Seattle Mariners: 5 takeaways from opening week of Cactus League

2. An extremely rare triple play

A triple play in baseball is usually an exciting occurrence for fans (unless it’s your team on the receiving end of it). The Mariners became the first team to execute a triple play in 2021, during Friday’s 2-2 tie with the Chicago White Sox.

Further, it was the order of the triple play which really stood out, as reported by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Kramer noted the 5-2-3-2 order hadn’t been completed in a regular season game since Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House. (Eisenhower left office in 1961.)

There have only ever been five 5-2-3-2 triple plays recorded in the Majors during the regular season. While Seattle’s 5-2-3-2 triple play took place during a spring training game, it still stood out as an exceptional moment of precision and execution.

The highlight also came with a certain element of irony, albeit while also alluding to the talent and potential throughout the M’s organization. Consider that all those involved in the triple play — Donovan Walton, Brian O’Keefe and Jantzen Witte — are likely headed to the Triple-A roster in Tacoma.

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