Rennie Stennett

Renaldo Antonio Stennett Porte

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut July 10, 1971
• Final Game August 24, 1981
• Born April 5, 1951 in Colon, Colon, Panama
• Died May 18, 2021 in Coconut Creek, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Known more for his glove than for his bat, second baseman Rennie Stennett surprised in 1977 when he hit .336. He had never hit higher than .291 previously in five seasons as a regular; but he broke his leg towards the end of the season and teammate Dave Parker ended up winning the batting title with an average of .338.

Stennett played for the division-winning Pittsburgh Pirates in 1972, 1974, and 1975, and also the World Series-winning Pirates in 1979. In the 1979 Series, he got a pinch-hit single in his only appearance. He lost his starting job at second base during the 1979 season, when the Pirates acquired third baseman Bill Madlock from the San Francisco Giants in midseason; 3B Phil Garner moved to 2B, and Stennett was confined to the bench. After the World Series, he signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants, but was a major disappointment. He hit only .244 with no walks and no power in 120 games in 1980, then played only 38 games, hitting .230, while backing up Joe Morgan in 1981. He was released at the end of spring training in 1982, ending his career.

On September 1, 1971, the Pirates fielded the first all-black lineup in major league history, including Stennett at second base. On September 16, 1975, Stennett tied a major league record by getting 7 hits in a 9-inning game. The Pirates beat the Cubs 22-0, itself a record for the most runs in a shutout in the 20th century. Twice in that game, he collected two hits in one innings, and he also got hits off both Reuschel brothers, starter Rick Reuschel and reliever Paul Reuschel. The next player to collect 7 hits in a game was Brandon Crawford of the 2016 San Francisco Giants, but he needed 14 innings and 8 at-bats to match Rennie's feat.

In 1989, Stennett played for the Gold Coast Suns of the Senior Professional Baseball Association. He hit .323 with 2 home runs in 55 games for the club.

Stennett's brother, Fernando Stennett, was an infielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates chain from 1973 to 1976.

Records Held

• Hits, nine inning game, 7, 9/16/75 (tied)
• Most times two hits in an inning in a game, twice, 9/16/75 (tied)

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979

Further Reading

• Gabe Lacques: "Rennie Stennett, two-time Pirates World Series champ and only man to go 7-for-7, dies at 72", USA Today, May 18, 2021. [1]
• Rennie Stennett (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, December 1979, pp. 55-57. [2]

Related Sites

• Rennie Stennett at the SABR Bio Project