RetroSimba

On Sept. 25, 2010, Scott Cousins of the Marlins became the first major leaguer to triple in consecutive pinch-hit at-bats in 28 years.

The last to do it before Cousins: Willie McGee of the Cardinals.

McGee was a rookie who was called up to the Cardinals from the minor leagues in May 1982. He soon replaced David Green as the starting center fielder.

On June 18, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Mets in St. Louis, Tito Landrum got the start in center and McGee was held out of the lineup.

In the seventh inning, with the Mets ahead 4-2, the Cardinals loaded the bases with none out. With pitcher John Stuper scheduled to bat, manager Whitey Herzog called on McGee to hit. McGee’s triple off Ed Lynch cleared the bases, giving St. Louis a 5-4 lead.

The clutch hit was the game winner. Reliever Doug Bair held the Mets scoreless in the eighth and ninth, earning the save and giving Stuper his first big-league win. Boxscore

The next time McGee was used as a pinch-hitter was June 29 at Philadelphia. With the Cardinals ahead 5-1 in the fifth, George Hendrick on second and two outs, the Phillies replaced starter Dick Ruthven with left-hander Sid Monge.

Dane Iorg, a left-handed batter, was due up, so Herzog turned to McGee, a switch hitter. McGee’s triple scored Hendrick, propelling St. Louis to a 15-3 victory. Boxscore

No other big-league pinch hitter produced consecutive triples until Cousins, a Marlins rookie, did it in back-to-back games Sept. 24-25, 2010.