McKinstry = Triples Specialist

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Peter Welch

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Jun 10, 2025, 9:09:06 PM6/10/25
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Zach McKinstry has hit 2 triples tonight.  He now has 7 and is tied with Jarren Duran for the MLB lead.

Peter

Mike Coveyou

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Jun 10, 2025, 11:25:13 PM6/10/25
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Watching McKinstry's two triples this evening made me think of a two part Tiger trivia question:

1. What former Tiger holds the all time record for major league triples? (Bonus: For what other team did he lead the league in triples one year and in home runs another year?)

2. Who holds the all time record for triples as a Tiger?  (Bonus: how many?)

Mike Coveyou

On Tue, Jun 10, 2025 at 8:09 PM Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Zach McKinstry has hit 2 triples tonight.  He now has 7 and is tied with Jarren Duran for the MLB lead.

Peter

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Rob Hawks

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Jun 10, 2025, 11:37:51 PM6/10/25
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Could someone say Wahoo to this trivia question?

rob

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Peter Welch

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Jun 11, 2025, 6:25:07 AM6/11/25
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I remember reading that Sam Crawford was somewhere near the top of the triples list.
Maybe Ty Cobb as well.

Peter
From: Mike Coveyou <mcov...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 11:25 PM
To: Peter Welch <pw...@hotmail.com>
Cc: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: McKinstry = Triples Specialist
 

Roger King

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Jun 11, 2025, 9:48:03 AM6/11/25
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I think Granderson had 20+ triples in 2007?  Though I guess Michael’s second question is about all-time triples leader, not just one season.


Roger King
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Mike Coveyou

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Jun 11, 2025, 10:03:34 AM6/11/25
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Rob and Peter, while a bit imprecise, identified Sam Crawford, who was the all time MLB triples leader with 309.

Wahoo Sam led the NL in triples and in home runs (in different years) while playing for the Cincinnati Reds.

Ty Cobb was the all-time leader in triples while wearing a Tigers uniform, with 284.

Mike Coveyou

Michael W

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Jun 11, 2025, 2:03:26 PM6/11/25
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>Ty Cobb was the all-time leader in triples while wearing a Tigers uniform, with 284.

I’m glad to have learned that before getting that question in some public place!  I would have said Crawford for sure!

A good reminder that you should always check your facts, even when you are confident

Michael

Peter Welch

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Jun 11, 2025, 4:24:07 PM6/11/25
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Looks like the deadball era was very triple-friendly.  I also think some of the ballparks had very deep outfields back then.  Impressive that Granderson hit 23 triples in the modern era.

1
26
1914
2
25
1903
3
24
1911
 
24
1917
4
23
1912
 
23
1913
 
23
2007
7
21
1912
8
20
1908
9
19
1910
 
19
1915
 
19
1929
 
19
1931
 
19
1940
13
18
1927
14
17
1907
 
17
1926
 
17
1919
17
16
1913
 
16
1921
 
16
1922
 
16
1904
 
16
1908
 
16
1906
 
16
1928
 
16
1935
 
16
1924
22
15
1929
 
15
1930
 
15
1919
 
15
1928
Rank
Name
Triples
Year
Tigers Single Season Triples Leaders


From: Roger King <pnag...@pnagency.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 9:47 AM

Peter Welch

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Jun 11, 2025, 4:27:21 PM6/11/25
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What, no Miggy or Cecil Fielder on the list?

Career Triples Leaders
Top 25 for Tigers
Rank
Name
Triples
1
284
2
249
3
146
4
145
5
136
6
75
7
73
8
70
9
69
10
66
11
65
12
64
13
57
14
55
15
54
16
52
 
52
18
50
19
49
20
48
 
48
22
47
23
45
24
43
 
43
Rank
Name
Triples
Tigers All-Time Triples Leaders



From: detroit...@googlegroups.com <detroit...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Michael W <miw...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 2:03 PM
To: Detroit Tigers e-mail list <detroit...@googlegroups.com>

Michael W

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Jun 11, 2025, 5:02:15 PM6/11/25
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Larry Herndon was also a good triples hitter, hitting 76 in his career; but half of those were with the Giants.  He hit 37 with the Tigers, so, just off this list.  

Herndon was really fast as a young man, stealing 50 bases at AA.  He had a couple of knee injuries resulting in surgery in 1977, which was the end of his base stealing days.  It's kind of an amazing story, a guy who was basically getting by on speed, and losing his speed, but figuring out late in his career how to hit.  His offensive production in 1982-3, at age 28-9, kind of came out of nowhere.  But I guess the triples are an indication that he still had some speed.

Michael

Paul Meloche

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Jun 11, 2025, 7:27:20 PM6/11/25
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I remember Herndon having the look of a fast guy when he was a Tiger - long, smooth strides. 

I’m surprised Kaline didn’t have more triples; he averaged fewer than four a year. He was a decently fast guy who used the gaps, right? I don’t think Tiger Stadium was particularly conducive to three-baggers so there that, but as mentioned he played in an era where there were still some large parks. 

But it was also a pitchers era so perhaps that plays into it too. 

Paul M.

On Jun 11, 2025, at 2:02 PM, Michael W <miw...@gmail.com> wrote:

Larry Herndon was also a good triples hitter, hitting 76 in his career; but half of those were with the Giants.  He hit 37 with the Tigers, so, just off this list.  

Peter Welch

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Jun 11, 2025, 10:57:54 PM6/11/25
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Herndon developed much more power when he joined the Tigers.  He hit 23 homers in 1982 in his first season with the Tigers. Herndon's career-high in homers with the Giants was 8.  Maybe it was park effects going from Candlestick to Tiger Stadium.

In 1983 Herndon had his best season with the Tigers, hitting .302/.351/.478 with 20 homers and 92 RBIs.

From 1984-1988 Herndon became a decent platoon hitter against lefties.  He was excellent in a part-time role in 1987, hitting .324/.378/.520 with 9 homers in 225 AB.

Herndon was also the Tigers' hitting coach from 1992-1998.  He was the Lakeland Tigers' hitting coach as recently as 2022.  He's now 71.

Peter

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Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 7:27 PM
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Peter Welch

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Jun 11, 2025, 10:59:09 PM6/11/25
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Tiger Stadium had that really deep centerfield (440 ft.) so maybe if you hit it out there you could get some triples.

Peter
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Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 7:27 PM
To: Michael W <miw...@gmail.com>

David Panian

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Jun 11, 2025, 11:50:10 PM6/11/25
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Herndon will long be a Tigers legend. He, of course, caught Tony Gwynn's fly ball for the final out of the 1984 World Series, so fans will see him in highlights for years to come. But that wasn't his only highlight as a Tiger. I recall him having a knack for producing in important situations and for some rare home run accomplishments.

In 1982, Herndon hit homers in four consecutive at bats, one in his last AB of the first game then three in his next ABs in the following game. I remember J.P. McCarthy and whoever the morning sports guy was, maybe Frank Beckmann, talking about the feat the next morning on WJR.

In '84, he started to lose playing time, but he hit key homers in the ALCS and World Series.

In 1987, on Opening Day, he hit a mammoth homer off the facing of the upper deck in centerfield at Tiger Stadium — a seemingly impossible blast that might've traveled 600 feet if it hadn't run into the bleachers. Then, in game 162 against Toronto, his wind-blown, solo homer just over the left field fence and past George Bell's glove in the second inning was the only offense in the game as Frank Tanana shut out the Blue Jays 1-0 to clinch the AL East pennant.

When the city of Detroit was preparing to tear down Tiger Stadium it had an online auction of everything that was left inside — section signs, hot dog vendor equipment, decorative bunting, etc. For $75, I got a poster showing Herndon and Travis Fryman giving a hitting clinic to a group of youth baseball and softball players. I had always liked Herndon and Fryman, so I was happy to get it. It's part of my "Tigers shrine" in my basement TV room.

IMG_1070.JPG

There's a well-done bio of Herndon on the SABR website:


David


christopher tower

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Jun 13, 2025, 12:00:18 PM6/13/25
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So many of my favorite players of all time on that list, like Tram and Mickey Stanley.

McKinstry is my spirit animal.

I have a deep affection for multi-position utility guys. I have Zach on several fantasy teams.

Fun fact, I believe Corbin Carroll hit two triples for the DBacks on the same night as McKinstry did it for the Tigers (Tues June 10th).

That seems like something that would not happen all that often.

-chris


Peter Welch

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Jun 13, 2025, 1:17:07 PM6/13/25
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Got to give McKinstry credit this year.  I keep expecting him to regress badly to his career norm, but he's back over .800 OPS again after yesterday.

I didn't realize that McKinstry was born in Toledo, OH and went to college at Central Michigan U.  So he's pretty much a local guy.  Cool!

Peter
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