Golden Sombrero in Baseball: 4 or More Strikeouts?

When discussing fancy terms related to sports, one of the topmost terms is “Golden Sombrero in baseball.” As intriguing as it sounds, its meaning is not the same.

You might think that Golden Sombrero is a term that the players might be proud to earn, but contrary to it, no player wants to earn it. The term represents multiple strikeouts by a hitter in a single game.

Knowing these simple terms helps you better understand the sport and makes you stand out in front of a crowd. This article will teach you about this infamous baseball term, its meaning, and its origin.

What Is The Meaning Of The Golden Sombrero In Baseball?

Not every day is a good day in terms of a match. Players often have rough days when they cannot score well and make good runs.

When a hitter is struck out four times in a single game, he is awarded the title of Golden Sombrero. It might be very discouraging for the hitter to earn such a title, but on the other hand, it also motivates him to perform better in the next game.

Strikeouts are not such a big deal in baseball as they have become quite common nowadays. It is only when players get multiple strikes out specific terms are used for them.

Other Sombrero Terms

Apart from the golden sombrero, a few more sombrero-related terms are used in baseball.

1. When a player strikes out three times in a single game, it is called to hit a sombrero. It is much more common and frequent than the golden sombrero.

2. In a single game, if a player strikes out five times, he is awarded the term “platinum sombrero.” A platinum sombrero is also known as an “Olympic Rings.”

3. Last but not least is the “titanium sombrero” or “horn” or “double platinum sombrero“; it is used when a player gets 6 strikeouts in a game.

Origin Of Golden Sombrero

The term is inspired by the “hat trick” used in hockey. A hat trick is used to refer to a player when he hits 3 goals. Similarly, in baseball, a golden sombrero is when a player gets 3 strikeouts. Sombrero is a Spanish term used for hats; stereotypically, they are huge hats worn by cartoons.

So to give a term for 4 strikeouts, the term golden sombrero originated. “Golden” was used to symbolize a grand hat. It is believed that Carmelo Martinez first used the term in the 1980s. The term was first used in an article in 1984 by Leon Durham.

How Common Is Golden Sombrero

With the rate of strikeouts increasing recently, golden sombreros have also become common. Though they are not that frequent, still their rates have visibly increased.

From 1901 to 1955, there were about 17 golden sombreros recorded. In 1956, the number increased to 26; then, it increased to 52 in 1963. In 1969 a total of 64 golden sombreros were achieved. A total of 102 golden sombreros were earned in 1997. In 2006, 99 four-strikeouts, and in 2007, 112 golden sombreros were recorded.

In 2018, a total of 199 golden sombreros were recorded. If you think that is a lot, think again, as, in 2019, a total of 254 golden sombreros were recorded in the MLB.

Players With the Most Golden Sombrero

The top 11 Major League Baseball players with the most Golden Sombreros recorded in their name are:

Player	Number Of Golden Sombreros
Ryan Howard	27
Chris Davis	26
Reggie Jackson	23
Giancarlo Stanton	22
Jim Thome	20
Adam Dunn, Bo Jackson	19
Mark Reynolds	18
Rob Deer, Joey Gallo, Sammy Sosa	17

Golden Sombrero Incidents

MLB games when golden sombreros were recorded:

1. 2009: Evan Longoria, who played for Tampa Bay Rays, recorded a golden sombrero with 2 home runs.
2. 2015: Derek Norris, the San Diego Padres catcher, recorded a golden sombrero with a walk-off grand slam. Derek is the first MLB player to set both these records in one game.
3. 2017: Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees recorded a golden sombrero on October 11, 2017

Platinum Sombrero Incidents

1. 1996: Ron Karkovice was the first player to receive a platinum sombrero on an opening day on March 31.
2. 2017: On July 25, 2017, Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs and Nelson Cruz of the Seattle Mariners recorded a platinum sombrero on the same day. This was the first time ever in MLB that 2 players achieved 2 platinum sombreros on the same day.
3. 2018: Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees recorded a platinum sombrero on April 3. Just 5 days later, he again hit a platinum sombrero and became the first player to get 2 platinum sombreros in a single season.
4. 2019: On June 18, the players J.D Martinez of the Boston Red Sox and Miguel Sano recorded a platinum sombrero the same day.
5. 2022: On October 8, Andres Gimenez of Cleveland Guardians and Jose Siri of Tampa Bay Rays earned a platinum sombrero.
6. 2019: Trevor Story of Colorado Rockies recorded a platinum sombrero on May 26. The next day, May 27, Javier Baez of the Chicago Cubs also earned a platinum sombrero.

Players With Titanium Sombreros

A titanium sombrero is very rare, and only 8 players in MLB history have been awarded this term. All these players earned 6 strikeouts in a more than 9-inning game.

Player	Year	Innings In The Game
Carl Weilman	1913	15
Don Hoak	1956	17
Rick Reichardt	1966	17
Billy Cowan	1971	20
Cecil Cooper	1974	15
Sam Horn	1991	15
Alex Gonzalez	1998	13
Geoff Jenkins	2004	17

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