April 15, 1911 – 4 Ks in one inning? We all know that aside is retired in baseball once the team on the field has registered three outs. That is what makes this story all the more impressive. Washington Senators legendary pitcher, Walter Johnson threw a record-tying 4 strikeouts in one inning! How can a person fan 4 batters in one inning you might ask? The Baseball Almanac has the answer:
“A batter with two strikes on him takes a swing at strike three; however, the catcher does not field the ball cleanly, and instead of tagging the runner out, the runner reaches. The strikeout is recorded, but not the out.”
Johnson was not the first pitcher to do this though, Ed Crane of the National League’s New York Gothams, performed the feat in 1888. In fact, it is not as uncommon as one might think. The Baseball Almanac states that it has occurred 98 times in the history of the MLB. Four Ks in one inning were recorded five times in the MLB during the 2021 season.
It is embarrassing for a catcher and frustrating for the guy firing the strikes, and it really takes some fortitude to recover and retire the next guy with pitches.
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