Golden sombrero
In baseball, a golden sombrero is a player's inglorious feat of striking out four times in a single game.
Origin of the term
The term derives from hat trick, and since four is bigger than three, the rationale was that a four-strikeout performance should be referred to by a bigger hat, such as a sombrero.[1] The "Olympic Rings" or platinum sombrero applies to a player striking out five times in a game,[2] while a horn (after Sam Horn of the Baltimore Orioles, who accomplished the feat in an extra-inning game in 1991),[3] titanium sombrero or double platinum sombrero is bestowed upon a player who strikes out six times in a single game.[4]
The term was coined by San Diego Padres player Carmelo Martínez in the 1980s and first appeared in print when Leon Durham was quoted as using it in 1984.[5] The term "Horn" for a six-strikeout game was coined by Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan after Horn's six strikeout game.[6]
History
Sammy Sosa and Ray Lankford are the only players to hit for a platinum sombrero more than twice.[3][7] Only eight players have had six strikeouts, listed below.[3] All eight players who accomplished a "Horn" needed extra innings to do it; the record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game is five.[8]
On August 4, 2009, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 2 for 6, recording a golden sombrero and 2 home runs. The second home run was a walk off home run. This feat was also accomplished by Brandon Moss of the Oakland Athletics on April 30, 2013 in a 19-inning game against the Los Angeles Angels.[9] They are the only players to record four strikeouts and two home runs (the second a walk-off) in a single game in the live-ball era.
On May 29, 2014, in a game against the New York Mets, Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies earned his 24th career Golden Sombrero, surpassing Reggie Jackson to take the all-time MLB lead for this statistic.
On May 29, 2015 San Diego Padres catcher Derek Norris struck out swinging in his first four plate appearances, then hit a walk-off grand slam, becoming the first MLB player to achieve a golden sombrero and a walk-off grand slam in the same game, in the modern era.[10]
On July 30, 2016 New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez became the first MLB player to earn a Golden Sombrero after the age of 40 while having earned one before the age of 20. [11]
The record for strikeouts in a game in all of professional baseball belongs to minor league baseball player Russ Laribee of the Pawtucket Red Sox, who in 1981 struck out seven times in a thirty-three inning baseball game.[12] The record was tied on May 21, 2013 by Stockton Ports right fielder Dusty Robinson, in a 17-inning game against the Lake Elsinore Storm.
Major league players with four strikeouts or more in a game [13]
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Denotes player who is still active |
Player | Games | Major teams |
---|---|---|
Howard, RyanRyan Howard | 27 | Philadelphia Phillies |
Jackson, ReggieReggie Jackson | 23 | New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics |
Thome, JimJim Thome | 20 | Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies |
Dunn, AdamAdam Dunn | 19 | Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds |
Jackson, BoBo Jackson | 19 | Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals |
Deer, RobRob Deer | 17 | Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers |
Canseco, JoseJose Canseco | 16 | Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics |
Reynolds, MarkMark Reynolds | 16 | Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals |
Allen, DickDick Allen | 15 | Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox |
Galarraga, AndrésAndrés Galarraga | 15 | Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies |
Kingman, DaveDave Kingman | 15 | New York Mets, San Francisco Giants |
Major league players with six strikeouts in a game
Player | Date | Innings | Team | Box score |
---|---|---|---|---|
Weilman, CarlCarl Weilman | July 25, 1913 | 15 | St. Louis Browns | [14] |
Hoak, DonDon Hoak | May 2, 1956 | 17 | Chicago Cubs | [15] |
Reichardt, RickRick Reichardt | May 31, 1966 | 17 | California Angels | [16] |
Cowan, BillyBilly Cowan | July 9, 1971 | 20 | California Angels | [17] |
Cooper, CecilCecil Cooper | June 14, 1974 | 15 | Boston Red Sox | [18] |
Horn, SamSam Horn | July 17, 1991 | 15 | Baltimore Orioles | [19] |
Gonzalez, AlexAlex Gonzalez | September 9, 1998 | 13 | Toronto Blue Jays | [20] |
Jenkins, GeoffGeoff Jenkins | June 8, 2004 | 17 | Milwaukee Brewers | [21] |
References
- ↑ "Baseball Reference – "Golden Sombrero"".
- ↑ Michael, Matt (April 9, 2005). "Extra bases". Syracuse Post-Standard.
- 1 2 3 Rob Neyer article at Baseball Nation
- ↑ "ESPN – More amazing stories to watch for – MLB".
- ↑ The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, third edition, p. 374
- ↑ Tom Verducci article, Sports Illustrated, July 29, 1991
- ↑ "July 8, 2013 New York Mets at San Francisco Giants Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "Strikeout Records for Hitters by Baseball Almanac".
- ↑ "Jayson Stark Blog".
- ↑ "Derek Norris hits walkoff grand slam after striking out four times".
- ↑ Feinsand, Mark. Alex Rodriguez sports Golden Sombrero in return to Yankees’ lineup. New York Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/alex-rodriguez-earns-golden-sombrero-return-yankees-lineup-article-1.2732590 Accessed August 1, 2016
- ↑ Peter Gobis, in the Sun Chronicle
- ↑ Ryan Howard extends K record Philly.com May 27, 2015. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/boopstats/Ryan-Howard-Extends-K-Record0527.html Accessed May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "July 25, 1913 St. Louis Browns at Washington Senators Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "May 2, 1956 New York Giants at Chicago Cubs Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "May 31, 1966 Cleveland Indians at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "July 9, 1971 California Angels at Oakland Athletics Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "June 14, 1974 Boston Red Sox at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "July 17, 1991 Baltimore Orioles at Kansas City Royals Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "September 9, 1998 Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com".
- ↑ "June 8, 2004 Milwaukee Brewers at Anaheim Angels Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com".
External links
Look up golden sombrero in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Rocky Mountain News August 17, 2006 quoting Don Baylor
- Athlon Sports May 8, 2007: 4 leadoff hitters with golden sombrero.
- Baseball Reference – Most natural golden sombreros
- Baseball Almanac – Strikeout Records for Hitters