Rennie Stennett

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Rennie Stennett

|image=Rennie Stennett - Pittsburgh Pirates.jpg

|caption=Stennett circa 1977

|position=Second baseman

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1949|4|5}}

|birth_place=Colón, Panama

|death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|2021|5|18|1949|4|5}}

|death_place=Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.

|debutleague=MLB

|debutdate=July 10

|debutyear=1971

|debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates

|finalleague=MLB

|finaldate=August 24

|finalyear=1981

|finalteam=San Francisco Giants

|statleague=MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.274

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=41

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=432

|teams=

Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1979}})
San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1980}}–{{mlby|1981}})

|highlights=

World Series champion ({{wsy|1979}})

}}

Reinaldo Antonio Stennett Porte (April 5, 1949 – May 18, 2021) was a Panamanian professional baseball second baseman, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1971–79) and San Francisco Giants (1980–81). He batted and threw right-handed. A World Series champion with the Pirates in 1979, Stennett is one of two players to collect seven hits in a nine-inning game, which he did in a 22–0 victory over the Chicago Cubs, in 1975. Stennett was also a member of the first all-Black and Latino starting lineup in big league history.

Early life

Stennett was born in Colón, Panama, on April 5, 1949.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stennre01.shtml |title=Rennie Stennett Statistics and History |work=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=May 18, 2021}} He was raised in the Panama Canal Zone and attended Paraiso High School, the same as Rod Carew. Stennett piqued the interest of the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Houston Astros, who wanted him to continue his schooling in the United States and develop him into a pitcher. However, he rejected their overtures on the recommendation of his father.{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/rennie-stennett/ |title=Rennie Stennett |first=Joseph |last=Wancho |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=May 18, 2021}} He was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates on February 12, 1969.

Career

Stennett played for four minor league teams in the Pirates' farm system from 1969 to 1971: the Class A Gastonia Pirates (1969), the Class A Salem Rebels (1970), the Triple-A Columbus Jets (1970), and the Triple-A Charleston Charlies (1971).{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=stenne001ren |title=Rennie Stennett Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics and History |work=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=May 18, 2021}} He made his MLB debut on July 10, 1971, at the age of 20, leading off for the Pirates and going 0-for-4 against the Atlanta Braves.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B07100PIT1971.htm |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Atlanta Braves 4 |website=Retrosheet |date=July 10, 1971 |access-date=August 30, 2018}} He collected his first major league hits a week later, going 2-for-4 against the San Diego Padres.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=stennre01&t=b&year=1971 |title=Rennie Stennett 1971 Batting Game Logs |work=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |access-date=April 1, 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B07170PIT1971.htm |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 9, San Diego Padres 2 |website=Retrosheet |date=July 17, 1971 |access-date=August 30, 2018}} On September 1, Pittsburgh faced the Phillies with the first major league all-Black and Latino starting lineup{{cite news |title=San Francisco Giants' first major free-agent addition dies at 72 |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/18/san-francisco-giants-first-major-free-agent-addition-dies-at-72 |first=Jon |last=Becker |date=May 18, 2021 |access-date=May 18, 2021 |newspaper=The Mercury News}} Stennett led off the game for the Pirates, who won 10–7.{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/research/characters-character-pittsburghs-all-black-lineup |title=Characters With Character: Pittsburgh's All-Black Lineup |first=George |website=SABR |last=Skornickel |date=2011 |access-date=August 30, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B09010PIT1971.htm |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 10, Philadelphia Phillies 7 |website=Retrosheet |date=September 1, 1971 |access-date=August 30, 2018}}

In his first three seasons with Pittsburgh, Stennett was used at shortstop and second base. He also played a solid defense at all three outfield positions, with an average arm and great reaction speed. He showed progress in 1973, when he hit 10 home runs and 55 RBIs in 128 games. Following the 1973 season, Pittsburgh traded incumbent second baseman Dave Cash to Philadelphia and gave Stennett the starting job. Batting from the leadoff spot, he responded with a .291 average, 84 runs, 56 RBI, and a career-high 196 hits.

On September 16, 1975, Stennett became the only player in the 20th century to have seven hits in seven at bats in a nine-inning game, as Pittsburgh routed the Cubs, 22–0.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1975/B09160CHN1975.htm |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 22, Chicago Cubs 0 |website=Retrosheet |date=September 16, 1975 |access-date=August 30, 2018}} Stennett's first hit in that game came off starter Rick Reuschel and his seventh was off Rick's brother Paul.{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-16-1975-rennie-stennett-leads-pirates-rout-with-a-record-seven-hits/ |title=September 16, 1975: Rennie Stennett leads Pirates rout with a record seven hits |first=Doug |last=Feldmann |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |access-date=May 18, 2021}} Pittsburgh also set a major league record for the largest winning score in a shutout game in the modern era (later matched by the Cleveland Indians in 2004).{{Cite news |date=September 1, 2004 |title=Yankees Make History, Lose to Indians, 22–0 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2004/09/01/yankees-make-history-lose-to-indians-22-0/fc3c9086-fe80-4921-b998-a945efe8413e/ |access-date=May 18, 2021 |work=The Washington Post|agency=Associated Press}} He was the third player to collect seven hits in a single game, and the second to do it in a nine-inning game,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23275496/stennetts_feat_rips_records/ |title=Stennett's Feat Rips Records |first=Al |last=Abrams |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=10 |date=September 18, 1975 |access-date=August 30, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}} equaling the record set by Wilbert Robinson of the 1892 Baltimore Orioles. With Stennett's position at second base secure in a lineup loaded with young hitters such as Dave Parker, Richie Zisk, and Rich Hebner and complemented by veterans Willie Stargell and Manny Sanguillén, Pittsburgh traded up-and-coming second baseman Willie Randolph to the New York Yankees after the 1975 season.

On August 21, 1977, Stennett was batting .336 for the season, but he broke his right leg while sliding into second base in a game versus San Francisco.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23275525/bucs_beaten_by_giants_lose_stennett/ |title=Bucs Beaten By Giants, Lose Stennett For Year |agency=UPI |newspaper=Latrobe Bulletin |location=Latrobe, Pennsylvania |page=14 |date=August 22, 1977 |access-date=August 30, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}} He was out for the year and had fewer than the required number of plate appearances (12), falling short of qualifying for the batting title, won by teammate Dave Parker (.338).{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Sandomir |title=Rennie Stennett, Pirate Who Had Seven Hits in a Game, Dies at 72 |date=May 19, 2021 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/19/sports/baseball/rennie-stennett-dead.html |access-date=May 20, 2021}} In that season, Stennett collected a career-high 28 stolen bases. Stennett was part of the 1979 Pirates team that won the World Series. He singled in his only at-bat in the series, in which Phil Garner was the starter at second base for each game.

Stennett signed a five-year, $1 million free agent contract with the San Francisco Giants on December 12, 1979.[https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/13/archives/giants-confirm-signing-stennett-may-wohlford.html "Giants Confirm Signing Stennett, May, Wohlford," United Press International (UPI), Wednesday, December 12, 1979.] Retrieved October 19, 2022. However, the Giants would release Stennett in April 1982, with three years remaining and $2 million left on his contract. He hit a combined .242 with San Francisco. Not yet 31 years of age, Stennett would never again play in Major League Baseball. He played in the Mexican League in 1982 before finishing his professional career with 55 games for the Double-A Wichita Aeros in 1983.

Later years

In August 2016, Stennett met with Brandon Crawford of the San Francisco Giants at Marlins Park, two days after Crawford's seven-hit game against the Miami Marlins.{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/giants/giants-notes-rennie-stennett-comes-see-brandon-crawford |title=Giants notes: Rennie Stennett comes to see Brandon Crawford |first=Alex |last=Pavlovic |website=NBC Sports |date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=August 30, 2018}} Crawford was the first major league player to collect seven hits in a game, although in extra innings, since Stennett.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/08/10/rare-feat-crawford-stennett-meet-in-miami-after-7-hit-game/88524002/ |title=7th Heaven: Brandon Crawford, Rennie Stennett meet in Miami after 7-hit game |agency=AP |website=USA Today |date=August 10, 2016 |access-date=August 30, 2018}}

Stennett died on May 18, 2021, in Coconut Creek, Florida. He was 72, and suffered from cancer prior to his death.{{cite news |title=Bucs '70s star Rennie Stennett dies |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/rennie-stennett-dies |date=May 18, 2021 |work=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |access-date=May 18, 2021}}

References

External links

{{baseballstats|mlb=122740|espn=284|br=s/stennre01|fangraphs=1012484|brm=stenne001ren|retro=S/Pstenr101}}
[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/95f220e9 Rennie Stennett] at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
[http://www.critica.com.pa/archivo/historia/f13-45.html Historia del Béisbol en Panamá] {{in lang|es}}
[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN197509160.shtml Box score of Stennett's 7-for-7 game]

Category:1949 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:Águilas Cibaeñas players

Category:Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic

Category:Broncos de Reynosa players

Category:Charleston Charlies players

Category:Columbus Jets players

Category:Gastonia Pirates players

Category:Gold Coast Suns (baseball) players

Category:Major League Baseball players from Panama

Category:20th-century Panamanian sportsmen

Category:Major League Baseball second basemen