In the early days of Bridgestone MTBs, their higher end models were specced with short or medium cage derailleurs and triple cranks. But it was considered unusual enough that they included this note in the 1991 catalog:
"This bicycle has a short-cage rear derailleur, which shifts faster, weighs less, and has more ground (or obstacle) clearance than the usual long-cage rear derailleur.
However, the small price you pay for the above advantages is that, with the chain on the inner chainwheel and the three smallest rear cogs [note: this was out of 7 total cogs], the shorter cage won't take up sufficient slack; the chain rubs on the derailleur cage, and flops around excessively over bumps.
On any mountain bike (regardless of rear derailleur), the small chainring is should be used only with the three or four largest rear cogs. For the reasons noted above, this especially important with this style rear derailleur"
(side note: the misplaced "is" in the last sentence is their error not mine.)