Golden sombrero

In baseball, the golden sombrero is a slang term used to describe a player's dubious feat of striking out four times in a single game. [1]

Origin

The term derives from "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. 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]

History

To date, no Major League player has ever struck out more than five times in a nine-inning game. This feat has been achieved forty-six times, (26 in the AL and 21 in the NL) including two different platinum sombreros by Dick Allen. The only games with six strikeouts have been extra-inning 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 on May 7th against the Baltimore Orioles (grand slam) and May 8th, 2007 against Ervin Santana and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Golden Sombrero) ^[3].

Major League Baseball Horns

See also

• Duck (cricket)

References and 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