On This Date in Sports July 22, 1975
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
It’s a day to forget for New York Mets first baseman Joe Torre as he ties a dubious record, by grounding into four double plays. Each double play comes after a hit by second baseman Felix Millan as the Mets are beaten by the Houston Astros 6-2 at Shea Stadium. Previously Goose Goslin in 1934 with the Detroit Tigers and Mike Kreevich in 1939 with the Chicago White Sox hit into four twin killings in one game.
Joseph Paul Torre was born in Brooklyn on July 18, 1940. The son of a New York Police Officer, Torre followed in his brother Frank’s footsteps to the major leagues. Frank Torre began his career with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956. Four years later, Joe joined his brother on the Milwaukee Braves. While Frank Torre moved on to the Philadelphia Phillies, Joe Torre became an All-Star with the Braves. Torre made five straight All-Star appearances with the Braves as they moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966.
Prior to the 1969 season, the Braves traded Joe Torre to the St. Louis Cardinals for Orlando Cepeda. Upon arriving in St. Louis, Torre went from playing catcher to first base and made four additional All-Star Game appearances. Torre had his best season with the Cardinals in 1971 as he was named MVP in the National League while leading the league in hitting with a .363 batting average. Torre moved on to the New York Mets in 1975 as the Cardinals moved him to make room for Keith Hernandez. The Cardinals received Tommy Moore and Ray Sadecki in the trade with Mets following the 1974 season.
The Mets were middling around .500 as they hosted the last-place Houston Astros at Shea Stadium. George Stone made the start for the Mets managed by Yogi Berra, while Astros manager Preston Gomez had Ken Forsch on the hill. The Astros scratched out two runs in the first inning as Wilbur Howard and Greg Gross each singled and came around to score on groundouts by Enos Cabell and Bob Watson. In the bottom of the first, Joe Torre hit into his first double play following a one-out single by Felix Millan. The Astros added a third run on an RBI double from Howard. The Mets got a run back in the second inning on a leadoff home run by Rusty Staub. However, in the third inning, Houston added another two runs when Roger Metzger tripled home Doug Rader and Bob Watson to chase Stone out of the game. In the bottom of the third, the Mets Del Unser and Millan reached base with one out singles but were erased when Torre hit into his second double play. Cabell knocked home another run in the fourth against reliever Ken Sanders. Trailing 6-1 in the sixth inning, Milan singled off Forsch to lead off the inning, setting up Joe Torre for his third double play. Hank Webb and Rick Baldwin shut down the Astros the rest of the way, the Mets meanwhile got a home run off the bat of Dave Kingman in the seventh inning. In the eighth inning, the Mets tried one last rally as Del Unser and Felix Millan led off with hits. The rally would die when Torre hit into his fourth double play. Forsch walked Staub with two outs as Kingman filed out to end the inning. Ken Forsch would go on to pitch a complete game, improving to 4-7 on the season.
The four double plays were a National League record. Previously Goose Goslin in 1934 with the Detroit Tigers and Mike Kreevich in 1939 with the Chicago White Sox hit into four twin killings in one game. No player has hit into four double plays in one game, since Joe Torre’s bad day at Shea in 1975.