Bill Wambsganss, 2B

The Setup:

In the top of the fifth inning of game 5 of a best of nine World Series, Cleveland led Brooklyn 7-0. Jim Bagby was pitching for Cleveland and gave up back to back singles to open the inning by Pete Kilduff and Otto Miller putting runners on first and second for Brooklyn. Clarence Mitchell, who came on in relief of Burleigh Grimes in the bottom of the fourth inning was the batter.

The Play:

With the count of 1-1, the runners were moving on the pitch. Clarence Mitchell hit a line drive that Bill Wambsganss, moving towards second base, caught. He stepped on second to retire Kilduff for the second out and then tagged Miller running from first base.

The Rest of the Story:

There is more to this story than just being the only unassisted triple play in any postseason game. It might seem odd that a relief pitcher was left in the game to hit when the team was in desperate need of offense, trailing 7-0 in a World Series game. However, Mitchell was a good hitting pitcher who was sometimes used as a pinch-hitter, so it wasn’t as odd as it might sound. In fact, he was left in to hit again in the eighth inning when he grounded into a double play, producing five outs in his two at bats that day. In addition, Burleigh Grimes, the starting pitcher for Brooklyn who Mitchell replaced, hit into a double play in his only at bat in the third inning. In just three plate appearances, the ninth spot in the batting order for Brooklyn was responsible for seven of their twenty-seven outs that game.

The fifth game of this series was also notable offensively. In the first inning, Elmer Smith, Cleveland's right fielder, hit the first grand slam ever hit in the World Series. Then in the fourth inning, Jim Bagby, Cleveland’s starting pitcher, hit the first homerun hit by a pitcher in the World Series.

Bill Wambsganss got off to a slow start in the World Series offensively. He admitted that the death of Ray Chapman, his double play partner, late in the season was affecting him. However, in games four and five he had three hits and scored three runs.

Wambsganss often said that the only thing people knew about him was that he turned an unassisted triple play in a World Series game. He once said, "You'd think I was born the day before and died the day after."