What's the record for most triples in a season?

Answer 1

Owen Wilson in 1912 with 36.

Answer 2

By a player -- 36 by Chief Wilson, 1912. It's a seriously freak record; he never came close to it before or since, and for that matter, no one has. The only other 30+ triples seasons are in the 19th century. Second-best in the 20th century or since is a mere 26. Since WWII: 23. It's going to be the standard for quite some time.

By a team -- 129, by the 1912 Pirates, which had Wilson making the big contribution.

Answer 3

Chief Wilson of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit 36 triples in 1912. Since 1930 the most hit was 23 by Dale Mitchell in 1949. Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals is the only active player with 20 or more. He had 20 in 2000.

Answer 4

His name is chief Wilson with 36 triples in 1912

Answer 5

36 Triples by Chief Wilson in a Single Season
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 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 exert from the Pittsburgh Post from 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 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.

Baseball Almanac proudly presents a game-by-game look at all thirty-six of Chief Wilson’s record setting triples.

"(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. " - Sporting Life (September 7, 1912)


Chief Wilson


1912 : The 36 "Three Bagger" Season

Triple Game Date Inning Location Opposing:
Pitcher Team
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

Triple Game Date Inning Location Pitcher Team
Game-by-Game Research by Glenn Rooth Opposing:



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 (3) Hall of Fame teammates 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."

Single seasons of nearly two-hundred games were played in the Minor Leagues throughout history, yet the Minor League record is thirty-two (32) hit by Jack Cross in 1925.