Expert: Tom Schott - 7/16/2008

Question
What is rarer, a triple play or a three pitch inning?  I don't think I've ever seen a three pitch inning.

Answer
Jerry,

Three-pitch innings would be more rare. I cannot get precise figures for the triple plays, but I can offer a reasonable response. Since 1901, there have been 131 three-pitch innings on record. I have been able to determine that from 2000-2006, there were 24 triple plays in the major leagues. Extrapolating from that, you would have about 392 triple plays from 1901-1999. So that would be 416 triple plays from 1901 to 2006. Even allowing for such things as better equipment, better fielders, faster infields and so forth, you are still going to have far fewer three-pitch innings.

See: http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~rickert/BB/threepitchinning.html