Most Triples Allowed in a Season

One of the many interesting things the Retrosheet data used by the Baseball-Reference.com Play Index allows you to do is look at the number of specific types of base hits allowed by pitchers. Looking at a typical pitcher's line in any common reference source usually only reveals base hits allowed and home runs allowed. The play-by-play data compiled by Retrosheet makes it possible to find out how many of those base hits were singles, doubles, and triples, as well. Unfortunately, play-by-play data only goes back to 1957 and there are a number of games missing prior to 1970, but the data still provides interesting numbers from the past half century.

In 2007, Josh Fogg of the Colorado Rockies led all pitchers with ten triples allowed. Kip Wells and Tim Hudson tied for second place, with nine. The AL leader was Chad Gaudin, with eight. Only twenty pitchers since 1957 have allowed fourteen or more triples in a single season.

Most Triples Allowed in a Season, 1957-2007

Name	Team	Year	3B Allowed	IP
Larry Christenson	PHI	1976	17	168.2
Jim Perry	MIN	1971	17	270.0
Bret Saberhagen	KCR	1988	16	260.2
Paul Thormodsgard	MIN	1977	16	218.0
Tony Cloninger	MLN	1964	16	242.2
Chris Short	PHI	1963	16	198.0
Jason Schmidt	PIT	1999	15	212.2
Rick Sutcliffe	CLE/CHC	1984	14	244.2
Randy Jones	SDP	1979	14	263.0
Craig Swan	NYM	1979	14	251.1
Jim Barr	SFG	1977	14	234.1
Dave Goltz	MIN	1977	14	303.0
Jim Kaat	PHI	1977	14	160.1
Jim Barr	SFG	1975	14	244.0
Bill Greif	SDP	1974	14	226.0
Steve Carlton	PHI	1973	14	293.1
Gaylord Perry	SFG	1970	14	328.2
Mike McCormick	WSA	1966	14	216.0
Bob Friend	PIT	1960	14	275.2
Curt Simmons	PHI	1957	14	212.0

I'm kind of surprised only two of these season occurred in the 1980's. I would've thought there would be more of a balance between the 1970's and 1980's, but maybe pitchers threw fewer innings and had less of an opportunity to join the list.