The White Sox started an all-Garcia outfield in Friday's win
There have been about 160 players in MLB history with the last name "Smith," and about 111 with the last name Johnson. Other common baseball last names include "Davis," "Jackson," "Jones" and "Gonzalez." So it's actually a bit surprising that, for Friday's game against the Twins, the White Sox managed to do something that's never been done before -- start three outfielders with the same last name:
Tonight's #SoxGameDay starters: pic.twitter.com/kkjKgkBDwI
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 14, 2017
All of the Garcías. pic.twitter.com/QrVgvxmY74
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 14, 2017
From left to right, that's
Wait, you might be thinking, didn't Felipe, Matty and Jesus Alou start a game together when they played for the Giants? The answer to that question is below:
White Sox will be 1st MLB team to start 3 OFs with same last name … any last name, that is. The Alous played together, but not as starters. https://t.co/oKaLGpQlqB
— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) April 14, 2017
Though they occasionally played in the same game together, you never saw "Alou" written three times on a starting lineup. From the New York Times:
On Sept. 15, [1963], Felipe played all three outfield positions, and Matty and Jesus joined him in the outfield as late-inning substitutes. Two days later, Felipe started again and Matty and Jesus moved into the outfield late in the game. And on Sept. 22, they played in the outfield together one last time, with Felipe again starting and ultimately playing all three positions before Matty and Jesus flanked him in the late innings.
The Alous all played in the same game one more time, on Sept. 25, when Felipe started and his brothers pinch-hit.
The next season Felipe was traded to the Milwaukee Braves. The brothers all played at least 15 seasons in the major leagues, but the chances for an all-Alou outfield were over.
The outfielders themselves think it's pretty cool.
"That's going to make this game more special because it's something happening for the first time in the Major Leagues," Willy told MLB.com's Patrick Donnelly through an interpreter. "Something that's going to be fun too is if someone calls us by our last name, we're not going to know who they're calling."
Each Garcia recorded at least one hit in Chicago's 2-1 win (Avisail - 2 H, 1 R, 1 RBI), (Willy - 1 H), (Leury - 1 H, 1 R). So, maybe the White Sox need to get themselves even more Garcias?
