three-base hit

Ty Cobb, second all-time in career triples, slides safely into third base.

In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay (see error) nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.

Because a hit only counts as a triple without a fielding error or a fielder's choice, triples have become somewhat rare in Major League Baseball. It often requires a hit to an unoccupied part of the ballpark (as in an opposite-field hit) or the ball taking an unusual bounce in the outfield. It also requires that the batter be able to hit the ball solidly but also that he be able to run quickly. This combination of power and speed is rare, and combined with the trend for modern ballparks to have smaller outfields (to increase the number of home runs hit), it has ensured that the career and season triples leaders mostly consist of players who played earlier in the sport's history.

Because the hit is so rare, a triple is considered one of the most exciting plays in baseball. It is also an essential element in the achievement of hitting for the cycle.

Triples were much more common in the dead-ball era of baseball.

Triples leaders, Major League Baseball

Career

1. Sam Crawford (Played from 1899 to 1917) - 309
2. Ty Cobb (1905 - 1928) - 295
3. Honus Wagner (1897 - 1917) - 252
4. Jake Beckley (1888 - 1907) - 243
5. Roger Connor (1880 - 1897) - 233
6. Tris Speaker (1907 - 1928) - 222
7. Fred Clarke (1894 - 1915) - 220
8. Dan Brouthers (1879 - 1904) - 205
9. Joe Kelley (1891 - 1908) - 194
10. Paul Waner (1926 - 1945) - 191

Season

Chief Wilson's record of 36 triples in a season is unlikely to ever be broken.

• 1. Chief Wilson (1912) - 36
• 2. Dave Orr (1886) - 31
• 2. Heinie Reitz (1894) - 31
• 4. Perry Werden (1893) - 29
• 5. Harry Davis (1897) - 28
• 5. Jimmy Williams (1899) - 28
• 7. George Davis (1893) - 27
• 7. Sam Thompson (1894) - 27
• 9. Sam Crawford (1914) - 26
• 9. Kiki Cuyler (1925) - 26
• 9. Joe Jackson (1912) - 26
• 9. John Reilly (1890) - 26
• 9. George Treadway (1894) - 26

See also

• List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
• List of Major League Baseball triples records
• List of MLB players with 20 triples in a season
• List of career triples leaders, Baseball-Reference.com
• List of single-season triples leaders, Baseball-Reference.com