I got to thinking about the business of playing all nine positions in a game and it struck me that it requires a lot of cooperation from your teammates and manager to pull it off. Each time the stunt player assumes a new position, another player has to vacate it for that inning. That player must either spend an inning manning a different spot, or be replaced.
I looked up the boxscores for the first two times the feat was accomplished. Here is the one for Bert Campaneris, 9/8/65. It is a mess.
September 8, 1965 California Angels at Kansas City Athletics Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com
KC used 24 players in the game, eight pitchers, four pinch hitters and one pinch runner. Besides Campaneris, four other A's players spent an inning manning an unfamilar position. Bert was 0 for 3 that day with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored. On the mound he gave up one hit, two walks, one run and struck out one opponent. The A's lost 5-3, their 88th defeat of the year on their way to 59-103 season, 43 games behind the AL champion Twins.
Three years later Campaneris was on the field for Cesar Tovar's repeat of the stunt for the Twins as they hosted the now Oakland Athletics. Minnesota was vastly more efficient than had been the A's, needing only 13 players, three pitchers (counting Tovar) and two pinch hitters. Tovar's teammates made eleven defensive swaps during the game to facilitate his stunt.
September 22, 1968 Oakland Athletics at Minnesota Twins Play by Play and Box Score - Baseball-Reference.com
Tovar was one for three at the plate with a walk and a stolen base. On the mound he issued a walk and retired the other three batters, striking out one. The Twins won 2-1.
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