Cesar Tovar Plays All Nine Positions in One Game

On September 22, 1968, Cesar Tovar of the Minnesota Twins played one inning at each of the nine defensive positions in a 2-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics. He became the second player in major league history to accomplish the feat, after Bert Campaneris did it for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965.

Tovar started the game on the mound. He pitched a scoreless first inning, facing Campaneris himself as the leadoff hitter and striking out Reggie Jackson. From there, he rotated through catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, and right field, playing one inning at each position.

The game was the last home contest of the 1968 season for the Twins, and manager Cal Ermer arranged the stunt partly as a farewell gesture for the fans. Tovar made the most of it. He scored a run, handled five putouts, and recorded one assist without committing an error across all nine positions.

It was the only game of Tovar's career in which he played pitcher, catcher, or first baseman. He was a natural utility player who spent most of his time in the outfield and at third base. The Twins presented him with a color television set after the game to mark the occasion.

Since Tovar's performance, only two other players have played all nine positions in a single game. Scott Sheldon did it for the Texas Rangers in 2000, and Shane Halter did it for the Detroit Tigers in 2000 as well. Andrew Romine of the Tigers accomplished it in 2017. None of them won their games as convincingly as Tovar did.