Baseball Almanac - Double Play Records by First Basemen

Double Play Records by First Basemen

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book of baseball milestones for double plays by first basemen - including career marks, single season plateaus, and game related records.

"Jim (Bottomley) will be out there tomorrow playing first base. So when you throw the ball, you throw it in the direction of first base and ole' Jim will get it. That made me feel better. What a fine gentleman he was." - Les Bell on his manager's comments during his debut

Double Play Records by First Basemen Career Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Most In A Career	AL	Mickey Vernon	Washington	1,612	2,041
			Cleveland	286
			Boston	143
	NL	Charlie Grimm	St. Louis	24	1,708
			Pittsburgh	562
			Chicago	1,122
Double Play Records by First Basemen Single Season Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Fewest In A Season 150+ Games	AL	Lou Gehrig	New York	87	1926
Fewest In A Season 150+ Games	NL	Mark Grace	Chicago	82	1998
Fewest In A Season By The League Leader	AL	Vic Power	Cleveland	98	1959
Fewest In A Season By The League Leader	NL	Bill White	St. Louis	109	1960
Most In A Season	AL	Ferris Fain	Philadelphia	194	1949
Most In A Season	NL	Donn Clendenon	Pittsburgh	182	1966
Most In A Season Unassisted	AL	Jim Bottomley	St. Louis	8	1936
Most In A Season Unassisted	NL	Bill White	St. Louis	8	1961
Most Seasons Leading The League	AL	Cecil Cooper	Milwaukee	4	1980
					1981
					1982
					1983
		Stuffy McInnis	Philadelphia		1912
			Philadelphia		1914
			Boston		1919
			Boston		1920
		Wally Pipp	New York		1915
					1916
					1917
					1920
	NL	Keith Hernandez	St. Louis	6	1977
					1979
					1980
					1981
					1983
			New York		1984
Double Play Records by First Basemen Game Records
Record	Lg	Name(s)	Team(s)	Data
Most In A Game 9 Innings	AL	Ferris Fain	Philadelphia	6	09-01-1947
		John Mayberry	Kansas City		05-06-1972
		Bob Oliver	Kansas City		05-14-1971
		Bob Oliver	New York		04-29-1975
		Eddie Robinson	Cleveland		08-05-1948
		Lee Thomas	Los Angeles		08-23-1963
		George Vico	Detroit		05-19-1948
	NL	Curt Blefary	Houston	7	05-04-1969

Nearly thirty first basemen have turned a record 2 unassisted double plays in a single game. The most recent player in the American League was Dave Martinez of Chicago on June 21, 1997 and in the National League it was Dave Kingman of New York on July 25, 1982!

Did you know that Tommie Aaron, Lu Blue, Frank Hurst, Walt Judnich, Pete O'Brien, and Vic Power are the only first basemen to start three double plays during a nine-inning game?

On August 18, 1943, Mickey Vernon of Washington played in an extra-inning doubleheader and had a Major League record ten double plays at first base!

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