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| 1994 Fleer #709 |
Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker can now breathe a sigh of relief after Tuesday, if they were worried at all to begin with. Longtime baseball fans know that Tramm and Sweet Lou are the longest tenured double play combination in MLB history. They were a combo from Sept of 1977 to all the through the 1995 season (18 years).
The Los Angeles Dodgers made sure that this record will stand for the time being with a couple trades on Tuesday. The Dodgers first picked up shortstop Jimmy Rollins from the Philadelphia Phillies. Rollins and second baseman Chase Utley had been the active leader in this category-playing together since 2004.
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| 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter |
Next on the list is Los Angeles Angels teammates Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick, who have been turning double plays since 2008. Well, the Dodgers decided they wanted second baseman Kendrick too.
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| 2007 Topps Heritage |
After Tuesday, Trammell and Whitaker's place in MLB history is safe for what looks like many more years. If you are curious who currently holds the distinction of having turning double plays the longest. It is Brandon Phillips and Zach Cozart of the Cincinnati Reds. They have been teammates since the end of the 2011 season. Since Phillips is 33 years old and Cozart is 28, I don't think they are a threat to the Tigers duo.
And as for Trammell and Whitaker's permanent place in MLB history, i.e. Cooperstown. Trammell's is in his last year on the ballot and Whitaker has been long off the ballot due to lack of votes. In my opinion(probably a bit biased), I do believe both belong in the Hall of Fame. I have a feeling that the veteran's committee will elect them together at some point in the future. Just as they did in 1946 with Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance thanks to a famous
poem .
