Baseball's Golden Sombrero

When Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies struck out four times in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees last night, he earned one of baseball's most unwanted honors: The Golden Sombrero.

Striking out three times is a hat trick... which is bad enough (for the hitter, anyway)... but the Golden Sombrero is often considered a career lowlight. But don't worry, Ryan -- there are worse feats. Striking out five times in a game is called the "Platinum Sombrero."

Speaking of Ryan Howard, many people believe he has Ruthian potential. He's a big man who hits the ball hard and far... but I don't know if he'll ever top Babe Ruth's distance record. Ruth once hit a home run that traveled more than 200 miles -- because it landed on top of a moving train.

That bit of Ruth trivia and a lot of other great facts can be found in Ripley's Believe It or Not! Baseball Oddities & Trivia by Tim O'Brien. It's a fun book to have by your side during the World Series and into the winter.

But while fans may consider it a crime to lose a post-season game, Ryan Howard is not a criminal. You'll find the ballplayers who have an arrest record -- including a member of each team here in the 2009 World Series -- in our special World Series edition of the Weird Crime Mug Shot Hall of Shame.

Related:
• Photos: Great Ripley Oddities and Attractions
• New World Records Photo Gallery
• Ripley's Oddcast Radio

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