the Astros. My Dad recently passed and this was a nice reminder of the good times we had watched Gattis

[@bilalmaqsood343]

Sorry about your dad, I'm sure he is looking down from heaven and is excited that we won the world series again

[@thehawk5573]

foolish baseball is the nardwaur of baseball media. insane depth of knowledge and a very unique and quirky way of presenting it

[@Bill_Woo]

My favorite "triple" trivia. Both items refer to Joe Torre, who many only know of his stunning managerial feats. He was a power hitter for the Braves, at cleanup, though the bases were often cleared before he came up to bat, by #44 who naturally always batted third. The thing is, Torre was a very heavy slow catcher, easily the slowest on the team, and who knows, maybe the league. And that's the setup for... On 9/25/64 he belted 2 triples :) And on 7/18/61 he was part of a triple steal. :)

[@Bill_Woo]

FYI following a trade from the Braves, Torre shed what has sometimes been reported as 40 to 50 pounds, started hitting for average (made a run at a Triple Crown in his MVP year), and in doing that learned a whole new skill position, 3rd base, after a decade of solely being a [record setting] catcher (and occasional first baseman, such as when Niekro pitched). The point here is that he was not an entirely lunky slow runner for his whole career :)

[@thatkidkirch]

Oh my god a video about the legend Evan Gattis. Foolish, I truly cannot thank you enough.

[@paulfesta5084]

I liked that you added details about Gattis's personal journey. That was a riveting video. And he ran well for a big man!

[@2kdegenerate708]

I met the guy, he’s friends with one of my friends. One of the coolest guys to hangout with. Bought him a cold one and shot the shit. I went on to buy several auto cards of his.

[@spencerthompson8596]

So cool that you were able to tie together a whacky season with a difficult, inspirational story. Great work once again!

[@Mr_Kumquat]

This is in my top 5 favorite baseball stories. Thank you for the amazing content as usual FB!

[@Franchise1107]

His involvement in the scandal improves his image to me more than it hurts it for one simple reason, he didn’t try to lie or act like it didn’t happen or had no effect like the other players that were involved and got to get away with no punishment for cheating that they benefited from.

[@Darthvader-oc5tp]

Tbf, like the video said, he was done playing in the MLB by the time it came out so he didn’t really have anything to lose by being honest. If he was still playing there’s a good chance he would’ve also said similar things that springer and Correa were saying. Or just not say anything at all.

[@houstonsportsfan1017]

@@Darthvader-oc5tp Exactly

[@mpaulm]

I love this. Mark Mcgwire was always funny to me. 4 in his rookie year and then 2 in his next 1700 games.😂

[@SamWilliams78]

I remember his rookie season with the Bravos very well - I listened to a lot of games on the radio back then when working in the garage with my dad. He was awesome.

[@AussieAdam]

was not expecting the i think you should leave reference. Triples are the best

[@almightysosa3007]

“I definitely have a wife, and I’m don’t live in a hotel, tell her”

[@Alexskateboards10]

The best baseball channel on KZbin. Consistently amazing every time. Thanks Bailey!

[@noahhaslip4782]

My excitement is immeasurable and my day is made

[@FoolishBaseball]

Is that your report of the week?

[@justin1294]

Love your videos FB hopefully you can make them more often I’d watch every second 😂

[@aguywithcommonsense7503]

Love the love and attention Gattis is getting again in this vid. Not a Braves or Astros fan, but Evan was always one of my favorite fun players to watch

[@NateTheDyno]

Love when Baseball sticks to the script and shows the craziest and last triple of his career, the Mariners will always be the Mariners

[@cedricgist7614]

Thank you for this video. I'd been thinking about the rarity of triples in modern baseball recently. I'm not obsessed with the game as I once was, but it's still my favorite sport - and I know sabermetrics (we used to call "the numbers") don't tell the whole story. Thank you for working in some of Evan Gattis' story.

[@hunterm2799]

Always loved Gattis honestly he was a good player and his story is mad inspirational. Great video Foolish. 🙏👏

[@Abravesfan1988]

Still have my red El Oso Blanco shirt at home. Was my favorite player for awhile. Such a great story. Love ya Gattis!

[@lanecalaway6733]

I haven't watched a game of baseball in 22 years. I am a sub of Foolish Baseball because sports are interesting and create very good stories. You are a great storyteller FB. Love your content. The way you present stats and metrics add great perspective to the oddities of this bizarre and rich historied sport.

[@owenwatson7048]

I was at the Bengie Molina cycle game! Got to sit right behind the Sox dugout, amazing to see him go

[@keepmewierd]

Will always be one of my favorite players, was impossible not to get hyped when "Freedom" by Richie Havens would come through the stadium

[@poindextertunes]

Your background music selection is outstanding and is half the reason I watch/listen

[@colecummings5462]

This video explains why I love baseball so much. Gattis hit 12 total triples in his career. 11 of which was in one season. Baseball is just a weird sport and i love it.

[@nickcedillo55]

That Running up that Hill reference is so slick. Gosh I could listen to it over and over (and the song, too)

[@sausagespice1027]

I love the Majora's Mask-style intro cards. Great video!

[@skylarburton1046]

I've been waiting for this video for a while! Gattis' 11 triple season was just too weird for Foolish not to make a video on it!

[@41modder]

I remember watching this happen throughout the season and being absolutely dumbfounded. Glad you finally made a video on it.

[@christophermiller5433]

Another banger video. I’m so glad to have found this channel, it’s such good content consistently

[@HoneycombOptions]

very rare KZbin occurrence: a video that's BETTER than you figure it will be! nice job

[@FoolishBaseball]

thank you!

[@cnking27]

I had him in a dynasty league with triples as a category and it was glorious

[@bombereringVAL]

Can't wait to watch the rest of the vid! Please do a vid on the Orioles ability to win in the 9th inning this offseason!!! Their 2022 win rate in the ninth is insane! Especially with two outs, i think they have something like 4 wins after tying or winning with two outs in the 9th.

[@FoolishBaseball]

This Orioles team sure is fun. Hopefully they have a good offseason.

[@SchmidtyProductions27]

I miss Gattis. I remember meeting him when I went to an Astros game in 2017. He’s a pretty nice guy.

[@devinhamilton9982]

Just rewatched and caught the I Think You Should Leave reference. Good job squeezing that in. “Triples is safe. Triples is the best”

[@Sir_Leelord]

gattis was also an amazing catcher w/crazy power on his throws... I also thought he was badass for not wearing batting gloves

[@giancarloprado8206]

Bailey your videos always cheer up my day, thank you

[@ThankYouBroSports]

Truly amazing that someone can make a a video about a random 11 triple season and allow me to get so much out of it.

[@etrain8885]

Thanks Bailey. I’ve got a whole routine when a new Baseball Bits drops, which generally involves watching the new baseball bits 5-8 times over the ensuing 24 hours

[@FoolishBaseball]

sounds like a good routine to me

[@thegreg5941]

nice use of the pikmin day counter mr foolish you continue to impress by making each video uniquely special even in minute ways

[@rudebodega]

Proud to day I had an El Oso Blanco shirt when he was with the Braves. Gattis was my guy, I loved that big fella!

[@cgk1276]

Tal’s Hill was such a great feature, I miss it a lot

[@Panda-wv3ng]

Anyone checking in after the Gattis Twitter fiasco?

[@petestevesreal]

what happened

[@Panda-wv3ng]

@@petestevesreal oh nothing

[@aaronjohnson5077]

I loved watching Evan Gattis play! what a guy

[@haydenanderson2121]

I REALLY love that this video both focuses on how wonderful and unique Gattis’ story is but also acknowledges the human aspects of him. I personally believe even if he did cheat, he’s far more honest than most and that’s what is important I suppose. I also just loved watching him hit. Such a funky batting stance, and no gloves too!

[@Korijenkins1414]

He explained in that same interview that a big reason they were okay with it was the perception that other teams were doing the same thing (they were, this has been confirmed multiple times over).

[@mwright_boomer]

I always thought this was a crazy thing. Thanks for making a video about it

[@Zero-vm6ij]

Fun Fact! At 9:19 we see Joey Butler at the top of this leaderboard, and that year he slashed for a very decent .276/.326/.416 stat line, a 107 OPS+ in his age 29 season. He also never took an at bat in the majors again.

[@thomascourt4935]

Want to know something even more amazing? In Butler's last game he went 3-4 with 2 home runs (including a grand slam) and 6 runs batted in. How does a finish like that not warrant another at bat??? Is it the greatest final game of a baseball player ever?

[@MrEazyE357]

All of in in-game footage up until @ 4:30 was looking fucking crisp! And Baily, you continue to hit nukes with every video. Great work and thank you!

[@Jakob-W]

Love the majoras mask touch you added lol, idk if anybody has mentioned it yet. Great game 👌

[@JasonKim-ux7dq]

Foolish Baseball revisiting Ben Franklin's forgotten quotes. So valuable.

[@Matlawk]

I do love the majoras mask reference! Great video as always

[@shubhtiwana1555]

Glad to watch this again

[@calebhulsey3081]

Is that an “I think you should leave” quote Bailey??? Love it

[@staringatthesun861]

Thank you for bringing attention to one of baseball's endangered species, the triple. 2022 was tied with 2020 for the fewest triples per game in the 152-year history of record keeping for professional baseball. Here's to hoping the play is revived before it, like the complete game, goes practically obsolete.

[@PremierTwo]

Oh, a Baseball Bits is out?! Best 20 minutes of the month

[@CheeseMasterSports]

Back in 2016, a much younger me attended an Astros game with my father and a friend of his. It was a Friday, and on Fridays, the Astros have a fireworks show after the game. Little did I know, that Evan Gattis would start that show early. The Astros coughed up a couple runs in the top of the 9th inning, and the game went to the bottom where Alex Colome, in the midst of a dominant season, took the mound. Leading off the inning was a young Carlos Correa, who promptly let Colome know what he thought about his dominance with a line drive into the right field seats. Tie game. Up comes Evan Gattis. He fought tooth and nail to get the count to 3-2, and on the 3-2 pitch, he obliterated one of the highest and most majestic home runs I have ever seen, let alone the only walk off. And that is the story of why Evan Gattis was my favorite baseball player for a time.

[@jimraup3333]

Looking forward to your video on the Yankees and Red Sox sign-stealing camera work. As many players have said, it was going on all around MLB, not only in Houston.

[@jeffhaver8404]

Just used your Seatgeek code. Thanks for all the awesome baseball content over the years.

[@dsphillips16]

These videos are incredible. So unique.

[@kasjams2216]

New baseball bits is the best gift you can get.

[@bigpondwater]

love the story, love the attention to detail, and love the majoras mask reference

[@bigpondwater]

also the i think you should leave reference >>>>>

[@samuelcox6530]

The video dropping made my day; the ITYSL reference made my week.

[@richter14080]

Legendary I Think You Should Leave reference

[@jacobellis9419]

Earned the like with that "oh no" voice in the speed section. bravo

[@dellnet2000]

“He had to run up that hill and make a deal with god.”😂

[@jaybradbury597]

always a treat seeing a big man using his feet

[@jjaakk7214]

never in a million years did i think I'd see an Evan Gattis baseball bits. Hell yeah.

[@swampgawdlagoon]

Love your work Bailey, but as a Phillie, César Hernández played at Citizens Bank Park, which is top 5 in park factor for triples.

[@ahhhabee]

definitely unique. loved this one!

[@tojaroslaw]

Comerica Park *also* had a flagpole in play until 2003! the original dimensions were insane

[@camdavis6433]

I haven’t watched yet but this is already my favorite video. El Oso Blanco is a legend

[@rodstone1597]

This channel, along with Evan Gattis, is goated

[@oscarjimenez8089]

his HR off treavor bauer is incredible. if anyone hasn’t seen it i recommend it, that ball was insanely high to be hit but that fact it SENT it for a long one is impressive

[@Harakanrules]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYTRpYhuj7Z9fJo

[@beastly_dakota]

We'll I enjoyed this, I watched all 11. You'll be hard pressed to find a bigger fan of gattis than me. 2015 is when the Astros first made the playoffs in their rebuild. It was an exciting year with multiple reclamation projects, Colin McHugh likely being the best. Great vid, thanks.

[@noaaah1259]

The alliterations were amazing this video Mr. Foolish

[@grege5074]

as a big fella myself, i find stride length really helps. you can see when he's running the bases his legs are moving too quickly but he's rounding 2nd after like 10 strides. poor billy hamilton needs 15

[@xwarped83]

That’s so funny, I remember reading that Ben Franklin quote while in school.

[@TheSkyline5467]

One of the most unique players I've ever seen. His body seemed to break down shortly after he became a good enough hitter to make an impact.