http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18939359&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_18939359&v=3

25 Outfield assists for the Royals this year. Good heavens I hope they find some pitching next year.

Great post.

The 9-3 is my favorite play in baseball...

So much humiliation in that play makes it special. I've never witnessed it at any level other than in the big leagues.

The few I've seen came from the Cubs' Andre Dawson and the Expos' Larry Walker. I believe both were at Wrigley.

What made Francoeur's so cool is that he victimized a position player in front of his own crowd. I've seen this happen to pitchers before, but never an every-day player. A 9-3 out in the American League is o-so-rare.

I've often wondered what's more rare...a triple play or a 9-3.

Great stuff. Thanks for posting.

[This message has been edited by mtepera (edited 9/8/2011 8:11a).]

I try that play on xbox all the time but it never works

Francoeur

That was a great throw - it looked like Michael Taylor was hustling out of the box, Frenchy just has an amazing arm out in RF.

It worked in RBI Baseball. Ultimate pwnage.

[This message has been edited by mtepera (edited 9/8/2011 1:12p).]

Definitely one of the Top 10 plays this year in baseball. Would be an interesting statistic to see how many 9-3 outs there are, but wouldn't even know where to begin to look it up. (Elias or something?)

...and even if you were able to reference Elias, I would bet that over 95% of those 9-3 outs were runners getting doubled off first.

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The Oakland Athletics rookie became only the fifth American League player since 1974 to fall victim to a 9-3 putout when a throw from Kansas City's right field arrived at first base before he did.

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http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Rare-Jeff-Francoeur-gets-A-8217-s-rookie-with-?urn=mlb-wp18825

Looked like the first baseman stepped off the bag to me, but either way great play.

1973 was the 1st year for the DH rule. I would guess none happened that year either.

Looks like the 9-3 is WAY more rare than a triple play.

Things like this are why I love baseball.

[This message has been edited by mtepera (edited 9/8/2011 10:21p).]

The last 9-3 I remember seeing was Glenn Wilson throwing out Ernie Whitt in the Dome sometime in the late 80s.

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The Oakland Athletics rookie became only the fifth American League player since 1974 to fall victim to a 9-3 putout when a throw from Kansas City's right field arrived at first base before he did.

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I wonder how many of those were dubious circumstances. For example, a batter pulls a hammy on the way to first and gets thrown out.

Welcome to the National League, Josh Beckett.
LOLZ

I managed it once in little league, but in fairness I was playing in shallow rf and the kid was barely jogging.

Sean Casey hit into a more infamous 7-3

Re: Sean Casey's 5-7-3 groundout:

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The Tigers were hosting the White Sox at Comerica Park in what was quickly becoming a blowout in favor of the visiting team. Casey was leading off in the bottom of the fifth inning for Detroit against Jon Garland when he slapped a line drive towards third baseman Joe Crede, who just missed gloving the ball. Crede tracked the ball, slowing it down as it rolled into left field. Casey had taken two steps before walking to the dugout, thinking Crede had made the grab. However, he soon noticed that the ball was still in play, and took off for first again. It was too late. Thinking on his feet, outfielder Pablo Ozuna scooped up the ball in left and fired across the way, beating Casey by a half step.

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http://espn.go.com/blog/sportscenter/post/_/id/75434/this-day-in-sports-sean-casey-becomes-a-third-basemans-best-friend

[This message has been edited by Corporal Punishment (edited 9/24/2012 7:13p).]

Another one bites the dust:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/billy-butler-gets-throw-out-at-first-after-singling-to-right-field-023623869.html

Bush league in my opinion.

[This message has been edited by 96ags (edited 5/30/2014 12:09p).]

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Bush league in my opinion.

[This message has been edited by 96ags (edited 5/30/2014 12:09p).]

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Bush league in my opinion.

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Strange comment.

I think Corporal Punishment orgasmed like 3 times in this thread. He seems very excited about these plays

...and since the OP back in 2011 I've seen it happen in my son's Little League about 3 or 4 times.

[This message has been edited by Corporal Punishment (edited 5/30/2014 1:02p).]

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Strange comment.

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Just one of those things that is somewhat frowned upon in the "old school" way of thinking.

Somewhat akin in my mind to bunting to bust a no-hitter.

Are you suggesting the batter "earned" a hit and the rightfielder should have conceded it?

Should he have just played the ball back into second base?

I'm old school too, but, this is a total hustle play. The guy that hustled got rewarded with an outfield assist.

The guy that dogged it down to first (in the 9th inning trailing by a run no less) got rewarded with some well-deserved mockery.

Interesting take.

Often times it is not a matter of a player dogging to 1st as much as it is a ball that is just squared up and a right fielder gets a candy hop.

There is a reason it is so rare in big league ball and it is not necessarily because the opportunities don't come around often.

Show me a coach that teaches it at a youth level and I'll show you a guy that doesn't understand the game. Creating that as a habit at the youth level will have a negative impact when they move to bigger fields.

I don't think anyone is suggesting you should make that throw every time. I fail to see how it's bush league if you look up and see that you have a play. Comparing it to bunting to break up a no-no is pretty absurd.

Well, 96ags, I commend you for defending what appears to be an unpopular opinion.

...but I will add that you are indeed implying that the outfielder should have conceded a hit to the batter.

That's where I'm totally blown away.

To each their own, no big deal.

My opinion may be unpopular with some on this board, but I assure you it wouldn't be as unpopular amongst coaches and players at higher levels.

9-3 are more common than triple plays historically. The reason for this is that older fields used to have some weird dimensions. Carl Furillo (RF for the Brooklyn Dodgers) used to catch the ball off of the short wall at Ebbets Field and throw out runners after they had already rounded first, but weren't intending to run to second. He would just automatically rocket the ball to first and catch them on their way back. I know it's not the same 9-3 that we're talking about, but it's still pretty impressive.

Animal,

I'll show some of my quirky-ness here in that the play you described (a single w/ a 9-3 caught stealing) is one of my favorite plays.

The other is a runner getting hosed while rounding 3rd after an out at 1st.

I'm confused. Throwing a runner out at first on the force is bush league but automatically throwing the ball to first trying to catch a runner rounding the bag is one of your favorite plays?

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To each their own, no big deal.

My opinion may be unpopular with some on this board, but I assure you it wouldn't be as unpopular amongst coaches and players at higher levels.

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Expert alert! Expert alert!

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To each their own, no big deal.

My opinion may be unpopular with some on this board, but I assure you it wouldn't be as unpopular amongst coaches and players at higher levels.

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Yeah. I bet the Blue Jays players and coaches are PISSED.

The reason you wouldn't want players, as they are developing, to try this play, is it would be more likely that they throw the ball wide and let the runner advance to second.

This play, Jeff was already playing shallow, the ball was drilled directly at him and on the side to where he could prepare to make the throw.

That probably doesnt happen often.