Gus Triandos
Encyclopedia
Gus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
mostly as a catcher
but also played as a first baseman
for the New York Yankees
, Baltimore Orioles
and the Detroit Tigers
of the American League
and the Philadelphia Phillies
and Houston Astros
of the National League
. He batted and threw right-handed.
in 1948
. He joined the Yankees' major league roster briefly in 1953
, but was sent back to the minor leagues
in 1954
. Triandos was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1955
where he played mostly as a first baseman for his first two years with the team, before becoming the Orioles' regular catcher in 1957
. As the Orioles' catcher, he used an outsized catcher's mitt designed by manager Paul Richards
to handle the unpredictable knuckleball
of Hoyt Wilhelm
. Triandos was behind the plate when Wilhelm threw a no hitter against the New York Yankees
on September 20, 1958
, and also scored the only run of the game when he hit a home run in the eighth inning
.
Although perhaps the slowest runner in the league, Triandos once hit an inside-the-park home run. As of 2007, he also holds the record for the most consecutive games without being caught stealing, 1,206. That accounts for his entire career, in which he had exactly one stolen base. That stolen base came on September 28, 1958, the last game of the season, at Yankee Stadium
, off rookie pitcher Zach Monroe
and third-string catcher Darrell Johnson
, The Yankees were saving their regular batteries for the upcoming 1958 World Series
.
Triandos had his best year in 1958, when he hit 16 home run
s by mid-season to earn the starting catcher's role for the American League
in the 1958 All-Star Game
, breaking Yogi Berra's
eight-year stranglehold on the position. He ended the season leading all American League catchers in putout
s with 698, and tied Berra's American League record of 30 home runs by a catcher. In 1959
, he hit 20 home runs by mid-season and was again selected to be the starting catcher for the American League in the 1959 All-Star Game
, However, a hand injury meant that he only had 25 home runs for the entire season.
In 1962
, he hit .169 in 63 games and was traded to the Detroit Tigers at the end of the year. With the Tigers in 1963
, he shared catching duties with Bill Freehan
and led American League catchers with a .996 fielding percentage
. The following winter, he was traded along with Jim Bunning
to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he again shared catching duties, this time with Clay Dalrymple
. As the Phillies' catcher, Triandos caught Bunning's perfect game
against the New York Mets
on June 21, 1964
, thus becoming the first catcher in Major League history to catch no hitters in both the American and National Leagues.
, accumulating 954 hits
in 3,907 at bats for a .244 career batting average
along with 167 home runs, 608 runs batted in and a .322 on base percentage
. He ended his career with a .987 fielding percentage in 992 games as a catcher and, a .988 fielding percentage in 168 games as a first baseman. Triandos led American League catchers twice in assists
and in baserunners caught stealing
. In 1957, he threw out 66.7% of the base runners trying to steal a base, the third highest single-season ratio in Major League history. Over his career, Triandos threw out 46.62% of the base runners
who tried to steal
a base on him, ranking him 6th on the all-time list.
Triandos was elected to the American League All-Star team
for three consecutive years, in 1957
, 1958
and 1959
. His 142 home runs hit as an Oriole player ranks him 13th highest in the team's history. In , the reigning American League stolen base champion, Luis Aparicio
, rated Triandos just below Earl Battey
as the toughest catcher on which to attempt a stolen base.
, Messenia
, Greece
. He is one of four children of Peter Triandos and Helen Mourgos, Greek immigrants to the U.S. He and wife Evelyn have three children, son Gary Triandos and daughters Lori Luna and Tracey Hook.
He lives in San Jose, California. Triandos Drive in Timonium, Maryland is named in honor of the popular catcher.
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
mostly as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
but also played as a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. He batted and threw right-handed.
Playing career
Triandos was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1948
1948 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 46th season in New York and its 48th overall. The team finished with a record of 94-60, finishing 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians and 1.5 games behind the second-place Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bucky Harris...
. He joined the Yankees' major league roster briefly in 1953
1953 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 51st season for the team in New York, and its 53rd season overall. The team finished with a record of 99-52, winning their 20th pennant, finishing 8.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home...
, but was sent back to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
in 1954
1954 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 52nd season in New York, and its 54th overall. The team finished in second place in the American League with a record of 103-51, finishing 8 games behind the Cleveland Indians, who broke the Yankees' 1927 AL record by winning 111 games. New York was...
. Triandos was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1955
1955 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1955 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 57 wins and 97 losses, 39 games behind the AL champion New York Yankees...
where he played mostly as a first baseman for his first two years with the team, before becoming the Orioles' regular catcher in 1957
1957 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1957 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 76 wins and 76 losses.-Offseason:* February 8, 1957: Jim Brideweser was purchased by the Orioles from the Detroit Tigers.- Notable transactions :...
. As the Orioles' catcher, he used an outsized catcher's mitt designed by manager Paul Richards
Paul Richards (baseball)
Paul Rapier Richards was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and executive in Major League Baseball. During his playing career, he was a catcher and right-handed batter with the Brooklyn Dodgers , New York Giants , Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...
to handle the unpredictable knuckleball
Knuckleball
A knuckleball is a baseball pitch with an erratic, unpredictable motion. The pitch is thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. This causes vortices over the stitched seams of the baseball during its trajectory, which in turn can cause the pitch to change direction—and even...
of Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
. Triandos was behind the plate when Wilhelm threw a no hitter against the New York Yankees
1958 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 56th season for the team in New York, and its 58th season overall. The team finished with a record of 92-62, winning their 24th pennant, finishing 10 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox. In the World Series, they defeated the Milwaukee Braves in 7 games. New...
on September 20, 1958
1958 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1958 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 6th in the American League with a record of 74 wins and 79 losses, 17.5 games behind the AL and World Series champion New York Yankees...
, and also scored the only run of the game when he hit a home run in the eighth inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
.
Although perhaps the slowest runner in the league, Triandos once hit an inside-the-park home run. As of 2007, he also holds the record for the most consecutive games without being caught stealing, 1,206. That accounts for his entire career, in which he had exactly one stolen base. That stolen base came on September 28, 1958, the last game of the season, at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
, off rookie pitcher Zach Monroe
Zach Monroe
Zachary Charles Monroe is a former professional baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of 2 seasons in Major League Baseball with the New York Yankees. Monroe was a member of the 1958 World Series champion Yankees...
and third-string catcher Darrell Johnson
Darrell Johnson
Darrell Dean Johnson was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach, manager and scout.-Playing career:...
, The Yankees were saving their regular batteries for the upcoming 1958 World Series
1958 World Series
The 1958 World Series was a rematch of the 1957 Series, with the New York Yankees beating the defending champion Milwaukee Braves in seven games for their eighteenth title, and their seventh in ten years...
.
Triandos had his best year in 1958, when he hit 16 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s by mid-season to earn the starting catcher's role for the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in the 1958 All-Star Game
1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 25th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, 1958, at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland the home of...
, breaking Yogi Berra's
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
eight-year stranglehold on the position. He ended the season leading all American League catchers in putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s with 698, and tied Berra's American League record of 30 home runs by a catcher. In 1959
1959 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1959 Baltimore Orioles season was the franchise's sixth season in Baltimore, Maryland, and its 59th overall. It resulted with the Orioles finishing sixth in the American League with a record of 74 wins and 80 losses, 22 games behind the AL champion Chicago White Sox.- Offseason :* October 2,...
, he hit 20 home runs by mid-season and was again selected to be the starting catcher for the American League in the 1959 All-Star Game
1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game may refer to:*The 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was a 5-4 victory for the National League over the American League...
, However, a hand injury meant that he only had 25 home runs for the entire season.
In 1962
1962 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1962 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 77 wins and 85 losses.- Offseason :* October 9, 1961: Dave Philley was released by the Orioles....
, he hit .169 in 63 games and was traded to the Detroit Tigers at the end of the year. With the Tigers in 1963
1963 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished tied for fifth in the American League with a record of 79-83, 25½ games behind the New York Yankees.- Offseason :* November 26, 1962: 1962 first-year draft...
, he shared catching duties with Bill Freehan
Bill Freehan
William Ashley Freehan is a former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers...
and led American League catchers with a .996 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. The following winter, he was traded along with Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he again shared catching duties, this time with Clay Dalrymple
Clay Dalrymple
Clayton Errol Dalrymple was a professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles . Dalrymple was known for his strong throwing arm and solid defensive skills...
. As the Phillies' catcher, Triandos caught Bunning's perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
on June 21, 1964
1964 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 82nd season for the franchise in Philadelphia. The Phillies finished in a second-place tie in the National League with the Cincinnati Reds, while posting a record of 92-70. The teams finished one game behind the NL and World Series champion St. Louis...
, thus becoming the first catcher in Major League history to catch no hitters in both the American and National Leagues.
Career statistics
In a 13 year career, Triandos played in 1,206 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 954 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 3,907 at bats for a .244 career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
along with 167 home runs, 608 runs batted in and a .322 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
. He ended his career with a .987 fielding percentage in 992 games as a catcher and, a .988 fielding percentage in 168 games as a first baseman. Triandos led American League catchers twice in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
and in baserunners caught stealing
Caught stealing
In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder while making the attempt...
. In 1957, he threw out 66.7% of the base runners trying to steal a base, the third highest single-season ratio in Major League history. Over his career, Triandos threw out 46.62% of the base runners
Baserunning
In baseball, baserunning is the act of running around the bases performed by members of the team at bat.In general, baserunning is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home to score a run. In fact, the goal of batting is generally to produce baserunners, or help move...
who tried to steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
a base on him, ranking him 6th on the all-time list.
Triandos was elected to the American League All-Star team
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
for three consecutive years, in 1957
1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 24th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 1957 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis,...
, 1958
1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 25th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, 1958, at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland the home of...
and 1959
1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)
The 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 26th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 7, 1959 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of...
. His 142 home runs hit as an Oriole player ranks him 13th highest in the team's history. In , the reigning American League stolen base champion, Luis Aparicio
Luis Aparicio
Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, rated Triandos just below Earl Battey
Earl Battey
Earl Jesse Battey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago White Sox , the Washington Senators and the Minnesota Twins...
as the toughest catcher on which to attempt a stolen base.
Personal life
Triandos's family origins are from KoroniKoroni
Koroni or Coroni is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is a municipal unit. Known as Corone by the Venetians and Ottomans, the town of Koroni Koroni or Coroni is a...
, Messenia
Messenia
Messenia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, one of 13 regions into which Greece has been divided by the Kallikratis plan, implemented 1 January 2011...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He is one of four children of Peter Triandos and Helen Mourgos, Greek immigrants to the U.S. He and wife Evelyn have three children, son Gary Triandos and daughters Lori Luna and Tracey Hook.
He lives in San Jose, California. Triandos Drive in Timonium, Maryland is named in honor of the popular catcher.