Ron Hansen, SS

The Setup:

The Washington Senators trailed the Cleveland Indians by 18 games in the American League standings at the start of the day. The Indians would lengthen that lead with a 10-1 victory. The Senators' highlight was in the bottom of the first inning with no score. The Senators starting pitcher, Bruce Howard, gave up a single to the leadoff hitter, Dave Nelson. He followed that by walking Russ Snyder with Nelson moving to second and bringing Joe Azcue to the plate.

The Play:

Joe Azcue worked the count full, and Cleveland started the runners on the 3-2 pitch from Bruce Howard. Azcue hit a line drive up the middle that Ron Hansen caught and led him to second base. As he continued past second, he tagged the runner from first, Russ Snyder, who wasn’t able to retreat quickly enough.

The Rest of the Story:

This was the first unassisted triple play since Johnny Neun’s forty-one years earlier, which had occurred just one day after Jimmy Cooney’s triple play.

Ron Hansen’s triple play was definitely the personal highlight of his day as he struck out all four times he came to the plate that game. In fact, he struck out in his first two plate appearances the next game before being pinch-hit for. He ended the streak of strikeouts the following day when he walked and then hit a grand slam! His roller coaster ride continued as he was traded the next day.

When Hansen was traded back to the Chicago White Sox it was for Tim Cullen. They had both been in the six-player trade between the Senators and White Sox prior to the start of the season. The first time that two players had been traded for each other twice in the same year.

According to an unnamed blogger, Ron Hansen had an endorsement deal with MacGregor Sporting Goods. Following his triple play, his MacGregor representative reached out to Hansen with an idea for an advertising campaign in connection with the play. Unfortunately, Hansen had to tell him that he was using a Spaulding model when he made the play. That glove is on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.