This season might be one to forget in Oakland Athletics lore, but the A's and most precisely their individual players keep achieving quite historic feats on a daily basis. Enter Tony Kemp, he of the back-to-back triples for the A's.
Veteran Kemp and rookie outfielder Esteury Ruiz have alternated positions in the batting order for the largest part of the season. When the former leads off, the latter closes in the ninth slot and the other way around. Kemp made a little piece of history on Saturday.
Kemp, batting first in the second game of the series against the White Sox, became the first Oakland A's player since Billy Burns to hit back-to-back triples in two consecutive games. Burns last did it in 2016, according to data pulled from Stathead.
TONY KEMP TRIPLE! OAKLAND A’S HANG A FOUR-SPOT ON CHICAGO! #Athletics #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/wh5aBGVMwC
— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) July 1, 2023
If Kemp goes on to hit another triple on Sunday's series finale, the veteran would become the first A's player to do so in three consecutive games since Phil Garner achieved such a unique feat in 1976 (!), nearly 50 years ago.
What is funny is that Garner did that just nine seasons after Phil Roof hit three consecutive triples in 1967, though it's also true that when Roof did it he achieved the feat donning Kansas City A's threads and not a jersey emblazoned with "Oakland" across its chest.
That, in fact, means that Kemp has a shot at making Oakland A's history on Sunday as long as he can bag another three-base hit against the White Sox, becoming just the second-ever Athletic to keep up such a streak over the tenure of the franchise in the East Bay following Phil Garner at it.
It might happen, or it might not. One thing is clear, though, and it's that the A's will celebrate no matter what after having clinched their first series since mid-June when they put together a seven-game winning streak.