Toronto Blue Jays Davis Schneider ties record for most hits in a player’s first three games with 1938’s Coaker Triplett

Coaker Triplett and Davis Schneider.

One born in 1911, the other 1999.

Both played for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

And as of Sunday, a pair forever linked in baseball history as the only players in major league history to have nine hits in their first three games of their career.

For Triplett, pictured top left while playing for the Bisons in 1949, his MLB debut came in 1938 and marked the only nine hits of his season while playing for the Chicago Cubs. His first game fell on April 19th, 1938 in a series against the Cincinnati Reds at the age of 26. In game one, Triplett hit two doubles and a single while scoring a run and driving in another while batting sixth in the order.

Game two saw him in the six spot again, this time hitting three singles and a triple driving in a run and scoring three of his own. The series finale, on April 21st, saw him remain in the six spot hitting two more singles.

Triplett’s hot start would be just that. Over his next 22 at-bats, he wouldn’t reach base once and would return to Chicago’s AA affiliate in Minneapolis. He wouldn’t return to the Major League until 1941 with the St. Louis Cardinals with his only appearances coming amid World War II.

Following the end of the war, Triplett, whose brother Hooper was the first to be banned from baseball for gambling after placing a $20 bet in 1946, would return to the minor leagues playing Triple-A ball for the Buffalo Bisons from 1946 through 1951, before playing his final season with Triple-A Ottawa at 40 years old.

Schneider will look to fare much better in his career.

He made his debut for the Jays Friday night against the Boston Red Sox hitting a solo shot home run in his first big league at-bat and followed it up with a single later in the game. On Saturday, Schneider hit three line drive singles into the outfield while walking once and scoring a run.

And on Sunday, things got even better once he slid up the order to the three-spot going 4-for-5.

He singled and scored in the top of the first, hit his second home run — a two-run blast in the top of the fourth — got hit by a pitch in the fifth, and wrapped it up with singles in the seventh and ninth inning.

To top it all off, Schneider is the only player in MLB history to have nine hits and two home runs through his first three games.

Not bad for a 28th-round pick.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.