John Valentin turns a smooth unassisted triple play

[@mccaffed87]

Don't forget Valentin led off the bottom of the very next inning and crushed a solo home run over the Green Monster! how many times has the player that turned an unassisted triple play to end an inning led off with a HR the next inning?? probably never.

[@treehugger23]

I was there

[@Walacama]

and his wife was part of the TV38 broadcast that day earlier in the game, she was promoting the Red Sox Wives food drive. What a day for Johnny V.

[@stevegallivan394]

You can't tell from the video but Fenway got very quiet as everyone was trying to make sense of what they just saw. When Valentin came out of the dugout to bat the place erupted. Still cheering like crazy when he hit the HR.

[@bigbadbruins1]

Troy TULOWITSKI DID IT AS WELL

[@knuckledragger9322]

I was there, and I remember it just like you say. I didn't know it was a triple play until the old man sitting behind me said "I think that was a triple play." A few moments later and the score board confirmed that we had just seen the ninth unassisted triple play in history.

[@mandospence]

I remember running to tell my dad Valentin made an unassisted triple play. I got back to the tv in time to see him lead off the bottom half of the inning with a home run.

[@Walacama]

and his Wife was in the broadcast booth earlier in the game promoting the Red Sox Wives food drive.

[@wickideazy]

My dad and I were at this game. One of my fondest baseball memories.

[@jeffsurprenant4882]

Great Memory my Dad and I were at this Game too.. it was my first MLB Game.

[@knuckledragger9322]

I was at this game as well. The triple play happened so fast that I was confused. I must not have been paying close attention, because it's not nearly so confusing when I watch it here.

[@74bshs]

@@jeffsurprenant4882 Very cool! One of the rarest plays one can pull off.

[@richmello2710]

John Valentin played shortstop for the (AAA) Pawtucket Red Sox and wore #11. The owners of McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, RI "adopted" my elementary school and so we had a field day with the players. I was probably 7 years old, hot and tired in a field towards the end of the school year but John picked me up and smiled at me and asked me if I liked baseball. I said yes, little did he know he was my favorite player and the reason I played shortstop in little league years later. Always going to be one of my favorite players.

[@mikesmith5559]

Valentin was awesome. Those early-mid 90's Sox had a few pretty good players, if I recall (I'm probably about the same age). Tim Naehring also felt like he could have been good.

[@Shabon67]

@TyVulpine actually it requires an even more specific set of circumstances than that. It requires everything you said, plus a double steal or hit and run to be in effect on the pitch, before it happens. This makes it MUCH less likely than even just your circumstances. The only way the runner from first can be all the way to second is if they were running on the pitch. With a typical liner they wouldn't come so far from first, they would freeze, and still could possibly be tripled up, but it would be at first base, thus not unassisted.

[@okphats]

23 Perfect games in MLB history 15 UTP's in history the triple play is more rare

[@daverindone655]

I met him at a Bob's in Billerica, really nice in person.

[@Jaasau]

It is not the most difficult play, it is simply the rarest.

[@michaeloffgrid]

That's a good point. It's actually a ridiculously easy play!

[@Taumpy]

This was my 13th birthday. I was at this game. SADLY, this happened while I was at the concession stand getting nachos. They weren't that good.

[@brianzavala2018]

LOOOOOL BAD LUCK

[@st.jimmy0244]

See, nachos are bad for you

[@lancelude]

Mitchell didn't even hustle to run back to first

[@stulog]

I remember watching this very broadcast live while at my grandma's house in Seattle. I was pretty flabbergasted when I saw it, and it took me a while to truly comprehend what had happened

[@cheesybeard2980]

6*-6*-6* triple play of the beast!! 🤘😈🤘

[@bostoncrimetour]

Scream for me Boston!

[@renegss]

WOW Valetin played it like an everyday routine triple play! correction UNASSISTED TRIPLE PLAY!.

[@SomeGuyWhoPlaysGames333]

Unassisted or not, triple plays are not routine or everyday.

[@treehugger23]

Hahahah yeah totally so nonchalant 😂

[@bwburke94]

Fun fact: This game was Alex Rodriguez' major league debut.

[@roii3572]

Crazy this rare feat happened to fall on a-rods debut. And it's funny how since then and now, how you can see the different ways players carry themselves. They were more serious business and professional back then; if that same play happened today there would be 5-6 crazy handshakes and high fives and probably a curtain call...

[@denniscoffey1247]

Great fact!

[@OH_MY_DOGGG]

I knew i saw his face in this clip

[@incredelman11]

Jesus, these announcers make Tim McCarver seem intelligent...

[@RenaldyCalixte]

😂😂😂😂...Tim McCarver makes Skip Bayless sound as angelic as Vin Scully.

[@jbuster9]

In fairness, Valentin was so casual about it, and the final tag wasn't with.his glove hand, so I understand how they missed it in real time.

[@elvspretzl]

@@jbuster9• I agree. Very easily missed in real time.

[@fezzik7619]

I was in the bleachers that night. We weren’t sure what happened. Two on nobody out and a liner at Valentin then they were running off the field. It quickly clicked with me and I yelled to my section to watch the Jumbotron. You heard the words “unassisted triple play” popping up like whack-a-mole all over centerfield as people figured it out 😂

[@UncleDjent]

I too was there that night. My old man used to run centerfield camera (The view you see when the video first starts). It's not there anymore, but where the bleachers meet the green monster, there used to be a covered camera platform. I was standing right there, all of 9 years old, watching this play happen...wild.

[@fezzik7619]

@@UncleDjent yeah I remember that platform. That’s cool your dad used to run camera out there.

[@jimmyleg5]

Valentin caught the ball. If the runners wanted to advance they would have to go back and touch the bases they were on. They did or could not, so the runner who had left second base was out from Valentin touching second base, and the runner from first was tagged as Valentin passed. Triple play.

[@MarcCoriaty-i8l]

This was also Arod’s first mlb game and Griffey hit a triple

[@mgbushido]

I was there in the bleachers. We didn't realize it was a triple play either !!!

[@nickw22689]

First game of A-Rod's career

[@arthurradley5372]

Only player in MLB with an unassisted triple play and to hit for the cycle.

[@noblinkreal]

My father was at this game!

[@kingdoopy1312]

I was at this game and literally in the bathroom puking bc of the disgusting hotdogs....

[@FavelaDomini904]

Una linea al sol

[@dude90210]

-_- you just proved my point...the circumstances are rare, but when they arise, it is an easy play to pull of(usually)

[@jpta162]

It's easy if in the right circumstances. If your a shortstop and there are runners on first and 2nd and a line drive comes right at you, all you need to do is catch it, tag the base and tag the runner going to 2nd

[@luishumbertovega3900]

John Valentín had absolute control of the situation all the way !!! Smooth is a 1-derful word to describe this. But he didn't keep the ball, he discaded it. I remember Mickey Morandini doing the same and regretting it later.

[@bostoncrimetour]

That was A-Rod’s first game

[@kristopherloviska9042]

I can't believe he threw the ball away.

[@bradshim]

Dave Niehouse, the best play caller in the game. Baseball has not been the same since he passed.

[@ASM679746]

I was watching this game on tv when it happened.

[@STEADFAST__and__LOYAL__M1059]

What were you eating?

[@baronvg]

Unassisted triple play and the guy throws the ball back into the field??? I'd be keeping that ball and making sure Doug Mientkiewicz isn't somewhere nearby to steal it from me Haha! He acted like it was a routine play, WTF?! There are times when you should be humble, but when you do something that is more rare than a perfect game, you leave humble out in the field(certainly not the ball in which history was made!).

[@deezlesteezle]

That just shows his character. It may be more rare than pitching a perfect game, but is far less difficult. He caught a ball, stepped on second base for out two and casually tagged the runner from first for the thrid. Any proffesional player could do that. It was nothing special. It just happened to play out. Luck really. This coming from a lifelong die-hard Red Sox fan.

[@bubba200874426]

I'd assume players can't take the ball off the field themselves. Their manager or someone else probably has to ask the umpire to allow it to be taken out of play. With the amount of ceremony in baseball, the the ump'd never refuse it, but they still have to follow the rules.

[@ims1973]

bubba200874426 the ball was no longer in play! he made 3 outs! players *routinely* take the ball into the dugout after making the third out.

[@monteboy87]

That was just the way Valentin played. He was always as cool as the other side of the pillow.

[@soth1sol]

act like you've been there. like it's your job. humble is the only way to ever do it right. give the baseball to a kid, who cares? they're adults playing a kids game anyways.

[@jlondo9161]

I was watching this game on TV live in 1994. The M's had two runners on, no outs. Feeling that no way would there be a triple play I then channel surfed briefly and must have been away for only 10 seconds at most. When I changed back all I saw was Valentin doing the slow run to the first base line. I couldn't believe it. Unassisted triple play. And then I never even saw a replay for many years later.

[@blanetaa]

or how about the catch for 1 non tag up for 2 and force run for 3?

[@SunglassSensei]

The Mariners have had some real duds at Fenway! 😂

[@SunglassSensei]

It takes a lot to fool Dave Niehaus. 😅 Big Red Ron Fairly was clueless. 🤣 At least Fairly did NOT blow the call when Griffey Jr hit HRs in 8 straight games to tie the record. 😊🎉

[@27zachattack]

Out of curiosity, what do you believe is the toughest play to make?

[@rodmunch4879]

Was at this game but being 18 at the time I was at the urinal rubbing one out into that troughs that served as toilets at Fenway back in the day. When I got back to my seat my dad told me what had happened. We high fived but unbeknownst to me I had some jizzum on my hand and it landed in my dads eye. Had to go to mass general to have his eye disinfected and I never heard the end of it from him.

[@PaulNewfield-PasadenaCAU-wb4xg]

🤣 I'll have to show my brother this, for 25 years I've been telling him, "don't worry, one day we'll look back & laugh about this!" That day is finally here!

[@MisterSenor49]

I would say the bunt home run over the fence is rarer

[@endlessmountain]

I laugh so hard when you say "could easily return to first" when its easily either tag him out or throw to first.

[@John-wt3kf]

I am On an Unassisted Triple play, watching spree, completely awesome

[@navyguyinva]

Like a boss

[@MarcCoriaty-i8l]

I was at this game.

[@pulykamell]

Heh. I was at that game. First and only game I've ever been to at Fenway. And I was looking the other way when this happened....Gah!

[@brianschaffer9220]

The only people watching in the world that didn't know were the announcers...

[@markgormley604]

Haha, I was at this game. I remember my dad asking "Was that a triple play?" I was only 9 and didn't see it happen though :(

[@norwoodwildlife9849]

I had an unassisted triple play in camp

[@markwiggins6442]

I remember that like yesterday. I thought to myself that’s an unassisted triple play I’ve never seen it before and then I listened to the idiot announcers not grasp it.

[@dude90210]

no the situation is rare. It's easy to turn one if the situation arises

[@scotthammond0]

I was there!

[@doubleodolley]

+Scott H Me too!

[@awboy]

+Scott H Same!

[@sgttombw]

Me too. It was like nobody even realised that it happened.

[@green4black]

+sgttombw agreed, I was there too and I think it took about half a minute for everyone to realize what had just happened. Then they posted on the scoreboard, 'John Valentin just turned the 11th unassisted triple play in MLB history,' and a huge cheer went up. Pretty cool that this same game was A-Rod's first MLB game, and that the game ended in the ninth-inning with three back to back, incredible defensive plays. There's another good youtube clip with those.

[@sgttombw]

That's crazy, I never realized that it was A-Rod's first game. I need to find that ticket stub now. I remember my dad nudging me and telling me that it was an unassisted triple play. I didn't believe him until they posted it on the scoreboard. Not too many memorable Red Sox games during the Duquette era, but this was one of them.

[@jacobrichardson1952]

Well that's interesting.

[@STEADFAST__and__LOYAL__M1059]

Would be have KEPT THAT BASEBALL ⚾

[@27zachattack]

Unassisted. Valentin got all three outs by himself.

[@exotic_vintage6048]

That guy trains me he is a good coach funny too

[@zboy42497]

why was the player going from 1st base to 2nd walking?

[@jacobpickett6114]

zboy42497 see, the batter was up.. manager called for a double steal, so regardless the runners on base were taking off at the delivery of the pitch. However, the batter lined out to Valentin, who doubled up the runner at second. (who didn't tag up) and the guy running to second didn't tag up either, but since he was so far away from first, he already knew he was screwed. even if he made is to second anyway.

[@CaptBananaYT]

He caught the ball (taking out the batter), tagged second (taking out the runner who was on second, advancing to third but had to go back due to being caught out of the air), and then tagged the runner from first who was going to second... before he reached either first or second. Three outs buddy.

[@sx2extreme895]

Yea we all saw it man

[@Slumsfun]

but in every unassisted triple play by short stops the runner running from first dosnt even bother to try to get back to first because he knows its hopeless

[@adamp4155]

He wasn't going to make it back to first before a throw anyways so He would have been out regardless.

[@dude90210]

*face palm* How does that make it hard? It is just another circumstance.

[@dude90210]

Throwing a man out at 1st from the outfield...There's probably something harder that I just cant think of...

[@soth1sol]

that's not difficult, at all. just doesn't happen often.

[@dude90210]

No it's not dude it's just rare

[@ChaosMew161]

Unassisted triple play*

[@danielleary9265]

had to be a double steal and the hitter missed the sign...swung anyway hit a liner and the baserunners were hung out to dry..only way an unassisted triple play happens at the major league level is. a guy misses a sign

[@soth1sol]

blame batter, every time. that's the close-up you show after replay.

[@PFBM86]

The batter didn't miss a sign lmao, sometimes teams send the runners on a full count with less than 2 outs to try and eliminate the chance of grounding into a double play (ironically enough). It's a risky play since if the batter strikes out then it's pretty likely to result in a double play since the runners aren't really running with the intent to steal and usually don't get a great jump. (The bases were actually loaded on this play and if the batter had struck out then the runner at 3rd would've simply been tagged out at the plate.) Plus if the batter hits a line drive directly at somebody then that's also an easy double or triple play, as shown here. Strikeouts are a lot more common now than they were in 1994 so this play probably doesn't get called too often anymore, the risk of striking out and running into a double play is too high for it to be worth it.

[@Realistic316]

why didn’t they mention the fact that he also led off the next inning with a home run?

[@fakeplastic1826]

Because this was the live broadcast. I don't think the announcers were clairvoyant.

[@Realistic316]

@@fakeplastic1826 what?😂…. i’m talking about MLB youtube channel

[@Gruesome_j]

technically it is assisted, by the unlucky hit and run

[@RCPlanes59]

What's this "they" shit, Tanto?

[@tvHTHtv_is_A_Crackhead]

I remember this they said it was the first Unassisted triple play in MLB history

[@craigoren4475]

That is wrong. There was basically the same triple play in the 1920 World Series (No,I'm not old enough to have been there!) and others have made the same play. Maybe it was the first unassisted triple play in Red Sox history.