We here at Home Run Derby love the big hit – especially the Home Run. That should be obvious by now.
However, we love to see another distinction that happens less often in baseball … The Golden Sombrero. When a batter doesn’t strike out once, or twice, or even three times in a game, but has the worst of nights – striking out four times. It’s like a hat trick in hockey … but it’s four times, so you need a bigger hat.
Atlanta Braves CF Andruw Jones went and did that one better (or worse) Sunday vs the Red Sox, going 0-5 with five strikeouts. That’s also known as the Platinum Sombrero or the Olympic Rings – five big donuts.
The Platinum Sombrero only happens about once or twice a season. Andruw Jones’ is the first since Alex Rios did it last July 29.
In case you’re wondering, striking out six times in a game is called either a Horn or a Titanium Sombrero. It’s only been accomplished eight times in MLB and has never been done in a nine inning game. Geoff Jenkins of the Brewers was the last player to hit a Horn back in a 17-inning game in June, 2004.
No one has ever been struck out seven times in a game. Unless you count the last time I played college softball.
Entries (RSS)
February 16th, 2008 at 2:23 am
[...] a whole new level. I figure at that point you have to upgrade from gold to platinum, and apparently I’m not alone in my thoughts. The struggling, former 50-home run hitting center-fielder took the Platinum Sombrero on Sunday. [...]