In baseball, a golden sombrero is a player's inglorious feat of striking out four times in a single game.
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Origin of the term
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, while a horn (after Sam Horn of the Baltimore Orioles, who accomplished the feat in an extra-inning game in 1991), titanium sombrero or double platinum sombrero is bestowed upon a player who strikes out six times in a single game.
The term was coined by San Diego Padres player Carmelo MartÃnez in the 1980s and first appeared in print when Leon Durham was quoted as using it in 1984. The term "Horn" for a six-strikeout game was coined by Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan after Horn's six strikeout game.
History
Sammy Sosa and Ray Lankford are the only players to hit for a platinum sombrero more than twice. Only eight players have had six strikeouts, listed below. All eight players who accomplished a "Horn" needed extra innings to do it; the record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game is five.
On August 4, 2009, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria went 2 for 6, recording a golden sombrero and 2 home runs. The second home run was a walk off home run. This feat was also accomplished by Brandon Moss of the Oakland Athletics on April 30, 2013 in a 19-inning game against the Los Angeles Angels. They are the only players to record four strikeouts and two home runs (the second a walk-off) in a single game in the live-ball era.
On May 29, 2014, in a game against the New York Mets, Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies earned his 24th career Golden Sombrero, surpassing Reggie Jackson to take the all-time MLB lead for this statistic.
On May 29, 2015 San Diego Padres catcher Derek Norris struck out swinging in his first four plate appearances, then hit a walk-off grand slam, becoming the first MLB player to achieve a golden sombrero and a walk-off grand slam in the same game, in the modern era.
On July 30, 2016 New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez became the first MLB player to earn a Golden Sombrero after the age of 40 while having earned one before the age of 20.
The record for strikeouts in a game in all of professional baseball belongs to minor league baseball player Russ Laribee of the Pawtucket Red Sox, who in 1981 struck out seven times in a thirty-three inning baseball game. The record was tied on May 21, 2013 by Stockton Ports right fielder Dusty Robinson, in a 17-inning game against the Lake Elsinore Storm.