Unassisted Triple Play by Randy Velarde Box Score

Randy Velarde of the Oakland Ahtletics turned only the eleventh unassisted triple play in the history of Major League Baseball. Joe Torre was attempting to get some action started and with runners on first and second he sent them in motion. Velarde caught a hard liner hit by Shane Spencer (first out), tagged Jorge Posada who was coming from first base (second out), then tagged Tino Martinez who was diving back into second base (third out).

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"I had it played perfectly. Both guys took off, it was a soft liner. I caught it. Tag, tag, that's it." - Randy Velarde

Unassisted Triple Play
by Randy Velarde

Randy Velarde on a 2000 Showdown

May 29, 2000

Oakland Athletics
Name Pos AB R H RBI
Terrance Long cf 4 0 0 0
Randy Velarde 2b 3 1 1 1
Jason Giambi dh 4 0 1 0
Olmedo Saenz 1b 3 0 0 0
Ben Grieve lf 3 0 0 0
Miguel Tejada ss 3 0 0 0
Matt Stairs rf 3 0 0 0
Adam Piatt 3b 3 0 0 0
Sal Fasano c 2 0 0 0
a-Ramon Hernandez ph 1 0 0 0
Omar Olivares p 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 29 1 2 1
New York Yankees
Name Pos AB R H RBI
Chuck Knoblauch 2b 4 1 1 0
Derek Jeter ss 4 0 1 1
Paul O'Neill rf 3 1 0 0
Bernie Williams cf 4 2 2 2
Tino Martinez 1b 3 0 1 0
Jorge Posada c 2 0 0 1
Shane Spencer dh 3 0 0 0
Ricky Ledee lf 3 0 0 0
Scott Brosius 3b 3 0 1 0
Andy Pettitte p 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 29 4 6 4

a: Grounded to pitcher for Fasano in 8th inning.

Doubles: Giambi, Jeter.
Errors: Grieve, Velarde.
Home Runs: Velarde, Williams.
Left on Base: Oakland 3, New York 5.
Triple Play: Velarde.
Triples: Williams.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Oakland Athletics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2
New York Yankees 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 x 4 6 0
Oakland Athletics
Name IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Omar Olivares 8.0 6 4 4 2 3 1 5.65
New York Yankees
Name IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Andy Pettitte 9.0 2 1 1 1 3 1 3.99

Batters Facin Pitcher: Pettitte 31, Olivares 33.
Ground balls-fly balls
: Pettitte 17-7, Olivares 10-9.
Hit by Pitcher
: Saenz (by Pettitte), Posada (by Olivares), Martinez (by Olivares).
Losing Pitcher: Olivares.
Pitches / Strikes: Pettitte 110-71, Olivares 123-77.
Winning Pitcher: Pettitte.

Attendance: 41,284.
Length of Game: 2:30.
Umpires: HP: Al Clark, 1B: C.B. Buckner, 2B: Rick Reed, 3B: Hunter Wendelstedt.
Weather: 63 degrees, partly cloudy, 15 mph wind right-to-left.
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

This was the first unassisted triple play ever turned by the Oakland Athletics and the first ever turned against the New York Yankees.

Did you know that Randy Velarde was the third second baseman to turn an unassisted triple play and the first player to ever turn one on a holiday (Memorial Day)?

At the end of the game Randy Velarde said, "The chances of that happening? You have a better chance of being hit by lightning."