Jimmy Cooney, SS

The Setup:

Pittsburgh was hosting the Chicago Cubs in the first game of a double header. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Cubs trailed the Pirates 5-4. Tony Kaufman was pitching for the Cubs. Lloyd Waner led off the inning with a base hit to centerfield. The next batter, Clyde Barnhart, walked bringing up Paul Waner with runners on first and second.

The Play:

With the runners moving on the pitch, Paul Waner hit a line drive up the middle that Jimmy Cooney leaped and caught. He stepped on second base to retire Lloyd Waner, and then tagged Barnhart, who according to Cooney, “was sliding into second.”

The Rest of the Story:

This was the second unassisted triple play that Jimmy Cooney was involved in. He was the runner on second base for the previous UTP which was turned two years earlier by Glenn Wright. Glenn Wright was the on-deck batter for this triple play.

Cooney became the first player on a visiting team to turn an unassisted triple play.

In talking about his play years later, Cooney said that he didn't even get to celebrate it because it was during prohibition. "He had a dish of ice cream instead."

One week after turning his triple play, Cooney was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Tony Kaufman who was pitching when the triple play was made.

There are often long stretches of time between unassisted triple plays, but in this case they occurred on two on consecutive days. Johnny Neun would turn his the very next day.