Several readers sent this in: A-Rod, while a baserunner, called for a pop-up, orrr maybe he didn’t.
Rodriguez hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth that made it 7-5. Jorge Posada followed with a high infield pop and Rodriguez ran hard, cutting between Clark and shortstop John McDonald.
Replays showed Rodriguez shouting something, and Clark backed off at the last second. McDonald was only a few steps behind Clark, but couldn’t make the catch and ball dropped for an RBI single.
“I just said, ‘Hah!’ That’s it,” Rodriguez said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”
also, if he did call for it, that’d be cool, right, because
Rodriguez said three or four times each week, opponents shout at him while he pursues foul pops near their dugout.
Not that he’s saying he did. It’s interesting, we talked about a similar play in a college game just last week.
It’s a nice play if you can get away with it. I’ll update with more quotes as, inevitably, this gets more press. Here, with the Yankees ahead 7-5, his action turned an out into a single on the way to a four-run ninth inning and a final score of 10-5. It didn’t turn out to be the difference maker, but it was directly responsible for giving the Yankees a chance tos core three more runs. That’s a huge swing.
mehmattski | 31-May-07 at 4:45 am | Permalink
I guess what bothers me is that other players, former players on Baseball Tonight, etc are claiming that they have NEVER seen anything like this before. For example, Fernando Vina saying this was “bush league,” hoping I forgot all the times he stuck his elbow into the strike zone to get hit. I’m sure this does happen all the time and everyone wants a new chance to jump on A-Rod for something. If David Eckstein or Darren Erstad did this, we’d be talking about how gritty they are.
Raul | 31-May-07 at 7:24 am | Permalink
According to the YES Broadcast which was airing the game, a close up showed his mouth opening just once, his lips never really moving. He either said “Aah” to make him aware of someone right behind him or “Mine” to call the ball (each what both third basemen claimed Arod did). Another factor in this play working was the fact that this was the third baseman’s (Howie Clark) first game in the Major Leagues, he was probably nervous enough as it is, and didn’t want to ruin the game because of a bad play on the infield, which turned out to be just that.
A valuable lesson to a rookie, and a few extra boo’s next time Arod steps up to bat. All in all a fun turn of events.
Ps. Nice blog by the way, first time reading it.
Panev | 31-May-07 at 9:29 am | Permalink
I think A-Rod is reading the blog. He picked up this trick last week.
nill | 31-May-07 at 10:03 am | Permalink
Keith Law said the following about it during an ESPN chat today:
Keith (East Brunswick, NJ): Ok, seriously, how does ARod always manage to get stuck into the middle of controversy like this? First it’s the slap at Bronson Arroyo, now the ‘Mine!’ call last night. Do you feel the play was bush league, or not?
Keith Law: (1:24 PM ET ) Most popular topic today is A-Rod’s, um, exclamation. I don’t know if I’d call it “bush league” – I mean, is the hidden ball trick bush league? – but if he said “I got it,” then that’s illegal and he should have been called out. Rule 7.08(b) says: “Any runner is out when he intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball.” Saying “I got it” would qualify as hindering in my book.
tszuk | 31-May-07 at 11:22 am | Permalink
While this was Howie Clark’s first game in the Majors this season, he has played in 99 games previously from 2002 to 2006 for Baltimore and Toronto.