Pirates History: Rennie Stennett Gets Seven Hits in Nine Inning Game
Getting seven hits in a nine inning game may be the rarest feat in baseball. On this day in 1975, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Rennie Stennett became the second player in baseball history to notch seven hits in nine innings.
Let us step into the WayBack Machine and head to the year 1892. That season, future Hall of Fame manager Wilbert Robinson made baseball history, as he became the first player to notch seven hits in a nine inning game. Robinson’s performance was all the more impressive as he was a catcher, a position that took a battering from foul balls and various pitches during the early years of the game.
It took 83 years for another player to match that feat. On this day in 1975, Pittsburgh PIrates second baseman Rennie Stennett matched Robinson, going 7-7 in a nine inning contest against the Chicago Cubs. His was not the only great performance, as the Pirates won 22-0, the most lopsided shutout of the 20th century.
Stennett, the Pirates leadoff hitter, began quickly. They jumped all over Cubs starter Rick Reuschel, who only recorded one out before leaving the contest. Stennett recorded two hits in the inning, beginning the game with a double, and greeting reliever Tom Dettore with an RBI single. Stennett had another two hit inning in the fifth, again leading off the inning with a double, and having an RBI single. Overall, he had to doubles and a triple amongst his seven hits, with two RBI and five runs scored.
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While the Pirates had several excellent hitters during the 1970s, Stennett was considered more of a glove first second baseman. That was a bit of a misnomer, as he had a few excellent seasons, including that 1975 campaign. That year, he had a solid .286/.324/.383 batting line, hitting 25 doubles while producing a career best 89 runs and 62 RBI.
Stennett would have one more excellent campaign with the bat in 1977, ranking second in the National League with a .336 batting average. However, his production fell off dramatically after that season, with Stennett losing his starting role at 28 years old. He was signed as a free agent by the Giants after that season, but spent two years in San Francisco before heading to the Mexican League for two more seasons. Stennett then retired after the 1983 campaign at just 32 years old.
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Rennie Stennett was a brilliant defensive second baseman, a key part of the Pittsburgh Pirates success in the 1970s. On this day in 1975, he made history with his bat, with seven hits in a nine inning game.