During Tuesday night’s fifth inning at Milwaukee’s Miller Park, Brendan Ryan shot a ball into the left field corner and ran hard right out of the box. Taking advantage of below-average defender Ryan Braun, the Cardinals shortstop slid into third base ahead of the throw.
It was Ryan’s team-leading seventh three-base hit this season and the Cardinals’ 24th as a team in 2009.
The National League co-leaders in triples this season are Michael Bourn of Houston and Shane Victorino of Philadelphia with 11 each. The Colorado Rockies lead the Senior Circuit with 43 three-base hits.
Ryan’s total is just one off the Cardinals team best this decade. Fernando Vina had eight triples in 2001. The top basestealer in the Tony La Russa years in St. Louis was Delino Deshields, who collected 14 triples back in 1997.
As a team, both the 2001 and 2003 Cardinals amassed the highest total of triples this decade with 32. Led by Deshields, the 1997 Redbirds’ sum of 39 three-base hits is La Russa’s St. Louis best.
Team total and individual leader, triples, Cardinals by season, 1996-2009
| Year | Team | Leader | # |
| 2009 | 24 | Brendan Ryan | 7 |
| 2008 | 27 | Skip Schumaker | 5 |
| 2007 | 13 | Edmonds, Rolen | 2 |
| Schumaker, Cairo | 2 | ||
| 2006 | 27 | Aaron Miles | 5 |
| Juan Encarnacion | 5 | ||
| 2005 | 26 | David Eckstein | 7 |
| 2004 | 24 | Scott Rolen | 4 |
| 2003 | 32 | Bo Hart | 5 |
| 2002 | 26 | Fernando Vina | 5 |
| 2001 | 32 | Fernando Vina | 8 |
| 2000 | 25 | Fernando Vina | 6 |
| 1999 | 27 | J.D. Drew | 6 |
| 1998 | 30 | Delino DeShields | 8 |
| 1997 | 39 | Delino DeShields | 14 |
| 1996 | 31 | Ray Lankford | 8 |
Most triples in a season, Cardinals, 1996-2009
| # | Player | Year | ||||
| 14 | Delino DeShields | 1997 | ||||
| 8 | Fernando Vina | 2001 | Delino DeShields | 1998 | Ray Lankford | 1996 |
| 7 | Brendan Ryan | 2009 | David Eckstein | 2005 | Brian Jordan | 1998 |
| 6 | Fernando Vina | 2000 | J.D. Drew | 1999 | ||
| 5 | Skip Schumaker | 2008 | Juan Encarnacion | 2006 | Aaron Miles | 2006 |
| Bo Hart | 2003 | Fernando Vina | 2002 | |||
| J.D. Drew | 2001 | Royce Clayton | 1997 | |||
| 4 | Joe Thurston | 2009 | Adam Kennedy | 2008 | Scott Spiezio | 2006 |
| Scott Rolen | 2004 | Fernando Vina | 2003 | |||
| Scott Rolen | 2002 | Kerry Robinson | 2002 | |||
| Albert Pujols | 2001 | Placido Polanco | 2001 | |||
| Joe McEwing | 1999 | Ron Gant | 1997 | |||
| Willie McGee | 1997 | Royce Clayton | 1996 | |||
| Gary Gaetti | 1996 | |||||
| 3 | Julio Lugo | 2009 | Ryan Ludwick | 2008 | Cesar Izturis | 2008 |
| John Rodriguez | 2006 | Chris Duncan | 2006 | |||
| Mark Grudzielanek | 2005 | Jim Edmonds | 2004 | |||
| Tony Womack | 2004 | Reggie Sanders | 2004 | |||
| J.D. Drew | 2003 | Kerry Robinson | 2003 | |||
| Eli Marrero | 2001 | Ray Lankford | 2001 | |||
| Edgar Renteria | 2001 | Ray Lankford | 2000 | |||
| Placido Polanco | 2000 | Placido Polanco | 1999 | |||
| Ray Lankford | 1997 | Dmitri Young | 1997 | |||
| Danny Sheaffer | 1996 | Luis Alicea | 1996 |