Rennie Stennett

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Rennie Stennett, born Renaldo Antonio Stennett Porte (April 5, 1951 in Colón, Panama), is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. Stennett played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971-79) and San Francisco Giants (1980-81). He batted and threw right-handed.

Contents 1 Career 2 Highlights 3 7-for-7 games chronology 4 Fact 5 External links

[edit] Career

In an 11-season career, Stennett was a .274 batter, with 41 home runs and 432 RBI in 1237 games.

Stennett was a good contact hitter with occasional power, and an aggressive and smart runner on the base paths. As a fielder, he had sure hands and a strong and secure arm for balls up the middle and double plays.

In his first three seasons with Pittsburgh, Stennett was used at shortstop and second base. He also played a solid defense at all three outfield positions, with an average arm and great reaction speed. He showed progress in 1973, when he hit 10 home runs and 55 RBI's in 128 games.

Finally, in 1974, Stennett took over the starting second base job, beating out Dave Cash and Willie Randolph. Batting from the leadoff spot, he responded with a .291 average, 84 runs, 56 RBI, and a career-high 196 hits. The following season, Stennett became the only player in the 20th century to go seven-for-seven in a nine-inning game.

On August 21, 1977, Stennett was batting .336 for the season, but he broke his right leg while sliding into second base. He was out for the year and had fewer than the required number of at bats or plate appearances (12), falling short of qualifying for the batting title, won by teammate Dave Parker (.338). In that season, Stennett collected a career-high 28 stolen bases.

A free agent at the end of the 1979 season, Stennett was signed by the Giants. After two years with San Francisco, he was released in April of 1982, being replaced by Joe Morgan.

[edit] Highlights

• Hit 7-for-7 in a game, 1975
• Twice led NL second basemen in both putouts and total chances 1974 and 1976

[edit] 7-for-7 games chronology

• June 10, 1892 in baseball: Baltimore Orioles (NL) Hall of Famer Wilbert Robinson set a major league record by going 7-for-7 as his team topped the St. Louis Browns 25-4. Roberts also set a second record in RBI with 11.

• June 21, 1970: Detroit Tigers shortstop César Gutiérrez became the first player to go 7-for-7 in modern era (since 1900).

• September 16, 1975: Rennie Stennett reached the 7-for-7 mark as Pittsburgh routed the Cubs, 22-0. Pittsburgh also set a major league record for the largest winning score in a shutout game in the modern era. This record was matched by the Cleveland Indians against the Yankees on August 31, 2004 (AL). Robinson and Stennett accomplished their feats during the course of a nine-inning game. Gutiérrez did it in a 12-inning game. Curiously, Stennett didn't complete his record game. Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh sent in Willie Randolph to pinch run for Stennett after his seventh hit.

[edit] Fact

• On September 1, 1971, Pittsburgh faced the Phillies with a lineup which was the first major league all-black starting-lineup (including some Latin players). Stennett was part of the starting lineup. The Pirates won 10-7, and the lineup was:
  • Rennie Stennett - second baseman
  • Gene Clines - center fielder
  • Roberto Clemente - right fielder
  • Willie Stargell - left fielder
  • Manny Sanguillen - catcher
  • Dave Cash - third baseman
  • Al Oliver - first baseman
  • Jackie Hernández - shortstop
  • Dock Ellis - starting pitcher
  • Resource: Baseball Library [1]

[edit] External links

• Baseball Reference (statistics and analysis)
• Historia del Béisbol en Panamá (in Spanish)
• Box score of Stennett's 7-for-7 game