On July 19, 1909, the Cleveland Naps faced the Boston Red Sox at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. During the second inning, as the Red Sox were poised to take the lead, Amby McConnell was at bat and hit a line drive. Cleveland’s shortstop, Neal Ball, caught the ball, stepped on second base to retire another player, and then tagged a third player who was running to second base. This remarkable play became the very first unassisted triple play in Major League Baseball history, making July 19, 1909, and Cleveland’s Neal Ball a part of baseball lore.

This unprecedented triple play confused both the players on the field and the 11,000 spectators in the stands. It happened so quickly that nobody was quite sure what had just occurred. The Cleveland pitcher even asked Neal Ball why he was leaving the field after the play had concluded, and the crowd was not cheering but instead murmuring amongst themselves as they tried to understand the situation. Once it became clear that Ball had ended the inning, the crowd erupted into a standing ovation, and his teammates applauded him in the dugout. In the following inning, as the Cleveland Naps came to bat, Ball continued his impressive performance by hitting his first and only inside-the-park home run of the season.

Despite his history-making play, Neal Ball remained very humble. When interviewed after the game, he stated that anyone could have made the play and downplayed the praise from the interviewer. Nonetheless, Ball was presented with two gold medals for his achievement: one by Ban Johnson, the President of the American League, and another from the Cleveland News. The baseball glove Neal Ball used to execute the first unassisted triple play in baseball history is now on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame.