One play, three outs

Mickey Morandini

Phillies second baseman Mickey Morandini pulls off the National League’s first unassisted triple play in 65 years and just the ninth in major league history 33 years ago today in Philadelphia’s 3-2 loss in 13 innings at Pittsburgh.

Morandini accomplishes the feat behind pitcher Curt Schilling in the bottom of the sixth inning before a Sunday afternoon crowd of 21,652 at Three Rivers Stadium.

With runners Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke moving on the pitch from first and second, Morandini dives his right to catch Jeff King’s line drive up the middle, steps on second base to easily double up Van Slyke and then tags out Bonds as he approaches second from first.

The last National League player before Morandini to turn an unassisted triple play is Jimmy Cooney of the Chicago Cubs on May 30, 1927.

Like Morandini, Cooney pulls off his triple play in Pittsburgh as he ends the bottom of the fourth inning by converting a triple play off the bat of future Hall of Famer Paul Waner.

Unlike Morandini’s Phillies on this day in 1992, Cooney’s Cubs win the game 7-6 in 10 innings.

Since Morandini’s feat – the first ever by a Phillie – the game has seen six unassisted triple plays.

The most recent occurs on Aug. 23, 2009 with Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett, who snares a line drive by the Mets’ Jeff Francoeur to start the play that ends a 9-7 victory over New York at Citi Field.

“It really happened so fast, it didn’t hit me until I got to the dugout,” Morandini says after the game. “Then I realized I’d done something few people have done.”

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