27 MLB records that will never be broken
4. . Chief Wilson. 1912. 36 Triples in a Season. 14. player
In 1912, Chief Wilson collected an unbelievable 36 triples for the Pittsburgh Pirates, which set a Major League Baseball record. Wilson used the spacious outfield at Forbes Field (660 feet to left, 376 feet in right and a whopping 462 feet to straightaway center), but as Sporting Life pointed out at the time:
"“…few of the smashes have struck in front of fielders. They have been over the their heads or between the fields, all juicy jams. Ask any pitcher if Wilson hits a high ball very hard.”"
More than 100 years ago, teams reportedly attempted defensive shifts to limit Wilson’s triples ability.
Prior to Wilson’s record-setting season, Dave Orr and Heinie Reitz shared the honor with 31 in 1886 and 1894, respectively. No other players have ever recorded more than 29 in a season.
In fact, Wilson is only one of nine players to hit 24 or more triples in a season – the most recent being Adam Comorosky in 1930. The most recent challenger to that exclusive club – if not to Wilson’s record itself – was Curtis Granderson, whose 23 triples in 2007 were the most in over 20 years.
As for Wilson himself, his triples record was the high point of a modest career. The left-handed-hitting outfielder played just nine seasons in the Major Leagues, led the National League with 107 RBI in 1911 and hit .300 in 1911 and 1912. He collected 1,246 hits – 114 of which were three-base hits – and last appeared in the big leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1916 at the age of 32.
Next: 309 Career Triples