BASEBALL: Posey sets record for being out at home 3 times in one post-season

A friend noticed that Buster Posey had been out at home three times this post-season, and he asked if I could figure out if this was a record.To find the answer, I collected from baseball-reference.com’s Play Index (a pay feature worth its weight in gold) the results of every plate appearance in post-season history. I then culled from that data all the outs recorded at home. Of the 407 instances, 79 were bases-loaded ground outs involve force outs at home. I removed those because in such cases the runner has no choice in the matter and while it may be mildly interesting that Preston Wilson was forced out at home twice in the 2006 Post-Season, it’s really just anecdotal. What my friend and I were interested in is plays in the plate that resulted in the runner being tagged out.So let’s cut to the chase. The answer is yes, Buster Posey is the first player to ever be out at home three times in a post-season. He did it 1) in the 9th inning of game 2 the 2014 NLDS trying to score from first on a Pablo Sandoval double to LF; 2) in the 7th inning of game 4 of the 2014 NLDS trying to score from 3rd base on a wild pitch during a Pablo Sandoval Intentional Walk; 3) in the 1st inning of game 1 of the 2014 World Series, trying to score from 1st on a Pablo Sandoval double to RF. Even if you factor in force outs at home, no one else has ever been out at home three times in a single post-season.Posey’s record of 3 in a post-season breaks the record of 2 in a post-season shared by Jack Barry (1911), Phil Rizzuto (1953), Ed Ott (1979), Darrell Porter (1980), Jose Oquendo (1987), Chad Fonville (1995), Manny Ramirez (2004), Albert Pujols (2011), Jon Jay (2011), and David Ross (2013).But Posey does not have the record for times being out at home in post-seasns for a career. That honor goes to Albert Pujols and Phil Rizzuto whom have each been victim 4 times in their careers. [note: Miguel Cabrera and Manny Ramirez in their careers have been tagged out at home 3 times and forced out 1 time]:Rizzuto: 1) Bottom of the 4th of the 1947 World Series, trying to score from third on a Allie Reynolds ground ball to third. 2) Top of the 1st of game 4 of the 1949 World Series trying to score from 3rd on a Yogi Berra ground ball to third. 3) Bottom of the 2nd of game 2 of the 1953 World Series, trying to score from 3rd on a Gene Woodling ground ball to second. 4) Bottom of the 8th of game 6 of the 1953 World Series trying to score from 3rd on a Gene Woodling ground ball to short.Pujols: 1) Bottom of the 4th in game 6 of the 2004 NLCS trying to score from first off a Scott Rolen double to short. 2) Top of the 9th of game 4 of the 2005 NLCS trying to score from third on a Reggie Sanders ground ball to third. 3) Top of the 7th of game 2 of the 2011 NLDS trying to score from 3rd on a David Freese grounder to the pitcher. 4) Top of the 1st of game 6 of the 2011 NLCS trying to score from 3rd on a Matt Holliday grounder to the pitcher.Posey joins Manny Ramirez, Jorge Posada, Darrell Porter, Roberto Alomar, Jack Berry, Miguel Cabrera, and Amos Strunk with 3 career instances of non-force outs at home. [add Everett Scott and Robin Ventura if you include force outs at home]A few cool things I stumbled on while doing this research:Amos Strunk, Jake Daubert, Pie Traynor, Lou Gehrig, Walker Cooper, and Gene Woodling were all out at home trying to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park-homerun. Can you imagine being the catcher with Gehrig barreling down on you at home plate?Three times a non-force out at the plate ended the game: 1) Down 7-2 with two outs in the top of the 9th inning of game 4 of the 1953 World Series, Mickey Mantle hit a single to left scoring Gene Woodling who was on 3rd, but Billy Martin was out at home trying to score from second. 2) Down 7-6 with 2 outs in the top of the 9th inning of game 4 of the 2003 NLDS, and runners on 1st and second, JT Snow was out at home on a Jeff Hammonds singled to center. 3) Tied 4-4 with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning of game 3 of the 2013 World Series, and runners on second and third, Jon Jay grounded to the second baseman who threw Yadier Molina out at home; Allen Craig tried to advance to third; the catcher threw to third and the third baseman made an error, allowing Craig to score and win the game!! Do you remember that? It was only last year.Twice there were two outs at home on a single play. In each case, the Dodgers were the victim: 1) In the bottom of the 3rd in game 2 of the 1920 WS and the bases loaded, Hi Myers grounded to third base. The third baseman threw home to force Ivy Olson out. Tommy Griffith rounded third and got caught in a rundown C-1B-C. 2) In the top of the 2nd of the game 1 of the 2006 NLDS, with runners on 1st and 2nd, Russell Martin singled to right field. Both Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew were out trying to score.The earliest a non-force out at home has happened in the game is the third at bat in the top of the first. It’s happened 8 times, most recently in game 1 of the 2011 NLDS when Justin Upton singled to left and Willie Bloomquist was out at home trying to score from second base.The latest it has happened in a game was the top of the 13th inning of game 5 of the 1999 NLCS when Chipper Jones doubled to right and Keith Lockhart was out at home trying to score from 1st base.Twice a team fallen victim to a non-force oust at home three times in one game: The Athletics in game 3 of the 1911 WS and the Yankees in Game 4 of the 1926 World Series. In each case, they won the game in spite of the incidents, but also wound up losing the Series.The person at bat the most times for such an incident is 4, done by Pablo Sandoval, three times involving Buster Posey (listed above) and once in game 7 of the 2012 NLCS when Sandoval reached first on a ground ball error by the short stop, and Angel Pagan was out at home trying to score from second.Johnny Evers, Rico Petrocelli, Jose Oquendo, Brian Hunter, and Ryan Klesko were all out at home caught stealing.Brothers who share this event distinction? Roberto and Sandy Alomar, Bob and Irish Meusel [if you include force outs, you can add Joe and Dom DiMaggio and Jason and Jeremy Giambi]Let me know if you want more info on anything or want me to look for anything in particular in the data. via /r/baseball http://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/2kov6b/posey_sets_record_for_being_out_at_home_3_times/