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In baseball, golden sombrero is a slang term used to describe a player's inglorious feat of striking out four times in a single game.

Contents 1 Origin 2 History 2.1 Major league players with six strikeouts in a game 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Origin

The term derives from hockey's hat trick and since four is bigger than three; the rationale was that a four-strikeout performance should be referred to by a bigger hat, such as a sombrero.^{[citation needed]} The "Olympic Rings" or platinum sombrero applies to a player striking out five times in a game,^[1] while a horn (after Sam Horn of the Baltimore Orioles, who accomplished the feat in an extra-inning game in 1991) or titanium sombrero is bestowed upon a player who strikes out six times in a single game.^[2]

[edit] History

To date, no Major League Baseball player has ever struck out more than five times in a nine-inning game. However, striking out 5 times has been done. This feat has been achieved 51 times, (28 in the AL and 23 in the NL) including two different platinum sombreros by Dick Allen, Pat Burrell, and Alex Rios.^{[citation needed]} The only games with six strikeouts have been extra innings affairs, and no player has ever struck out seven times in a game. Travis Hafner is the only player in Major League history to record both a grand slam and a golden sombrero in the same week^{[citation needed]} on May 7, 2007, against the Baltimore Orioles (grand slam) and May 8, 2007 against Ervin Santana and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (golden sombrero)^[3].

On August 4, 2009, Tampa Bay Rays third basemen Evan Longoria went 2 for 6, recording a golden sombrero and 2 home runs. The second home run was a walk off home run.

The record for plate futility in all of professional baseball belongs to Russ Laribee of the minor league Pawtucket Red Sox, who in 1981 struck out eight times in a thirty-three inning baseball game.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Major league players with six strikeouts in a game

Player	Date	Innings	Team
Carl Weilman	July 25, 1913	15	St. Louis Browns
Don Hoak	May 2, 1956	17	Chicago Cubs
Rick Reichardt	May 31, 1966	17	California Angels
Billy Cowan	July 9, 1971	20	California Angels
Cecil Cooper	June 14, 1974	15	Boston Red Sox
Sam Horn	July 17, 1991	15	Baltimore Orioles
Alex Gonzalez	September 9, 1998	13	Toronto Blue Jays
Geoff Jenkins	June 8, 2004	17	Milwaukee Brewers

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Baseball Tips.com: Baseball slang
• Rocky Mountain News August 17, 2006 quoting Don Baylor
• Athlon Sports May 8, 2007: 4 leadoff hitters with golden sombrero.
• List of strikeout records at Baseball Almanac