Are 'Succession' & famous World Series play connected?

May 27th, 2023

How does one of the greatest plays in World Series history factor into the much-anticipated series finale of HBO’s "Succession?" Let us explain.

In the show, everyone is waiting to see who will be the successor to billionaire media mogul Logan Roy, who -- spoiler alert! -- died earlier this season. Many have guessed that one of the three out of his four children who have been in contention, Roman, Kendall or Shiv, will take over Logan’s company, Waystar Royco.

However, there is an intriguing case to be made -- with a baseball twist -- for another character.

Shiv’s husband is Tom Wambsgans, an executive in the company. For anyone with extensive knowledge of baseball history, that surname might jump out at you.

Bill Wambsganss was a 13-year infielder in the Majors who spent most of his career playing for Cleveland from 1914-23. He had one claim to fame during his otherwise nondescript career: He is the only player to turn an unassisted triple play during the postseason. It came in Game 5 of the 1920 Fall Classic, in which Cleveland beat the Brooklyn Robins in seven games.

Bill Wambsganss played in the Majors from 1914-26, primarily with Cleveland.AP

Taking out three players at once in baseball’s final series of a season? Could this be a hint that Tom is getting ready to pull off his own “triple play” against the three Roy siblings and take over Waystar Royco? The internet has thoughts!

The series finale of "Succession" will air Sunday night. We’ll see if the conclusion does indeed tie back to a piece of baseball history from 103 years ago.