CHIEF WILSON MLB RECORD 36 TRIPLES IN 1912

Most Triples in a Season in Major League Baseball History

In 1912, Forbes Field in Pittsburgh was gripped by drama. There, with the whole city watching, J. Owen "Chief" Wilson of the Pittsburgh Pirates was in the process of rewriting baseball's history books as he hit thirty-six triples in one season.

Only two other players, previous record holders Dave Orr and Heinie Reitz, had ever hit more than thirty in a single season. Wilson himself never again (or before 1912 for that matter) collected half the triples he had in 1912, which turned out to be his career-defining year.

Wilson's talent for three-baggers was so evident in 1912, that he was expected to hit triples when he came up to bat. Anything else was a disappointment, as seen in this excerpt from the Pittsburgh Post, September 14, 1912:

"Wilson attempted to triple, but tapped the pellet a trifle too hard and floated it over the right field wall."

Other teams attempted shifts (yes, the same defensive shifts we see in the game today) to stop Wilson, but saw the ball fly over their heads or to the opposite field. Wilson's triple total even managed to eclipse the American League record also set in 1912, by Joe Jackson, tied in 1914 by Sam Crawford.

Baseball Almanac proudly presents a game-by-game look at all thirty-six of Chief Wilson's Major League record setting triples. Originally researched by Glenn Rooth.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"(Chief) Wilson's three base shots are entitled to be credited as one of the wonders of 1912. Best of it all, 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." - The Sporting Life (September 7, 1912)

Chief Wilson Sets MLB Record for Most Triples in a Season

Chief Wilson Baseball Card

1912 : The 36 "Three-Bagger" Season | Research by Baseball Almanac | Chief Wilson

1 2 04-13-1912 2nd St. Louis Bill Steele Cardinals
2 6 04-18-1912 9th Pittsburgh Slim Sallee Cardinals
3 9 04-23-1912 6th Chicago Mordecai Brown Cubs
4 11 04-27-1912 1st Pittsburgh Art Fromme Reds
5 11 04-27-1912 8th Pittsburgh Hanson Horsey Reds
6 15 05-03-1912 3rd Pittsburgh Larry Cheney Cubs
7 16 05-04-1912 4th Pittsburgh Ed Reulbach Cubs
8 25 05-21-1912 7th Pittsburgh Bill McTigue Braves
9 29 05-25-1912 4th Pittsburgh Jimmy Lavender Cubs
10 29 05-25-1912 6th Pittsburgh Jimmy Lavender Cubs
11 33 05-30-1912 3rd Pittsburgh Slim Sallee Cardinals
12 48 06-17-1912 8th New York Rube Marquard Giants
13 49 06-18-1912 9th New York Doc Crandall Giants
14 50 06-19-1912 4th Pittsburgh Joe Willis Cardinals
15 51 06-20-1912 2nd Cincinnati Bobby Keefe Reds
16 51 06-20-1912 10th Cincinnati Harry Gaspar Reds
17 52 06-20-1912 6th Cincinnati Art Fromme Reds
18 64 07-02-1912 8th Pittsburgh Larry Cheney Cubs
19 65 07-04-1912 4th Pittsburgh Ben Taylor Reds
20 70 07-08-1912 8th Pittsburgh Toots Schultz Phillies
21 77 07-16-1912 4th Pittsburgh Earl Yingling Dodgers
22 78 07-17-1912 9th Pittsburgh Christy Mathewson Giants
23 79 07-19-1912 3rd Pittsburgh Rube Marquard Giants
24 82 07-22-1912 3rd Pittsburgh Buster Brown Braves
25 84 07-25-1912 1st Pittsburgh Eddie Stack Dodgers
26 85 07-26-1912 1st Philadelphia Earl Moore Phillies
27 99 08-10-1912 6th Brooklyn Cliff Curtis Dodgers
28 106 08-16-1912 7th Pittsburgh Grover Alexander Phillies
29 114 08-23-1912 9th Pittsburgh Jeff Tesreau Giants
30 116 08-26-1912 6th Pittsburgh Otto Hess Braves
31 117 08-26-1912 6th Pittsburgh Ed Donnelly Braves
32 117 08-26-1912 8th Pittsburgh Ed Donnelly Braves
33 118 08-27-1912 4th Pittsburgh Walt Dickson Braves
34 129 09-07-1912 6th St. Louis Pol Perritt Cardinals
35 148 09-29-1912 8th Chicago Ed Reulbach Cubs
36 152 10-06-1912 9th Cincinnati Frank Gregory Reds
Bold = HOF | MLB Record for Most Triples in a Season | Chief Wilson
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

Countless historians are quick to point out the dimensions of Forbes Field during the era (360' left field, 462' center field, 376' right field), but did you know that three Hall of Fame teammates (who also played in Forbes Field) never came close to the record: Max Carey (nineteen in 1923), Fred Clarke (fifteen in 1901, 1903, 1905 & 1908), and Honus Wagner (twenty-two in 1900).

Opposing teams tried to stop Chief Wilson, but it did not work as seen by this August 29, 1912 Pittsburgh Gazette article, "The Pittsburgh players are wondering how many more triples Chief Wilson will add to his already long list before the season closes. Foxy John Kling went to a great deal of trouble during the Boston series to place his outfield when Chief was at bat, but it was no discredit to the Boss of the Braves that his strategy failed as Wilson sent one long drive to extreme left, another to right and one to right center It is because he can drive hard to any field that he is so dangerous."

In the Minor Leagues, single seasons of nearly two-hundred games have been played throughout their rich and amazing history, yet the Minor League record for triples in a season is thirty-two, hit by Jack Cross, in 1925!