What Is The Rarest Play In Baseball?
The rarest play in baseball is the unassisted triple play. It’s so rare that there have only been 15 in MLB history.
The Infield Fly Rule
The infield fly rule is one of the most misunderstood and controversial rules in baseball. It is designed to prevent the infielders from purposely dropping a fly ball in order to turn a double play. However, the rule has been the source of some very controversial calls, including a key call in the 2012 National League Wild Card game.
The infield fly rule is generally only called when there are runners on first and second base and less than two outs. If the infield fly rule is called, the batter is automatically out and the runner(s) on base can advance at their own risk. This often leads to confusion because it seems like the batter should be out and the runner(s) should not be able to advance. However, the rule is designed to prevent the defense from purposely dropping a fly ball in order to turn a double play. If the infielders were allowed to drop a fly ball in order to turn a double play, it would give them a huge advantage over the offense.
The infield fly rule has been involved in some very controversial calls, including a key call in the 2012 National League Wild Card game. In that game, there were runners on first and second base with one out in the bottom of the 8th inning. The batter hit a pop up into short left field. The left fielder appeared to intentionally drop the ball in order to force a double play. However, the umpires ruled that it was not an intentional drop and called an infield fly. This meant that the batter was out and the runners could only advance at their own risk. As a result of this call, the inning ended with no runs scored and the Cardinals went on to win the game by one run.
The infield fly rule is one of baseball’s most misunderstood and controversial rules. It is designed to preventthe defense from purposely dropping a fly ball in order to turn apotential double play; however, this often leads tomisunderstanding among fans as it may seem likethe correct outcome should be reversed (the batter being outandthe runner(s) being safe). The 2012 National League Wild CardGame featureda highly controversial call involvingthe applicationof thisrule: with runners on firstand second baseandone out, San Francisco Giants’ short stopBrandon Crawfordhitapop-upinto short left field which left fielderAndreltonSimmonsappearedto intentionally dropin orderto forcea double play; however, umpires ruled that it was not an intentional dropand called an infieldfly which resultedin themaximum number of outs forthat circumstance(thebatter beingoutandthe runner(s) only beingableto advanceat their own risk). As aresultof this call,St. LouisCardinals went onto winby one run as no runs were scoredthat inning due tobatter’s automaticoutand runners not beingableto scoreon suchhitdespite less than two outs asstipulatedby rule 6.05 (m), “Runner’s balk”.
The Triple Play
In baseball, a triple play (TP) is the rarest possible defensive feat. A triple play happens if three offensive players are put out at three separate bases, all during the same play. The most common type of triple play occurs when the bases are loaded and the batter hits a line drive to the fielder. The fielder then touches second base, third base, and home plate in quick succession, forcing out the three baserunners.
The Unassisted Triple Play
In baseball, the unassisted triple play is the rarest of the rare plays. It’s so difficult, in fact, that there have only been 15 of them in the history of Major League Baseball.
An unassisted triple play happens when one defensive player – typically an infielder – takes care of all three offensive players on his own. He does this by catching a line drive, tagging a runner who is trying to advance from first to second base, and then touching second base before the runner from second can return safely.
Interestingly, there have been more unassisted double plays (112) than unassisted triple plays in MLB history. This is because it’s significantly easier to get two outs on your own than it is to get three. In order to complete an unassisted triple play, everything has to happen in the right order and at breakneck speed. There’s no room for error.
The most recent unassisted triple play in MLB occurred on May 29, 2009, when Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera pulled it off against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the first unassisted triple play in Indians history and just the seventh in AL history.
The No-Hitter
A no-hitter is a rare feat in baseball, and one that is often only accomplished by the game’s best pitchers. So what exactly is a no-hitter? A no-hitter is a game in which a pitcher does not allow the other team to hit a single ball into fair territory. This means that the pitcher must pitch the entire game and not allow a single hit over nine innings. This is an incredibly difficult feat, as even the best pitchers will sometimes give up a hit or two over the course of a game. In order to be considered a no-hitter, however, all hits must be ruled as either foul balls or errors. walks do not count against a pitcher in this regard.
