A couple that pop into my mind happened this year, both strangely enough involved the Royals. The play where Sweeney got hit in the back by a rely to home, and the play where Ken Harvey slammed his own pitcher in the face with a ball.

A year or so Mike Bordick was involved in a play where he was about to be doubled up but the ball was thrown into the stands, but instead of going back to first, first, he went straight to third, the base he was awarded. On the next play the pitcher appealed to first and Bordick was thrown out.


So what other plays can you remember the struck you as being incredibly bizarre? Doesnt have to be pro ball.


Just give me what I came for, then I'm out the door again

I was involved in a highschool game where we were playing on the opposing teams feild. It was the bottom of the 7th and we were up 2 runs.There were runners on first and second and the opposing team hit a ball to the gap in left center and i was going to cut it off and get it into the cut off man. Only 1 run was going to score and the guy would barley have gotten into third. As i go to pick up the ball it bounes into a pretty deep hole that was made by one of those small drainage grates but the lid was gone thus making the hole. I immediately threw my hands up but the umpire that was behind second said the ball was still playable(which was a dumb call in itself) so i picked up the ball very calmly as if the play was over and called dead. In the meantime the kid that was going to third started to trot back to second and the kid who HIT the ball was just standing around second base not knowing what was going on. I then gunned the ball into our shortstop who then tagged both the runner who hit the ball and the kid trotting back to second who thought the play was dead. ALSO the kid that scored missed third base and our coach appealed to the homeplate umpire, we then threw the ball to third base stepped on the bag GAME OVER. We go to playoffs end of story. The absoulute DUMBEST call every and the weirdiest play i have ever seen or been involved with.


Oh also a weird thing i saw once was at minute maid. At the time it was still enron feild and i think it was the first season in the new park. There was a fly ball down the third base side and some guy that wasnt paying attention just bought a beer and set it down on the arm rest. He never saw the ball at all and it landed perfectly in the cup. All the beer was lost but the cup hardly moved and the ball got stuck inside of it. Just strange

is it just me or is ken harvey involved in an inordinate number of collisions? ......by the way did he play for nebraska?

he did indeed play for Nebraska



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Check out "Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order"
at tamu-and-baseball.com

ken harvey has a weird way of holding the bat, though. dude can hit when he played at nebraska.

Harvey hits well enough, but seems to be out of position at 1st alot...hence the numerous collisions.

That being said, he's a better 1st baseman than Mike Sweeney and is the lone Royal in the All-Star game. With Beltran now gone, he's widely considered the Royals' best player...truly sad.

he made it to the big leagues pretty fast...i remember him playin against a&m just a few yrs ago

I'd have to think a bit about the absolute strangest play, but one that certainly ranks up there was a CWS game back in the early '90s where a left fielder caught the ball, runs into the wall knocking himself cold, the center fielder gets the ball which is still in the LF's glove, and throws it in. The umpire ruled no catch, which was and still is the correct call. Just a weird play.

Three strange plays come to mind.

1) About 11 or 12 years ago, the Home Run off Jose Canseco's head, when he played for the Rangers.

2) Trot Nixon of the Boston Red Sox catches a ball in right field. Thinking there were three outs, he tosses the ball in the stands. In reality that was only the second out and Anaheim scores on the play.

3) Randy Johnson fastball that took out the bird a couple years ago.

If you get knocked out while catching the ball but you still hang on to it, it's a no catch?

quote:

---

Three strange plays come to mind.

1) About 11 or 12 years ago, the Home Run off Jose Canseco's head, when he played for the Rangers.

2) Trot Nixon of the Boston Red Sox catches a ball in right field. Thinking there were three outs, he tosses the ball in the stands. In reality that was only the second out and Anaheim scores on the play.

3) Randy Johnson fastball that took out the bird a couple years ago.

---

All three are straight from ESPN's Top 25 Blunders from the past 25 years...

i was just about to say the same thing. Somebody watched sportcenter the other night and took notes

Similar to what AGSmith had: at Shea, a fly ball was hit but before it came down in the outfielders glove it bounced off a bird which made the outfield miss it.

Also, in the World Series about 10 years ago with Atlanta at Minnestota, I believe I remember a pickoff attempt at first where the first basemen shoved the runner away from the bag then tagged him and the runner was ruled out. I may be wrong about this..I've slept a few times since.

quote:

---

posted 10:26p, 07/08/04



I'd have to think a bit about the absolute strangest play, but one that certainly ranks up there was a CWS game back in the early '90s where a left fielder caught the ball, runs into the wall knocking himself cold, the center fielder gets the ball which is still in the LF's glove, and throws it in. The umpire ruled no catch, which was and still is the correct call. Just a weird play.

---

can anyone explain this rule?


Just give me what I came for, then I'm out the door again

I did not see the play, but I am thinking that maybe the glove was no longer on the player's hand.

Ag Defense - I think it was Kent Hrbek. He just lifted some guy off the base and tagged him. Stupid umpire called the runner out.

The play in question was an NCAA play, so I'll quote the NCAA rule. But I'm pretty sure most other rules are the same or similar:

(Rule 2 Definitions)
Catch
The act of a fielder in getting secure possession in the hand or glove of a ball
in flight and firmly holding it, providing the fielder does not use the cap, protector, pocket or any other part of the uniform in getting possession.
In establishing the validity of the catch, the fielder shall demonstrate complete control of the ball and that the release of the ball is voluntary and intentional.
a. If the fielder has made the catch and drops the ball while in the act of making a throw (i.e., reaching for the ball in the glove) after the catch, the ball shall be judged to have been caught.
b. If a fielder falls over or through the fence after making a catch within the field of play, the batter shall be retired and the ball is dead (see 6-1-d and 8-3-1).
c. It is not a catch if, simultaneously with or immediately after contact with the ball, the fielder collides with a player or fence or falls down and, as a result, drops the ball.
d. It is not a catch if a fielder touches a fly ball that then hits a member of the offensive team or an umpire and then is caught by that fielder or another defensive player.
e. It is not a legal catch if either foot is touching dead-ball territory when the catch is made.

I dont know about how strange it was, but the double play the royals i think turned thursday was pretty cool. The batter hit a line drive between short and second, the shortstop intentionally redirected the ball to the secondbaseman who turned and threw the batter out at first. May not be strange, but definately one of the coolest plays I've seen.